Day two of our week in the UK! 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
Day 2
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
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
Today we learned how to navigate the underground. After a little bit of panic, some help from a local, and a train switch, we made it onto the right train! Rather than tell you what we did, this is what we should have done!
Download 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.
Once you have the app, plug in your final destination and choose which forms of transportation you are planning to use. On this day, we would have picked walking and the underground. Do this before you enter the Underground so you have access to wifi!
Know the zone. Tickets to ride the Underground are purchased by zone. Tickets can be purchased at a kiosk on the wall or more easily using apple pay (or similar system) and your phone at the turnstyle.
Zone 1 covers Central London where most of the tourist attractions and touristy neighborhoods are located.
Zone 2: Camden, Notting Hill, Regents Park, London Zoo, Shoreditch, Arsenal FC Stadium, Chelsea FC Stadium.
Listen for the stop that is closest to your destination and then follow the signs to exit accordingly.
Hold onto your ticket. If you have a paper ticket, you must use that same ticket to exit the Underground station.
In the end (and with a little bit of help), we managed to navigate the Underground, exit at the wrong location, and still find our destination - The Tower Bridge and our tour guide for the The London Tower.
We walked across the Tower Bridge on our way to the London Tower. We had tickets for a Tower of London - Early Entry & Guided Tour with the Beefeaters. The tour included the opportunity to watch the famous Yeoman Warders ceremoniously open the gates to the London Tower before continuing into the fortress. Our tour included the chance to be first inside to view the Crown Jewels, funny stories, interesting facts, and the history of the London Tower and it's many guests (both human and animal). Once the two hour tour concluded, we spent another hour checking out the various buildings and points of interest our guide had suggested. If you love to read all the plaques, you could easily spend another couple of hours at London Tower. I love a good tour and this one did not disappoint! We purchased our tickets in advance. Tickets for a self-guided experience at London Tower can also be purchased at the kiosk along the wharf. The wharf opens at 7am and closes at 7pm most days.
From the Tower of London, we decided to walk along the Thames Walk to Millennium Bridge. It was a beautiful and unseasonable warm day in October. This area was packed with people - walking, sitting, eating lunch, & grabbing the perfect photo. We detoured briefly to grab our own lunch then picnicked along the water. Out total walk was approximately one mile and mostly followed along the Thames with a few detours through tunnels. Along the way we passed the London Bridge.
We crossed the Thames using the Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern. Admission is free to this museum which is open 10am-6pm. The museum is filled with contemporary and modern art pieces. We spent some time exploring the museum before heading back to our accommodations to change for our evening plans.
We had dinner reservations for a Bustronome Experience at 7:15pm. So with no clear plan or path, we left our hotel in Mayfair with the goal of walking to our pick up location. Our unplanned path turned out to be a pretty great walking tour of popular tourist sites.
St. James Park to the "Canada Gates"
Buckingham Palace
Through Hyde Park - stopping for photos on the Serpentine Bridge
Horse Guard Parade
Big Ben - stopping for the iconic sunset photo of the red phone booth with Big Ben in the background. Be prepared for a long lines!
Westminster Abby
Parliament Square
Trafalgar Square
The Bustronome Experience picked us up along the Victoria Embankment. This was a unique experience but one I probably would not repeat. The concept from their website,
"The Bustronome is a high-end double-decker bus that has been converted into a fine-
dining restaurant with panoramic views of London. Allowing our customers to
experience London during all seasons. Unparalleled views of London's most iconic
sights accompanied with a full audio guide, the best food, and top quality service."
From our experience, the reality falls a bit short. The views were amazing and it was certainly fun to board a double-decker bus for dinner. However, the service was lacking (one wait staff for the whole bus), the upgraded drink pairing was really an offer of "red or white," and there was no audio guide. If I was to do it again, I would save the double decker bus experience to a hop on- hop off tour and find another dinner option.
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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