London ~ 5 must-Try activities
London is mythical! Notting Hill, the Clash, Leicester Square, Big Ben… so many iconic places and so many things to do! There are many neighborhoods, and they can differ quite a bit in vibes, activities and prices, so choose carefully where you stay. It might be worth limiting yourself to a few neighborhoods in terms of visits, it’s a bid city and even if the subway (The Tube) makes it easy to travel within London, it can take time…
The Old and the New.
Here are a few of my must-try activities while visiting London, but let me tell you right now: none are related to the royalty!
Take a Free Walking Tour of The City of London
Visit the Tate Modern Museum
Explore Camden Town
Walk along the Thames in the evening
Run in Regent’s Park
Take a Free Walking Tour
There are different walking tour for different neighborhood of the city, and we chose The City of London, which is the financial district. We started at the Tower of London and saw Tower Bridge, before walking towards the business district and learning a bit more about the history of that part of the city. Many impressive buildings like Sky Garden, but also quaint little streets like in the ones in Leadenhall Market.
Free Walking Tours are a great way to get acquainted with a place in order to decide what you want to go back and visit more in detail later, like a church or a skyscraper. We finished the tour on a rooftop near St Paul’s Cathedral, which gave us a really nice view of the city.
To see the video of our experience with the Free Walking Tour of London, click here!
Visit the Tate Modern
There are so many museums in a large city like London, but because of its colonial history, many museums can be ethically problematic. I love visiting Tate Modern, with its modern and contemporary art, located right on the Thames.
The permanent exhibit is free! It’s a large museum, make sure to take your time while visiting. The building itself is interesting, as it used to be a Power Station with a huge Turbine Hall.
To check on hours and current exhibits, click here!
Explore Camden Town
I just love Camden Town.
So many different kinds of people, so many fantastic restaurants, music venues, and the markets (of course!) where you can find clothes, souvenirs, crafts, books, and much more.
It’s surreal to walk along Camden High Street and see all the storefronts decorated, so inventive and unique!
Camden is known for its alternative cultures, but don’t forget to take a stroll along the canal, starting at the Camden Locks, it’s very pretty with some interesting architecture, and quieter, if you need a break from people, as it is one of the most touristy areas of town.
Evening Walk Along the Thames
At night the city and the bridges light up! If you start at the gorgeous Millenium Bridge, a walk along the Thames will have you pass Shakespeare’s Globe, the Tate Modern, and several beautiful bridges. You can also see people at the Skate Park, and see the National Covid Memorial wall with its thousands of hearts commemorating victims from all over the U.K.
Once you get to Westminster Bridge, take. take a moment to admire the lights on the other side of the river!
Cross at Lambeth bridge to see Rodin’s impressive sculpture, The Burghers of Calais (one of 12 casts), in front of Westminster Abbey, see Big Ben all lit up… and see the other side of the river you just walked on!
Westminster Bridge
Go for a run in Regent’s Park!
And if you don’t run… go for a walk! It’s always great to find some nature in a big city, and London has several parks.
Regent’s Park is between Westminster and Camden Town. The outer ring is about 4.5 km, but make sure you also run inside the Park to see more of it and enjoy the trees and see the lake and the many birds.
You can maybe even picture Mrs Dalloway here…