The London Guide
Back in 2016, I quit my full-time PR agency job, packed my bags, and moved to London to get a master’s degree and figure out the rest of my life. I know that sounds like the synopsis of an early 2000s rom-com, but sorry — my experience was not exactly worthy of the silver screen. (I did, however, document my life there — mundane moments and all — on YouTube.)
While I didn’t profess my love in a bookshop à la Notting Hill, I did fall in love — with London. Even before I moved there, I knew I would enjoy it, but I had no idea how deep of a connection to London I would form over the course of my year-long program. Now, nearly three years after moving back to the States, I still dream about living there again someday (I just need to convince my fiancé).
From the week I moved to London to today, I’ve helped numerous friends, family members, and friends of friends and family members plan their visits to one of my favo(u)rite cities in the world — and when I say I “helped plan their visits,” I simply mean that I complied all of my recommendations into a long email, and have been forwarding that same email to anyone who asked.
I was always too overwhelmed to create a London guide in video form (and now, sadly, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to do so), so I thought, why not share my humble recommendations with you here?
This guide is divided into a few sections that I think are helpful for first-time visitors to London: transportation so you know how to get around, neighborhoods so you can decide where to stay, restaurants, as well as bars and cafés for good food and drink, markets because London has some of the best, and my personal favorite sights and activities to add to the mix.
DISCLAIMER: As I mentioned, it’s been a few years since I’ve lived in London, but I’ve done my best to ensure that everything on this list is up-to-date. Also, keep in mind that these are simply based on my one year of living there, which is nowhere near enough time to truly know the city. So, take all this information with a grain of salt and do your own research as you plan out your trip — and hopefully we all can see and experience London in all its glory sometime soon.
Transportation
London began operating the London Underground (aka the Tube) in 1863, making it the world’s first underground railway. An iconic symbol of the city, it’s one of the most popular ways to get around — but not the only way.
Oyster Card: You’ll want to get an Oyster card and load it up (instead of purchasing daily tickets) to pay for your Tube or bus fare. You can purchase a regular Oyster card once you get to London (£5), or you can apparently get a Visitor Oyster card mailed to you before your trip (£5 + shipping).
With an Oyster card (for travel within Zones 1-2):
You pay £2.40 for Tube and £1.50 for the bus.
There’s a daily cap of £7.20, so once you spend that amount on transportation, you won't be charged any further.
You can also use contactless payment (including Apple Pay) to pay that same discounted rate. Just know that you need to tap in and out with the same payment to get charged the approrpiate fare.
Bus: Don't be afraid to take the bus! The routes are all on Google Maps and Citymapper so if you have cellular data, it's easy to get around. I actually prefer the bus to the Tube because you can actually see where you’re going (bonus points for snagging a front seat on the upper level), and you don't have to spend ages going down the escalators to get underground.
Boris Bikes: Officially known as Santander Cycles, this is London’s bike share program. It only costs £2 to rent a bike for a 24-hour period, and is free to ride for 30 minutes — so the trick is to ride in <30-minute increments and park your bike in between. Warning: London isn’t the most bike-friendly city, so ride with caution!
Walking: A lot of places in London are actually walking distance from each other, so take advantage of that. For example, Holborn, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square are all separate Tube stations, but are super close to each other, so it’s actually easier to walk between them.
Neighborhoods
Where you stay will depend on your budget, how far from Zones 1-2 (central London) you’re willing to stay, and what you want to do — but here's an overview (and my major generalizations) of some of the main areas of London.
PRO TIP: London post codes (i.e. zip codes) are very descriptive. If it starts with “EC,” that means “East Central,” “N” means “North,” “SW” means “Southwest,” and so on.
East
Generally cheaper, but a little rough (especially farther east).
Some areas are quite “hipster” (Shoreditch), while others are brand new (Canary Wharf).
West
Areas like Chelsea, Notting Hill, Kensington, and Sloane Square are generally more expensive and "posh.”
Paddington Station has good access to Heathrow airport via the Heathrow Express (a 15-minute journey).
PRO TIP: If you stay anywhere near the Piccadilly line, you also have a good connection to Heathrow airport via the Tube. This option is cheaper than the Heathrow Express, but takes longer.
North
Can also be on the more expensive side, but feels a bit more suburban as there are lots of families here.
I lived near Angel, which grew to be one of my favorite areas in London.
South
I’ve honestly not really explored South London, but in general it’s on the cheaper side as it’s less developed.
Known to be hip and home to creatives, similar to some parts of East London.
Restaurants
Source: Dishoom
England is not usually praised for its cuisine, but London is a global melting pot with delicious food from around the world. I know you can easily find many lists with London’s best restaurants, but here’s a short list for your consideration.
Dishoom (I like the King’s Cross location): A "Bombay Cafe" restaurant with family-style shared plates. They don't take reservations for dinner and the wait is usually 1-2 hours long, but they give you free chai (and sometimes shandy) while you wait in line.
PRO TIP: Go during the middle of the day (around 2-3pm) and you likely won’t have to wait at all.
Duck and Waffle: Open 24 hours, great for brunch, and has sweeping panoramic views of London.
Exmouth Market: Not a restaurant, but a small street with restaurants, cafés, and shops. It’s quite central, but not too touristy of an area. It also has a special place in my heart because it was part of my walking route to campus.
Franco Manca: Large chain restaurant serving simple and delicious sourdough pizza.
Homeslice (I like the Neal’s Yard location): 20-inch pizzas with a set menu of topping combinations (my favorite being Chorizo, Corn & Coriander). If you want, you can do half of the pie with one combo and half with another.
Koshari Street: Quick, affordable, and healthy Egyptian street food. My former floormate (who’s from Egypt) knows the person who runs it and says it's authentic and good!
