10 Best Things To Do In London – The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

London is a vibrant city home to stunning heritage architecture, beautiful public parks, awesome restaurants, and great shopping destinations. I really enjoyed my short holiday here! Below is a list of 10 best things to do in this city.

1. Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a famous entertainment, shopping and theatre district. It is arguably the most popular tourist spot in London.

The wife had a good time shopping at the many boutiques here, such as Chanel, Zara, Kate Spade, MAC, etc.

For more unique items, check out the historic Covent Garden Market which is home to artisan shops selling handmade crafts and goods.

One of the most prominent spots in Covent Garden is Leicester Square, a vibrant public square surrounded by cinemas, theatres, restaurants, casinos, clubs, and retail shops.

And of course, Covent Garden is famous for its West End Musicals such as Matilda the Musical, The Lion King, etc.

If you have time, drop by Somerset House, a famous working arts centre. The beautiful neoclassical architecture makes for a great photo opportunity.

2. Soho

Just next to Covent Garden is Soho, which is known for its vibrant nightlife. There are many gay bars and clubs too.

Similar to Covent Garden, Soho has a bustling theatre scene. Popular musicals include Thriller and Les Misérables.

I enjoyed strolling around the bustling Chinatown, which has plenty of delicious food options. The Chinatown Gate is a nice photo opportunity.

3. Westminster

Westminster is a charming district home to many stunning heritage architecture. It is one of the most beautiful places in London.

There are many famous tourist attractions here, including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye, Palace of Westminster, Westminster Bridge, Parliament Square, and Buckingham Palace.

The famous Trafalgar Square is located near Westminster. This historic public square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

During this famous naval battle, the British fleet managed to defeat the combined French and Spanish fleet.

The 52-metre “Nelson’s Column” in the square’s centre commemorates Lord Horatio Nelson, who was fatally shot while leading the British to victory. The lofty column is guarded at the base by four lion statues.

4. City of London

City of London is the financial district of London. This quiet area is home to some of London’s most iconic attractions:

St Paul’s Cathedral – This majestic English Baroque church has the second highest dome in the world. I really enjoyed touring the church interior, which boasts beautiful decorations, charming sculptures, and some of the most spectacular ceiling artwork I’ve ever seen.

Tower of London – This historic castle is located by the River Thames. It is open to tours by the public.

Tower Bridge – This suspension bridge is an iconic symbol of London. I walked across the bridge from the north bank to the south bank, which was a pretty cool experience. From the south bank, I managed to take many beautiful pictures of the bridge. Personally I feel that this side offers the best vantage point.

5. Shopping

London is a shopping paradise where you can find a myriad of luxury boutiques, trendy retail shops, huge department stores, and bustling street markets. Below are some of the most popular places to shop:

Bond Street – This famous shopping street is lined with many luxury boutiques. It is THE place to go for high end shopping.

Oxford Street – This iconic shopping street is home to hundreds of retail stores. This is a good place to shop for popular mid-market brands.

Regent Street – This beautiful shopping street is lined with charming European architecture. It has quite a number of popular mid-market and luxury brands.

Covent Garden – This vibrant neighbourhood is a good place for tourists to shop and explore.

Knightsbridge – This retail district houses several luxury department stores and high-end fashion boutiques. Harrods, the famous luxury department store, is located here.

Bicester Village – This famous luxury outlet is mall located less than an hour from central London by train. Enjoy wonderful discounts on high end brands.

6. Notting Hill

Notting Hill is an idyllic district home to quaint pastel houses and cobblestone streets. It is arguably the most romantic neighbourhood in London. I took many photos of the beautiful pastel houses along Portobello Road.

7. Local Markets

I like visiting local markets because I love their bustling vibes. These are also great places to experience local culture. Below are three famous local markets in London:

Borough Market – This famous local market offers plenty of delicious specialty foods. There is also a variety of stalls selling local produce, poultry, meat, seafood, and cheese.

Camden Market – This huge street market is home to many independent boutiques selling handcrafted goods, jewellery, books, furniture, and other eclectic items.

Portobello Market – This famous antiques market has over 1,000 dealers selling a myriad of antiques and collectibles.

8. Day Trips

There are many awesome day trips you can take from London to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Below are some of the most popular ones:

Windsor Castle – This majestic castle serves as the royal residence of the Queen of England, though you probably won’t get to see her during your visit. It is located 30 minutes away from central London by train.

Bath and Stonehenge Day Tour – Bath is a historic city known for its rich culture and beautiful Georgian architecture. Stonehenge is a masterpiece of prehistoric engineering, with a history that can be traced back to over 10,000 years ago. It is not really possible to visit these two places using public transport, so most people usually go on organised tours. I went with Evan Evans Tours.

Oxford – Located just one hour away from central London by train, Oxford is home to the prestigious University of Oxford, where I saw many gorgeous historic architecture. The campus was also the setting for many scenes in the Harry Potter movies.

9. Public Parks

The public parks in London were really lush and pretty! I visited Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park, and St James’s Park.

I went to these parks because they were conveniently located near famous tourist districts like Westminster, Mayfair and South Kensington.

One of my favourite memories was strolling along the pond in Kensington Gardens and looking at the beautiful swans swimming gracefully.

If you have time, I recommend checking out Regent’s Park too, though it is a little further from the aforementioned parks.

10. Public Museums (free admission)

Natural History Museum

London is home to many world-class museums. Amazingly, admission is free for many of these museums. Below are five free museums I visited:

British Museum – This museum houses a collection of around eight million items related to human history, art and culture. The most famous exhibit here is the Rosetta Stone, which helped academics to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs and open a window into ancient Egyptian history.

National Gallery – Located in Trafalgar Square, this famous art museum houses an amazing collection of masterpieces by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Monet, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and more!

National History Museum – This museum houses a staggering collection of 80 million items grouped into 5 categories: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology.

Science Museum –  This fun museum is home to a collection of historical science artifacts. I enjoyed touring this museum, though I would say it is more suited for children and teenagers.

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) – This is the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design, as well as sculpture, housing a permanent collection of over 2 million items.