As England's capital city, London has a lot to offer. In fact, there's so much going on that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming or even intimidating for us tourists! Don't panic though, all you need is a good itinerary and a flexible plan to make sure you make the most of all that the city has in store for you. Below are some of my recommendations of ways to spend your day out in London, whether you're going solo or enjoying the experience with family and friends.
GO SIGHT SEEING (2 Hours +)
London has many a sight to see. There are so many historical landmarks and exciting experiences to tick off the bucket list here, even just coming to London might be something you've always dreamed of! Trafalgar Square, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & 10 Downing Street are just some of the many sight seeing opportunities in London, and luckily they're all closely linked - by tube and by foot! Whether you opt for a guided tour or to do it alone, on bus or on foot, there are lots of cool places to check out while you're there - just make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes!
VISIT A MUSEUM (2 Hours +)
London is full of so many great museums, and a lot of them are free to get into! The Imperial War Museum, featured above, offers a very insightful look into Britain at war. While researching for my Independent Study (Dissertation) I came here to see the Holocaust exhibition, which is of course devastating but also very poignant and interesting, I would definitely recommend! The National History Museum, which is also free, is super informative and really enjoyable to wander round too. Museums are great to fill in an hour or two, or you can turn them into an entire day out! Every museum has a gift shop and a cafe nowadays, and most have lovely grounds for you to sit out in with a picnic if you should choose to! They're great places for a family trip but can be just as enjoyable if you're going solo, so definitely have a research and see which ones might interest you!
SEE A SHOW (2 Hours +)
If you want to capture the exciting atmosphere of London, then Leicester Square is the place for you. Full of theatres and play houses, London's West End is the ideal spot to go and see a show. Be it something as iconic as The Lion King or Wicked, or something less well known that you stumble across on a last minute ticket website, it's going to be a great experience to visit a theatre in England's capital city. I would without a doubt recommend 42nd Street, which is on at The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, and Half a Sixpence which you can see at the Noel Coward Theatre.
GO SHOPPING (2 Hours +)
I'm not much of a shopper myself but if you are then Oxford Street is probably the equivalent of what you imagine Heaven to look like. I will admit that the Lush store on Oxford Street is the coolest I have ever seen, it's huge! Same with the Primark. Basically all the shops are twice the size that you're used to them being, and they're all within very close proximity to each other, so go loosen those purse strings and treat yourself!
THE LONDON EYE (30 Minutes)
A major tourist attraction, the London Eye is basically a very large, rather modern Ferris Wheel that provides views of the whole of the city. Step into one of the pods and enjoy the journey! Perhaps not suitable for those of you that aren't great with heights, but excellent for all ages that are willing to brave it.
THE LONDON DUNGEONS (2 Hours)
Another attraction that isn't for the faint hearted, The London Dungeon is a historical experience that provides a lot more excitement - and admittedly fear - than other museums would. It's a great way to kill a few hours and makes you feel as if you're living the reality of a horror film, so if you like blood and guts and are up for a bit of a fright, make sure you give this a go!
THE SKY GARDEN (1-2 Hour)
Another Central London attraction, the Sky Garden is quite literally a garden in the sky, and has become known as London highest public garden! Entry here is totally free so it's well worth the visit, especially to get some cute Instagram pics and an amazing city-scape view.
Of course there are lots of other ways you can spend a day out in London, but hopefully these will serve as inspiration for some people and can be added to your itinerary if need be. Enjoy your trip!