The Ultimate London Bucket List

June 15, 2019

The four months I spent living in London was an absolute whirlwind. I feel like it had barely even started and suddenly it was coming to an end. London is chock full of amazing things to do, from historical sites to cultural experiences to trendy new events. I feel like I barely scratched the surface during my time in London, but here’s a list of 50 of the experiences that I recommend you must do in London; aka my London bucket list.

(I’ve done 38 of these – they are starred below! If you have any further questions about the starred items, feel free to contact me for tips!)

1. *Visit Big Ben. It’s currently under construction until 2021, but you can’t actually visit London without going to the site of it!

2. *Witness the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This occurs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 11:00 AM sharp, but be sure to check the confirmed dates to be sure!

3. Watch a show in the West End. It’s London’s take on Broadway! Right now Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is showing and it’s super popular!

5. *Walk across Tower Bridge. Not to be confused with London Bridge; Tower Bridge is the actual name of the iconic bridge with gorgeous towers.

4. *Eat your way through Borough market. Come on a weekend for maximum options, but be prepared to push your way through the crowds! The food is good enough that it’s totally worth it.

6. *Tour the inside of Westminster Abbey. As a World Heritage Site, you can’t come to London without visiting Westminster Abbey! There is also a museum in the upper floors of the church.

7. *Visit St Paul’s Cathedral. This cathedral is a lot more massive than you think it is, and the architecture is absolutely stunning!

8. Picnic in Hyde Park. Hyde Park is the main park of London, and a perfect place to sit and eat on a sunny day! Also be sure to explore around, feed the swans in the river, and see the Serpentine Gallery!

9. *Cruise along the Thames River. There is no better way to enjoy the river than by taking a sight-seeing cruise along it! See all of London’s famous bridges and landmarks from the water.

10. *Take a photo at Platform 9 and ¾’s. If you have ever read a single Harry Potter book, you need to come to this spot in King’s Cross! There’s usually a queue for a photo but it goes pretty quickly

11. *Browse the stalls at Old Spitalfields Market. This market doesn’t get nearly enough hype compared to the other two on this list! I found Old Spitalfields Market, despite the name, to be the most modern, and it was also filled with cool trinkets to buy. The food here was also absolutely phenomenal! I highly recommend the Dumpling Shack and Pleasant Lady Trading.

12. Wander around Kensington Palace & Gardens. Yes there is another entire palace within London besides Buckingham Palace! This one is complete with a set of gardens to explore as well. See their website for more information.

13. *Admire the view at Sky Garden. This garden is unconventional as it is 35 stories up in the air! With a skylight and massive floor to ceiling windows, they have managed to sustain a garden up there. Along with the garden comes a balcony, cafe, bar, and restaurant! Be sure to book your visit well in advance, as Sky Garden often gets booked out.

14. Eat a traditional English meal. English food isn’t known for being the best, but you still can’t miss classics like a Sunday Roast, a full English breakfast, or fish and chips!

15. *Search for street art in Shoreditch. Known to be the artsy, alternative neighborhood of London, there is no shortage of street art in Shoreditch! But it’s really worth it to explore the neighborhood at large; for those of you from New York, let’s just say it gives me Bushwick vibes.

16. *Take a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe. This recreation of the actual building in which Shakespeare’s iconic plays used to be performed.

17. *Have a ball at Ballie Ballerson. This bar has an entire ball pit inside of it! It makes for loads of good photo opportunities, and a lot of drunken fun!

18. *Browse through the goods at Harrods. London’s iconic department store is full of different designer brands. Luxury shoppers will love it, but if you are on a normal budget, window shopping will have to do.

19. *Have afternoon tea at Sketch. The afternoon tea here is superrr pricey but it’s all part of the experience! Sketch is a restaurant and art gallery in one. Visit the Gallery for the iconic pink decor and tea, and then head to the egg-pod bathrooms for a great photo.

20. *Experience the Sherlock Museum. If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes in any of his iterations (the Sherlock BBC show, the Sherlock movie series with RDJ, or the original novels) then the Sherlock Museum is definitely worth a visit!

21. *Ride a double-decker red bus. One of London’s most iconic images is their double-decker red buses! In reality, that’s just what their standard buses look like, and they’re quite good public transportation.

22. *Eat your way through Camden Market. There are plenty of good food markets in London, but Camden Market was definitely the most fun. Located in a quirky part of the city, Camden Market features loads of food stalls but also plenty of other vendors. Be sure to check out Cyberdog, a cyber-punk shop.

23. *Go shopping at Oxford Street. This is the place to go shopping in London! They have pretty much every fashion store you’d ever want to visit.

24. *Admire the view from the top of The Shard. The Shard is a 95-story skyscraper shaped like a giant shard of glass. The views from the top are absolutely to die for.

