A First Timers Guide to London

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I finally made it to London! Despite having experienced numerous layovers at London Heathrow throughout the years, I’ve now successfully ventured beyond the airport’s confines to begin my exploration of this incredible city.

In this post, I’ll be presenting my recommendations on navigating the Tube, discovering diverse global cuisines, maintaining an active lifestyle, and identifying key attractions for your inaugural visit to London.

A First Timers Guide to London - Astonished Abroad — The Tower of London

Before I jump in, it is worth mentioning, London is an extremely large city and I realize this list is just scratching the surface. If you have any suggestions on places that should not be missed while in London, kindly leave them in the comments below. I’d love to add your picks to my list for next time!

Also, if you plan to travel to Scotland at all during your UK trip, be sure to check out my article about visiting Edinburgh!

What to Pack

While I was very fortunate to have beautiful weather, sunny skies, and very little rain during my summertime visit, this is not always the case in the UK. I would highly recommend packing a small travel umbrella so that you are prepared.

As always, I recommend comfortable trainers for walking around. One of my favorite pairs as of late is from victoria.

For clothing, just be sure to check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. Since I pack carry-on only, I am very intentional when it comes to checking the weather to ensure I am prepared. Worst case scenario, you can always go shopping at your destination!

Finally, if you plan to carry a handbag, I would recommend a cross-body bag for added safety. There are tons of practical yet stylish bags to choose from but a cross-body bag worn in front of your body will help you to keep an eye on your valuables.

Mind The Gap

Let’s kick this off with how to ride the tube. What is the tube? It is London’s underground transportation system. The first thing I’d recommend for ease of using the system is a good map. There are phone apps specifically for getting you from point A to point B using the tube. Once you have an app, you are ready to go.

Next, you can purchase what’s referred to as an Oyster card. This prepaid card is loaded with credits which will be used to pay for your fares. What I found more manageable than that, using ApplePay on my phone and simply scanning when entering and exiting the train station. You can also use a credit card but you want to make sure that whatever form of payment you use to enter, you also use the same payment method when exiting at your destination station.

Depending on the time of day, the train can get quite crowded. Make sure to stay alert and keep your valuables close by. This is where having your cross-body bag pays off. If you carry a wallet and phone in your pants, I’d recommend using the front pockets rather than the back pockets.

When you are at the airport or train stations you’ll want to remember to stand on the right side of the escalators or moving walkways and walk on the left. This allows commuters to get past large crowds quickly.

The tube makes this huge city feel small and will save you tons of time and money. Taking a taxi in London can be pricey and due to the traffic, it can also take quite a long time to go just a short distance.

Dining in London

While London and the rest of the UK absolutely have traditional dishes, like many large cities, you can often find cuisines from all over the world.

During the time I was visiting, I enjoyed Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian food, and even afternoon tea. The options are truly endless and make for exciting dining experiences.

In addition to more casual dining, I also was lucky enough to experience a few fine dining establishments that will go down among some of the best meals of my life! Two standouts for me were Frog by Adam Handling and Ikoyi. The dishes were as beautiful as they were tasty and fascinatingly introduced new flavors and textures.

A couple of recommendations for where to eat include:

Ikoyi
Frog by Adam Handling
Sheba Indian
Beijing Dumpling
The Promenade at the Dorchester (afternoon tea)
The Ledbury
Lamb and Flag
MY&SANNÉ
Mr Fogg

As for cocktails, just beneath Frog lies an exceptional cocktail bar named Eve Bar. I would definitely revisit this spot on my next trip. Greta and Ellie provided outstanding service, crafting delightful beverages while also being incredibly personable.

For a more low-key experience, I’d recommend The Good Mixer in Camden Town. This no-frills bar is said to be the hangout of up-and-coming artists in their day. Everyone from Amy Winehouse to members of Oasis and Blur were rumored to frequent this bar. The beers are cold and the music won’t let you down.

What to See and Do

If this is your first trip to London like mine, there are probably some iconic UK experiences on your hit list. They may include:

The changing of the guards
Buckingham Palace
Hyde Park
Kensington Palace
Nothing Hill
The London Eye
Big Ben
The Tower of London
The Tower Bridge
Piccadilly Circus
Trafalgar Square
Abbey Road Studios
Royal Albert Hall
Westminster Abbey

I’m here to tell you, you can experience all of these sights and more! I had a total of 7 full days not counting travel days and I was able to accomplish everything on my list and more.

One thing to keep in mind is again, the size of the city. Rather than zig-zagging across town, try making a list of things you want to see, do, and eat. This way you can try grouping areas to maximize your time in a given neighborhood. I really can’t stress this enough otherwise, you’ll be spending more time and money running in circles rather than enjoying your trip.

By planning ahead, there was also enough time to enjoy more relaxing things such as enjoying warm and sunny London weather at the park.

Although I utilized the tube quite a bit on my trip, I was still able to walk several miles per day. I averaged around 7 miles per day, a great way to stay active even though I had no gym at the Airbnb that I stayed at.

There are great parks throughout London making it a great place to run, walk, or bike outdoors. I also passed several gyms in my travels. Unfortunately, I was unable to take a class at the Peloton London studios. As is the case in the NYC Studio, classes fill up quickly. If you are planning to take a class during your visit, be sure to sign up when classes open well in advance.