23/05/2020
Guide to London by transport or walking
Try the Bus, train, cable car and boat around London for a different experience. This is a great thing to do if you want to see London four different ways.
1. Go to Charing Cross station and look for the Heritage Routemaster bus to Tower Bridge. The stop is across the street from the station. You can hop on from the back. I sat top front seat for the views.
2. From tower bridge stop, look around the corner for the DLR station and catch the train to Emirates Royal Docklands. This journey takes you past Canary Wharf and the Olympic site comes into view.
3. Get off and follow signs for Emirates Air Line. This is a cable car that goes over the Thames to the O2 centre (formerly the millennium dome). The massive glass building is the Crystal Exhibition Centre, with displays about future technology.
4. The Dome is worth a visit. Filled with restaurants, you can stop there for lunch. If you’re game, you can join ‘Up at the O2’, which is a guided walk to the top of the Dome.
5. You can take the Tube one stop under the Thames to Canary Wharf and visit the Museum of Docklands and the business park and environment. Then return to Parliament on one of the Thames boats that carry commuters down the river. Or just take the Thames boat from the dock in front of the Dome.
THE BIG WALKING TOUR OF LONDON
Where to begin in a city as big as London?
I have spent countless days wandering around London, seeing both the main tourist sites and the local areas. I like people watching, museums, and going into buildings and doorways that I pass. I prefer to walk so as not to miss anything.
As information for London is so readily available and in depth, I will give you my personal reviews of the places I’ve been, and the ones I’ve heard good things about (still on my to do list). There are a gazillion things to see that might be your niche, but this is where I would take someone who wanted a really good overview of the city.
I leave it to you to research opening times, prices, and exact locations. Follow along on a sat nav or just get a proper map from your hotelier.
This is a path you can follow. If you use this for orientation, you will have sore feet, but you can walk it in a day. If you have the time, break it into a few days and go into the sites listed.
The main tourist area is very walkable. The transport system is extensive and easy to use, or if in doubt, jump in a black cab. Now put on your most comfortable shoes, fill your water bottle, open your tourist map and follow along.
The sections are:
1. Westminster to Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace
2. Green Park to Piccadilly to Leicester Square
3. Covent Garden to the Strand and city of London to St Paul’s Cathedral
4. Millenium Bridge to Tate Modern to the Tower of London
5. East End and Petticoat Lane to Spitalfields to Brick Lane
1. Westminster > Trafalgar Square> Buckingham Palace
Big Ben is great for setting your watch.
Start at Westminster tube stop
Coming out at Westminster, you are close to the Thames, so go have a look. You will see the statue of Boadicea and her chariot, and the docks for the Thames boats cruisers.
Across Westminster Bridge is the London Eye observation wheel, London Aquarium and London Dungeon.
If you plan to go on the London Eye, it is best to prebook online or arrive when it opens in the morning. It takes half an hour to go around once, and each capsule holds up to 22 people. I haven’t been to the dungeon or aquarium.
Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s church:
This iconic church sits across from Parliament. You will also see a small church in the same courtyard, St Margaret’s Church, which is free and well worth a visit too.
To get into the abbey, there is normally a ridiculous queue and a high entry fee. If you want to just have a look, there are two ways to do this for free.
Look for the square with the pillar to the side of the Abbey. That is the back exit, and tell the guard you would like to go in for worship. You will be escorted to a small room inside the abbey. They will watch to make sure you don’t go into the main part of the church, but it is a way to have a quick look.
The second way to visit free, is to go for Evensong. Go to the exit door at around 4:30 pm or earlier high season. You will be escorted inside and seated. The service takes an hour and the choir sings.
My friend and I were very cheeky. It was about 4:55pm and we had had our look around, so decided to head out. We were shown a side door, which led to the cloister. Instead of leaving right away, we had a good look around, reading the stones and taking photos.
This Abbey is full of the who’s who of English history, and intensive audio guides are available. If that is your thing, then get there before they open in the morning, and go in like a normal person.
Parliament:
There are different tours and ways of visiting the Houses of Parliament, if you prebook online. I attended a debate for free, instead.
There was a public queue outside the gates, which I just hit at the right time, so my wait time was about 15 minutes to the security check. You write out your name and address, go through scanners and your bag is searched. They give you a paper pass to wear around your neck. After this, you can enter Westminster Hall and St Stephen’s Hall to the main lobby. At the end of it follow the signs to the commons public viewing area.
This leads you up stairs and you have to check all bags and phones before being allowed into the public viewing gallery overlooking the House of Commons. I only stayed about 10 minutes, but it was well worth it to see the familiar room with a handful of politicians at work.
The building is magnificent throughout, and while waiting you see black briefcases and important, shiny people bustling about.
You will need to go online to see if they are in session, and what the times are.
