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“To live would be an awfully big adventure"– J.M. Barrie
When we (read, Kyle) decided that we should begin traveling internationally, Emily was not totally on board with the thought of leaving the comfort of the U.S. I can still hear the comments buzzing around in my mind, “…but there is terrorism... that’s so far away from home… what happens if we get sick or hurt… how will I be able to call my dad?” All very real concerns, yet easily overcome. This was to be a trip unlike any other we were to embark upon, and came with some significant hurdles to jump over in our mind. If you find yourself asking, “Is any of this travel stuff that people are enamored with worth it?” Let me assure you, it is. We ended up finding a passion, a dream, and a story for ourselves that is still being written today along the banks of rivers, the trails of history, and the grandeur of God’s creation that unites us all as humans. For this we know as one of our truths, travel is life. And as Peter Pan would tell us, to live would be an awfully big adventure.
London has captured our hearts for the remainder of our lives. Although it would be easy to say that because it was our first international destination, we have since been many places and London is always the benchmark to which other locations are measured. To say that this is a world-class city is quite the understatement. The rich history from the first century AD through today has been an evolving and eclectic collection of arts, sciences, religion, architecture, food, and nature; everything you could ask for in a travel destination.
It is our desire to develop this itinerary that will inform the novice traveler or the experienced one that has not had the joy of experiencing London. In reality, you would need more than 7 days to see and immerse yourself into the majority of things you can do in London. But, much like us, most people have jobs and it isn’t totally reasonable to lay out an amazing 15 day guide to southern England…which still may not be enough time given the scope and span of offerings available. With all of that out of the way, let’s begin our trip, but
don’t forget your suitcases and stethoscopes!
PRE-TRIP
Before journeying outside of the country, you’ve gotta get a passport! This may seem like a ‘duh’ moment to some, but trust me when I say that we’ve been asked this question more times than we thought would or should happen. And while we’re on the topic of travel documents, if you are coming from the U.S. you will not require a visa for your quick getaway. During your flight the attendants on board will have you fill out a form that is used for immigration to let the government there know who is coming into their country and where you will be staying, for how long. It may seem a bit ‘big brother 1984’ of them, but wouldn’t you like to know who is randomly coming into your house and doing who-knows-what?
England has a climate that is considered a temperate maritime climate. This essentially means that they are in an area that winters don’t typically get below freezing and summers don’t typically get above 90. The weather changes quite frequently and is prone to being damp and gray. This does not mean they don’t have sunny days, as many outside of the country are quick to presume. It is due to this climate that we prefer to travel in the shoulder months; March through May and September through October. This for us means beautiful scenery, comfortable temps, and the best part: fewer tourists. Best practice is to bring layers for outfits and to either bring with you or purchase an umbrella there – you’ll more than likely need it.
London has three main airports that you will have the option to fly into. You can go through Heathrow, Gatwick, or Stansted airports. Our preferred airport is Heathrow, but it comes with its own set of quirks and negatives. Heathrow has great access to the underground network, buses, cabs, shuttles, carrier pigeons, burro transport for hire, canoe, gondolier… literally the best choice of transportation to your accommodations. It is also the closest to the downtown center of London, and all of the attractions there. The stuff we don’t particularly care for with Heathrow is that it is definitely the more expensive of the three airports to fly into, and much more so out of this choice. Seriously, what’s the deal with Heathrow’s departure fees? In addition to the cost, Heathrow has some lengthy security and immigration lines, however it feels like a very high-end airport should feel; so I suppose it’s a trade-off we are willing to take. London Gatwick airport is what I would consider the sensible safe pick for your airport choice. Gatwick is located to the south of London, a few miles further out than Heathrow. This choice is desirable to those that are looking to either enjoy the coastal regions of the country, or are a bit more budget-conscious. Gatwick does not have underground access, but does have a good choice of alternate transport options that are not going to break the bank. The biggest advantage that Gatwick offers as far as we can see is that there are certain flights from the States that are significantly less expensive than flying into Heathrow. Cha-ching. Less spent on airfare means more time at destination, amiright? Finally, Stansted is so far out from London and is hard to find good flights for, we really never even consider it as a viable option for us. If you were to want to check out the northern edges of this region and had a lot of time on your hands, this may be a good option for you. However, the intent of this guide is to give a glimpse into a fantastic London vacay, not how awesome Cambridge and Ipswich are.
