London
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about London it’s that it is huge. There is so much to do and so much ground to cover. Luckily, the tube system was very easy to use.
You can easily spend days in London but say you don’t have that much time or you are trying to craft the perfect day, here it is:
We are starting in Notting Hill. EggBreak for breakfast. This is definitely a hot spot and they don’t take reservations so if there is a line when you get there, put your name down & then head to the street behind it. This is where the famous colorful townhouses are - a great photo op! If there is no line at breakfast make sure to stop here afterwards.
After you eat, explore Notting Hill (my personal favorite). Just walking around the beautiful neighborhood is enough but some highlights include: Portobello Market, Notting Hill Book Store (they have a section of staff recommendations that is fun to check out!), lots of vintage shops, and a yummy vegan selection at Doughtnut Time (big specialty donuts).
Next up is a walking (touristy) tour of London. You can follow this walking path or incorporate some additional tube stops to shorten up the miles.
Kensington Palace
Walk through Hyde Park
Buckingham Palace
Trafalger Square
Westminster Abbey (good phone booth photo op is here)
Big Ben
Cross the bridge to London Eye
(good time to take the tube)
London Bridge (very underwhelming)
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
After you hit all of the tourist stops it’s time to head up to a rooftop, Many will say to visit the Sky Garden but I didn’t have much luck with that. It is free to enter but you need a reservation and when I tried to go, it was booked a month+ out. Instead, walk down the street to 14 Hills. They have a bar / restaurant on the second to highest floor so there are really great views. They have some fun cocktails and good snacks to have while admiring the views. Make sure to ask for a table by the windows. After, walk up the stairs to the rooftop - the Garden at 120. Also free to enter, you’ll have access to a rooftop garden with more stunning views, without the lengthy wait time.
Take the tube over to the Canary Wharf. If you have some time before dinner, head to Pergola on the Wharf for a drink. This seems to be the after work happy hour spot so it may be hard to get a big table. But if there’s not many of you, you should be fine. Once you finish your drink(s), head over to dinner.
The best meal I had during my entire trip. Emilia’s Crafted Pasta. There are three locations but I went to the one near the Wharf but any will do! If you are visiting during a busy season, make sure to get a reservation ahead of time - you’re not going to want to miss this. The pasta is made fresh in-house daily, and you can tell. You can customize from a number of different pasta shapes and sauces. I opted for the classic pappardelle with homemade tomato sauce and basil. I added in the buffalo mozzarella which I feel like just makes the meal. Before the pasta though, I highly recommend ordering the Creamy Burrata with the sourdough. The bread was delicious - toasted with olive oil. Overall, the meal was 10/10. I want to go back to London just so I can have this meal again.
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Where to stay:
We had no idea where to stay when we were booking a hotel. London is huge and there are so many different neighborhoods. I tried doing some research on what people recommend based on what we were looking for but ultimately ended up winging it and essentially chose a hotel based on prices. But, I’m so happy with where we stayed. The hotel was the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington and it was the perfect location for us personally. The room ended up being less than $100 per night per person - but of course this is dependent on time of year.
We loved the Notting Hill area and it was super walkable from where we were staying so it made it easy - we probably spent the most time there. It was busy enough that we felt safe but wasn’t too touristy. The hotel was just down the block from a tube station which made getting around the city / getting back home really easy.
Kensington & Notting Hill were our first introductions to London and we wouldn’t of had it any other way. We loved the vibe (and dare I say, the aesthetic). We ended up walking through Soho on our third day and were so happy that we weren’t staying there. This seemed the most similar to NYC and spoiler alert: Nicole and I are not NYC people. We think our view of London would have been tainted if this was our first impression. But again, it all depends on what you are looking for. Someone who wants more of a restaurant scene & night life may want to look at accommodations in Soho, if you want a touristy feel then maybe look into Westminister, and if you want a more laid back feel then I’d recommend Kensington/Notting Hill.
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Some extras, if you have some more time:
Visit the famous bathrooms at Sketch (there are a few different options of restaurants and bars inside depending on what you are looking for, but take a trip to the bathroom. It sounds weird, but trust me).
Check the concert / event schedule at Royal Albert Hall
The Breakfast Club was a close runner up for my favorite breakfast in the city. The egg sandwiches are delicious but fair warning: they are messy
Especially if you have ClassPass, look up local studios. I booked a massage & a SoulCycle class with my credits! Great way to see a new area & meet new people - great for solo travelers.
If you want to try out ClassPass, sign up here
See outfit details here
Looking for photo inspiration for your upcoming trip? | Instagram
Notting Hill Colorful Houses | All around London
More of a visual learner? Here are some short form videos of my trip to Nice | Tik Tok
Hotel | Morning in London | 14 Hills Rooftop | Day in London | Emilia’s Pasta
Looking for more? I created a long form video of my trip | Youtube