Whitehall and Parliament Street
Leave Parliament square and head down Parliament Street. You will pass all kinds of interesting things, like the guarded entrance to 10 Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives; the Banqueting House, the cenotaph, and the Royal horse guards. Keep going and you will be in Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar square is home to the Nelson column and the Lions you see in so many photos.
The large building with Greek pillars at the top end of the square, is the National Gallery. This is one of the finest collections of artwork I have seen, and it is free entry. It is a chronological journey through the ages. All the big names are represented, with my favorites being the impressionists, mid 1800s to present.
Behind the gallery and around to the right, is the National Portrait Gallery. This is also free, and a great who’s who in oil paint and photographs.
The cute little church on the corner, is St Martin in the fields. Stop in and head downstairs for coffee in the crypt. This café is all stone vaults and tombstones for flooring. They also hold jazz concerts and other events. Go in to take photos, if nothing else.
When you are done here, look for the big arches and that is the Mall that leads to the palace Once through the arches, walk through St James Park, with the greenery and swan pond.
At the top of the Mall, is Buckingham Palace where you can look through the gates. If you are visiting end of June until the end of Sept, you may be able to visit the State rooms, gardens, or other combinations of royal sites. They sell timed tickets, and the State rooms are really nice to see.
If you like palaces and have the time to go out to it, try to get a ticket to combine a visit to Windsor Castle too. It is much bigger and very impressive.
Notice the big monument in front with Queen Victoria. If you want to watch the changing the guard, get there an hour before and try to get on top of it. *see my section on the changing the guard for more detail.
After visiting the Royal Apts. you can walk through the garden or have a cup of tea.
2. Green Park> Piccadilly Circus> Leicester Square
On to Green Park
Once you are done with Buckingham, walk through Green Park on the opposite . Take the path as if you are going to Green park metro station and Piccadilly Ave.
When you come out of the park, The Ritz Hotel is to the right. Go inside for a look. The entrance is on St James St. Maybe take a photo with the friendly doorman. If he asks, say you are going in for tea.
Have a good look down St James St and Old Bond St to see where the other half shops.
Carry on down Piccadilly and stop at Fortnum and Mason. This store dates back to 1707, and the clock on front of the building plays a tune every 15 minutes. The sales clerks wear tail coats, and they are the Queen’s grocers. It’s brilliantly extravagant and the wine cellar is definitely worth it.
Across the street is the Royal Academy of fine arts, with changing exhibitions.
Carry on to St James church on the RHS of the road. They hold antique markets and concerts.
At the top is Piccadilly Circus, and the famous statue of Eros to the side. I love Piccadilly, just to people watch. It is a main junction to the different theatre, club and dining areas of central London.
If you go up Shaftsbury Ave, you will pass several theatres. Dean Street and Wardour lead you into Soho, which is the red-light area and several clubs and bars. The streets to the right off Shaftsbury lead you to China town and into Leicester square. I can wander around this area for hours.
Leicester (Lester) Square are where they hold film premieres, and the main movie theatres are here. You will find other annoying attractions like M&M world and lots of cheap tourist gift shops.
You can also pick up last minute and reduced price tickets for the theatre shows. In the middle of the square, by the park, is the TKTS booth. There are other dealers around, but this is the official booth. *Please also refer to my Theatre section for more information.
3. Covent Garden> the Strand > the City of London > St Paul’s Cathedral
Come out of Leicester Square, and look for the Tube Station. If you go left, you come to the bottom of China Town. Charing Cross Road is where you find the electronic, music and book stores.
This is a roundabout way, but for abit of fun, I like to walk back up Charing Cross road to Litchfield. When you can see the theatre that says The Mousetrap. This play has been showing for about 65 years non-stop. Anyway, this is where The Ivy restaurant is hidden away. If you are there in the evening, you will see paparazzi standing around waiting for someone famous to come in.
Refer to your map and make your way up Monmouth Street to The seven dials. This is a roundabout where 7 streets meet.
Locate the Crown pub, and take the street to the right of it, Shorts Garden. Walk along and look for a sign into a small alley which says Neal’s Yard. You will find Homeslice pizza (a pizza place with a difference), the Wildfood café and some other really good foodie places.
The next street you look for is Neal Street, just around the corner and to the right. Follow along until you come to Covent Garden tube station. It turns into a pedestrian mall, which leads you to the famous Covent Garden.
Plan to spend a bit of time looking around the shops and watching the entertainment. There is normally a good classical act, downstairs from the open balcony. There is a large market area to the side, for cheaper and quirkier souvenirs.
So you’ve finished watching the buskers from the large open square and the market area, find Southampton Street and walk down to The Strand. You are walking parallel to the Thames.