Okay, so you’ve got all of this sorted, what next? Great question! You really need to find a home base of operations to stay and work out of while on your trip. This is a universal idea that we use on all trips. Finding the location that checks all of your personal preference boxes that is also cost-effective and relatively close to what you want to do is absolutely paramount to having a great adventure. Seeing that most if not all of our international trips we are reliant upon some form of public transportation, it is important to find a place that has good access to these systems. In London, we absolutely LOVE Earl’s Court. This is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. How quaint. Earl’s Court made an amazing headquarters for us, as it is in zone 2 of the Transport for London system and close to great food and other awesome attractions like Kensington Palace, the V&A, and Hyde Park. Pretty much anywhere West and North of the Thames are really great places to start looking (please don’t beat us up, South Bank, we love ya, but sometimes the grass is greener…you get it). Find your location and a hotel within your budget, and you are almost ready.
The last piece to this already ridiculously long pre-trip preparation is to secure a couple of items that will make your trip a breeze and provide you with a seamless, headache-free experience. We’re talking about the London Pass and an Oyster card. The London Pass is an absolute must. Seriously, don’t think about doing this itinerary without it. This pass will give you an insane amount of money savings and literally a boatload of attractions to see and do. The pass comes in several different day lengths to purchase, and for the purpose of this trip we recommend getting a six-day pass with a travelcard included. This gives you admission to over 80 attractions with the ability to skip lines at some of them, as well as unlimited travel in zones 1-2 for those six days; with the ability to travel all the way out to zone 9 if you really wanted to (that is WAY out there). For the seventh day, you can just pay for one-way fares or reload the travelcard with prepaid credit. Currently this specific pass is going for around $260 a piece, WHAT A DEAL! We love deals.
Phew, I think we are finally ready to get to London. Day one starts on the first full day of your journey.
DAY ONE
You’ve arrived! I’m kind of jealous, actually, because of how much we love London. A great way to kick off your adventure through the Big Smoke is to learn how the tube (underground/subway) operates. Remember that travelcard we got? Now is the time to really see how good of a value it is. Hopefully you’ve chosen a hotel close to an underground station, because we are going to take in our first attraction right at the exit of one station.
BIG BEN – This clock tower is so iconic London. Its actual name is the Elizabeth Tower, and Big Ben is the bell inside the clock. But that’s just semantics. The best way to get to Big Ben is to take the tube to the Westminster station, and simply walk outside. This behemoth is staring you in your smiley, travel-weary face and beckoning you to come closer. But please do remember that these Brits drive on the left side of the road, and look at least four times before crossing (one of us might have been close to being hit more than a few times).
WESTMINSTER ABBEY – Lucky you! Because of your wise decision to get up close and personal with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, you are literally across the street from Westminster Abbey. Turning around you will find the façade of this famed church in its Gothic splendor. Lines can be long for this site, but you have a London Pass that will take the stress out of getting tickets. Unfortunately for all of us, photography is strictly prohibited inside the abbey, and you’ll have to make do with the amazing memories emblazoned in your mind. This place makes Notre Dame look pedestrian. Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been coronated in this church, and the coronation chair is housed here. Many Kings and Queens as well as notable English contributors to the arts and sciences are buried and memorialized here as well. Make sure you spend some times in the cloisters and gardens here as well. **Bonus tip: try to find “the oldest door in Britain” on these grounds.
LONDON EYE – As you exit Westminster Abbey, make your way back towards Big Ben and cross the bridge over to the South Bank. You should be able to see this thing from far away to not really need directions. The Eye is the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel. Rising 443 ft. above the River Thames, get a bird’s eye view of the city and take it all in. Another attraction that is accessed through your London Pass.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM – Hey, we told you that we are nurses, right? This is a nicely developed, small little museum in the hospital across the street from the Eye. Inside you can learn about the founder of modern nursing and her contributions to healthcare. If you want a peak at the lady with the lamp’s actual logbooks and other memorabilia, it’s in here. Thank you, Flo.
THAMES RIVER CRUISE – Included in your London Pass is a river cruise from the London Eye pier to the Tower Bridge pier. Along this ride you will get to see a LOT of great sights along the banks of the Thames, including: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the Cutty Sark, Millennium footbridge, and the HMS Belfast. Who doesn’t love getting out on the water?
TOWER HILL – After exiting your cruise boat, you will find yourself in front of the Tower of London, right in front of the Tower Bridge. This is my personal favorite area in all of London. We will be coming back to this location for the sights and sounds of this amazing place on a different day, as you need time for eating, shopping, people watching, and all of the other fun stuff that comes with these trips. Tower Hill is the area in which you find yourself, and has a lot of great places to eat around here, as well as access to the Tower Hill underground station. Hopefully you know what station to go to for your hotel to get ready for the next day.
DAY TWO
We will start today where we left off yesterday, at Tower Hill.
THE TOWER OF LONDON – Oh boy, definitely a top two-or-three sight for Kyle. The Tower has an amazingly rich history of battle, rebellion, support, betrayal, bloodshed, forgiveness, and shelter. It has seen and been host to so much since it’s construction in the 1070’s by William the Conqueror. Also in the Tower complex are the Crown Jewels, the location of Ann Boleyn’s beheading, and the 6 ravens that must never leave the Tower. Take a beefeater guided tour here, you won’t regret it.
