A day in London........

[Busypigeon]

Hi,

I have a day of total me time this week, so I'm going to go into London. We live in the suburbs but used to be quite central, so I know my way around. Can't decide what to do though! What would be your ideal day in London? I won't say what I've done, or where I've been or what I'm into, just interested in ideas for things to do, places to go, places to eat. Ideally a bit of a low budget this time, but feel free to hit me with your more pricey loves, as I may use them another time. Caveats - must be zone 1, could stretch to zone 2 if south or east, or south-east. I need to be home by 6ish, so would need to leave central London around 5. I can get into London by about 8.30am.

I'd start at South Bank, wander along by the Thames, watching the buskers, towards Tate Modern or cross over Hungerford Bridge and go to the National Gallery - both free, to spend an hour or so looking at favourite paintings. Then I'd do one of the quirky touristy things you never quite get a chance to do, like climbing Monument (great views) going to St Pauls's whispering gallery, Dennis Severs' candlelit Huguenot weavers' house or talking a street art tour round Shoreditch. I might go to a free lunchtime concert somewhere, then spend an hour either wandering around Mayfair looking in the outrageously expensive clothes shops around Bond Street and the Victorian Arcades or dipping into one of the beautiful bookshops like Daunts on Marylebone High Street. Have tea and cake somewhere like the Wolesey on Piccadilly, stroll around St James Park, people and bird-watching and come home.

I love visiting Chinatown. I try and go every time I'm in London.

I'd start at the Portrait Gallery, then wander to Wardour Street for lunch. Then I'd go to Marylebone for Daunt Books and coffee and cake, and then end up at the British Library and the Wellcome Collection.

This relatively recent thread has some good ideas for a child/partner free day!! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/london/3220593-If-you-had-48-hours-in-London-by-yourself-what-would-you-do?msgid=78845044

Start in Camden and potter around the markets before lunch at the street food market. Get a bus to Trafalgar Square and go to the National or Portrait Gallery. Glass of prosecco in the top floor bar at the Portrait. Walk down past horse guards and parliament. Over Westminster bridge and walk up the south bank. Stop at various places. Cocktails/cake etc. Then did somewhere for dinner

Spitalifleds market

I was going to say South Bank, stroll along the Riverside towards the Tate Modern, but MinaPaws beat me to it! There are waterside bars where you can sit and watch the boats, drink in hand, and there's loads to see inside the TM. I could spend a whole day there.

Soho.
Piccadilly
Edgware rd (for a shawarma)

Second all of minapaws suggestions except it’s a lot of walking/bussing/tubing. Why not smaller area like Southbank, Lincoln’s inn field sir John Soanes museum, doughty street Charles Dickens or Coram museum in Brunswick square, lunch lambs conduit street etc. Long acre shopping. This is pretty Waterloo based though which may not be your station.

Good ideas, thanks. Not been to the Tate Modern in years - it used to be one of my faves when I was a student. I've never been up the Monument. And I've only ever been down Edgware Road drunk looking for some dodgy party. Shawarma sounds good! Never done the John Sloane museum either. A bit gutted the Hunterian is currently closed - that was on my list.

@FruOla and I went to John Soanes a few years ago on my birthday trip to London and loved it.....

We did indeed, @Elderflower14 (I think we've both NCd in the meantime over the years!). It was a lovely day out and, I'm always embarrassed to say that, as a Londoner, I never really go anywhere interesting in my own city.

It was fab on that day, and on other days, when you've suggested other places to go too! You've probably shown me some parts of London than I never thought of

IIRC, the day we went to Sir John Soane's they were refurbishing, so, although we still saw most of the exhibits, we were having to make our way round scaffolding and suchlike?! I bet it's lovely again now.

All the best