Things To Do in London England: 8 Things You Absolutely Cannot Miss
Wondering what to see in London and tired of those incredibly unhelpful “100 things to do” in London travel blog posts? I was too, which is why I started this “8 things you absolutely cannot miss” itinerary series.
While you could easily spend at least a full week exploring London, I've done so mainly in short spurts over many trips (a few per year). Because of this I have become an expert on drilling down my London itinerary to just the most important things.
So whether you have 2 days in London, a day in London, or 10 days in London, here are the 8 things you absolutely cannot miss — a drilled down list of what to see in London.
HAVE PLANS TO VISIT OTHER CITIES, TOO? HERE ARE 8 THINGS YOU CANNOT MISS IN COPENHAGEN, GOTHENBURG, AMSTERDAM, POSITANO, LISBON, AND PARIS!
QUICK NOTE: below I have recommended many tours and activities, all via GetYourGuide. If you aren’t familiar, they are a trusted site and have lots of unique things to do, along with all of the standard touristy activities. Booking everything individually can be a bit of nightmare to keep track of. With GetYourGuide you can create an account to book and manage all of your tickets in one central location, even things like skip the line tickets to The London Eye and other popular attractions. When I travel I personally book everything I do via GetYourGuide, which is why I am recommending it to you.
Most importantly, when you book through them you can cancel any booking up to 24 hours in advance and receive a full refund. No additional fees, no questions asked. There’s no risk if you need to cancel, so I highly recommend booking everything now to be on the safe side. Especially because it’s London so things will sell out!
Where to Stay in London
While I have been to London many times and stayed many places, my number one recommendation is The Hoxton Holborn. It is a beautiful 4-star boutique hotel that is extremely reasonably priced and in a great location. Click here to see the latest prices.
There’s also a new Nobu Hotel in Portman Square with great reviews and in a good location. It’s also very reasonably priced, especially compared to their other hotels! Click here to check prices and availability.
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Things To Do in London England — 8 Things You Absolutely Cannot Miss
1. See All the Highlights via a London Sightseeing Tour
If you're new to London, one of the first things to do in London is sightseeing tour. I recommend doing this London activity immediately upon arrival. Why? It helps you get your bearings, briefly see the most important landmarks, and get an overview of the city. You can make note of things you would like to return to to see in greater detail and things you do not. When I don’t do this I find that I miss out on seeing a lot of things I wish I hadn’t.
My personal favorite way to get an overview of the city is via bike because it’s quicker than a walking tour while still being a form of exercise! It’s also one of the most fun London activities.
The London sightseeing tour I recommend gives you the ability to see all the major places to see in London at once, such as the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Westminister Abbey + Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, and many more!
Click here to check availability and reserve your spot.
If you only have one day in London and are wondering what to do in London England for a day, this tour is my highest recommendation.
If you’re not big on biking, the third most popular activity on GetYourGuide is this River Thames cruise. With over 3,500 reviews and a 4.5 star rating I’d say it’s a no-brainer. It won’t include all of the same things as the biking tour, of course, since not everything is located on the water, but a good amount is! Click here to reserve your spot.
Another popular things to do in London is see the city via hop on hop off sightseeing tour. A hop on hop off tour is great because it allows you to pick and choose what you want to see and at your own pace. Click here for more info on that.
There is also a very popular London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour option! Click here to check that out.
Harry Potter fan? Try the Harry Potter guided walking tour instead! It’s another top 10 activity on GetYourGuide, with other 11,000 reviews. Click here to reserve your spot.
2. An Instagram-worthy brunch in Chelsea
Next on my list of things to do in London, I recommend an Instagram-worthy brunch in Chelsea. Because you can't go if it's not Instagram-worthy, right? Right.
No. 11 Pimlico Road in Chelsea is my new London brunch go-to, do not miss it! It’s delicious and the decor is to die for. It gets pretty busy but luckily they take reservations so I would suggest making some if possible.
ADDRESS: 11 Pimlico Rd
Once you're done give yourself some time to walk around Chelsea. Chelsea is full of cute boutiques, cafes, and streets and is always on my what to do in London list.
If you aren’t able to make it here for brunch, some other brunch spots I recommend are:
Farm Girl Notting Hill
Dalloway Terrace
26 Grains in Neal’s Yard (faster, more casual type of place)
And the Hoxton Holborn where you are hopefully staying has great breakfast, too!
3. Ride the London Eye
What to do in London? Ride the London Eye, of course!