Poppie's Fish and Chips: If you gotta get fish and chips, this is a solid chain option.
Punjab: North Indian restaurant with great vegetarian and vegan options. There’s usually a line outside after 6:30pm or so, but if you go on the early side, you should get seated pretty quickly.
St. JOHN: A Michelin-star restaurant with a modern British menu. I only dined here once (because £££) but I think I blacked out because of how much food I ate. It was amazing.
Bars and Cafés
Source: The Grind
Being on a student budget, I tried not to go to too many bars or cafés (and the bars I could afford on the regular are not ones I would recommend, if you know what I mean), but these are the handful that I particularly enjoyed.
Grind: Hip café/bar with small bites and drinks (including cocktails). I don't drink coffee, but it's supposed to be good. The original location in Shoreditch also has a music studio, where artists like Sam Smith have recorded.
Jimmy and the Bee: My old local café (I use to live right down the block). They serve homemade soups and salads, as well as a healthy assortment of pastries.
Milroy's/The Vault: Bright whiskey shop on the ground floor, dark and moody bar on the lower level (accessed through a bookcase in the back of the shop).
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese: One of the oldest pubs in London, rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Head to the downstairs/basement area to be transported to the time of Charles Dickens (and eat some classic pub food).
For afternoon tea, you have a few options:
Bea’s of Bloomsbury and Whittard of Chelsea are more affordable.
Markets
Source: Tasty AZ
One of my favorite things about London is the number of open-air and covered markets selling food, antiques, flowers, you name it. Here are the ones I frequented the most.
Borough Market: My absolute favorite. It’s closed on Sundays and has a limited lunch market on Mondays and Tuesdays (so you don’t get the full experience, but it is less crowded). In particular, I recommend:
La Tua Pasta for fresh pasta (you can also buy it pre-cooked and prepare at home).
Kappacasein Dairy for bomb grilled cheese.
Boxpark: A “mall” in Shoreditch made of shipping containers converted into pop-up shops and food stalls.
Brick Lane Market: Open on Sundays from 10am-5pm, you’ll find street performers, food trucks, and art vendors. Also known for its many Indian restaurants and 24-hour bagel shop.
Camden Market: A lively, young, student-y area. Camden Town is where the punk movement in London started, so you can see that vibe when you’re there.
Camden Passage: Not exactly a market, but a small pedestrianized street in Angel (my old local tube station) with various shops and restaurants. You can also access the canals (which go across London) if you'd like.
Covent Garden: A mix of high-end shops, antiques stalls, and craft vendors. Very central, so you can easily visit other notable sights and areas along the way.
Columbia Road Flower Market: Open only on Sundays from 8am-3pm. It can get quite crowded (esepcially during the summer months), so I recommend going as early as possible.
PRO TIP: This is walking distance from Brick Lane Market, so you could hit both on the same Sunday.
Old Spitalfields Market: A covered market with lots of food options, as well as antiques and other knick-knacks. I got sunglasses for a fiver (£5) here once. There's also a really cute stationery shop I like called Inspitalfields.
Portobello Road Market: Mostly antiques, with a few food stands. It’s in Notting Hill, so there are lots of nice houses around here (including these rainbow-colored houses at Lancaster Road and Basing Street).
Sights and Activities
Source: Wander in Two
Like any metropolis, London has no shortage of things to see or do — but something about the combination of historical and modern culture with a sprinkle of nature throughout the city makes it truly special.
Sky Garden: Beautiful panoramic views from the “walkie talkie building” (which is arguably one of the uglier buildings in London, so it’s good that it won’t be in any of the photos you take here). Tickets are free to book, but spots run out fast and you can only book up to 3 weeks in advance.
South Bank: An area along the River Thames between Waterloo Bridge and the London Eye. There’s a used book market under Waterloo Bridge, and the Southbank Centre nearby is a nice place to sit and rest if needed. Going back to markets, there's also a food market here called the Southbank Centre Food Market (Fri-Sun only).
As an English major, I believe that book shops count as sightseeing, so here are some of my favorites:
Waterstones @ Gower St, located next to my old university (UCL). You can explore its many floors and curl up in one of the reading nooks upstairs.
Foyles @ Charing Cross Rd, the flagship Foyles location with a café on the top floor. I got a tote bag from here and I LOVE IT. (It has a large pocket for my laptop and a small one for my phone.)
Daunt Books @ Marylebone High St, a travel bookshop with beautiful architecture.
Watch a show on the West End. To save money, you can find out if there’s a lottery, or go early in the day to grab last-minute seats (aka day seats) for shows that evening. I've gotten front-row center tickets to several plays and musicals for super cheap this way.
PRO TIP: Check out the threads on Theatre Monkey to find out the best time to line up for each show.
Take your pick from London’s many green spaces, such as Hyde Park, Green Park, Regent’s Park, and St. James’s Park. I’d particularly recommend Primrose Hill or Greenwich Park for the views (you can also straddle the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich!).
And of course, London is known for its high-quality, FREE museums, including:
The British Museum, home of the Rosetta Stone.
The Tate Modern, one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world. It’s walking distance from Borough Market and right next to Shakespeare’s Globe.
The V&A, Natural History, and Design museums, which cover a wide range of interests and can be found near Hyde Park/Kensington Palace.
The National Gallery, which is located in Trafalgar Square and has an impressive impressionist painting collection.
The Barbican, a cool arts center with special shows, exhibits, and an outdoor patio. I mostly went there to study in their open common spaces, but you can check online to see if have some cool events going on.
The Museum of London, which is kind of made for kids, but is actually really informative.
…and many, many more.
Whatever you decide to do (and whenever you’re able to go), I hope you enjoy London as much as I did. If you have other London favorites that aren’t on this list, please share them in the comments below.
Happy planning!