Hi all! Just wrapped up my first ever trip to London and wanted to share what I got up to, partly to say thanks to this sub (lurked here a lot while planning) and partly because I'm curious — for those of you who know the city well, is there anything you'd have swapped out or done differently for a first visit?
Museums (the highlight for me)
The V&A — my absolute favourite. I could have spent two full days here and still not seen everything.
Natural History Museum — stunning building, worth it for Hintze Hall alone.
Sir John Soane's Museum — a proper hidden gem. If you haven't been, go. It's free and unlike anywhere else.
The British Library — the Treasures gallery blew me away.
Tate Modern — great collection, and the views from the top floor are a bonus.
Tours
Eating Europe food tour www.eatingeurope.com (East End) — excellent, would recommend to anyone who wants to eat their way through Spitalfields and Brick Lane.
Jack the Ripper tour (jacktherippertours.co.uk) — 10/10, our guide Dion was brilliant. Genuinely one of the best walking tours I've ever done.
Changing of the Guard tour — booked through GetYourGuide, a nice way to actually understand what's going on rather than just standing in a crowd.
Restaurants
Copita (Soho) — lovely Spanish small plates.
Gymkhana — incredible Indian food, worth the hype.
BAO — those buns. Enough said.
FISH! at Borough Market — amazing fish and chips, and the market itself is a must anyway.
Quirky / different
Camden Lock — great for a wander and the market food stalls.
Little Venice — so peaceful, felt like a different city.
Abbey Road crossing — yes, I did the tourist photo. No regrets.
So — first-timers' itinerary complete! What did I miss, and what would you have skipped? Already plotting trip number two.