First timer in London

[Cas112]

I'm going for a long weekend in London for the first time and I'm very excited!

I was just wondering if anyone can give me some suggestions on the best attractions etc, I have already googled but I want some suggestions with personal experiences. Maybe some do's and don'ts!

I have already booked Harry Potter world, hopefully meets my expectations :)

My favourite area of London is The Southbank.

I love wandering around central London, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, soho etc.

Camden is brilliant!

London zoo is fab!

I love the London Dungeons, if you are into that sort of thing. And if you like being scared then The London Bridge and tombs experience is worth it (I’ve never been so scared in my life).

Carnaby street is great fun, it’s so colourful and makes me happy.

I’ve been to London a million times and still have a massive list of to do’s.

If you want to go to the theatre, get the todaytix app, it has lotteries/day seats on for many shows.

HP World is Excellent OP - enjoy (just don't buy the Butterbeer - it's rank, even my then sugary fizzy pop crazed 8 year old couldn't drink it)

I agree that walking an area is a good idea.
And the rivertrip is a brilliant way to see London from a different angle.

I think you should do all the "London" things -Piccadilly circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Place, Big Ben (or Elizabeth Tower or what ever it's called) The Shard, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, check out the Crown Jewels. The Tate & St Paul's Cathedral. You should probably take a peek at Horrids,I mean Harrods.

I wouldn't go to the Zoo or Kew Gardens on a short trip.

But you probably don't like the same things as me, as I'd never do Harry Potter world.

Just in terms of the train journey to Harry Potter world - you never need to take a 40 min train, the 20 fast min trains are very frequent. And some of them are 15 mins! Just make sure you go on one that’s direct to Watford Junction or only has 1 or 2 stops (from Euston).

@SevenOldLadies

If you can get tickets, I’d actually choose Skygarden over the Shard and save the entry fee.

skygarden.london/

Boat trip out to Greenwich from the pier by the London Eye is also good, but get the commuter boat (called Uber Boat now I think, but it doesn’t work like an Uber - it runs to a set timetable) rather than any special tourist boat.

This is the advice I was going to give too. Along with going to see the pelicans in St James Park

I always think the open top bus tour is a good way for someone to first see some of the London sites. It includes most of the popular tourist areas and you can hop on and off as many times as you want so can easily fill a day.

The Harry Potter Studios are just outside London in Watford. If you're a fan you'll love it there. Hopefully you'll also get to do some traditional London tourism too as you have a weekend to do it all in.

The walk from MI6 to the Globe and then across the Millennium bridge to St. Pauls is fantastic. Start from Vauxhall tube.

Sir John Soane's Museum and the Hunterian in Lincoln's Inn Fields are good for an hour each. The first is a tiny jewel of art and architecture (the foldout gallery contains about £100 million worth of paintings in less than 100 square feet). The Hunterian is housed in the Royal College of Surgeons, just ask for a visitor's badge. Historical grue, very popular with teenagers.

Oh yes The Hunterian museum is great!