My first trip to London was a pitstop between flying from Prague to Western Ireland. During spring break while studying abroad, I visited a few friends, but had 24 hours with no plans. I ended up spending a day in London as my roommate flew in to visit a friend the same time, so we met up. After spending the night in the airport, I had less than 12 hours actually in the city. Spending the day on a hop-on hop-off London bus tour maximized the short time to see as much of the city as possible.

We navigated into the city by the Underground. There are faster but more expensive options, depending on your priorities. Getting off our stop and trying to find her hotel, someone tried to scam us by “helping” us with our luggage and then demanding a tip.

Hop On-Hop Off Bus Tour

These tours are fantastic if you don’t have adequate time in the city because you still get the see the major sites. I also think it’s a great activity when you first arrive just so you can grasp a general layout of the large city. Depending on your time, you can get on the bus and ride the entire loop, or you can get on and off at as many stops as you would like. We rode the loop but I’ve stopped at these places on other trips. Below are recommended places to get off. (These will depend on which route you are on.)

Trafalgar Square

There’s a lot to do at Trafalgar Square, including the National Gallery, Admiralty Arch, St Martin in the Fields, and Covent Garden. It’s also incredibly close to the Thames.

Tower Bridge/Tower of London

See the crown jewels, ravens, the fortress, Bloody Tower and more at the Tower of London. Nearby, the Tower Bridge crosses the Thames. There’s a museum inside that includes walking across over a glass floor, with zooming cars below, and the river below that.

Big Ben/Parliament

Big Ben is the bell located in the clock tower. Westminster Abbey is also nearby.

St Paul’s Cathedral

Another spot with heights is St Paul’s Cathedral. Photos are not allowed inside, but it is absolutely stunning. There’s two different levels

Hyde Park

Depending on the route of the London bus tour you take, there are multiple stops near Hyde Park. We walked around Hyde Park after our tour. There are also bikes available to rent. Hyde Park is huge. In winter Hyde Park has a giant Winter Wonderland festival with a Christmas Market, food, and a lot of rides.

London Eye

This is one thing on this list I haven’t done before. Although I’ve taken a similar one in Tianjin, China. Other places provide views of the city that I prefer, such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge mentioned above.

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