First time visitor to UK, staying London. Advice from locals requested.

[SweetSallySue]

Hi, my DD (mid-twenties) and I are very excited to be planning a trip to the UK for late May. We will be staying in London. As we (Canadians) are completely unfamiliar with the area, any advice (including suggestions of things to see and do) would be greatly appreciated!

One specific concern at this stage involves booking accommodations for our stay . My daughter has found an ApartHotel that would suit our needs well in the Dalston area. However, we are concerned about safety and wondered if locals can advise as to whether this area of London would be relatively safe for us as female tourists.

I look forward to your comments and guidance!

Dalston is fine.

Thanks, that’s reassuring!

Yep Dalston is fine, it is a bit gritty for sure, not the most beautiful part of town, but central with good links and plenty going on, a cool area.

Well, the obvious stuff in London is west end shows, lots of history and stuff - Tower of London, Buckingham palace etc.

beyond that, what are you interested in? If you are into jazz and cocktails it’ll be different recommendations than clubbing and beer?

Tell us what sort of things you like to do and we can make some suggestions.

there are even wild beavers in west London if you feel homesick!

Once you are here be sure to enjoy our free stuff. The royal parks, Sloane museum, galleries etc. avoid the rickshaw drivers. Wise to always check the price of anything you buy in the street like icecream, food etc. Be cautious of using your mobile out in the street. Phone thefts from young boys on bikes or electric scooters in the west end can be a problem . If you are sensible you should have no problems and hopefully a lot of fun

Dalston is a great hipster type area. You'll find loads of nice places to eat around there in the evenings and the connections into central (and other areas) are good. Obviously, as in any big city, keep an eye on your possessions - keep bags closed, and it is a good precaution to keep your bag's strap around your leg when seated (tho' this is probably not needed in most places). As tourists, you are likely to be using Google maps quite a bit and taking pictures on your phones. Beware phone snatchers! They often whizz by on electric bicycles and your phone is gone before you know it. To avoid this, keep an eye open for bikes and position yourselves on the building side of the pavement (ie away from the road) when you have your phone out.

Thanks for your responses, it sounds like Dalston would work for us! Being close to transit is a huge asset.

In terms of interests, we’re hoping for a mix of historical sites, museums and the like, nature/outdoorsy stuff, shopping, sampling the local cuisine (nothing outrageously expensive though), maybe some theatre.

I have to admit, the beavers would be cool to see!

It’s morning here and I’m heading into to office so may not check responses for a while. Am loving the do’s and dont’s and ideas of fun things to do while there. I’ll look forward to reading more responses as the day progresses!

Dalston is fine but a bit grimy, safe enough but not beautiful. It's actually quite expensive these days but not one of the traditionally 'nice' bits of London. However, the connections aren't bad and there's lots of places you can walk to so I'd say it's fine. If you head west towards Islington the streets quickly get more beautiful. Upper Street is a great place for a drink, dinner or coffee. Trullo on Highbury corner is fantastic (www.trullorestaurant.com/) and not far from your hotel. For a lower budget try Le Mercury on Upper Street, I've been going for years, it's a lovely atmosphere, great food and great value (lemercury.co.uk/)

It's a bit pricey but Westminster Abbey is great if you are into history, you get an audio tour in the entrance price. The Coronation throne, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary's tombs, poets corner, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Feeding the pelicans in St James Park! And the changing of the guard (check which days) are iconic

How long are you staying?

You mentioned nature/outdoorsy stuff. London is one of the greenest cities but you wouldn't make it a destination for outdoorsy stuff! Some of the parks, and certainly the river, would definitely be on your list but are you envisaging doing stuff outside London too?

If you like history I always recommend the Ceremony of the Keys (https://freetoursbyfoot.com/ceremony-of-the-keys/) it is an ancient ceremony at the Tower of London and VERY atmospheric. It is an evening gate closing ceremony that has been going on for over 700 years.

I also recommend London Walks - low cost walking tours around different parts of London and geared to a range of interests from music (Beatles) to Jack the Ripper etc. A great way to see quirky bits of London.
https://www.walks.com/

Something else that is fun is 'mudlarking' - https://thames-explorer.org.uk/guided-tours/ - where you get down onto the shore of the Thames and hunt for finds.

There aren't really any no-go areas, despite the MAGA claims. Just common sense - see what people around you are doing. If they are walking along with nothing expensive showing (probably catching public transport) , do the same. If they are taking photos with expensive cameras (e.g. round Parliament Square) you will probably be able to do the same safely.

