A travel guide to help you explore London like a pro!

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of Life” Samuel Johnson said it right! So, if you ever visit this beautiful city (and I suggest everyone must, once in a lifetime), here's something little to help you! Fortunately, London happened twice for me. And second time I was a guide and a trip planner for my family. Frankly speaking, it’s so easy to roam around London, that you won’t need a guide; all you need is Google map. That is it!

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Ah London!

Once I was done with my visa, I started searching what to see in London. I took help of itineraries available at all famous tour companies (Suggested reading: London on a budget). I didn’t want to miss those points for sure! Once I was done jotting down places to see in London, I opened Google map and started searching which place on the list is nearby which one. This helped me to roughly decide, what all places I can visit in a day. Next, I didn’t know what mode of transportation is best to switch between the places, so, once again Google map helped me. I also decided what sequence I should follow on each day. Most of the times, I first decide to visit the place that is far from my host’s house and used to end near home.

I am writing this post to put everything in one place, so that it will be easier for you to plan your London trip. So, let’s get started!


City Maps

Alright! Before you get out of the airport, you need to pick up few Maps at the airport; following are the two maps you need to pick up,
1. London underground tube map.
2. The MAP

Also, make sure you check the weather, and put on your jacket before you exit the airport!

Get Connected

The first thing you want to do after leaving the airport Wifi zone is is to get a local SIM card. Lycamobile and Libara have cheaper calling rates to India (in case you want to make calls). I used Lycamobile. I had to spend around 15£ for data and calling, which was more than enough for 8 days.

Places to visit in London

Now let's get down to places to see in London. I have been to most of the ones listed below, apart from a few.

1.  Buckingham palace
2.  Queens Gallery
3.  Hyde park
4.  Marble Arch
5.  Madame Tussaud’s wax Museum
6.  Trafalgar square
7.  Oxford street
8.  Piccadilly circus
9.  Tower of London
10.  Tower Bridge
11.  The Shard*
12.  London eye
13.  London Aquarium
14.  Big ben
15.  St. Paul’s Cathedral*
16.  Science Museum
17.  British Museum
18.  Victoria and albert museum
19.  London zoo
20.  St. Paul’s Cathedral*
21.  Lord’s cricket ground*
22.  Wembley stadium*

Please don’t kill me but still there’s a lot, but I am ending it here

Note:
· Similarly colored places are nearby and can be covered in a day.
· I haven’t been to ‘*’ places, but you should go! ;)

I believe everything is worth watching, but you can always choose what you are most interested in.
For e.g. not everyone is a cricket fan so you may skip Lord’s or if you think museums are boring, you can definitely go somewhere else.

Ways of Transportation in London

I loved public transport in London; here are the ways you can travel in London:
1. Underground Tube
2. Taxi
3. Bus
4. Cycles
5. Hop on hop off buses, and last but not the least
6. Uber

For underground tube and bus, I suggest you take an Oyster card. You can get this one at any tube station or at any general stores. You take a weekly pass which costs around 39 pounds and is totally worth, you can use Oyster cards for underground tubes as well as for Buses. I only travelled by Tube and bus. But your weekly pass will be valid only for zone 1, 2 and 3. (Check the zones in ‘London underground tube map’). That means, to go to ‘Lord’s cricket ground’ and ‘Wembley stadium’ you need to top up your Oyster card, before you enter the station.

You can see the tube map here.

You need to tap the card before you enter at a tube station and tap it again at the exit to open the gate for you. In the buses you need to tap the card only while you enter. To check the bus numbers and timings, you can download an App called ‘London Bus’, it shall guide to catch the right buses.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Signs like this one are everywhere! 

How I traveled in London...

We used to leave from home early morning around 8 am. Since I was living away from the city center, it used to take time to reach to the desired place. Most of the attractions in London are located at the city center. Even if you live near city center, I would suggest you to leave your hotel/place early, so that you will have lesser rush at least at the first place you visit and that would help you to capture photographs much better.

I will tell you about the places I have been to in the order I have listed them above; starting off with Buckingham Palace, it is the place where Royal Family lives. People in hundreds of number gather outside Buckingham palace to see ‘the Change of Guard Ceremony’. The ceremony usually starts at 11:00 AM. Many times there is change in the timings of ceremony, so you would want to check the timings here. During this ceremony, you will see and meet people from all around the world (Many of them do not even speak English), but still it is fun to communicate. Make sure you take care of your valuables in the crowd. To get the best pictures and view of the ceremony, I would suggest reaching the place at 10:15 AM; otherwise you will be far behind in the crowd.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Royal Guards
travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Change of Guard ceremony

During particular months, some part of Buckingham is open to public, make sure to check before you go; you might just get lucky to go into the palace. Five minutes away from Buckingham palace, there is Queen’s gallery where you can see queen’s used jewellery and clothing. You can use Google map to find its location.

