Beginning your London adventure
London is a huge city which a very long list of must-see attractions and places to visit. However, if you’re staying in the capital for more than a couple of weeks then you have loads of time to complete your bucket list. If you’re moving to London to study or work and it’s your first time here, then some things can wait! Regardless of why you’re in one of the world’s most visited cities, here’s a helpful itinerary to follow for your first two days.
Day One
You’re not going to see even half of London in two days, but you can certainly squeeze in some of the major central attractions. We suggest starting off with Buckingham Palace, because how can you be in London and not visit the Queen? You might be lucky enough to witness the Changing of the Guard, but if not the palace and gardens are still a sight to behold.
Buckingham Palace isn’t far from Trafalgar Square – another iconic London site. It’s home to the famous monument Nelson’s Column, and if you’re into your art then you may also want to wander around The National Gallery which houses some of the country’s most stunning collections.
Next stop on the sightseeing tour is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. There is so much history here, and Big Ben looks great from afar or up close – try taking photographs on the other side of the River Thames. You might want to stop for lunch about now but if not continue walking down South Bank until you reach the London Eye. Take a ride on the landmark or if your budget won’t allow it, walk over the bridge to the Tate Modern for some eye-opening art installations. If you have some spare cash we recommend going to a ticket office and seeing which West End shows have late availability for the evening.
Day Two
Now you’ve ticked off most of the major landmarks, today is about enjoying the real London. The first stop is Camden market, which is open every day from 10am. Here you’ll find an interesting array of shops, food and drinks stalls and live music venues. From here hop on a tube to Covent Garden to look around the expensive shops and watch the street entertainers in the courtyard. You can eat here if you’re splashing out, or wait until the afternoon for a picnic.
Now it’s time to see some of London’s green spaces. We recommend Regent’s Park as it’s big enough to get lost in and if you like you can also visit London Zoo. If the weather is nice why not have a traditional British picnic with strawberries or hire a boat on the boating lake. We reckon you’ll be too tired to need a plan for the evening, but if not head to Soho for the city’s nightlife scene.
That’s a quick pit stop tour, but hopefully you have months to enjoy this cosmopolitan city!
