Curator’s statement
London is so full of history, culture, and incredible food. I had not been to London in 20+ years and my husband had never visited, so we planned these three days with the intention to “see everything”, and we did. Everything from fishing for carp on a fly rod to The London Eye to Buckingham Palace Tour to The Orangery for afternoon tea to the Churchill War Rooms, London did not disappoint and we plan to return for additional adventures.
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Things to do in London
Changing The King’s Life Guard at Horse Guard Parade
The London Eye: We did the Champagne Experience at sunset and it was incredible. We loved seeing the city at night to get the lay of the land before we set out to walk the city the next day.
Carp on the Fly (Fishing-London): We did something “unusual” for London and headed out to Puddledock Farm Fishery, with a guide, and went fly fishing for carp. We had the most fun being outside, catching a ton of carp, and experiencing a hobby we both love.
Churchill War Rooms: The history of this place and the way the audio guide leads you through the bunkers was an enriching, educational experience. Highly recommend getting tickets ahead of time and planning to spend a couple hours learning about the War Rooms.
The Orangery at Kensington Palace: The best iced tea and option for gluten-free afternoon tea we found. We loved this experience. The food and tea were delicious.
Buckingham Palace tour with audio guide: Touring Buckingham Palace from the inside was quite an experience and highly recommended. The audio guide was so informative and educating, however you cannot take any pictures inside the palace.
Changing The King’s Life Guard at Horse Guard Parade: We went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace prior, however, the changing of the King’s Life Guard was less crowded and really cool to see the horse guard change. The Buckingham Palace changing of the guards was too crowded and overwhelming for us, personally.
Westminster Abbey: A beautiful church with so much history. We purchased tickets ahead of time (tickets were not available the day of) and due to our time crunch, we forwent the audio guide and wandered the church and surrounding buildings and courtyards. The stained glass is incredible and the tombs are really cool to see who is buried there.
Places to eat & drink in London
Dinner at Aulis London was incredible and one of the best meals we have ever had
Aulis London: Michelin-star restaurant that seats 12 people nightly, offering 15 pre-set courses. They were super accommodating for allergens (if you notify ahead of time) and the food and wine pairing were some of the best food we have ever indulged in.
The Orangery at Kensington Palace: Beautiful afternoon tea that offers many allergen-free options. The iced tea (it was too hot outside for us to do hot tea) was the best we’ve ever had, and their Pimm’s and food were delicious. I highly recommend making a reservation and experiencing afternoon tea at Kensington Palace.
Caxton Bar & Grill: When staying at St. Ermins Hotel, we received breakfast included, and it was delicious. They provided a huge variety of options and had gluten-free options included in their buffet.
The Albert: Delicious pub food that offered great gluten-free beer and food options. They did not have gluten-free fish and chips, but their fries/chips and other menu items were gluten-free.
King Arms Pub (Greenwich): Another great pub that had many gluten-free options. We stopped in for a quick snack after a long morning/afternoon of touring and it hit the spot with a gluten-free beer and fries.
Need to know
Wear really comfortable walking shoes and appropriate weather clothes (we were outside a lot).
Don’t be afraid to use the hop-on-hop-off buses (with a purchased pass) or the tube to get around and across town.
Make your reservations and get entrance tickets early, especially in the high-tourist season (summer). It was very crowded in London in mid-August when we were there and having everything planned ahead of time with tickets already purchased made the wait times shorter to get into attractions. Westminster Abbey did not have “day-of” tickets available and multiple other attractions were sold out.
Stay local to where you will be touring. We stayed in Westminster (at St Ermins Hotel) and it was really easy to get around and walk to the major attractions.
Viator offers a great Changing of the Guards and Buckingham Palace tour—highly recommend looking at options when trying to get into very busy tourist areas like Buckingham Palace.
Travel Advisor
Brittany O'Brien
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