Recently I just took a trip to London and it was quite literally one of the most amazing trips of my LIFE. Seriously. The only time I’ve ever been out of the country was when I went to India a few years ago. London is first of all STUNNING and second of all an amazing city filled with so much beautiful architecture and history. I crossed so many things off my bucket list in 10 days! If you’re planning a trip to London in the future, here’s my itinerary!
Day 1&2: Ruislip Lido + Oxford University
My brother and I landed and immediately passed out to get rid of the jet lag. We woke up and went to this little part of London where an artificial beach was created. And, it was nearing sunset time so we caught that as well. We walked through the forest and made it to the Ruislip Lido where we saw the beautiful sun set around 8-9PM (Fun fact: the days are longer in London in the summer and I LOVE IT). The weather was the perfect sunny with a little chill and it was so fun to have our feet in the sand. Truly, London’s best kept secret.
The next day we ventured to Oxford University to go see the Harry Potter walking tour (we weren’t able to get HP world tickets because they were SOLD OUT until December!). Personally, this was not my favorite day because the jet lag and the new environment did not sit well with me and I ended up throwing up on the beautiful Oxford University campus. After that, I started feeling a little better and was able to continue going on the tour but it was SO EMBARRASSING! We walked around the campus and saw beautiful architecture and sights.
Day 3: Windsor Castle + Windsor Markets
The next day was my absolute favorite day of the whole trip. We went to Windsor Castle, the home of the Queen as well as the place which Meghan & Harry were wed. I made sure to get enough sleep and made sure I was feeling healthy enough because I was not going to throw up at the Queen’s house! After drinking a lot of lemon water, sure enough I was feeling back to normal. I dressed up and we went to Windsor and went on a wonderful tour of the castle. The Queen also ARRIVED while we were walking around and they changed the flag to reflect that (HOW COOL).
The castle is stunning and has so much history in each room it’s astounding. And, we also went to the church on Windsor Castle grounds where Meghan and Harry took their infamous picture after they walked out as husband and wife. Sigh. We also walked through the town of Windsor and found some very picturesque spots which I took full advantage of as evidenced below.
Day 4: Royal Observatory London + Platform 9 & 3/4 station
The Royal Observatory London is located in Greenwich and is home to the historic Prime Meridian line where east meets west. It’s awesome to be able to stand in two hemispheres at once! We also went to Platform 9 and ¾ located in King’s Cross station in London. Warning, it’s a very popular tourist spot so expect to stand in line for 1-2 hours. It’s worth it for the ‘gram though. AND, the employees provide you with a scarf of your choice for your photo based on your Hogwarts house.
Day 5: Dominque Ansel Bakery + Gordon Ramsay Restaurant + Trafalgar Square + Princess Diana Memorial Walk
My brother made a reservation at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant for brunch and was the most excited out of everyone. We ate great food and topped it off with cookie shots from Dominique Ansel’s bakery. Then, we went to Primark on Oxford St and it was so crowded. I lost all control and ended up buying too many things. Primark has amazing clothes and it was very affordable so I ended up buying an amazing winter coat despite not having any space in my suitcase but I made it work. #priorities
After that, we headed to Trafalgar Square and admired the views and soaked in the great weather. We went to grab dessert at Elan Cafe and ended up being somewhere around Buckingham Palace. We walked around and stumbled upon the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial walk and strolled around that area. One thing I love about London is how walkable everything is. The metro is so clean and efficient (in my opinion) and I loved stumbling upon parks. All the greenery and the weather always put me in a good mood.
Day 6: Central London + Tower of London + Albert Victoria museum + Red phone booth
This day we finally made it to Central London and watched the Tower Bridge open and close from the London Bridge City Pier. Then we walked the bridge to get to the Tower of London and spent some time there. The highlight of the Tower of London is the Crown Jewels (the line was at least an hour long!) and it was amazing. The famous Kohinoor diamond is located there as well as many many other crown jewels and we were able to see them. Seriously a bucket list check off. After that, we ventured off to the outside of the Albert Victoria museum where I was able to take the tourist-y red London phone booth photo (basic I know)! The museum itself is an amazing place to check out as well (it’s free) but we did not have time to visit.
Day 7: High Tea + Kensington Gardens
High tea is a must-do in London because the British love their tea and their pastries. And, you will too! We did our high tea at the Park Grand London Lancaster Gate and it was not only inexpensive but also delicious. We then walked around that area and stumbled upon Kensington Gardens and I kid you not, this was STUNNING. So many fountains and so much greenery. Charles Dickens said “The parks be the lungs of London” and I could not agree more.
Day 8: Buckingham Palace
Last but not least, we went to Buckingham Palace. We woke up super early and arrived to see the changing of the royal guard. The area was crazy crowded and I barely saw anything except glimpses but it was nonetheless, a really cool experience. We had tickets to go on a tour of the inside of Buckingham Palace. Fun fact: the palace is only open to visitors only 10 weeks out of the year! Being able to go INSIDE was an actual dream come true.
The theme was Queen Victoria’s palace and each room we went to was stunning. The palace was filled with so much history, so much grandeur. It was unreal! Queen Victoria was very young when she became the reigning monarch and had to live in Buckingham Palace. She described it as cold and not a homey place to live in. She and Albert worked hard to make the palace much more like a home for them and their children. Walking around, I could really notice more of a familial vibe. We went to the palace gardens at the end of the tour. Fun fact: Queen Victoria actually started the tradition of the garden party. I found myself thinking about how those parties must have been so spectacular. I’m a history nerd so overall, I was living my best life.
Some basic tips while traveling to London:
- Take the metro – it’s the easiest and best way to get around London or opt for walking
- Admire the small things: the roads, the building, the flowers EVERYWHERE, the parks, etc.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes (I wore my trusty Keds everywhere)
- Carry an umbrella (London rain is not a joke)
- Make sure to eat at NANDO’S and get the fries with extra per-peri salt! We brought the salt back to America!
This was a dream trip for me and I really plan to return someday. Hope you found my itinerary helpful!
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