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11 Sites to Add to Your London Itinerary

I fell in love with London last autumn, and I've been dreaming about going back ever since! There's a lot of hype around London since it's one of Europe's most popular cities, but there's a good reason why, theres so much to do and see! I have compiled a list of 12 places in London you can't miss!

1. Tower Bridge

This is arguably one of the most iconic spots in London. Its gorgeous, especially at night, but did you know you can actually go inside and climb the bridge? Each tower has multiple floors to explore with historical information about the bridge. Between the two towers, there are two glass bottom walk ways that give you a great view of the city! A ticket to the bridge museum also gets you into the engine room next to the bridge that controlled the raising and lowering of the main bridge when large boats need to get past. The bridge still raises today, but no longer uses a type of engine that is on display.

2. Parliament and 'Big Ben'

The first symbol we think of when we think of London is the Elizabeth tower, or more lovingly referred to as 'Big Ben' which is actually the name of the bell inside the tower. Big Ben sits right next to the river, and is attached to the UK Parliament building. Both are open for tours, but as Parliament is an active part of the UK government system, some of the areas may be restricted from tours, or tours may be cancelled if there is important Parliament business. Whether you go inside the buildings or just admire them from the outside, they are a beautiful symbol of this gorgeous country and are absolutely worth seeing.

3. Westminster Abbey

One of the most famous cathedrals in the world is Westminster Abbey. A big claim to fame for this church is the fact that many famous Brits were buried inside the church, somehow under the floor actually. Another is that many royal weddings and funerals have taken place here, most notably in recent years, the weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry, and the funeral for Queen Elizabeth. Westminster Abbey is also where kings and queens have been coronated for centuries. So you could say that Westminster Abbey is pretty important to the British Monarchy. This gothic cathedral is nothing short of breathtaking, but since its so famous, its also extremely busy. I would suggest visiting as early in the day as humanly possible if you actually want to see anything.

If you have any interest in really embracing the tea culture in England, Westminster Abbey has a tea room where you can make reservations for tea time! There are accommodations for single travelers and groups alike, but if you are solo, you are more limited on what you can get. I scheduled a tea and cakes experience, and it was lovely! I was told by a friend that the Parliament building has a similar experience if you would rather go there for tea, or who says you can't do both! I’m a tea lover, especially when it's served the British way, with cream and sugar, so I would suggest this for any other tea lovers out there.

4. St. Paul's Cathedral

Another very famous church in London is St. Paul's Cathedral. This cathedral was built in 1710 after the London fire and was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren. Like Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's also has a few people buried inside, but the coolest contrasts are the giant dome over the transept, and the tour of the basement crypt. This basement is far from the dark, dingy basements that many of are used to! With vaulted ceilings and beautiful mosaic floors, this crypt is definitely worth it. The basement crypt is also a final resting place for a few historical figures, one being the Winston Churchill.

5. King's Cross Station & Camden

For any fan of the Wizarding World, this train station is instantly recognizable, but besides it's literary ties, this building is absolutely gorgeous! Of course this is also where you can see platform 9 3/4 and visit the Harry Potter shop. If you take any international trains, you're likely to depart from King's Cross - St Pancras station. There's more to this building than just train and tube platforms, there are also many stores and spots to eat. There is also sometimes a little grab and go food market right in front of the station that is great for a snack! Besides the train station, this area of London, Camden, is lovely! I stayed in the Camden borough of London and really loved it! Its a short tube ride into the middle of the city, and is very close to Soho, which is also worth a visit!

6. Borough Market

Borough Market is one of my favorite spots in London! Shoutout to my sister who insisted I check it out! This is a partially open market that has just about anything you could need. There are lovely little tea shops with loose leaf tea (a great souvenir to bring home), food stalls, restaurants, butchers and fish stands, and all kinds of other things. It's fun just to walk around the market and check out what is being sold. This market just keeps on going too, it feels like you could explore forever! My friend and I had a great time walking around and trying different foods and drinks, then dipped into a lovely little pizza joint for lunch, and ended our market experience with gelato. This market is an absolute must, you won't be disappointed!

7. Outernet

I was told about this spot from someone I met at my hostel, and I’m so glad I took his advice and checked it out! This is a somewhat immersive experience with screens on all the walls and the ceiling that projects really cool artistic scenes, like outer space and under the sea. It is free to go to, and you could spend quite a while here admiring the different moving scenes that go across the screens. I went in the evening and would recommend that for anyone that's interested in going, because the room is open to the outside. Also if you're going during the colder months, make sure to wear warm clothes, because it can get cold while you watch since this space isn't heated. I could have stayed for hours staring at these mesmerizing screens, but it was quite chilly when I went. The experience was worth being a little cold though! This is also a great option for budget travelers because Outernet is free!

8. Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square

I've heard this part of London compared to Time Square in New York City, because it has all the shops, entertainment, restaurants, and theaters. Technically, there is a difference between Piccadilly and Leicester, but to me it seems they both blend together. If you're a budget traveler, you most likely won't be going into the stores because they're very high end and expensive, but window shopping and admiring the architecture can be fun too.

9. Trafalger Square

Just a short stroll from Big Ben is Trafalger Square. This square is most known for being the home of the lion sculptures. The square is always busy because the National Gallery opens up right into it and there are all kinds of shops and restaurants around. This will most likely be a quick stop in your itinerary, because you mostly go to admire the fountains and and statues, and of course the lions!

10. Hyde Park

Within a busy bustling city, you may not expect much greenery, but Hyde Park is London's exception. This park is huge and so beautiful! This isn't the kind of city park I’m used to though, with just a playground and a couple benches, Hyde Park has a restaurant on the pond, plenty of open green space, food stalls, and monuments. My friend and I had a picnic of pizza (from the restaurant) here and it was really great. For me, I love to find parks or green spaces to rest in while on vacation, just as a way to get grounded in the moment and slow down.

11. Sky Garden

Unfortunately, I was unable to go to Sky Garden because their website was giving me trouble with buying tickets. Hopefully its fixed now, because I've heard incredible things about this place! Its basically a botanical garden inside a high-rise, complete with a stunning view of the city. Tickets to Sky Garden are free, but you do need to buy your ticket in advance. This space also has restaurants and events like live music.

BONUS: Abbey Road & Apple Corp.

These two are strictly for Beatle lovers! First, the iconic Abbey Road studio and crosswalk in St. John's Wood, and second, the Apple Corps.building at 3 Savile Row in Soho. Everyone knows Abbey Road because of the Beatle's album of the same name, so the crosswalk is busy. But because of the significance of this site, the someone had the great idea of putting up a live camera! I was so excited to walk the crosswalk that I actually had my mom (who was back in the US) pull up the live cam website and watch me cross! This was a surreal moment for me, I've been wanting to see Abbey Road crosswalk and studio my whole life, so this was a dream come true! Unfortunately, since Abbey Road Studios is still a popular recording space, it is closed to the public, but you can still admire it from the front gates.

3 Savile Row was the former home of the Beatle's recording company, Apple Corp. from 1968 to 1972. While 3 Savile is closed off to the public, it's still worth a stop because this building is where the Beatles recorded Let It Be and is the very building where they had their famous rooftop concert. There is a plaque commemorating this historical event on the front of the building that says "The Beatles played their last live performance on the roof of this building - 30th January 1969." This building doesn't stand out from the surrounding buildings, so look for the blue circular plaque.

I hope this list has given some insight into what to add to your London itinerary. I have no doubt that you will fall in love with London just like I did. If you visit these sites, let me know which was your favorite!

Happy Travels!

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