5 hours in London on my own - what would you do?

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I'm meeting people later and will have quite a busy couple of days there. What would you do with those five hours though? It'll be tomorrow so a hot day.

I'd rather not say about my likes and dislikes. I'm interested in hearing what others would do as that might spark ideas about stuff I wouldn't normally do.

Thanks!

Exhibition somewhere and then head to coal drops yard for the shops and food. There's often really lovely markets there too.

The Garden Museum and lunch there, Tate Modern, Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey),

Or Wellcome Collection, lunch at Friends House, wander by the canal

It's a Monday so you could watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Go and see a last minute show, Science Museum or National History Museum, Tower of London, London Eye, a cruise on the Thames. Shopping in Covent Garden or Portobello Road, take a stroll around Hyde Park. Browse up and down Oxford Street, check out the Cutty Sark. Have a drink or two in the Ice Bar, go to Heathrow airport and do some plane spotting.

I’d do the Thames walk, from Tower Bridge onwards towards central and I’ll go for as long as I can and stop off at any cafes or food places I see. There are also some museums like Tate and Southbank Centre along the way so I’d see what exhibitions are on. I’d also grab the ferry just to take the ride. Borough market is also along that walk. If you are into books there is usually a book market around there too. There is also some random entertainment.

Or I would see what last minute theatre tickets I can get which should kill a few hours - espesh if it’s on a matinee day - and have something to eat by the river.

Depends on where you are coming into. If on the West side… I would have lunch and a stroll in Little Venice.

If coming into the south, eg. Waterloo, then I would enjoy my afternoon on the Southbank.

I'd do a little shopping and then find a lovely cafe and get a table with a view and people watch!

Depending on what part of London you are at you could also do some plane spotting at London City Airport then take the cable cars across Greenwhich.

I’d start in Hatchards - a fantastic bookshop in Piccadilly. It’s what a bookshop should be - lots of little books and crannys - I would have to set myself a limit on the number of books I was allowing to purchase otherwise it would get silly. I stumble on things in there which I don’t seem to find in other bookshops.
Then I’d find somewhere for a coffee or lunch, read my new book, and then I’d go to a museum. Not sure which one.
Or if timings were better I’d do the museum first and then bookshop and coffee - save me carrying my book(s) about!

Walk and swim on Hampstead Heath then walk to Hampstead for a crepe and browse in the shops.

My favourite gallery is the Royal Academy so I'd go to the summer exhibition and have a snack in their beautiful cafe and then a walk in Green park crossing the Mall to St James.

Get the Uber clipper from Embankment to Tate Britain and then further on to Battersea Power station and Battersea park for a roam and cafes.

Wander round Coal Drop Yard shops and cafes.

Shopping then have a lie down in a park

Natural history museum or st Paul's cathedral for me

This.

Denis Severs House a wander round Spitalfields Market and lunch.

Wow, so many responses! Meeting in Hammersmith's

Wander round Coal Drop Yards shops and cafes.

Get the u we clipper river service from embankment to Tate Britain then on to Battersea power station for a walk in Battersea park and refreshments in the cafes by the river at the Power station.

Kew Gardens.

Walk and swim on Hampstead Heath then over to Hampstead village for shop browsing and a crepe.

Walk from Camden along Regents canal to Regents park past Lindon Zoo.

Go to the Summer Exhibition (you'd need to book) at the Royal Academy then walk across Green park and the Mall to St James Park and cafes and lakes there.

Browse round 7 Dials and Covent Garden then down to Somerset house for a cafe refreshment in the square or on the Terrace overlooking the river.

I would probably go shopping and have lunch

Bears Ice Cream in the middle of Brook Green is genuinely some of the best in London. Simple but perfect, it’s a lovely little park to people watch in too

Only 5 mins walk down the road from Hammersmith station

Soooo tempted to do the swim!! But I'm going straight to a social thing so I'd have to turn up with wet hair. Mind you, it's going to be so warm it might not matter!

I would go to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience and to the Tibet Kitchen near brick lane for the best street food momo's you have ever tasted! Then a wander round Spitalfields Market.

Link to Tibet Kitchen
https://g.co/kgs/7QGPTjV

The national portrait gallery has recently reopened and it’s incredible - I’d recommend it 100%

If you're heading to Hammersmith later you would be the right side of London for a trip to Kew Palace and Gardens. A perfect spot for a sunny day. Or a trip to the new Battersea Power Station development.

Go to Hyde Park. Swim in the lido or paddle in the Diana memorial fountain. The Serpentine pavilion is open and there are current exhibitions in both north and south Serpentine galleries (read some reviews so you know what it is you don’t understand. Unless you’re a modern art whizz of course.)’If there’s time meander into the V and A then catch the tube from South Ken to Hammersmith (Piccadilly or District line).

have a map of all the various intelligence related areas of interest are and go from there.

dont underestimate how long it takes to get between places, queue up and see them. You need to spend hours at places to see something properly

i worked 3 days a week in London for years. The only tourist time I had was when friends came down and a concert was cancelled

we got on the hop on hop on bus and loved it. You really get to see it all. Do a full round trip then choose one point you want to get off. Don’t limit yourself by trying to get to one unknown place