London In A Day (Samantha Lee)

London. A picturesque city, home to the Queen of England, Big Ben, and many other famous landmarks. There are so many things to do in London that you can’t possibly fit it all into one day. But I decided to accept that challenge and see how much I could do in London within 24 hours. So here is my journey on conquering London from dawn to dusk.

9:00 a.m.

I started my morning waking up in Notting Hill, a district on the west side of London. Here you will find classy-looking homes, vibrant colored buildings, and multiple vintage street shops. There are a plethora of beautifully designed restaurants and coffee shops to choose from, and the food is just as amazing as the architecture. Notting Hill is a bit pricey, but if you are willing to splurge a little, I would highly recommend visiting this area. After wandering for a bit, I stopped by a cozy little diner, eating a typical English breakfast before heading out to the main attractions of London.

12:00 p.m.

Getting from place to place, I highly recommend taking the subway (or as English people call it, the “tube”) as the main source of transportation. It's very easy to use and one of the fastest ways to get around London. I took the tube to my next destination, the Tower Bridge. This bridge crosses the Thames River and is truly a sight to see. While walking along the river towards Tower Bridge, I was not only welcomed by an amazing view of the city, I also passed by the HMS Belfast (a Royal Navy ship) and the Tower of London. Near the Tower Bridge, you can find different types of boat tours. There are smaller and faster boats you can ride, or cruising ships that go at a slower pace. Since my companion had a bad foot, we thought it was a perfect idea to do a boat tour!

3:00 p.m.

A boat tour is a great option in London if your time is limited. My friend and I took the bigger cruise ship, which went at a slower pace, and it was perfect. It felt nice to give our legs a break but still see London’s major points. The tour was about 30 minutes long and came with a witty speaker. Travelling down Thames river, we saw the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe, the National Theatre, and so much more. The boat tour ended in front of the Palace of Westminster, where we got out and started on our feet again. Westminster was a breathtaking sight, and right next to it is Big Ben. Unfortunately, both buildings were under massive construction, so I couldn’t see the whole structure, but it was still unbelievable to be standing in front of these prominent landmarks.

3:40 p.m.

After taking endless pictures of Westminster and Big Ben, I headed towards Parliament Square, where I encountered a taxi protest along with statues of famous figures. One of these was of Millicent Fawcett. She was an important women’s suffrage leader who fought for the rights of women to vote during the early 20th century. There were multiple people around her statue taking pictures, and I was glad that I was able to get a clear shot of her.

6:00 p.m.

After walking around The Westminster for a while, we headed back to our hotel in Notting Hill and got ready for our next adventure. London’s night life offers so many different options, my friend and I dressed up nicely and headed off to Adelphi Theatre to go watch the musical, Waitress! We decided to Uber to the theatre and our Uber driver was so kind that he gave us a quick tour before heading to our show. He drove us to Buckingham Palace where he let us take some pictures, down different streets that were bustling with people, and then dropped us off in front of the theater.

10:00 p.m.

After the musical, we walked to Soho to search for some dinner. We ended up at a delicious Indian restaurant and afterwards walked around Soho/Chinatown. There are so many different types of restaurants that whatever you are craving, Soho will have it.

We ended our night at a glitzy little bar where we got a lovely cocktail and a lively atmosphere. There are so many different bars to choose, from the different themes to the type of music you like, there is something for everyone.

1:00 a.m.

After our long day in London, we went back to our hotel, nearly passing out from exhaustion, and got some sleep before our long trip back up to York.

Looking back on my 24 hours in London, even though I didn’t go inside any of the museums or the other famous buildings, I still had an incredible trip, and for the amount of time that I had here, I felt I’d seen and done a lot.

Next week our whole class will return to London for a more extended visit, and I am looking forward to learning more about this one-of-a-kind city.