Being the most visited city in Europe, London attracts up to 20 million visitors annually and is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It has always been a place, we longed to go and finally the day has came for us. We had planned to cover 3 major cities in Europe in the span of 11 days. For the first 3 days we would be in London, followed by 4 days in Amsterdam and finally 4 days in Paris. In this post we’ll cover on our journey and stay in London first. Want to know more about our trip to London? Check out our post DO NOT MISS THIS IN LONDON! 10 BEST PLACES TO EXPLORE
London (Image credit: HKK London)
We started our journey from Kuala Lumpur and took an evening flight to London which had a layover at Dubai. The flight took us a gruelling 7 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai. Once we were at Dubai, we decided to do a bit of exploring at the airport since we had another 4 hours before our next flight to London.
Our boarding passes
Waiting for our flight at KLIA
Here we go!
Dubai Airport
With Mr Jack Daniels himself 😆
So when is the best time to visit London?
There is no definite answer for that as London has many attractions to see all year round. The weather here is pretty mild and doesn’t gets too warm in the summer or too cold during winter. It can rain at any time of the year, but most likely to occur in Autumn. So we do suggest you to carry an umbrella or a raincoat as a precaution when travelling in London.
Spring in London
If you want the best of both worlds; cheaper fares, hotels and also fair weather, then come during spring (March-April) and during fall (September to November). There will still be a lot of tourists, however the crowds tend to be a bit smaller than in the summer.
Fall/Autumn in London
Since we were travelling from Kuala Lumpur to London, we had to exchange our Malaysian currency from (RM/MYR) to Pound Sterling (£/GBP). If you want to avoid all the hassle of changing currency while travelling, why not use Big Pay. We have used it for almost all our purchases during our travel in Europe and found it helpful. You can save on the currency conversion fee when you use the apps. Just make sure to select the local currency of the country you are in to get cheaper rates. Click here to sign up. Don’t forget to use our referral code GB1RB1XMDE to receive a bonus when you activate the card.
Day 1 – London here we come!
After going through another 7 hours flight, we finally arrived London Heathrow Airport. By the time we arrived there, it was already a bright and sunny 8 am. Unfortunately for us, we were jetlagged and our body clocks were still tuned to the Kuala Lumpur time zone (GMT + 8). But before we could venture around London, we had to go through passport control at the airport which took us another hour before we finally got our baggage.
1 hour + queue
Then, we proceeded to the tube and got our Visitor Oyster card. With this card, you will be able to hop on any public transport in London and save more on fares compared to buying a single journey ticket. We got off the tube at Bayswater station which is just 2 minutes away from our hotel.
Joining the bus tour around London
Riding on the double decker bus around London
(Image credit: mycitycards)
Managed to meet up with our relatives in London
After dropping off our baggage at the hotel, we activated our London Pass tickets on our phone and hopped on the bus tour around London. We initially planned to visit some attractions on our first day in London, but we were too exhausted and ended up just doing the sightseeing around London on the bus. After spending a few hours on the bus, we headed back to the hotel and slept like a log till the next day.
Day 2 – Time to explore London
Having a hearty breakfast
Queen Victoria Memorial Fountain
The Royal Horse Guards
Buckingham Palace (Image credit: visitlondon)
On the second day, we were feeling much more energetic after a good nights rest. After breakfast, we hopped on the tour bus and headed for Buckingham Palace. For those who may not know, the Buckingham Palace was used as the official residence by the UK sovereigns back in the 1837. Today, it is used as the administrative HQ and hosts various royal events and receptions by the Queen. The palace is open for public visits only during the summer months, so do check their website for more information.
Changing of the Guard event (Image credit: cheatsheet.com)
We did not join the tour inside Buckingham Palace as we had limited time and wanted to cover more ground. Another event takes place outside Buckingham Palace is the Changing of Guard, which occurs on certain days and lasts about 45 minutes. This event is free for the public and is very popular, so make sure to arrive early to get a good spot. After watching the event, we then walked for around 10 minutes to the next place on our list, Hyde Park.
Hyde Park aerial view (Image credit: Gray Malin)
Hyde Park is the largest and most famous park in London. The park’s “Speaker’s Corner” is a place where the public can voice out their opinions, carry out debates, protest and perform freely. We took a relaxing stroll along the park and then hopped on the tour bus to the The Palace of Westminster.
The Palace of Westminster (Image credit: ArchDaily)
The Palace of Westminster also known as the “Houses of Parliament” is where the members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom conduct meetings. You can join the tour to get a glimpse of the Parliament at work or attend the debate here. Unfortunately for us, at the time we were there, the Palace of Westminster was undergoing renovation works.
Big Ben undergoing restoration works
Big Ben (Image credit: ShanghaiEye)
Also located at the end of the palace is London’s iconic tower clock, Big Ben. Many people will think that Big Ben is the tower clock, but it actually refers to the clock’s Great Bell. The clock was completed in 1859 and is one of the most reliable clocks in the world. After walking around Westminster for a few hours, we headed to a nearby café for lunch.
When you miss Chinese food in London 😆
After lunch, we headed to the London Bridge which is located in central London. You may recall the famous nursery rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down”. One of the reasons which inspired the rhyme could be due to the old London Bridge which was notorious for crumbling down over the centuries. The first London Bridge was constructed in 43 A.D by the Romans using planks laid across a row of anchored boats. Since then, the bridge has undergone numerous upgrades and reconstruction to be what it is today.
Checking our photos
The famous London Bridge
View of the Tower Bridge
Enjoying the view..
It started to drizzle as soon as we got on the London Bridge. We quickly snapped up some photos and walked to the Tower Bridge, which took us around 15 minutes to get there. The Tower Bridge is easily one of the most recognisable bridges in the world and often mistaken as “London Bridge”. The middle portion of this bridge can be raised to enable large vessels to pass through. Nowadays, due to the reduction of shipping activity at the London Docklands, the bridge is rarely raised.
Tower Bridge (Image credit: TravelTriangle)
Tower Bridge being raised (Image credit: Medium)
By the time we were done exploring the Tower Bridge it was starting to get dark. So, we took the Thames River Boat Cruise (located just beside Tower Bridge) from Tower Pier to Westminster Pier (the final stop). If you have the London Pass, then you will not need to pay for the ferry tickets as it is already included in the pass. During the river cruise, we were able get a much better view of London and also see the famous London Eye along the River Thames.
Onboard the Thames River Boat Cruise
You will be able to spot London Eye during the cruise (Image credit: Conde Nast Travler)
Taking the tube back to our hotel
Last night in London
After the river cruise, we took the tube back to Bayswater and called it a day. One thing to note is that, like every other city there are always plenty of scam artists and pickpockets around. Please be careful, especially with your wallets and handbags when you are travelling. We had a close encounter with a pickpocket at the tube, so we do feel obliged to remind you to be safe.
Day 3 – Goodbye London, Hello Amsterdam!
After we had our breakfast, we took the taxi to St. Pancras International Station where we would then board the Eurostar train to Amsterdam. Be sure to get to the station early as the traffic to the station can get quite congested. The queue at the security border can also be time consuming, so we would recommend you to come a few hours earlier to avoid missing the train.
Train to Amsterdam
Country side
To wrap it up, the trip to London was short but sweet. There was still so many places which we wanted to explore, however time wasn’t on our side. Nevertheless, it is a place which we would revisit again if we have the chance to fully explore all the historical sites, architecture and also food here. Want to know more about how our trip to Amsterdam went? Find out more in this post WHAT MAKES AMSTERDAM SO AMAZING? 4 DAYS TRAVEL GUIDE
Have any experience or tips on travelling in London? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!
