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This was our second time visiting London with the first visit being about three years ago. We fell in love with London and made it a point to return since there was still so much that we wanted to explore.

On our last visit, we were not able to do the classic London things like the Changing of the Guards because the UK was on holiday. There were also a lot of buildings under construction, so Big Ben was all covered up.

This time, the construction was completed and we did not visit on a holiday, so we were able to include all the classic London things to do in our 3-day itinerary.

WHERE TO STAY

We booked our stay at the Conrad London St. James Hotel with our Hilton rewards points. This luxury hotel is located within walking distance of Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben to name a few. It’s a fantastic location in Westminster if you want to be in the heart of all the popular and iconic attractions.

Some other hotels nearby worth considering are The Sanctuary House Hotel, which was right next to our hotel and St. Ermin’s Hotel, which was right around the corner. Both of these hotels have excellent reviews and looked lovely.

Keep in mind that you will be paying a premium price for staying in central London. If you don’t mind taking the metro (a.k.a. the Tube) there’s tons of hotels to choose from. Just make sure the hotel is near a metro station.

On our previous visit, we stayed at the Kimpton Fitzroy London and had no problems getting around London taking the Tube, but it was nice to be within walking distance to most of the attractions this time around.

Hedgerow Bar with pink chairs — Hedgerow Bar at Conrad London

Conrad London Bedroom Single Beds — Conrad London Standard Twin Bed room

DAY OF ARRIVAL

5 PM Arrive in London St. Pancras International Station via Eurostar
Euston Rd. (MAP)

We arrived in London from Paris via Eurostar. It’s a pleasant 2.5-hour ride and a great way to travel in Europe. The ride is comfortable and the process is far less stressful than flying, so we highly recommend it. Our specific route was a one-way ticket from Paris Gare du Nord to London St. Pancras International.

St. Pancras Station London — London St. Pancras International Station via Eurostar

8 PM Dinner at Mio Restaurant Bar
58 Great Peter St. (MAP)

We initially sat down to eat at the hotel restaurant, but the service was VERY slow, and after ten minutes of no service, we decided to walk up the street to Mio Restaurant Bar since they had a 5-star rating on Tripadvisor.

We’re so glad we walked over to Mio because not only was the price very reasonable (the entrees averaged 10 euros), but the food was fantastic. The service was friendly, the food was prepared in a timely matter, and the flavors hit the spot.

Spaghetti Entree Mio Restaurant — Spaghetti Bolognese

DAY 1

7:00 AM Breakfast at Hotel - The Pem Restaurant

Since we were Hilton Diamond members, the Conrad hotel came with complimentary breakfast (Gold members get free breakfast as well) so we took full advantage of this every morning. The selection of pastries were amazing and their fresh juice section was a bonus too.

If we did not have this complimentary breakfast, we would have chosen to eat breakfast at Granger & Co. They have rave reviews and there are several locations throughout London. Their ricotta hotcakes look divine.

Pastry selection at Pem Restaurant — Breakfast Buffet

Art Deco pink dining chairs — The Pem Restaurant

10:30 AM Changing of the Guards Walking Tour
Meeting Point - Equestrian Statue of Edward VII (MAP)

We definitely wanted to see the Changing of the Guards, but weren’t really sure where we should stand at Buckingham Palace to get the best view. Turns out that Buckingham Palace is the worst place to see the guards and we learned this through the tour we booked.

The cost for the tour for each person was US $26.00 and it ran for approximately an hour and a half. It’s a very well-organized tour where you get to see the guards up close at a handful of locations. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and super friendly.

Guards marching in London — Changing of the Guards

12:30 PM Lunch at The Sanctuary House Restaurant
33 Tothill St. (MAP)

The exterior of The Sanctuary House Restaurant (and hotel) was very inviting and conveniently located right next to our hotel. Since we had an Italian meal the night before, we wanted some traditional English food for lunch.

We ordered the Shepard’s Pie and a Club Sandwich. Both dishes were served fairly fast and the flavors were good. It wasn’t anything exceptional, but it did satisfy our appetite.

