I will be in London only one full day on my way to Ireland. I wanted to ask for advice. If given only one day to visit what sights would you choose to see? I especially enjoy history, the royal family, art and design, literature and old churches We are staying in Pimlico. I know this is a rather broad question but I'm like a kid in a candy store - having a challenge choosing just one or two things to see!
Posted by
la la land...
1022 posts
Time of year? Amount of daylight matters,
I would concentrate on sights on and near Trafalgar Square, including The National Gallery of Art on the square, then nearby Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Churchill War Rooms...can get to all of them on foot, easy walking...I enjoy walking through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens...and also walking around nearby Notting Hill...the Tube can come in handy to connect some of those dots, but for the most part, if the weather is nice and you have plenty of daylight, all of the above can be done on foot.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2033 posts
- Tower of London
- British Museum
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I will be there late March. Thank you for the suggestions!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7164 posts
Years ago I took a coworker on a whirlwind tour of popular sites using the tube to get around. We went to the tower, Wesminster Abbey, Monument, Black Friars pub, Buckingham Palace and I’m sure, a few other stops. Because of time constraints we didn’t go into anything.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8077 posts
I would certainly spend some time just walking the area around Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, then up Whitehall, past #10 Downing, The Horse Guard, and into Trafalgar Square. St. Martins in the Field is right there as well. That is a nice list of sights to walk by in an hour or little more. You could certainly head into the Abbey if that is a strong interest, taking an hour or more in itself.
Another good walk is from St. Pauls Cathedral, across Millennium bridge up along the river, past the Golden Hind, and into Borough Market. You can continue down river to get some views of Tower Bridge.
When I do these walks (Between on my own and taking others on subsequent trips, maybe 3 or 4 times) I also mange to hit a few historic pubs.
As for museums, since many are no cost, ducking in and seeing some highlights is not a problem. The above gets you within steps of the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. The British Museum is well worth time, you could hit the Egyptian and Greek collections in a short amount of time. You could hit that between the two walks above.
Some of the other popular places mentioned, the Churchill War Rooms and the Tower of London are great, but both require a significant amount of time. I guess it comes down to your interests and how much time you want to commit to a single venue.
If your day in London is also your first day after landing, then the walks are great for adapting to the time change.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5443 posts
I'm very partial to Jojo Rabbit's ideas, since they mirror my favorite first day activities when I visit London. From Buckingham Palace, a stroll through St James Park, to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, then following Rick's Westmister walk down Whitehall to Trafalger Square and a couple hours in the National Gallery. By the time I've done this, if I've come off an overnight flight, I'm usually more than ready for an early dinner and bed.