The London Eye, for those who aren’t familiar, is the gigantic ferris wheel you often see in photos of London’s cityscape. It’s one of the world's tallest observation wheels and has been London’s number one visitor experience for over a decade! No what to see in London list is complete without this famous icon.
Your ride takes place in a high-tech glass capsule offering 360 degrees of the beautiful city. See things like Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and - on a clear day - all the way out to Windsor Castle.
As the most popular paid tourist attraction in London, it often sells out. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance by clicking here.
I recommend splurging for the fast track option so that you don’t have to spend time waiting in line, especially if you are going during high season. Time is money, after all! Especially while traveling.
And remember, via GetYourGuide you can cancel any booking up to 24 hours in advance and receive a full refund. So don’t wait! Click here to reserve your spot.
If you’re interested in also seeing Madame Tussauds and/or Sea Life, save yourself up to 40% by booking a bundle!
For London Eye + Madame Tussauds + Sea Life, click here
For London Eye + Sea Life, click here
For London Eye + Madame Tussauds, click here
Before or after, nearby Borough Market is London's biggest outdoor market and is fun even to just walk around and snack on samples. My friends Jackie says it's most famous for it's grilled toasties (grilled cheese) and Maja suggests Rabot 1745 where they put cocoa in everything and have amazing pancakes! If you aren't hungry but need a little pick me up, try Monmouth for coffee if the line isn't too crazy.
4. Partake in Afternoon Tea
Fourth on my list of things to do in London England is to partake in afternoon tea. After all, nothing is more British than tea time!
Tea time has been around since the 1800’s and is so much more than just tea. Outside of the tea, there is traditionally a selection of finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, pastries, and more. Afternoon tea usually takes place between 3 and 5pm, but many hotels and restaurants offer it earlier or later to help accommodate the demand.
In the past I’ve been a big fan of the afternoon tea at Sketch. Sketch is home of that fabulous pink tea room you see everywhere on Insta. You’ve likely even seen photos of their weird (but cool) rainbow egg bathrooms before. Recently it was redesigned to shades of pink, gold, and yellow, along with new, classier artwork, and I honestly think it looks better than ever before. Much more upscale and glamorous!
However, I haven’t been in many years (since 2017 I think), so take this recommendation with a grain of salt. Sometimes when restaurants blow up, quality goes down and prices go up, so double check some more recent reviews before running to Sketch.
Aside from Sketch, there’s afternoon tea at countless phenomenal places in the city. Some of the most highly regarded included The Ritz London, Harrods’ Tea Rooms, Dalloway Terrace (I’ve been for dinner and it’s a beautiful venue), and of course The Savoy Hotel. You can’t go wrong with any of those spots!
For something a little more adventurous and out of the norm, go on an afternoon tea cruise along the River Thames. Click here for more information.
5. Visit Buckingham Palace
Whether you’re a fan of the Royal Family or not, Buckingham Palace is a sight to be seen and a must in terms of what to do in London. Located in City of Westminster, it is the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Currently, it is the official residence of His Majesty The King.
Visiting Buckingham Palace includes a tour of the royal State Rooms, used for receiving guests and official functions. In total there are 19 of them, magnificently decorated with some of the finest pieces from the Royal Collection. The reviews speak for themselves really, as each one seems to be more gushing than the last!
Because Buckingham Palace frequently sells out, you will want to reserve your spot now. Don’t worry, your tickets are refundable up to 24 hours before in case you need to reschedule. Click here to check availability and reserve your spot.
Also on the Buckingham Palace grounds are the popular Royal Mews. Click here to get your Royal Mews entrance ticket.
6. Go on a Day Trip to the Cotswolds
I know this is a what to see in London post, but if you have the time a day trip to the Cotswolds is for sure one of the best things you can while visiting London. If you don’t know the Cotswolds by name, I can almost guarantee you would recognize it via photo. It’s a region about two hours east of London known for its iconic villages, historical towns and beautiful, quintessentially British countryside.
The full day tour I recommend taking allows you to see all of the best Cotswold villages like Burford, Bibury (known as the prettiest village in all of England), Bourton-on-the-water, and Stow-on-the-Wold. It is as picturesque as picturesque gets and the best and easiest way to explore the area.
Click here to reserve your spot. This is a very popular tour that often sells out, especially since it’s a small group tour, so book it now to ensure availability.