TOWER BRIDGE – Take a quick walk over to this bridge and walk along the glass walkway to experience one of the world’s most iconic bridges. This bridge is often mistaken as the London Bridge, but that one is further down the river. In fact, the previous London Bridge that was in place before the current one is in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Weird.
ALL HALLOWS BY THE TOWER – This is a very inconspicuous church kind of tucked away in the northwest corner of Tower Hill. This is the oldest church in all of London, and when you go to the basement, it shows. On the main floor is a beautiful church with ornate woodworking and a very typical Catholic style church. Downstairs, however, is where this place shines. Going through a Saxon archway, you will find a Roman floor dated to the 1st-2nd century and is believed to be from a domestic household.
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL – Take the tube to St. Paul’s underground station and find yourself directly in front of this famed church that was rebuilt by the famed Christopher Wren after the Great London Fire of 1666. From royal weddings and state funerals to famous burials and more, St Paul's Cathedral has played a major role in London's history. Admission is covered by your London Pass.
SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE – Following the Peters Hill pedestrian walkway, you find yourself on the Millennium footbridge crossing the Thames to the South Bank, with the Globe on your left. This building is unfortunately not the original Globe Theatre, as that one was razed by a fire set off by a misfiring theatrical cannon in 1614. This is however a faithful recreation of the original, and still puts on productions for theater-goers.
BOROUGH MARKET – A short walk from the Globe is the Borough Market, a great place to catch a bite to eat in this open-air market. A market has been on these grounds since the 12th century. A great way to end day two!
DAY THREE
Hopefully we haven’t wore you out yet. One thing that we may have forgot to mention is when we are on holiday, we don’t adopt a slow and steady pace. We jam our days packed with stuff to do and experience. We find that this approach is more fulfilling to us than a lazy beach day lounging around. Today is no different - strap your shoes up tight, we’re
gonna be hustling.
BRITISH MUSEUM – Quite possibly the most impressive museum on Earth. We suggest using the provided literature to follow the “highlights” tour of the museum, as you could easily spend days perusing the collections on offer here. An amazing gathering of artifacts from almost every civilization in existence.
NATIONAL GALLERY – A short bus ride from the British Museum is the National Gallery. This art gallery is one of the most visited in the world, and houses classics from Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein the Younger, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Goya, and Monet. Again, utilize the “highlights” guide in the brochure, as you could probably get lost in this museum.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE – The National Gallery sits on top of Trafalgar Square, almost. It is a very beautifully laid out public square with fountains and the famed Nelson’s Column.
BANQUETING HOUSE – The Banqueting House is the only complete surviving building of Whitehall Palace, the King and Queens’ principal residence from 1530 until 1698 when it was destroyed by fire. It was also the site of King Charles I execution in 1649.
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS – A basement of the Whitehall complex in Westminster which served as a secret cabinet meeting location during World War II, and served as a command post for Winston Churchill. Now this area has been converted into a replica of how this military installation appeared during the war, and a biographical collection for Churchill himself.
DAY FOUR
BUCKINGHAM PALACE – Buckingham Palace is the most iconic royal building in the country. It is the London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and is one of only a few working royal palaces left in the world. It is important to note that the staterooms are only open to the public from July through September for visitation. However, the changing of the guard happens most days starting in the morning at 10:45 and goes until 11:30.
PICCADILLY CIRCUS – Not too far from Buckingham Palace to the northeast is Piccadilly Circus. Instantly recognizable by its large outdoor advertising screens similar to Times Square, this area is a historically important commercial center and has many current offerings for shopping and our favorite free activity: people watching.
OXFORD CIRCUS – Further north of Piccadilly is Oxford Circus, which offers many of the same type of entertainment as the former; shopping and eating.
MARBLE ARCH – The Marble Arch is a nice piece of architecture that was originally designed to be a royal entrance arch for Buckingham Palace. During the accession of Queen Victoria, the arch was moved to its current location as an entrance to Hyde Park due to the Queen’s need for an expansion of the palace.
HYDE PARK – The park was established by Henry VIII in 1536 when he took the land from Westminster Abbey and used it as a hunting ground. Today it serves as a link from Kensington Park to Green Park, effectively spanning from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace.
WELLINGTON ARCH – Another magnificent arch at the southeastern edge of Hyde Park leading into Green Park. A nice sight to take in on the way to the next destination.
