London is such a cool city, with so many unique things to do! For those of you that don’t know, we visited London and England for 2 weeks earlier this summer. If you’re like me, I love finding unique things about each place we visit, and London was no exception. We had some pretty unique experiences while in London and I’m sharing my Top 5 with you today!
1. Go to Westminster Abbey for their evening song service.
This is at the top of my list because it was such a different experience than just touring the Abbey during the day (which we also did).
You get to actually see the Abbey in action! It is very reverent, and the acoustics are unbelievable. Not to mention that the service is free! Now, they are very strict about wandering around before and after the service, they make it very clear that tours end at 3:30 PM and if you are in the building after that, it’s not to take a tour but instead to attend the service, so that means no taking out your phones and snapping pictures. BUT like I said, it’s an amazing service, especially if you are wanting to have a free cultural experience.
2. Visit the actual Platform 9 3/4.
Okay this is my absolute favorite story to tell about our time in London! So we decided that it would be fun to visit a few Harry Potter filming locations, and of course on that list was the actual Platform 9 3/4 in Kings Cross Station. When we arrived, we found a gift shop commemorating the movies, and also a line of people 2 hours long waiting to get their photo with what they thought was the actual platform.
Here’s a picture that I snapped of the line:
It only took one Google search and seeing one photo from the movie to realize that the gift shop’s version of Platform 9 3/4 was not the actual Platform 9 3/4.
We walked around the rest of the train station and found the ACTUAL platform where there was absolutely NO ONE. People walking by looked at us like we were crazy as we posed and geeked out.
Now if you’re one to stand in lines only to pay $20 for a photo with a backdrop that isn’t the real filming location, knock yourself out. But we thought that finding the actual location was way cooler!
3. The View from the Shard.
Not only is the Shard taller and you can see farther than the London Eye, you’re also not crowded onto a car with a bunch of other strangers, only to get the best views for a few minutes.
The Shard is a little pricier than the London Eye, but it’s included in the London Pass (which I would highly recommend getting if you’re planning to do a lot of touristy things), while the London Eye is not. You can stay on the open air top floor as long as you’d like, and they have food and drinks available also. We went up for sunset and got some great photos of the city, and it was actually not as crowded as we were thinking it would be. I would definitely recommend the Shard over the London Eye if you’re looking for a great view of the city!
4. The lifting of the Tower Bridge.
I remember literally running to make it in time to see the bridge lift, but it was so cool to see all the traffic stop, and for the bridge to come up on either side to let a big boat through. I would suggest coordinating watching the bridge lift with visiting Tower of London and also touring the Tower Bridge if you possibly can. We didn’t align those things on the same day and it was a real headache to have to go back to the same place twice, especially since it was an hour away from where we were staying. But totally worth it!
Here’s a link to the website that has the Bridge Lift Schedule:
https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times
5. Ride on a double decker bus.
This is a super cheap activity you can do that will allow you to see the city while also giving your feet a break from all the walking!
We didn’t do the actual bus tours, instead we just picked up different city buses on different days when we needed a break or really didn’t want to take the tube home. I wouldn’t recommend taking the bus if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, but it’s so much more fun than the tube and a great way to see the city!
Alright friends, that wraps up my top 5 must do things in London! If you have anything to add to this list, make sure to comment below and let me know! There are so many great things to do in London that I’m sure I missed a few!
If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments!
Megan
