“…and so the adventure begins”– Unknown
Every first time traveller is expected to go to the very touristy places of a certain country. The same is true when I went to London for the first time in 2016. Of course who would want to miss out on these iconic United Kingdom architecture.
1) Buckingham palace is the royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch. The grounds is always full of spectators and if you want to view the changing of the guards then you can look up for the schedule in google because it changes from month to month. (Especially during the winter months)
2) The Tower of london is officially Her Majesty’s Royal Palace. It is a castle located in the north bank of River Thames in central London. You can buy entry tickets online.
3) The London eye is an observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is Europe’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel.
This is the view from one side of the London Eye
4) Big Ben is the name used to describe the tower, the bell and the clock. This is now being refurbished and is scheduled to be done by 2021.
5) The architecture of the House of Parliament is amazing!
6) Westminster Abbey also known as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is a large Gothic abbey church in the centre of London.
7) St Pauls Cathedral in London is an Anglican cathedral and it sits at the highest point of the city of London.
8) Nearby is The Millenium Bridge, a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the river Thames.
9) Visit the Trafalgar Square and admire the sculptures and the wonderful fountains. The Nelson’s column stands in the centre of the square and was built in 1843.
10) London has a number of museums and here below is the National Gallery, which takes up the whole north side of the Trafalgar Square.
11) Another gallery is the Tate Modern which features international modern and contemporary art. Tate is a family of four art galleries in London.
12) The National Portrait Gallery is a gallery in London which houses a collection of portraits of famous British people.
13) Notting Hill is an affluent district in West London, which is known to be a cosmopolitan and a multicultural neighbourhood. Also known for its rows of colourful houses. If you’re into this, like me, better check it out!
14) Walking tours are available but I just walked the area on my own. Brick Lane and Shoreditch are the areas where I went. There are however, lots more places where street art can be found in London. I took this photo of my husband and my daughter before they took off to go vintage shopping, while I went around in search of more street art.
15) Harrods is a classy department store which can be found in Knightsbridge, London.
16) Oxford street is the most well known shopping street in London. It’s always busy with all the buses and people walking arounds.
Visit the markets In London like the Camden Lock market and the Borough Market. These two are open everyday, but there are some that are open only on certain days of the week. So better check before you go! By the way, these markets don’t fall short in their variety of food as well, street food, restaurants, dessert, etc.
17) Camden Market
18) Borough Market
19) Watch a West End musicale. I watched Mama Mia and it was fantastic! But take note, i just found out that if you want a cheaper ticket, buy it on the day itself. Instead of £35 I got the ticket for £15. The only thing is, it depends on the availability of the seats. But if you’re not fussy…that’s the way to go!
20) 30 St Mary Axe or informally known as The Gherkin is a commercial skyscraper in London’s financial district.
21) The Shard, also known as the Shard of Glass or Shard London Bridge is a 92-story skyscraper. You can go up the Shard to get a fantastic bird’s eye view of London. I didn’t do this because it’s too expensive for me… instead I went to the Sky Garden where fees included our lunch. I will talk about this in my next blog.
22) This is Mahatma Gandhi’s bronze statue which is a relatively new addition to the Parliament Square, having been unveiled in 2015. Walk around the Square and you will see more statues of famous foreign political figures.
23) Platform 9 3/4 Is a Harry Potter shop near the Kings Cross station. There’s really not much to this, but it is a novelty where the person lets you use their scarves and they will make it move as if it was flying. You can buy memorabilia photos from them or if you want it cheap, like me, you can ask a friend of yours to take your photo.
24) Lastly, to have the feel of London, don’t forget to take the tube everywhere. Before you know it you’ll be an expert in taking the London Underground and using the Oyster.
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