Sightseeing in London

Day 1: Tower of London and Tower Bridge

• Financial District
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• River Thames walk

We arrived to Stanton Airport early in the morning at 7 o’clock and took the Stanton Express to Liverpool Street. The train ride took 1 hour. We walked to the Ibis Shoreditch hotel and arrived there in 10 minutes. I booked this hotel because of the good reviews on TripAdvisor and the close walking distance from the train station.

I booked early checkin after 9 am but our room was not ready yet so we had to wait. We had a nap from 10 until 12 o’clock and started the day with breakfast/lunch at Pret a Manger around the corner from the hotel. This Pret a Manger became our usual morning spot to start the day with coffee and a small snack. We did not book breakfast in the hotel because there was plenty of cheaper options nearby.

After the late breakfast we walked around the financial district and it was buzzing with many people that are working there. We headed then to the Tower of London and caught exactly the right time when the bridge was being open. We walked on the South Bank and took a break at Hay’s Galleria before turning back on London’s Bridge and returning to the hotel.

We had an early dinner at the Korean Bento Bab across the street before going to rest for the night.

Day 2: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Westminster and Oxford Street

• St. Paul’s Cathedral
• Trafalgar Square
• Chinatown
• Westminster
• Parliament
• Big Ben (under construction)
• Westminster Abby
• Buckingham Palace
• Oxford Street

We started the second day with a visit of St. Paul’s Cathedral and afterwards a walk to Trafalgar Square. We decided to head to Chinatown for lunch and afterwards to Westminster to visit Downing Street (Larry the cat was not around) and the Westminster Abby. We stopped shortly at the Buckingham Palace before heading to Oxford Street for some shopping before walking back to the hotel.

Day 3: Baker Street, Kensington and Chelsea

• Baker Street
• Sherlock Holmes Museum
• Hyde Park
• Kensington Gardens
• Kensington Palace
• Kensington
• Chelsea
• Victoria
• Westminster
• River Thames walk

We took our first bus ride from Aldgate East directly to the Baker Street with line 205 to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The stop where we had to buy the entry tickets was full and pretty chaotic but visiting the house inside was worth it. We walked to Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens to enjoy the nice sunny weather and visited the Kensington Palace, inside we saw the king and queen’s apartment and Diana’s Fashion Show. Afterwards we wandered around the streets in Kensington and Chelsea before heading to Victoria and Westminster. Finally we walked back to the hotel along the river Thames.

Day 4: Natural History and Science Museum

• Natural History Museum
• Science Museum
• Hard Rock Cafe
• Curzon Aldgate Cinema

We took the underground District line from Aldgate East to South Kensington station. It rained whole day so we decided to spend the day in the museums. It was Saturday so the entire London had the same idea as well of course. We visited the Dinosaur Gallery in the Natural History Museum and the Math and Information Age in the Science Museum. Entry to the museum is free, donations are welcome.

We took the bus to the Hard Rock Cafe and was very disappointed that we had to wait 1-1,5 hours for a table so we bought some souvenirs in the shop and returned to the hotel with the underground.

After changing out of the soaking wet clothes from the rain and having a snack from Pret a Manger, we walked to the cinema nearby to watch Venom.

Day 5: South Bank

• South Bank
• Chinatown
• Covent Garden

The weather was again warm and sunny on our last day in London so we walked along the South Bank from the Tower of London to the London Eye. We went for lunch to Chinatown and had delicious duck at the Four Seasons. Golden Dragon was full and very touristy. Afterwards we stumbled upon the Covent Garden which was a nice surprise.

I booked late checkout until 17 o’clock so we walked back to the hotel, finished packing and walked to the train station to catch the Stanton Express to the airport. Our flight had a delay so we arrived at midnight at home.

Where to stay

• Ibis Shoreditch

Where to eat

• Four Seasons Chinatown
• Bento Bab
• Pret a Manger

Pictures