One Day in London

Back in May, I spent a magical two weeks in my favorite city, a city that feels so much like home to me: London. I studied abroad there during the spring of my Junior year of college, so I was beyond excited to return.

I can’t even begin to recount two weeks’ worth of English adventures to you without exceeding an acceptable word limit for this post, so instead I’m going to describe what one ultimate day in London looks like.

(Disclaimer: This is by no means an itinerary covering the must-sees of London - Parliament and Big Ben and St. Paul's and all that jazz - but instead a description of the London that I hold dear.)

1. Break your fast at Kensington Creperie.

Begin your morning with a crepe and coffee at what became my friend’s and my go-to morning stop while we were in London. The café is bright and cozy and the hazelnut latte is life-changing (I mean that).

2. Explore the museums.

Kensington is basically museum-central, so spend your post-crepe morning exploring a few. Two of my favorites are the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Natural History. And they’re free so HOLLA.

3. Take a meander through Hyde Park.

Kensington borders Hyde Park, and it’s just one of the many parks in London that make the city so absolutely wonderful. It is especially inviting on one of London’s rare but overwhelmingly glorious sunny days. Give it a walk, enjoying the gardens and the Serpentine (which you can also paddleboat in).

4. Head to Borough Market for lunch.

My friend and I stayed in a hostel for the two weeks we were in London and met some American girls who were sojourning in the city for a couple of days. They asked for suggestions of things to do, and I immediately threw out Borough Market. They had no idea what it was. Wut! I thought Borough was common knowledge.

Regardless, this market is by far my favorite in London, because it’s a bustling food market in the heart of the City of London. And I love food, yep. Grab yourself a Prosecco spritzer and raclette – seasoned potatoes covered in a delicious melted cheese – and enjoy your goodness in the courtyard of centuries-old Southwark Cathedral while trains rumble overhead and the Shard points stoically skyward.

(St. Paul's, Tower Bridge, and the Globe Theatre are all within walking distance of Borough, so go ahead and check out those if you haven't already.)

5. Make your way to Marylebone High Street and Daunt Books.

This little gem of a side-street is right off Baker Street, so take the Jubilee Line from the Tower Bridge tube stop and alight at Baker Street and bam you’re basically right there. It features restaurants and little shops, the best being Daunt Books, a literal HEAVEN of a bookshop. You could lose hours in this place. 

6. Spend a lazy afternoon in Regent’s Park.

Within walking distance of Marylebone High Street is Regent’s Park, so bring along your new book from Daunt and sprawl out beneath a tree.

7. Wander your way to Primrose Hill.

Primrose Hill is pretty much my favorite spot in London. It’s this little lump of earth rising a few yards above the northern part of Regent’s Park. From it, you can see the London skyline spread before you with the river sparkling in the distance. Find a comfortable spot beneath the tree and contemplate all of life’s Big Questions because this is the perfect place for some heavy introspection and admiration of London’s beauty. 

8. Dine at Thai Square in Kensington.

Finish your day full circle by returning to Kensington for dinner at Thai Square. This Thai restaurant is worth the Tube fare it takes to get from Regent’s Park back to Kensington, so much so that my friend and I ate at it two nights in a row because we were so overcome by its goodness. Trust me on this one.

9. End your evening with a pint of Belgian goodness.

Find a pub – any pub, really (and there are plenty to choose from) – and order a pint of Stella Artois cidre if they have it. Oh man, that’s some goodness in liquid form right there.

Writing this is enough to have me daydreaming of my next reunion with this gem of a city. Planning a trip of your own to London? I’ll just live vicariously through you, if that’s okay. But seriously, live out this one perfect day in London and send pics, won’t you?

(Psstt... Digging the backpack I took with me to London? It's our Bryant LTE Rucksack. I mean it when I say it's my go-to for city wanders abroad. Am I allowed to pick a BOCONI product favorite? Because this is it.)