To reach:
Underground Line: Piccadilly/ Jubilee/ Victoria
Station: Green Park (walk to the palace and queen’s gallery)

Hyde Park is just the next underground station to Green Park; (If you decide to walk instead of taking a tube from Buckingham palace to Hyde Park; you will get to see the Marble Arch too.) Hyde Park is over 350 acres area, at the center of the city. You will see variety of plants, lakes and beautiful landscapes inside. If you are someone who loves nature, this is the place for you. If you visit during March you will see trees blooming with gorgeous pink flowers.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Cherry Blossom at Hyde Park

There are maps available at every corner of the park to keep you directed. You can use cycles to roam in this huge area or you can walk. If you have kids with you make sure you carry a buggy with you all the time because you will need to walk a lot in London. And walking is the best way to enjoy the city. There are many exits from the park, so check the map of the park before you exit.

To reach:
Underground Line: Piccadilly
Station: Hyde Park Corner

After coming out of the Hyde Park, get onto a bus (Number: 30 or 74) and get off at Baker’s Street and 2 minutes away is Madam Tussaud’s wax museum. You can check the Museum timings and prices on their website. If you are visiting this place on a weekend, it’s going to be crowded. More the crowd, more difficulty to take good pictures, just alerting ;)

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Sachin Tendulkar at Madam Tussaud's museum

Statues of sport legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Members of Royal family like Princess Diana and many others from the music industry, Bollywood, Hollywood, Politics, Marvel characters are displayed at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

We saw wax statues of famous people and legends all around the world and took pictures with them like they are our buddies! You can eat some delicious street food around the museum.

To reach:
Bus station: Baker’s Street

If you want to visit city’s one of the most alive and vibrant place, it is Trafalgar Square.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
A living statue at Trafalgar Square 

The energy at this place is amazing. Many artists perform live here and it is a treat for eyes. Dancers, painters, speakers, beat boxers, Living statutes, musicians and lovely people off course! It was a completely different experience and I left the place with lifted spirits :)

To reach:
Underground Line: Piccadilly/ Northern
Station: Leicester Square (walk from the station to Trafalgar)

Oxford Street happens to be the best place to shop for the best brands in the world. There are many shops like H&M, ZARA, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Nike, River Island, Marks & Spencer’s, Aldo, Adidas, Boots, Forever 21, French Connection and the list is endless! Fashion lovers can spend their entire day here and go crazy! There are many places to eat too! For e.g. McDonald’s!

To reach:
Underground Line: Northern/ Bakerloo
Station: Charing Cross (2 mins walk from the station)

Piccadilly Circus is called the Times Square of London; I visited the place to take good photographs. I saw wonderful pictures of this place on Instagram, so I had to visit this place.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Huge billboard at Piccadilly's Circus

Of course it has to be evening or night time to enjoy the beauty of this place. You can enjoy shopping at Boots and visit ‘Riplye’s believe it or not’.  There are many artist performing live at this place too!

To reach:
Underground Line: Bakerloo/ Piccadilly
Station: Piccadilly Circus (1 minute walk from the station)

Next on the list is, Tower of London! Tower of London happens to be the best place to know history of London. Have you heard about the jewel of Kohinoor? Well you have to see this precious diamond when you are in London! Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the picture because photography isn’t allowed in this section. You can watch all these jewels at the ‘Crown Jewel’ section at Tower of London.

You will also see some huge ravens in the gardens around; which are said to be the guardians of the tower. At the centre of the Tower of London is ‘White Tower’. The white Tower has Royal Armouries used by all British Emperors and soldiers.

To reach:
Underground Line: Circle\District
Station: Tower Hill station (Tower of London will be right in front of your eyes as you get out of the tube station, cross the road and you’ll be there)

As one enters the ticket area of Tower of London, you will see Thames River and the famous tower bridge; which is often mistaken for ‘London Bridge’. Actually, the next bridge to tower Bridge is the London Bridge. Let me put a picture of Tower Bridge here.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
The famous Tower Bridge of London

Take a walk to Tower Bridge after you exit from Tower of London. Don’t forget to sit and have some snacks at the edge of Thames. You can also eat at the restaurants nearby.  At the beginning of the Tower Bridge you will be attracted by sweet smell of caramel covered peanuts, I would recommend to taste them, because; number one, they are delicious. Number two, they cost only 4 to 5 pence. If you want to see the Tower Bridge opening, do check the dates and timings at Tower Bridge, because it's not always open. There are exhibitions held inside the two towers on the bridge, check for the on-going exhibition on the above given link.

You can visit ‘The Shard’ near Tower Bridge, which is one of the ways to get a magnificent view of the city. Another is, riding the ‘London Eye’! To go to London eye; take a walk for about 10 minutes to ‘London Bridge’ tube station from the end of Tower Bridge (Use your Google map or directions on the street) you can ask for directions to people on the street, because people in London are very sweet and helpful! Sometimes when I used to check my maps for directions, people used to come and help me out, without even asking them for help! More love to People of London! J So, once you get to the ‘London Bridge’ tube station, take Jubilee line and get down at Waterloo station and about after 7 minutes of walk, you will reach ‘The Coca Cola London Eye’.