7. Relax on a River Thames Cruise
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never gone on any kind of cruise in any city and regretted it. It’s always such an enjoyable, relaxing experience, and one I’m always happy to have partaken in.
When it comes to what to see in London, a River Thames cruise is especially good because many of the most famous landmarks are located on or near the river! Things like the London Eye, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard, Tate Modern, and more.
Depending on what you prefer, there are a handful of highly rated River Thames cruise options.
The most popular is this sightseeing cruise with audio commentary. If you want information about what you are seeing and to learn more about the city, this cruise is the one to book. Click here to reserve your spot.
For a River Thames lunch cruise, click here.
For a three hour dinner cruise with a live cabaret show, click here!
For a popular champagne and canapés (hors d'oeuvre) cruise, click here.
8. Explore Colorful Notting Hill
One of the best London places is Notting Hill, making it one of my must visit places in London! I would allow for at least of half day of exploring. As a photographer I do this in almost all cities I visit. In London my favorite area to do this is Notting Hill.
I mainly visit Notting Hill for the photo opps but also love to visit the Churchill Arms, cliche as it is. It's covered in plants and oddly the pub has a really good Thai restaurant in the back of it. Once you've tired yourself from all the walking around Notting Hill, stop here for a beer to recoop. If you happen to be there on a Friday or Saturday, also stop by the Portobello Road Market.
If you need a bite while in the area, I love Farm Girl Notting Hill.
To truly see Notting Hill, I recommend arranging a proper tour. There a plenty of great options. I’ve vetted the options and narrowed them down to a few I personally recommend:
Professional Photoshoot in Notting Hill (if you want to explore while also getting some photos taken of you to document your trip!)
Other London Places to Visit + Things to See in London
If you are filling a London itinerary 5 days or just need more London places to visit to add to your list, here are my recommendations:
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Kew Gardens
Arsenal Football Club’s Emirates Stadium
To tour Emirates Stadium, click here.
Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge
To tour Stamford Bridge, click here.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
To tour Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, click here. Or if you’re up for an adventure, try their Dare Skywalk Experience which allows you to literally climb the stadium. Click here to check that out!
Hyde Park
MORE THINGS TO SEE IN LONDON:
Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition — click here to reserve your spot
Madame Tussauds London — very popular. Click here for tickets
Regent's Canal Little Venice boat tour — reserve your spot here for Little Venice to Camden, click here to reserve Camden to Little Venice
Climb The Roof of The O2 Arena — click here to reserve your spot!
London Transport Museum — click here for your day pass
Sea Life London — get your entry ticket here
Harry Potter Studio Tour — click here to reserve your spot
London Dungeon — interactive shows, underground rides, historic storytelling, and more! Click here for more info
London Zoo — get your entry tickets here
London Day Trips
There are so many great places to explore around London, and the following tours make it extremely easy to do so.
Oxford: including a Harry Potter studio tour! Click here to reserve your spot.
Cotswolds: this would be my number one pick if I were you! Visit iconic villages, historical towns and the beautiful countryside. Likely to sell out, so book it ASAP. Click here to reserve your spot.
Windsor, Stonehenge & Oxford: a full day tour to see Windsor Castle, those mysterious rocks, and the city of Oxford. Click here to reserve your spot.
Stonehenge, Windsor, and Bath: a full-day English countryside tour that takes you to several famous, historical sites. Click here to reserve your spot.
Stonehenge and Bath: a full day tour from London to one of the world’s most mysterious monuments and one of England’s most romantic cities! Click here to reserve your spot.
Oxford, Stratford, and Cotswolds: yet another full day tour, this time including the beautiful Cotswolds! If you’re an Instagrammer, I would do this one. Click here to reserve your spot.
Warner Brothers Studio: a full day tour to Warner Brothers Studio to go behind the scenes of the Harry Potter film sets. Click here to reserve your spot. It has over 18,000 reviews, the most I’ve ever seen on GetYourGuide!
How to Get to London
There are many airports you can arrive at when arriving in London. If you need help sorting out transportation, here are some good options:
Stansted Airport — click here for a bus transfer from the airport to the center of London.
Gatwick Airport — click here for a bus transfer from Gatwick to the center of London.
Luton Airport — click here for a bus transfer from Luton to the center of London.
Heathrow Airport — click here for a private transfer option (cannot find a good public option).
