It's really been time for another travel diary and since I am basically in love with writing about London, I want to share my travel diary with you guys! After all, it has been a vacation I was really looking forward to. Not only because I really love London, but also because I got the chance to spend time with some of my favorite people!
I spent about a week in London at the beginning of May (just before the royal wedding actually!) and flew in from Berlin. Since it was super cheap, I decided to fly into London Stansted. Naturally, Heathrow is my favorite airport in London (because of the movie Love actually), but I just couldn't say no to this deal plus I was able to meet my friend who flew in from Bavaria right at the airport.
Day 1 + 2: Girl Time In London
After a pretty annoying and uneventful bus ride from Stansted to London Baker Street, we dropped off our bags and enjoyed a full-on English breakfast. We stayed at The London House Hotel, which wasn't super special, but pretty solid (and not too small for London standards). As the weather was magically perfect, we decided to take a walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
As it was my friend's birthday a couple of weeks earlier, I reserved a table at Fortnum & Mason to surprise her with a very British Afternoon Tea experience. Everything was super delicious, their service was outstanding and I would have bought half their shop if I had the money and space in my carry-on. I can totally recommend it if you're ever in London! There are so many places that offer afternoon teas, I'm sure you can find just the location that fits your needs. You can read more about our Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason here.
After we stuffed ourselves with the most delicious sandwiches and scones, we continued the debauchery with refreshing cocktails at the London Sky Garden. Not only the cocktails but also the views were quite outstanding! Even though you can also visit the Sky Garden for free, we decided to book a table to also enjoy some drinks (cause, why not?). We were able to time our visit so that we could see the sunset and thus enjoy the view at night as well. If you want to know more about visiting the London Sky Garden, you can check out my post about it here.
The second day started with a delicious breakfast at Serpentine Bar & Kitchen right in the center of Hyde Park with a great view of The Serpentine Lake. After that we made our way to Buckingham Palace and arrived just in time for the guard ceremony. Even though I really wanted to see it, I didn't think it was that impressive. We made our way through the city to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery where we of course admired van Ghogh's Sunflowers. A stroll along the South Bank via the Parliament and Big Ben were the last points on our list that day. We ended the day in a cute neighborhood pub in Paddington called The Prince Edward (unfortunately no single princes or royals showed up that day).
Day 3: The gang at Harry Potter World
Just in time for the weekend we met up with two other friends of mine from Munich, with whom we explored Notting Hill in the morning. I can absolutely recommend just spending a couple of hours walking around this neighbourhood and maybe enjoy the Portobello Street Market. In the afternoon it was finally time for the activity I was looking forward to the most: The Harry Potter Studio Tour! Not only did I really want to check out the Studios, but I was also looking forward to meeting up with the third part of our group - my friends from San Francisco, who would arrive just in time to join us and whom I haven't seen since I moved to Berlin!
In hindsight half of the day is kind of like a blur because my mind was mesmerized with all the Harry Potter things and finally being reunited with my friends. If you're just as big of a potterhead as I am, check out my post about the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour. You'll not only find some great shots but also useful information in case you're planning a visit of your own (which you should!). After returning to the city we ended the day with a delicious pizza at Franco Manca, which a local friend of mine recommended.
Day 4: More sightseeing in London
The fourth day started at the Borough Market, which totally reminded me of Markthalle IX in Berlin. We made a short turn to the Shakespeare Globe before heading to the Tower of London and London Bridge. As the weather kind of let us down by then, we decided to go to Tate Modern, which not only had an amazing collection of art, but also a great viewing platform, which is definitely worth a visit as well.
Saturday night was reserved for partying, so we went out for dinner in the most amazing Greek Restaurant in Camden. The food was delicious and the staff was super friendly and able to spontaneously accommodate a group of 4 Germans, 3 Americans and one Macedonian without reservation. It was also closely located to the Camden Head Club and Koko, which were on our lists later that evening.
Day 5: A Sunday Funday Walk
Me and my friend were the first ones to recover from Saturday's night out and spend the morning in East End, where we had a delicious breakfast at Café 338 in Bethanel Green. After that we strolled across the Columbia Road Flower Market, which is definitely one of the most beautiful flower markets I've seen. The area is very nice, too, so perfect for a Sunday stroll.
We walked all the way back to the city center where we met the rest of the group at the British Museum. We spent the rest of the day exploring Neal's Yard and exploring SoHo, where we also met with two additional friends of mine for dinner. Dinner options in London are plentiful, thus I was happy that my local friend recommended a variety to chose from.
Even though I love pubs and just casually hanging out with my friends at a local bar, the Berlin nightlife payed it's price. I was totally surprised when the pubs called last rounds at around 11 pm on a Sunday night and we had some issues finding additional places to go to (but we managed, no worries).
Day 6: Fish & Chips & Goodbye
The last day was mainly reserved for packing and heading back to Stansted airport but of course, we couldn't leave without having some very British fish & chips, too! We met the San Francisco guys at The Volunteer on Baker Street, which was conveniently located to our bus departure. Even though we've heard that Fish & Chips is more a Northern British thing, the dish was super delicious!
The itinerary offered just the right mix of sightseeing, hanging out with friends, and exploring the different aspects of London for me! I have heard that not everyone is a friend of The Big Smoke, but maybe I could inspire one or two of you to pay the city a visit nonetheless.
If you have any questions regarding my London vacation don't hesitate to ask. Otherwise, I'd be happy to hear about your London vacations and experiences! I'd love to hear some insider tips if you have any, as I will surely be back!
Kate recommends: A visit in London goes well with a copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne and J.K. Rowling. Because come on, I couldn’t waste an opportunity to recommend another Harry Potter book, could I?