Ultimate London Walking Tour

Our time in London was brief yet we wanted to see everything. London’s an incredibly walkable city & with a comfy pair of shoes & a beautiful day you can easily see all the big sites. This post will outline the walking tour route that B & I took to see all the major landmarks of London: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern, London Eye, Big Ben & Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalagar Square & Buckingham Palace. You can easily do this walk in a half day, if you don’t go into any of these landmarks & just stop to eat in Borough Market (which is what we chose to do). We decided to take advantage of the weather to see all the sites from the outside, then went back for more in-depth tours at the places we were most interested in seeing more in-depth.

Start your tour at the Tower of London by taking the Circle or District line Underground to the Tower Hill station or jump on one of London’s famous double decker buses (signage at most bus stops made this super easy to do – just look for your destination & the corresponding bus number). The Tower is home to the Crown Jewels, the famous Beefeater Guards & has amazing historical significance. We didn’t go inside, but it’s definitely on our list for future visits!

Next, walk over the Tower Bridge to the south bank of the Thames. You can pay to go into the observation area at the top of the bridge (the line just to get in was crazy long the day we were there), but we found the views from the pedestrian span of the bridge to be just as wonderful. Oh, & don’t confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge (of nursery rhyme fame): they’re two different places! In fact, the original London Bridge was sold to an American & currently lives in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

After crossing the bridge, you’re now on the south bank of the Thames & it’s time to pop over to Borough Market, one of the largest & oldest markets in London. If you make the same mistake we did & visit on a Saturday be warned that it’s a total mob scene. Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to explore the stalls & time your visit so you can grab lunch from one of the many street food vendors. I had awesome vegetable pad thai from Khanhmon Krok & B had a huge bratwurst from The German Deli, but what we were both really eyeing was the amazing grilled cheese sandwich made from giant melting cheese wheels at Kappacasein Dairy.

Once you’ve eaten your fill, walk along the south bank of the Thames to the Millennium Bridge. You’ll pass a plaque commemorating the now-in-Arizona London Bridge & pass the majestic HMS Belfast. The Millennium Bridge, London’s famous pedestrian bridge, opened in 2000 & offers a majestic view of St. Paul’s Cathedral. If you’re an art lover, before you cross the bridge, pop into the Tate Modern (make sure to stop by the espresso bar on the 3rd floor for a nice review view). Otherwise, stroll across the bridge towards London’s majestic domed church.

As a child obsessed with Mary Poppins, St. Paul’s Cathedral was high on my must see list in London. This Anglican cathedral was consecrated in 1708 & stood tall while much of the rest of London was destroyed during The Blitz in World War II. You can tour the cathedral & even climb to the top of the dome – except for on Sunday, which was of course the day we had set aside to do just that. So let this be a warning to avoid disappointment!

Cross back over on the Millennium Bridge & enjoy a nice stroll along the river (make sure & keep an eye out for the Love Actually bench!). The closer you get to Westminster, the more touristy things will get, but it’s still a nice walk. An alternative would be to take one of the water taxis (part of the transit system, so you can use your Oyster card) over to the Westminster dock. Being on the water gives you a unique view of the city.

You’ve now arrived at the famous London Eye observation wheel. We did not go on the Eye, mostly because when you book tickets online ahead of time, you have to choose the time & date. We didn’t want to be boxed in to a specific time, in case the weather was lousy. It’s also crazy expensive &, honestly, we didn’t feel like we missed out at all. Walk over Westminster Bridge to the Palace of Westminster (aka where Parliament meets), Big Ben & Westminster Abbey.

Seeing Big Ben in person must be on virtually everyone’s travel bucket list – this instantly recognizable clock tower has been standing guard over the Palace of Westminster since 1859. Officially known as the Elizabeth Tower (named for the Queen after her Diamond Jubilee in 2012) Big Ben has stood tall since the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster following a great fire in 1834. It’s only 315 ft. tall – I was actually surprised it wasn’t taller. The clock face itself is beautiful & the gold detail almost seems to glow.

If you’re a government & history nerd like us, a tour of the Palace of Westminster is well worth your time. The audio tour takes about 2.5 hours & is really well done. If Parliament is not in session, your tour will go onto the floor of the chambers for both the House of Lords & the House of Commons. If Parliament is in session, you’ll still get to see the oldest, most historic parts of the building.

After you’re doing at the Palace of Westminster, cross the street to Westminster Abbey, the famed church that’s home to coronations, royal weddings & funerals & hundreds of plaques, memorials & the final resting place of some of Britain’s most famous names. Visiting is overwhelming experience – not only are you standing in this incredibly historical building, but there is also stuff everywhere. The audio tour is well done & takes about two hours. We come back to tour inside & arrived just as they were opening one morning to find a line probably 50 people deep. Don’t be deterred by the crowd though – the lines were much longer at other times when we walked by!

Take a right coming out of Westminster & head north to Trafalgar Square. Built in the 1820s, this public square commemorates Britain’s win in the Battle of Trafalgar over France & Spain in the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. In the center is the majestic 169′ tall Nelson’s Column, which commemorates Admirable Nelson, who died in the battle. On the north side of the square is the National Gallery.

You’re now on your way to the final stop: Buckingham Palace. Walk down The Mall straight from Trafalgar Square to the palace. There’s something majestic about standing outside the palace, peering through the gates hoping for a glimpse of someone royal, dreaming about what’s going on inside the historic building, imagining the Queen running around in her nightgown. It was also thrilling to see the famous balcony, where the royal family gathers for so many marquee events.

If you want to see the Changing of the Guards, do your homework online ahead of time, as the ceremony takes place on different days depending on what time of year you visit. The day we visited, it was an absolutely jammed – when we arrived an hour ahead of time, the people were already four & five deep in some places. B pushed his way up to the front, while I was content just to listen to the music & look at the back of a lot of people’s heads.

You’ve now reached the end of your walking tour. If you’re not exhausted, you’re in the perfect place to go for a stroll through Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens down to Kensington Palace. If you need a snack, there’s a Pret right on Hyde Park Corner & the Wellington Arch makes the perfect backdrop for a little picnic.