25. *See the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. You won’t find a more impressive collection of historical items than the British Museum! The Rosetta Stone is one of the main attractions as the key to translating hieroglyphs, but there is loads more to see!

26. Sip a drink at one of Mr. Fogg’s bars. Mr Fogg’s is a collection of adventurous bars scattered throughout London. The whimsy and quirky decor and cocktails will take you back to the Victorian era!

27. Have the best Indian food at Dishoom. London is known for its Indian food, but hands down the best place to eat it is at Dishoom. Because of this, the queues are known to be around two hours long, but the food is so worth it!

28. *Snap photos in Notting Hill. Widely known as London’s most instagrammable neighborhood, Notting Hill is full of colorful streets!

29. *Go nuts at Cereal Killer Cafe. Like cereal? This spot in Camden is definitely the place for you. They offer almost every kind of cereal that has ever existed, even the American brands I couldn’t find in any supermarket!

30. *Marvel at Piccadilly Circus. I call it the Times Square of London because of all of the flashing billboards plastered on the sides of the buildings!

31. *Feast yourselves in Chinatown. Chinatown is definitely the best single spot for food in all of London. Seriously, there isn’t a bad eat in the entire neighborhood. Eat some dim sum from Plum Valley Restaurant, grab a snack at Chinese Tapas House, or drink bubble tea from YiFang Fruit Tea. It’s up to you!

32. *See the Tower of London. Yet another castle within London, this one has more of a medieval castle feel, being built of stone. You can take a tour inside, and see the crown jewels!

33. Mix your own cocktails at The Cauldron. This Harry Potter inspired bar is a must visit for even those who have never been fans of the series! Mix cocktails in cauldrons, wave your wand to fill your glass of beer, and more!

34. *Ride the London Eye. It’s around 30 pounds for one trip around, but it’s one of those things that you kinda have to do in London! But if you’re not feeling like dropping that much cash, just take a few photos from the outside.

35. *Ride the Tube. The Tube is what the locals call the underground transportation system in London, and no joke, it was one of the highlights of London. Listen to the famous announcements over the loudspeaker telling you to “mind the gap!” and “see it, say it, sorted.”

36. Cross the street at Abbey Road. Be sure to get that iconic Beatles-esque photo of you on the crosswalk!

37. *Roam around Covent Garden. A car-free plaza filled with market stalls, fashion stores, food spots, and more, Covent Garden is almost like a historical open-air mall. Be sure to check out the London Transport Museum too!

38. Have dinner with a view at the Coppa Club. This riverside restaurant has little glass domes that parties can sit in, making an already incredible meal even better with a stunning view!

39. *Place a call in a red telephone booth. Yes, the telephone booths are actually functional and not just placed there for tourists to take pictures with! But with cell phones nowadays, the only practical function of a telephone booth anymore is a picture.

40. *Admire the art at the Tate Modern. London’s best museum for modern art is here! Just like all the other museums in London, admission is totally free, and they also host daily free events in the Tate too!

41. Go canal hopping in Little Venice. You don’t have to go all the way to Italy for a taste of Venice! In the north part of London there is a whole neighborhood full of canals!

42. *Explore Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is surrounded by museums, galleries, and other cultural exhibitions. While you’re at it, be sure to visit the National Art Gallery right beside it!

43. *Go cafe-hopping in Belgravia. Belgravia is the spot for cute instagrammable cafes! Just a few that I love are Dominique Ansel Bakery, Elan Cafe, and Peggy Porschen Cakes.

Want to learn about more cafes in London? Read: The Cutest Cafes in London

44. *Walk across the Millennium bridge. This is the bridge that was destroyed in the 6th Harry Potter movie! The design of it is super modern and it connects the river between St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern!

45. *Snap a pic at Neal’s Yard. Close to Covent Garden, Neal’s Yard is a super colorful little corner of London! It’s full of various boutique shops and restaurants.

46. Wander around the Kew Gardens. Apparently, this botanical garden houses the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world!

47. *Grab a late night snack from Duck and Waffle. One of the only restaurants in London actually open 24/7, Duck and Waffle is also 40 stories up and has a phenomenal view! Their duck, their namesake, is also delicious.

48. Take the Warner Bros Studio Tour. Although not technically in London, this place should definitely go on your bucket list! See the behind-the-scenes of creating the Harry Potter films that captivated the world.

49. *Visit the museums on Exhibition Road. There are three main museums on exhibition road; the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Science Museum. These three museums are absolutely iconic, but what’s better is that admission to all of them is free!

50. *Take a day trip outside of London. There are so many cool cities and destinations just outside of London in England and the rest of Great Britain! A few of the spots I recommend are the Cotswolds for old timey village charm, Oxford for the famous university and Harry Potter filming locations, Brighton for a beach day, Bath for Ancient Roman ruins, Stonehenge for, well, Stonehenge, and so many more!