The change in weather reminds me of when we visited London. It was the first stop of this year’s Euro Trip, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
I had been wanting to visit since I watched 101 Dalmations as a child, and even more so once my Spice Girls addition grew as a tween. All I kept saying was, “10-year-old Kach would be geeking out so hard!” I had no idea what to expect, but all I heard before the trip was that “London was so cool,” and cool it was. It has a very polished yet relaxed and confident vibe that is felt by the way people dress, and how you are treated as you shop and dine your way through the city. We only had three days in London, received a million recommendations, and went rogue in regards to half of them, so here are my recos for a fun short stay in London Town.
Things to Do
- Take a bus tour on a double-decker bus. We enjoyed The Original Tour on our visit. Sit on the top deck for the best views of the city. Each seat has headphone jacks so you can hear a recording as you explore the city.
- Want to turn up the adventure? Just take a city bus, enjoy the sights and sounds of local life and enjoy some great people watching.
- Go to a museum. We LOVED the V&A Museum but heard that the Natural History Museum and Buckingham Palace tour were amazing as well. Until February 2018, the V&A has an AMAZING Balenciaga exhibit and I couldn’t get enough of the designs.
- Explore boroughs of the city. We stayed in Kensington, nearby Chelsea, but enjoyed exploring in Notting Hill, Lambeth, and Westminster, too.
- Notting Hill’s Portobello Road is quite touristy, but still cool to experience, and the surrounding area is cute and quaint with a couple of pops of color.
- Experience high tea. Some may say it’s cheesy, and even if it is, who is too good for some savory sandwich bites, scones, and desserts with some of the best tea in existence? I’m not! 🙂 Because we were short on time, we had tea at the Georgian Restaurant inside Harrod’s. Which reminds me…
- Go to Harrods! It’s like Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and West Elm had a baby. You will be there for hours (maybe lost inside the area known as Shoe Heaven). Natasha Richardson in The Parent Trap suggested she and Annie “get lost in Harrods” and that is seriously what happened. It’s like they are pumping some sort of happy gas into their vent system because all you want to do is try on everything.
- Enjoy the local beer at a pub. I mean, it’s just what you do. We went to The Hereford Arms the night we arrived, and it was so fun seeing the mix of local and tourists. I could never tire of hearing someone’s accent or eavesdropping over what people ordered to eat.
Now, enjoy some pictures from my visit!
London Photo Diary
Being a tourist in Westminster
Westminster Abbey
Portobello Road
Exterior of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Balenciaga
Have you visited? Leave your tips in the comments for visitors coming by.
Want to visit? What’s on your London bucket list?
Thanks for reading! xo
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Photos were taken by Yours Truly, a mix of DSLR and iPhone
omg I love London! You photos look amaze! You are making me want to plan a trip.
Britt+Whit
Isn’t it the best?! I’m missing it big time!
Congrats on the engagement! I would LOVE to visit London.
Thank you! And, it’s awesome. I can’t wait to go back!
I love London SO much! We did about everything on that list when we went!
It’s an amazing place!!
I am so jealous! I have been dying to go to London! I am definitely bookmarking this post for later. I hope you had a great trip (it sure looks like you did!) XO
Looks like an amazing trip! Hopefully one day I can visit.
I spent last Christmas in London with two of my children. London is magical on a normal day, but it’s breathtaking during the holiday season. Thank you for sharing your experiences in London. They bring back very happy memories!