Westminster
Considered the political hub of London and home to the Houses of Parliament and the world‑famous Big Ben. Did you know you can visit the Houses of Parliament? It’s open to public and I had the opportunity of visiting with a dear friend working here to understand a little on the architectural history and the royalty lineage through all the sculptures of former queens and kings in the halls.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
The largest and most famous of London’s many churches ‑ and undoubtedly one of the most spectacular cathedral’s in the world ‑ St. Paul’s Cathedral sits atop the site of a Roman temple. The previous church structure was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, and Sir Christopher Wren designed the rebuild. You can climb all the way up to the roof of the cathedral and view the city from here or visit in the evening to hear the hymns sung & attend a beautiful mass in the intricately painted ceilings and walls of this cathedral.
London Eye
Your trip won’t be complete without a visit to the iconic London Eye. Originally constructed to celebrate the millennium, the Eye is a giant ferris wheel offering gorgeous views across the city. At night, the wheel is lit up in seasonal colors and is the centerpiece of London’s annual New Year’s fireworks display. This is a good spot for shutterbugs!
Tower of London
Take a tour around the Tower of London, one of the world’s most famous buildings. Discover its 900‑year history as a royal palace, prison and place of execution, jewel house and zoo! Gaze up at the White Tower, tiptoe through a medieval king’s bedchamber and marvel at the Crown Jewels.
Trafaglar Square London
An ideal city for art lovers with numerous galleries to visit, the national gallery lovaled at Trafalgar Square features some of the world’s best in classic and contemporary art. Most of the city’s galleries are free to visitors with The National Gallery having something for everyone with works by da Vinci, Van Gogh and Rembrandt on display.
Tate Modern
For modern art, visit the Tate Modern on the Southbank. The building itself is a piece of art, towering above the waterfront. Inside, find pieces by Picasso, Klee and Delauney. The gallery also features exciting temporary exhibits on every level of the building making it the perfect place for an art fix.
V&a muesuem
Showing fashion pieces along side living tools from around the world. Here you will find art students diligently sketching the classical statues and ironwork. The recent Dior exhibition has also been extremely popular for fashion lovers.
Covent Garden London
The market halls of Covent Garden are only the beginning of the neighborhood, which encompasses the shops and restaurants of Long Acre and other adjacent streets, those of Neal’s Yard and Seven Dials, as well as the Central Square with its incredibly talented, and unique, street performers.
Picadilly Circus
Instantly recognizable, a square filled with bright lights and big electronic screens. Piccadilly Circus has been a busy London spot since the 17th century when it was a commercial hub.
Today it is still the heart of the West End, with easy access from Piccadilly Circus to some of London’s biggest theaters and nightclubs, including the Criterion Theatre. The Statue of Eros in the center of the circus is itself a popular meeting point and tourist destination.
The Shard London
Regularly voted as one of the most popular tourist attraction in London, the roof top of the Shard offers 360 degrees paranomic unobstructed views ‑ day and night. You can book your visit via their site and even enjoy the view with a glass of champagne!
Thank you for reading, I hope you’ve enjoyed my vacation tips!
With the pandemic still ongoing, it’s amazing how the world has now adapted to a new way of travelling – the vaccination route.
To avoid unpleasantries along the way, I recommend every traveler to do your travel restriction research before setting off to your destination. Some items on your to-do checklist before setting off are:
- Notarise your vaccination status so you can carry your vax certification around with you at all times.
- Buy your travel insurance in case of emergencies while travelling.
- Carry a good supply of masks and sanitisers for your trip. In some countries, only surgical masks are recognised for usage so it’s crucial to do some read up.
- When we visited Germany in Dec 2021, locals were really kind to inform us about daily antigen tests required for all tourists heading out each day for activities. We were lucky enough that the first couple of days, antigen tests were all free of charge however on the 5th day, restrictions set in that tourists had to pay 29 euros per test so again always do your research to prevent breaking the bank while travelling in covid times.
Traveler Gwen Eats 