|

The Best Things To Do With 24 Hours In London

Updated On

London. If you’re already from the UK then you’ll either love it or hate it, but there is no denying this capital city makes for fantastic day trips and weekends. I recently decided to have some ‘me’ time and treated myself to a 24-hour trip in London, which led to multiple discoveries like ‘Backyard Cinema’ and ‘Vonder Hotels’. You’ll want to add these places to your London bucket-list. Immediately...

Although, if you’re keen to have a short trip abroad then head over to my recent post on 3 days in Lanzarote. You’ll be so tempted to look up flights…

10 am: Arrival To London Victoria Coach Station

I decided to take the coach up to London because I find the journey so much more comfortable than on a train. You’ll get less people moving up and down the space, will have a genuinely soft seat and will probably save half of the money you’d pay if you went by railway. Sure, the journey might take longer but I was in no rush! I slept the whole way lol.

10:15 am: Walk To Chelsea To Shop

It took less than 10 minutes from Victoria Coach Station to walk to Chelsea, but I’ve factored in additional minutes for anyone who wants to walk at a slower pace to take everything in! I knew I wanted to head directly to Zara, one of my favourite clothing stores, but in the area you’ll find a mix of high-street and designer shops. If you go during a sale period, typically late June-July in summer, you can definitely grab yourself a few bargains. I did spend a small fortune in Cos though! The minimalistic, yet cool, designs just catch me every single time. I didn’t hang around too long in the area as I knew I was stretched for time, so headed to the nearest tube station to go into Camden Food Market…

11:30 am: Explored Camden Town

At this point I was HUNGRY. The underground only took me 30 minutes from Chelsea, but holding shopping bags without sitting down certainly added to my desire to grab an early lunch. Camden was the spot I fancied browsing at, given the sensational food stalls. You can literally find every type of dish you fancy. As someone who is Gluten-Free, I wasn’t too hopeful but I found an entire food truck dedicated to Gluten-Free fried chicken? THAT’S exactly what I mean when I say you can find virtually anything. After soaking up all the goods, I strolled around the other food stalls and decided to grab an Uber to Wandsworth because I was attending a themed cinema…

13:00 pm: Uber to Wandsworth For Backyard Cinema

The whole purpose of my trip was actually to attend the cinema. Now, I know what you might be thinking. Why travel all the way to London for a cinema? Backyard Cinema is not just any cinema though! This cinema is themed, where I had a choice between ‘LA Nights’ or ‘Miami Beach’. I went for ‘Miami Beach’ as the film showing was more to my liking (The Beach over The Grand Budapest Hotel, if anyone was curious). The exterior makes you feel like you‘re genuinely at a beach party. Think stalls, seaside decorations and staff dressed in summer gear. It’s all extremely detailed.

Once you’ve passed the rotating doors, you’ll be greeted by actors who lead you into the actual cinema. The first thing that will hit you is the lively music and rows of bean bags. Look down, and you’ll see sand. Everywhere. One thing I would say though, don’t wear new shoes like I did. From here I won’t give any spoilers, but you won’t be disappointed.

17:30 pm: Quick Trip To Buckingham Palace

After all the relaxation from sitting down to watch a film, I was craving movement so decided to head to Buckingham Palace to check out the sights. I spent a bit of time watching the guards at the palace do their thing and had a stroll around the gardens nearby. My time here was cut short after I saw someone with a tub of frozen yogurt which made me want some instantly! I don’t know why I didn’t Google the nearest frozen yogurt shop at this point, instead I decided to head to the London Eye because I remembered there to be a frozen yogurt bus overlooking the River Thames. I am team frozen yogurt over ice-cream by the way. Every single time.

18:30 pm: Dinner + Frozen Yogurt Stop By The London Eye

Just as I was walking up the stairs to the frozen yogurt bus, called SNOG if anyone wants to visit, I accidentally strolled into a foodie market. I couldn’t say no! I decided to get a Venezuelan Arepa bowl as dinner then headed up to get the yogurt as dessert. Weirdly, it was unusually hot in the UK. Think 26 degrees Celsius, which I’m sure for so many of you is mild weather! You know it’s warm when your dessert starts to melt within seconds haha.

19:00 pm: Uber To Kensington For Hotel Check-In

I checked into Vonder Hotels in Kensington. After a brief delay, as nobody was at reception to let me in, I was given the key to my room. The place itself was modern, with rooms reminding me of a small apartment but with all the features of a hotel. For one night, it cost me Ā£58 on a weekday – breakfast was included the next morning. The breakfast was actually nice too. It felt like coffee shop breakfast, rather than a typical complimentary buffet selection. All very luxurious. I couldn’t recommend the hotel enough, plus the area was nicely located and felt safe.

After a well-deserved rest, I called it a night. Yes it was a jam-packed 24 hours but I couldn’t have wished for anything more. Ok well, maybe another tub of frozen yogurt...

Sharing Is Caring!

11 Comments

  6. Awesome you managed to pack so much in one day! I was in London for two full days, and it was an overly-rushed visit. The city is so big that I think one needs at least a week to take it all in. Kudos to you for doing so well!