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
London Eye at night

Do taste the food at the stalls around London eye, enjoy the view of the fabulous city and get some brilliant picture for your Instagram! No doubt, the architecture all around the city is admirable! From the London eye you will see Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, Government offices and other bridges on the river of Thames.

I highly recommend taking a ride in ‘London eye River cruise’; the ticket counter is beside the London eye. River cruise was the best experience. There is a guide in the cruise who will tell you information about everything you see along the edge of river; plus cruise is the best way to capture the city.

Top tip: Try to get the front seat on the upper deck for best viewing experience

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Tower Bridge from river cruise

To reach:
Underground Line: Jubilee
Station: Waterloo

London Museums

Did I tell you about the museums yet? If you are museum lover, you will love this city even more! There are several free and spectacular museums in London. Here are three museums I visited. I am putting some photographs and their locations here.


British Museum


travel guide and tips london united kingdom
Egyptian section at the British Museum
To reach:
Underground Line: Piccadilly
Station: Russell Square (walking distance from station, direction boards shall guide you! )

Science Museum
Movie at imax theatre inside the museum is a must watch, don’t miss it!

travel guide and tips london united kingdom
A vintage plane at the Science Museum
To reach:
Underground Line: Piccadilly/Circle/District
Station: South Kensington

Victoria & Albert Museum
Victoria & Albert Museum happens to be just two minutes away from science museum. Take underground way near the entrance of science museum, walk towards South Kensington station and you will find the entrance of the V&A museum right in the underground way!

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I have been to London twice, still I feel it is still not enough and surely, I am not done with London yet! I may have brought some pieces of London through words and pictures, but I cannot bring the cold, the winds, the smells, those smiles and conversation with strangers and feelings being fellow humans than being just foreigners and so many other feelings I cannot even put into words. That is the reason I recommend to go out there and collect experiences of lifetime!

Comment below if you find this post useful or if you enjoyed the photographs or you have more tips to give! Also make sure to share it with another wanderer, till then much love and power to you!

Editor's note:

Where to stay in London?

This is another major part of London experience and there are numerous options available - from low, to mid to high end hotels. When travelling solo, I love staying couchsurfing or airbnb. Here's an excellent guide to help you pick your hotel in London: Where to stay in London

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This is a guest post by Chitra Takle, a Mumbai based blogger and Assistant Professor in an engineering college. She loves photography, art and collecting experiences around the world and making people smile. She shares her personal experiences, recommend books, lifestyle tips and monthly favorites on my blog, Chitra Takle. She have been to countries like France, Switzerland, Italy, London, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. She also supports One Love!

You can follow her adventures here:


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If you also have a story to share and would like it to be publication here, please read more: Submit guest post.

Comments

  1. Perfect. You have put this up at the right time.
    We are planning a trip in July.

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  2. Great to read. Thanks for the informative post.

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  3. Simple yet detailed information...very useful...looking forward to your next blog..

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  4. Very well written. All the very best for further articles. You're doing a great job.

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  5. One of the best blogs we have come across so for. keep Up the spirit and enthusiasm

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    Replies
    1. Yes. I cannot thank siddhartha enough for letting me write a guest post on his blog :)

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  6. Very helpful post. I am saving this post as I am planning to visit London coming May.

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  7. This post brought back our wonderful memories of London when we visited couple of years back. Hyde Park has an amazing Christmas market set up and we had fun with the shopping and the games arranged. London Bridge is iconic and visiting it and walking on it was one of our dreams come true.

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    Replies
    1. Christmas time is the best time to visit London! Thank you!

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  8. Lovely reading. Planning a trip sometime this year. This should help.

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  9. I say the same: If you are tired of London, you are tired of life. I have been to UK twice but still crave to go there again. It has so much to offer for every generation at every step.
    During my visit, I had skipped Hyde Park but wen to St. James Park. Trust me, it was totally worth it.

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  10. I love this post and m planning a trip in August month.

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  11. Would love to visit the London eye river cruise when I'm there. Looks interesting. Thanks for the detailed post. I have bookmarked it :)

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    Replies
    1. Yes! And do ride it at night! It will be much better experience :)

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  12. Very handy guide. We have been to London a handful of times and suggest seeing most of the same places. We have been slowly ticking them all off our list. London is an amazing city.

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  13. Great comprehensive list! I have read so much on London and again her, that I don't think even 7 complete days will be sufficient to cover this great city.

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    Replies
    1. Yes! You have to go again and again and I am sure you will find something interesting every time.

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  14. Great list! I haven't been to London yet (still on the bucket list) and this just sparks the wanderlust even more. Beautiful pictures as well.

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