I like to walk a little bit of the Thames on the North bank.
I think it's quieter and more interesting than the south side .
I've started at Southwark Cathedral - expensive but nice cafe in forecourt. And just next to busy foodie Borough Market.
Across London Bridge and on the east side of the bridge are steps down ( stainless steel , spiral type ) to the river. I like to walk east a bit and visit St Magnus the Martyr.
Then come out , walk back the way you came to the staine less steel steps and walk along with St Magnus behind you .
I've had a snack in The Walrus and Carpenter ( 4 min from St Magnus theM ) v tasty.

I was born in Dalston when it was a poor but respectable working class area. It later became rough and run down but now, due to its proximity to the City (specific financial area - the City of London) it is very much sought after by affluent City workers. Houses go for millions.
It’s vibrant and successful and a great place to visit with lots to do. The Shard, the South Bank of the Thames, Borough Market, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre are all reasonably close and there are good transport links to the West End for shopping and theatres, Covent Garden and more. Locally, try one of the Mangal (Turkish barbecue ) restaurants on Kingsland Road, the northern end, and one of the Vietnamese restaurants at the City end, or ‘Little Hanoi’.

The Sky Garden skyscraper, in Fenchurch St, is free to visit if you book ahead but also does a good afternoon tea. (Not free! )Fantastic views.
I hope you have a great time.
PS Do read the reviews for the ApartHotel!

Dalston local here - it is a bit grimy but a lot of fun too. We raised our kids here and we all love it. Is it the ApartHotel opposite the Rio Cinema? If so, that's a great location and I've heard it's nice. You'll have two overground stations very closely - both Hackney Junction and Dalston Kingsland can zip you to the tube at Highbury in less than 5 minutes. There's really no need to go to Islington for good coffee/ cafés - I'm sure they're lovely but we have loads!

One thing I would say is watch your phone. It's a London wide problem so not just Dalston and definitely tourists in central areas are targetted. Kids on bikes, cycle past and grab them, then zoom off, or on a train/ tube/ bus, they grab them just as the doors are closing then get off quick so you can't chase. Don't get too worried - I don't actually know anyone who has had theirs snatched. Just be aware - if you need to use your phone the street, hold it tight tight and adjacent to a wall or similar so harder for someone to grab it if they zip past.

Chat GPT is your friend. Tell it what you like, where you’re staying etc and it’ll give you a day by day itinerary with travel routes and times included

I was born and raised in Dalston, before it became all hipster. Great location.

If helpful, I can do you a list of local cafés and restaurants. Feel free to DM.

Hope you have a wonderful time! As a theatre buff I'm a big fan of the National Theatre. Depends what you like to see. Tickets to productions there can be ridiculously cheap (there are plenty of more expensive ones!) and the productions and casts can be top notch. 'Dear England' is back at the National until 25 May having been a smash hit success - I think they are starting off a new cast there before it tours. It's a play about football and England but you don't have to love either to enjoy it. Most recently I saw a fantastic production of Coriolanus but I've seen several amazing new plays there.

Another great venue is the Bridge Theatre near Tower Bridge, it's quite a new building so very comfortable and they put on serious plays with big names.

For West End shows, it's always an experience of its own, i do love a classic London theatre day starting at the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square which has been going for decades and seeing what you can get in to. A lot of the West End theatres are really beautiful in their own right, though I would say the seats can be pretty small for those of us who are comfortably built... but being able to walk a short distance to lots of theatres is such a pleasure.

There's also the 'fringe' theatres like the Soho Theatre, the Kilburn Triangle and probably lots of others I don't even know about. The plays may be a bit more out there, the actors younger and the tickets cheaper. Again I've had good times at all sorts of these places, just look for a play that catches your eye. The Soho Theatre has the massive benefit of being in Soho (obvs) and Soho is a joy to walk through either after a matinee or before an evening show, with tons of independent shops and restaurants and such a great vibe. Last time I was there we also went to see the Broadwick Street Pump which is famous for being the water pump that Dr Snow took the handle off after working out that it was the source of a cholera outbreak. I love the mix of experiences that a walk in London can give you.

Get to Leicester Square early ish for the tkts booth. They sell that day’s shows quite a bit cheaper

Keep your iPhone close to you as lots of issues with phones being stolen by people on motorbikes.

I was the the beginning on March.
Urber boat is £25 on and off all day, you can go look round the inside of Battersea Power station, for free at one end as it now has shops inside. An hour journey down the river Thames gets you to Greenwich, past so many famous buildings, you can buy snacks on board, also covered in case of rain...
Bare in mind as 40 mins one off was £15 , so a bargain.
Make sure you can use contactless as buses are £1.75. One card per person.
Also Tesco meal deal is £4ish . Drink , sandwich or wrap or salad , plus crisps or snack.

£18 for a 2 course meal and a drink at the back downstairs of science museum, you can book tickets for free on their website, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, are all in a row, and Harrods is a 20 min walk up the same road. Do able in the first part of a day, giving you the late afternoon for something else.