What to Pack For London
Having the right travel gear is incredibly important for any trip, especially if you are visiting Europe from a different continent. Save yourself time and money by getting all of the necessary items prior to arriving at your destination. Some of the items I consider non-negotiable:
A FEW OF MY TOP AMAZON PICKS —
For more Amazon picks, visit my Amazon storefront by clicking here.
APPLE AIRTAG — If you’re reading this in 2022 then you likely know that there are major issues right now with airlines losing luggage. My friend got back from holiday a few weeks ago and hasn’t seen her bag since. Worst of all, she has absolutely no idea where it is. Tens of thousands of dollars worth it items (plus some irreplaceable pieces passed down from generations of family members) simply gone — maybe forever.
While we can’t prevent airlines from misplacing our luggage, we can track it ourselves thanks to the fabulous people at Apple. Enter: Apple Airtag. With the Apple Airtag you can keep track of and find your luggage in the iPhone’s Find My app. All you do is set it up with your phone, drop it in your luggage, and viola! You can find your luggage anywhere in the world.
I just bought a few for my upcoming Europe trip and I will never, ever travel without them again. If you’re checking a bag, it’s absolutely essential. Click here to get yours.
COMFORTABLE WHITE LEATHER SNEAKERS — You will likely (hopefully) be doing a lot of walking so this is very important! My very favorite are M. Gemi’s white leather sneakers. I never travel anywhere without them. They’re not the cheapest but they are literally handmade so they are insanely comfortable and last forever. Click here to check availability.
More details: click here for why they're the most comfortable and stylish walking shoes for travel!
NO-SHOW SOCKS — To go with the above mentioned shoes! I have tried so many different ones and find that most fall down under your heel (ouch) but these do not. Click here for the ones I love.
DRESSES — I love dresses for travel because you can so quickly throw it on and go. Click here for my favorite sundresses for Europe. I also shop for them here, here , here and here.
For less expensive options, I like here, here, and here. The cheaper sites can take a little more digging to find the good quality stuff, but sometimes it's worth it!
TOPS —
LIGHTWEIGHT TRAVEL CARDIGAN — This circle cardigan is honestly one of the best travel-related purchases you can make. It is so warm and soft; I’ve brought mine on every single trip since purchasing my first (I now own many). It's fantastic for literally everything: you can wear it during the day, out to dinner, on transit days, while hotel lounging, anywhere and everywhere! This is the number one top seller on my site every single month because it is truly the best. Click here to see the latest prices and color options.
CASHMERE WRAP — Another top seller on ckanani.com every single month is this oversized cashmere wrap. It’s something I personally carry in my bag every single day, whether I’m on the road or back at home in San Francisco. If you haven’t already noticed, I love versatility. I’d rather pay a little more for something high quality that’ll last a little longer and also work in a few different ways. I bet you’re a bit like me, so this is a must. You can wear it as a scarf, as a wrap when you find yourself at a surprisingly cold restaurant or flight, as a blanket, and more. I can’t tell you how many times this thing has saved me. Click here to see the latest prices and availability.
CONVERTER ADAPTER — It is much less expensive to buy it now than to buy it at the airport or in Paris! Click here for the ones I recommend.
Want more Amazon recommendations? Click here to see my list of 20 must have travel products from Amazon Prime.
LUGGAGE — Beis is the way to go these days. Their suitcases have an unbreakable polycarbonate shell, expandable interior compartments, TSA approved zipper locks, and best of all a side carry handle with 50 lb weight limit indicator. You can literally weigh your bag without weighing your bag… Insane. They are minimalistic yet contain everything you could need, all at a reasonable price point. Click here to check out their suitcases.
BELT BAG — My latest obsession is this belt bag that you can wear crossbody or around your waist. It’s great for travel because it allows you to be hands free, you can wear it super close to you as a crossbody to ensure no one will pickpocket you, and it’s literally the most perfect size possible. I tried a lot of different ones before falling in love with this one and truly nothing else compares. Plus i't’s only $38 so why even bother trying anything else?! Click here to see availability and color options.
MAKEUP — When traveling I try to keep it to the bare minimum as much as possible. Here are all of the things I’m currently including in my travel makeup bag:
SKINCARE — Do not neglect your skin while traveling! One of my favorite medical grade brands, Glowbiotics, has some great trial kits that are perfect for traveling. Click here to check them out and use code “CHRISTIE” for 20% off anything — sitewide!
If you want to learn more about Glowbiotics, including a full review and all of my favorite products, click here for my dedicated blogpost.
For more packing tips and tricks, click here to see all packing related posts.
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