Turn left and follow the Strand. You come to where the street curves off to the left, and this is where you will find more theatres. Just before the curve, on the other side of the street, is the Coulthard Gallery and Somerset house. The gallery has a free exhibition and special paid ones. Somerset House has a massive courtyard where they hold movies screenings, concerts and skating in the winter. There are galleries and a café, and fountains in the summer.
Just past Somerset House is St Clement Danes Church and it honors the Royal Air Force. Well worth a look if it’s open. It inspired the song ‘Oranges and lemons, ring the bells of St Clements’.
Now things start to get interesting. Notice the imposing Law Courts building on the left. Lunch time is unique as hoards of black robed men with powdered wigs, hit the street looking for lunch. You can visit the building for a free self-guided tour, or pay for a guided tour. You can also enter the court rooms, and watch justice at work.
On the other side of the street is The George Inn, historic public house, and Twining’s tea shop with its white façade.
At the end of the Law courts, you will see a griffin on a pillar. This is the official border of the city of London and Fleet Street. Continue walking and poke your nose inside historic pubs and shops.
The street name changes to Ludgate Hill, and when you come to a big church that might look familiar to you, that is St Paul’s Cathedral, where Charles and Di got married.You can visit during mass, for a free look. (Check online for service times), or arrive around 4:45 pm for free evensong.If you wish to have a proper look around, you pay, but you get to visit the whispering gallery and can easily spend 1 ½ to 2 hours exploring.
If nothing else, there is a café downstairs in the crypt, and you can use the free toilets.
4. Millennium Bridge> Tate Modern> Tower of London
Facing the front of the church, take the street to it’s right and look for the giant metal paper airplane. Behind and past that, you will see a statue with soldiers on it. Take that path to the Queen Victoria road. There is a Salvation Army on the corner, and they have a reasonably priced café, if you just want a quick snack or a drink.
Continue on the pedestrian walkway and it leads to the Millennium Bridge.
This takes you to the old Battersea Power station and Tate Modern. This modern art gallery is full of rather questionable art, but the building is quite unique. They have a café with a balcony that overlooks the river and the cathedral.
Beside this is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. You can book tickets to see one of the great man’s plays as they were meant to be seen. It is recommended to book a seat on one of the tiers, because if it rains, the people in the yard get wet, and no umbrellas are allowed. In the winter, they use the indoor playhouse. You can also just tour the venue, or use the restaurant.
On my last visit, I was going into the adjacent gift shop and managed to catch a tour group coming out of the theatre. The open door allowed me a good view of the inside of the theatre. If you just want a nosey peek, you can enter the ticket office and have a look at the displays and photo collection, or from inside the gift shop, there is a door into the theatre where you can peek through the crack.
The attractions continue along the riverside, with historic buildings, shops and restaurants.
If you want to visit an old prison, The Clink can be found on Clink Street. It’s small with a lot of atmosphere. There are photo opportunities and you can try things like thumb screws.
Carrying on along the river, you will see a big battleship. This is the HMS Belfast. I spent around 2 hours going through all the decks, tunnels, chambers and rooms on this old battleship.In the distance, you can see the glass City Hall Building and Tower Bridge.
On the far side of the river is the old castle, the Tower of London. This is another site that gets ridiculously busy. I pre-bought a fast track ticket from my hotel concierge and bypassed the queues, but gave up on trying to hear the free tour with the Beefeater . People have filmed their talks in their entirety on Youtube. They are very funny and entertaining.
Luckily I went in a couple of hours from closing time, and was able to get in to see the crown jewels without too much of a wait. There is a really good museum in the Royal Armouries which is bigger than you realise, so allow time for it. It is not lavish and lived in like Windsor or Buckingham palace, but more of a fort and well worth a couple of hours or more.
5. The east end: Petticoat Lane> Spitalfields> Brick Lane
Petticoat lane markets is a great place to visit during lunchtime, when all the ethnic food stalls are up. Otherwise they sell cheap London souvenirs and mainly cheap clothes, suitcases and household items. I enjoyed the diversity. Tube: Aldgate East Station on Goulston Street.
Keep going straight on Goulston > Bell lane > Crispen Street and to:
Spitalfields market hall. This massive, modern market hall has everything from art, clothes, food and events. Spend hours browsing the many stalls and searching for the perfect snack.
Brick Lane lies to the east of Spitalfields. Famous for the many curry houses lining the street, as well as markets and vintage shops. You can barter with the restaurant touts for great deals. This will be the best curry you will eat outside of India itself.
Dennis Sever’s House is a 5 minute walk from Spitalfields. A visit here requires planning, as they have very limited opening hours, with day time visits, or special night visits. The premise is there are 10 rooms that take you from a tenement flat in 1724 all the way to 1914. You walk through in silence, and take in the smells and feelings of the place. There are some odd modern things mixed among the old. It’s one of those things you either get or you don’t. It’s kind of like a movie set, but not authentically perfect. I liked it.
