We traveled in the United Kingdom for one week spending four days in London and three days in Edinburgh. Follow along for a complete list of everything we did, what we ate, the sites we loved, and the tips we learned.
Checked into our hotel in Mayfair
Strolled through Hyde Park
Toured Kensington Palace and Gardens
Took Afternoon Tea at the Palace Tea Room
Dinner at a local pub
Learned how to navigate the Underground
Visited the Tower Bridge
Toured the Tower of London
Took the Thames Walk to Millennium Bridge
Checked out the art of Tate Modern
Walked through St. James Park
Saw the sites of Westminster - Horse Guard Parade, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, Parliament Square, and Trafalgar Square
Bustronome Dinner Experience
Day 3
Enjoyed a guided tour of Westminster Abby
Learned about Churchill in the War Rooms
Took in the views of London from the London Eye
Experienced the art of the National Gallery
Dinner in the West End
Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theater.
Experienced the Changing of the Guard
Rode a Hop On and Off Bus Tour
Lunched in Borough Market
Shopped at Harrods
Saw the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum
Caught a late night flight to Edinburgh
Our third day of travels started with a walk through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace. We continued walking along the Mall until we reached Westminster. This walk took us approximately 30 minutes from our accommodations at The Chesterfield in Mayfair and included a stop for coffee at Queens of Mayfair.
We were excited to join our tour group for a Westminster Abbey Tour which included an additional 20 sites in the area. Our tour guide was great! She navigated our group across busy streets, through crowds, and into the Abbey without a pause in her script. The tour included history, skip the line entry, stories and loads of tips for the rest of our visit. The tour does include a bit of walking and some of the surfaces are uneven so we recommend tennis shoes, sneakers, or another pair of comfortable walking shoes. I carried my tote throughout with our water bottles, an umbrella, and souvenirs. It was not a problem to gain entry into the spaces with the bag.
After our tour, we enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio of the Cafe at Storey's Gate. This cute grab and go cafe is located at the corner of St. James Park just across the street from Churchill's War Room Museum. Next door to this cafe is a great spot to glimpse the famous pelicans of St. James Park. We enjoyed sandwiches, soup, a pastry, and coffee.
Our next stop for the day was the Churchill War Room Museums. We had timed entry tickets which allowed us to skip the line - which was rather long! All tickets are for a self-guided tour which includes an audio component. There is so much to see in this museum! You should plan to spend at least two hours here. However, my husband is a history buff and could have easily spent longer. The museum is open daily (except December 24-26) 9:30am-6:00pm with the last entry at 5pm.
Our third stop for the day was at the London Eye. We had purchased London Eye Fast Track tickets and I am so glad we did! The lines were very long to both purchase tickets and access the ride. With our fast track tickets, we were able to literally walk straight into the capsule for our ride. When boarding, we recommend going straight into the capsule and holding the rail just to the left of the center window. This will allow you to have the best views of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Don't sit down! If you sit, you will quickly lose the access to the window views and basically spend your ride looking through other passengers' legs and shoulders. Not the view you want for your pics!
After our ride, our next stop was The National Gallery located in Trafalgar Square. Tickets to the National Gallery are free but you should reserve them online to skip the lines. We walked more than 20,000 steps on this day!! We could have taken the Underground and/or a taxi to decrease the steps but we really enjoyed wandering the area.
After a busy day, we had dinner reservations at The Ivy located in Victoria. The restaurant offered a theatre menu which included an appetizer, main course, and a dessert for a set price. We also enjoyed fun cocktails. The service was great and the timing worked perfectly for us as we had tickets to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre. It was amazing! We had the best night.
Know Before You Go:
Before leaving the States
Have the City Mapper App on your phone. This app was so helpful navigating the various transportation options (including walking). The app was easy to use and quickly mapped out the best route for us. Even allowing us to pick which type of transportation we planned to use - bus, taxi, underground, bike, walking, etc.
While reservations in local pubs aren't a must, I do recommend planning ahead on the weekends. Also, it is customary to leave a 15% tip for meals in restaurants, unless a service charge has been added. It is not necessary to tip for drinks in pubs.
You should plan to tip black cabs and licensed mini cabs as well as the porter at your hotel. Our hotel allowed us to add a % to our final bill for all hotel staff.
Don't forget to pack a Type G power adapter
Plan ahead! Many of our tours required tickets to be purchased prior to arrival.
Pack and dress in layers. Although the forecast didn't predict it, it was un-seasonably warm when we were visiting. We experienced temperatures in the 80s in October. I am so glad we had layers as many of the buildings were very warm!
Don't forget to also pack an umbrella and a small backpack or tote. We noticed many Londoners were wearing backpacks or carrying totes. We used a tote to carry our water bottles, an umbrella, and any purchases made throughout our day. It wasn't a problem entering any of the public spaces.
Download the Great British Public ToiletMap
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Is London Safe?
Yes! London is generally a safe city - even at night. You will likely not find yourself alone as the city is always bustling. Public transport runs 24 hours a day.
When traveling in any city, we always recommend taking the typical city precautions – don’t walk alone at night, stay in well-lit locations, ensure valuables are stored out of sight, be aware of your surroundings, keep your bags/purses close to your body, and be aware of pick pockets in large crowds.
Lodging:
We stayed at the Chesterfield in Mayfair. It was perfect! The service was top notch, the hotel was quaint, charming and very clean. The location was walkable to pubs, shops, the park, as well as close to the underground.
Getting Around:
There are many ways to get around in London. I highly recommend having the City Mapper App on your phone. This app was so helpful navigating the various transportation options (including walking). The app was easy to use and quickly mapped out the best route for us. Even allowing us to pick which type of transportation we planned to use - bus, taxi, underground, bike, walking, etc.
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