Sanctuary House Restaurant Exterior — The Sanctuary House Restaurant Indoors

The Sanctuary House Shepards Pie — Shepard’s Pie

If this is your first time in London, you might want to have an afternoon tea experience. After all, that’s what London is known for. There are many locations to choose from to have your afternoon tea like Fortnum & Mason, Ham Yard Hotel, or Sketch.

On our last visit, we decided to go with a unique afternoon tea experience and tried the science afternoon tea at The Drawing Rooms. We had a great time mixing our drinks and “digging” for dinosaur fossils.

2:15 PM Westminster Abbey
20 Deans Yd. (MAP)

We read a lot of online reviews to get in line early for Westminster Abbey to beat the long lines and crowds, but when we stopped by on a Thursday afternoon, to our surprise, the line wasn’t long at all.

We’re so glad we were able to visit this iconic site of London because you are truly standing in history. It is one of United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and a burial site for English and British monarchs.

Standing in front of Westminster Abbey — In front of Westminster Abbey

You’ll get to see tombs of great historical figures such as Edward the Confessor, Anne of Cleves, Sir Isaac Newton, just to name a few. We were most fascinated to see the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots because we are obsessed with the Tudor history.

All coronations are also held at Westminster Abbey. This tradition has been held here since William the Conqueror in 1066 and you’ll get to see this magnificent area where leaders from all over the world come to witness the ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth I tomb — Tomb of Queen Elizabeth I

Standing where coronations of kings and queens occur — Coronation ceremony hall

6:30 PM Ichi-Riki Sushi House
17B Strutton Ground (MAP)

We had plans to take the train and dine at Pantechnicon, but we were both pretty exhausted and decided to eat nearby. Luckily, we found a Japanese restaurant that was a short 5-minute walk from our hotel. The food was not quite authentic Japanese cuisine, but it was pretty close and we both enjoyed our yakitori entree.

If you still have stamina left and want to have a fun drinking night, try an immersive cocktail experience at ABQ London. We are both fans of Breaking Bad and had to try out this themed bar based off the popular show.

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DAY 2

10 AM Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Ct Way, Molesey (MAP)

As we mentioned earlier, we are obsessed with the Tudor dynasty and Hampton Court Palace is the place most of King Henry VIII’s life and reign took place. If you don’t know who King Henry VIII is, you can learn everything about him and his six wives at this palace.

King Henry VIII reigned England for 38 years from 1509 to 1547 and is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage annulled. We both watched the TV show, The Tudors, and became fascinated with the House of Tudor.

Hampton Court Palace Entrance — Hampton Court Palace

Looking out at the gardens from the window — Looking out at the beautiful gardens

Compared to other museums we visited in London and Paris, this one was not flooded with tourists. We were able to see everything at a leisurely pace and there were many docents nearby to give us additional information.

Taking the train to Hampton Court Palace was a pleasant journey and took about an hour total from central London. If you want to stay closer to central London, Kensington Palace is about a 30-minute train ride and another palace full of history. You can explore the birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to young royals for over 300 years.

2 PM Tower of London and London Bridge

When we got back to central London, we decided to search for as many corgi statues around Westminster. At the time of our visit, there were a bunch of corgi statues throughout central London to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 corgis in her lifetime. This was a fun way to roam around the city and discover new places.

Corgi statue in a hotel lobby — This Corgi was inside our hotel

Purple Corgi statue in London — Corgi statue at a beautiful park

Since the corgi statue celebration was only for a couple of months, sadly, it is no longer on display. We suggest visiting the Tower of London. This is another site with historic significance associated with many royals of England. It is also home to all the Crown Jewels of England that is estimated to be worth between three and five billion pounds.

The Tower of London is right by the London Bridge, so you can take some beautiful pictures around there as well.

6 PM Dinner at The Queens Arms
11 Warwick Way Pimlico (MAP)

The Queens Arms is known for serving the best traditional London pub food, so we decided to give it a try since it was within walking distance from our hotel. The atmosphere was inviting and it seemed like a lot of locals were hanging out here as opposed to tourists.

Crystal really enjoyed her steak entree and the portion was pretty large. The service was friendly and our dinners were served quickly so we didn’t have to wait long. This was great since we were pretty tired and ready to hop into bed.