HARRODS – Harrods is one of the most exclusive department stores in the world. Therefore, in general, it sells expensive merchandise. Many tourists buy small souvenirs here such as tea, stuffed toys, chocolates and other inexpensive goods to bring to their families and friends. The world's first escalator was installed in Harrods in 1898. During the first few weeks, the customers didn’t want to use them as they were scared and suspicious of this new invention. Harrods convinced them to use the escalator by giving away free brandy. But today, you can go to this department store an enjoy afternoon high tea in class and style.
DAY FIVE
KENSINGTON PALACE – Currently, the palace is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Areas of Kensington Palace are open to the public. Visitors can walk through the King's State Apartments, the Queen's State Apartments and the Gardens. There are also exhibitions plus a shop and The Orangery cafe. Entrance to this palace is again covered by your London Pass.
KENSINGTON GARDENS – A immaculately manicured and cared-for green space located directly behind the palace. Good place for morning ice cream and day-dreaming. Make a point to check out the big body of water between this garden and Hyde Park, the Serpentine.
HAMPTON COURT PALACE – This place vies for that top two or three spots with the Tower and Windsor Castle for us. An absolutely stunning location that served as the former home of the flamboyant King Henry VIII. He extended and developed this grand palace after acquiring it in the 1520's and its many royal occupants have furnished the palace with decadent tapestries and paintings throughout the centuries. Set in 60 acres of formal gardens, including the famous maze and Great Vine, this palace is well worth a visit. You could easily spend many hours exploring and taking in all that this complex provides.
HER MAJESTYS THEATRE – The Phantom of the Opera. Just do it. Thank me later.
DAY SIX
The next two days are trips that are booked separately from anything else. These packaged deals we find to be the best value for your money, and allow you to see many amazing locations in relative ease. Guided tours are not really our thing, but transportation out of the city and to these places is included, so that makes up a bit for having to stick to a strict timeline.
LEEDS CASTLE – A castle has existed on the site since 1119, the first being a simple stone stronghold constructed by Robert de Crevecoeur which served as a military post in the time of Norman intrusions into England. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favorite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a dwelling for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL – One of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. The Cathedral is often described as ‘England in stone’ as its history is intrinsically linked to the country’s history. From its first Archbishop, Augustine, who established Christianity in England to Archbishop Langton’s role in the Magna Carta negotiations and the power struggle between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral’s history is as rich as it comes.
DOVER – There's a reason why the White Cliffs of Dover are an official icon of Britain. Their dazzling white chalk faces, sharp edges reaching 350 feet above the sea level, and layers of wild, lush grass are simply stunning. As if their natural beauty wasn’t enough, there are wild ponies upon the cliffs keeping the grasses in check. Wild. Ponies.
GREENWICH – A town in London that is home to the Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum. Also, at this sight is the prime meridian, where Greenwich Mean Time is calculated for time zones all over the earth.
DAY SEVEN
WINDSOR CASTLE – As a fascinated student of history and of the over-the-top character of Henry VIII, Windsor Castle was a special treat for us. In the cathedral within the castle grounds is where his body was interred. In addition to housing arguably one of the most well-known monarchs in the country’s history, the rest of the place is rather impressive. This is all after a fire destroyed a large portion of it in 1992 which ultimately led to the opening of Buckingham Palace to the public. Windsor has the distinction of the being the longest-occupied palace in Europe.
STONEHENGE – What on Earth is Stonehenge, actually? We are not sure, and would hate to speculate given the wide range of theories out there. What we do know for fact is that it is fascinating to think how an ancient civilization could erect such a strange monolithic structure. A really neat sight out in the midst of a sheep field. We are bummed you can’t get too close to it anymore, but it’s probably for the best as people were chipping away at the stones for souvenirs.
LACOCK – This sleepy town in the Cotswolds is a picture-perfect representation of rural England. The abbey in town was used for filming scenes in the Harry Potter movies and Downton Abbey TV series. A truly wonderful respite from the speed and business of London.
BATH – Our final stop on this exhilarating adventure is a postcard town of storied history. The town is named such because of a Roman bath that is in the center of the city. The first king of England, King Edward I was coronated at the abbey in Bath in 973 which set a precedent for all future coronations. The town became a popular spa retreat in the Georgian era, and today is a major tourist hub due to its natural beauty and historical sights.
We truly hope that a guide such as this is informative and makes you think about how seeing the world, being in contact with people from different cultures, and being open to new experiences can enhance your life. London has provided us with many memories, and we intend to make many more in the future. As the 18th century author Samuel Johnson quipped, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” As of now, we are not tired of London, and we aim to continue living life abundantly. We also want to hear from you! Drop us a line or comment, what do you think? Where should we go next? Has this made you desire to get out there and explore?
Until next time,
Kyle.
Keywords: London, England, Travel, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower of London, Bath, Dover, Canterbury, Buckingham Palace, Kensington, Heathrow, Underground,
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