London in one day?
That’s a tough task, but it’s possible. You can check out everything you’ve ever seen in the movies and the few things that you have not. Make sure you’re well rested, eat a hearty breakfast, and we’re off…
It’s nine in the morning, and you’ve bought the State Rooms and Garden Highlights Tour for GBP 29, and are little stuffed from breakfast. While you won’t be shaking hands with the Queen, there’s quite a lot you can do within the hour.
At ten, you’ll leave to visit Madame Tussauds a couple of miles to the north. If you bought the ticket online, you can get a 25% discount and skip the usually long queues. (you can also buy the London Eye and Madame Tussauds Combination ticket for a total of GBP 49). Zero in on your favourites and click all inappropriate selfies to your heart’s delight, but be quick about it… the British Museum awaits a couple of miles to the east.
Again, you’re not likely to have a lot of time here, but there are a neat number of things you can see within an hour or two: the King of Ife, the Rosetta Stone, the bust of Ramses the Great, the Aztec Turquoise Serpent, the Parthenon Sculptures, the Tang Ceramic Tomb figures, the Stone Chopper from Tanzania, the Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs, the Lewis Chessmen, the Flood Tablet, the Samurai Armour and the Royal Game of Ur.
You’re bound to be feeling hungry by now so head northeast or northwest of the Great Court for a quick sandwich, cake and cold drinks at the Court Café.
A mile and a half to the south, the Big Ben tolls. You’ll just be wa;king by it (tourists aren’t allowed up in the tower), but the photo opportunities are worth it, especially with the London Eye right across the river, where you’ll go for some really awesome views of the city (you better be carrying your combo ticket from earlier). You can go here later (which will involve re-treading old ground) or immediately (we recommend coming back later, for the sunset). The rotation is about 30 minutes long, so happily chill your slightly fatigued feet. You can buy something to eat and drink from the London Eye organisers onsite.
From the Eye, take the route east through Waterloo Road and New Kent Road before heading north on Tower Bridge Road for the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Visit the Tower of London first, as last admission is at 4:00 p.m. (best to buy the tickets on site). Reach by 3.30 p.m. at the latest (the queues can be pretty long). This is the main reason we advocate coming to the Tower of London before the London Eye. After all, sunsets are perhaps even more beautiful from the Eye than the Bridge. Anyway, you can look in on the famous Crown Jewels, the Torture Chamber and maybe even a find a ghost or two wandering around this historically bloody building. A short walk away, The Tower Bridge itself is a quick but worthy climb, especially during sunset. If you came here before the London Eye, by all means go spend dusk there instead. Either will offer you fantastic and romantic views.
And there you are. All done. To help you remember, here’s a fun infographic for London in one day!