The Queens Arms Pub — The Queens Arms Exterior

A plate of steak and fries — Steak Entree

If you want to venture out a little, I noted some other restaurants that were a short metro ride away that either had an awesome ambience or excellent reviews:

Windmill Wayfair - classic London-style pub with the best pie and mash.

Rules Restaurant - oldest restaurant in London with traditional British food.

Madera at Treehouse London - Nice ambience.

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DAY 3

10:30 AM Airbnb Experience Photoshoot

We always to try book an Airbnb Experience Photoshoot when we are traveling since it’s a great way to capture photos together without having to ask strangers for help. Our photographer, Anthony, was fantastic and he took photos of us at all the iconic London locations.

We’ve always had a great experience with the photographers we booked and they usually know all the hidden gems in the area. Some of the other places we booked a photographer on Airbnb Experience were Brugge, Amsterdam, New Orleans, Barcelona, and more.

Sitting in front of the London Bridge — Hidden gem in front of the London Bridge

Another hidden gem our photography took us to

2 PM Borough Market
8 Southwark St. (MAP)

Borough Market is a world-class market known for its high-quality food and it is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century.

Crystal was really looking forward to trying Kappacasein Dairy’s famous toasted cheese toastie, made with a combination of Montgomery cheddar, Ogleshield, London raclette, comte, onions and leeks sandwiched between slices of sourdough. It was everything she had hoped for and more. Definitely get yourself one too.

Eating a sandwich at Borough Market — Crystal eating a grilled cheese sandwich at The Borough Market

Crowds of people at London's Borough Market

Sitting at a food booth at Borough Market — Eating at Mei Mei’s

This place is huge and has an array of food options including Italian, Greek, Japanese, Malaysian, Iraqi, and so much more. It’s worth walking around the entire market and taking a look at what they have to offer. You definitely don’t want to settle on the first thing you see and miss out on something you might have preferred more.

With over 1,000 years of history, it might be worth it to do a tour at Borough Market as well. There are a variety of tours to choose from including a Behind-the-Scenes tour which we would love to do the next time we’re in London.

5 PM Leadenhall Market
Gracechurch St. (MAP)

Leadenhall Market is a very eye-catching covered market that dates back to 1321. It was originally a meat, poultry, and game market, but now it’s home to a number of boutique retailers, restaurants, cafes, wine bars, and an award-winning pub.

You can either relax here and have a glass of wine or do a walk-through and marvel at the beautiful architecture.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you probably already know that this was the filming location for some of the movie as well.

Make sure to take some pastries back to the hotel with you from Aux Merveilleux de Fred. It’s one of the best French bakeries in London.

Leadenhall Market in London — Leadenhall Market

6:30 PM Sky Garden
1, Sky Garden Walk (MAP)

Not too far from Leadenhall Market is Sky Garden. It’s located 155m up on the Walkie Talkie building and it offers you spectacular views of London. Housed in a glass dome, the space is impressive with an indoor garden, a bar, restaurant and plenty of seating. The best part is that it’s free! Just make sure to book online in advance.

Looking out the tall glass window at Sky Garden

Aerial view of London bridge from Sky Garden — View of London bridge from Sky Garden

LAST DAY

7 AM Gatwick Airport via Gatwick Express

Make sure to give yourself plenty of time if you are leaving from Gatwick Airport. Our flight was at noon and we woke up early to head straight to the airport so that we could be there around 9 AM. We’re so glad we left early because things did not go as planned.

We purchased our tickets for the Gatwick Express and shortly after we settled into our roomy seats, there was an announcement that our train was canceled. Many of the passengers were confused since we were directed to switch to a local train. We had paid extra for the express train and now we were on a cheaper ride (reimbursement wasn’t even offered) that took twice as long to get to the airport.

Gatwick Express Station London — Gatwick Express Station

Sitting inside an aircraft — On our way home on British Airways

Unfortunately, our plans of riding in a comfy and expedited train to the airport turned into a very packed local train with a rude man that didn’t want to give up the empty seat next to him for other passengers; even a pregnant woman (we offered her the seat next to us instead).

Once we arrived at the airport, things went smoothly and we were on our way back home.