A day in London to myself .. what to do?

[BluebellBlueballs]

I will have a day ( apx 9 am to 3pm) in Central London in 2 weeks time, on a Friday and want to make the most of it.
I can allow myself around £80 to spend on touristy stuff.

I'm thinking something down by the river as I love the water, then maybe something cultural/ historic.

Hit me up with any suggestions please.

Will probably be arriving from the south eg Waterloo and leaving to the west eg Paddington as travelling to Bristol later on.

@Mykittensmittens is it wort the ticket price? I want to see it.

It really depends on what you like and where you come from. If you live in Bristol then a day spent walking down the Thames might no hold as much interest than if you live in Huddersfield.

What about culture, would you like to see a good play or musical? How about just a few hours browsing in the iconic London shops like Harrods, or along Oxford Street (Selfridges etc).

Leicester Square, Covent Garden, the area outside National Gallery are places where you could easily spend an afternoon. Ditto for the inside of famous galleries, such as National, Tate & Tate Modern.

Camden Town has lots to offer of that specific genre.

For me yes - I studied art history and saw the Millais exhibition there about 15 years ago and thought that was good so was keen to try this one.

the curation has been done well - it’s not ‘Dante and his sister’ it’s very much about them both as individuals and their own talents - and she was very talented. There are some audio and video exhibits too. And seeing some of his most identifiable works up close was - for me - really amazing. His sketches and her poetry too - all very well put together. Took us about an hour to see it properly. We also went to the Mondrian one in the Modern. I was less impressed with that!

Sorry that was for @Toddlerteaplease

From Waterloo I'd definitely start with a wander down the Southbank which has some great views. You can stop at the Tate Modern and then go over the Millenium bridge over to St Pauls.

Alternatively, you can continue on down, past the Globe theatre (unfortunately no time to squeeze in a matinee, but could go on a tour), over to Borough Market - great place to grab something to eat.

The Shard is there if you fancy it, but quite pricey - a better option for high up views is to cross the river over to the Sky Garden (top of the "walkie talkie" building) which is free, but requires booking. For views could also do the London Eye at the beginning of the journey, close to Waterloo.

If you don't cross there but keep going, you'll eventually get to Tower Bridge, and if you cross there you can visit the Tower of London.

Once you're across the river, I'd tube back westwards to get back closer to Paddington, stopping on the way if time permits and depending on your tastes (shopping, museum, walk through a park...).

I’d think about walking across the road to the South Bank (literally across the road from Waterloo) and as a pp said, having a nice breakfast somewhere there, then wandering along the riverside a bit - lovely in the early-ish morning if the weather's good.

I'd then walk over Waterloo Bridge and go into Somerset House, explore there a bit, maybe pre-book a ticket for the Courtauld Gallery to look at the lovely art (you do have to plan this bit as they’re timed tickets). Come back out onto the Strand, either nip into Covent Garden for a quick whizz round the shops, or else pick up a No. 9 bus to Knightsbridge and enjoy the views during the journey, then maybe potter round South Kensington/the V&A (they have some nice cafes and a lovely outdoor garden area with a pool).

Then you could hop on the tube to Paddington for your onward journey.

She’s only there til 3 so that’s a no unfortunately!

My day in London usually starts at the garden at 120 [fenchurch] with a coffee and a beautiful view. I then walk down to the tower and get the boat up the Thames to the southbank. I potter up there along the thames and then visit Borough Market to sample foods. I then visit Covent garden and watch some acts before pottering back down towards Somerset House.

I don't live in Bristol, just travelling on there

Camden Town sounds good, not been there before.

Camden Lock Market and the surrounding area is quite interesting. It has a strong new age/goth vibe, and you'll find some interesting shops. Worth checking out.

Camden Lock Market
maps.app.goo.gl/vPkpq1yVDWB5U4aG7

Re mudlarking, you need to have a permit to do it. It’s quite expensive and there’s a limited number of permits available so there’s a waiting list.

Open top bus all around the centre. Hop on and hop off.

Too far away to be tempted! But such treasures. We have a metal detector and a friendly farmer neighbour and that’s enough!

Thank you for posting that article - fascinating. I always look at the "unknown" tombs when in the abbey.

I did a mudlarking tour once and you are allowed to do it with them as they have a special licence. You get about an hour and it is very interesting - I found loads of bits.

https://thames-explorer.org.uk/guided-tours/

there's a fabulous exhibition at the national gallery of the impressionists
i've been twice already and think illl go again

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will have a think.

There's a fab looking exhibition on georgian dress at Buckingham Palace

I love doing all the galleries around Green Park

If you're interested in Camden, it's worth starting off at Kings Cross -the redevelopment there is lovely with some cool shops and lots of places to eat in the sun. You can then take a 30 minute wander up the Regents Canal, stopping to browse in the Bookshop on the Water and arrive for a mooch around Camden Market.