Exploring London without breaking the Bank!

It is impossible to come to the UK and not explore London. Many might argue it’s not worth it, or it has changed that it doesn’t feel like London anymore. However, you cannot exclude London when you speak about England! Its fast lifestyle is gripping and enough to make one fall in love with its charm. Another thing about London is it cannot be covered completely in one day. I mean just a simple google search will tell you that London is approximately 8 times larger than the next biggest city. But I tried guys, I tried to make it happen in a day. Not entirely, but at least the best tourist places. So let’s dive into the details of the day!

We took an overnight bus from Sheffield which dropped us at Victoria at 7 in the morning. However, travelling to London from literally any part of the country is feasible and there would be no trouble in finding public transport. The buses usually cost around £25, give or take for a return journey from Sheffield. The next best thing to do after reaching London is to take the London Day travel card. This gives you access to unlimited bus and tube travel throughout the day and costs somewhere around £16.50.

After getting our travel cards and getting into the tube, the first stop was Westminster. Stepping out of the underground gave us the iconic sight of the Big Ben, besides the Houses of Parliament. A short stroll from there took us to the Westminster Abbey, which has witnessed countless coronation ceremonies and royal weddings throughout centuries. The sight from outside alone is worth a moment of awe. Also, really close to the Big Ben is also the famous London Eye. However, for an underrated spot, I would suggest the Sky Gardens or Garden at 120. The best thing is they are free, however, you need to book your spots.

So after spending nearly 2.5 hours there, we left for the next spot which was the famous Buckingham Palace for The Changing of Guards ceremony. The surrounding St. James Park was perfect for a quick coffee break. Next, we decided to grab lunch from Borough Market, which is also one of the oldest and most famous food market of London.

Another 20 minute tube ride took us to the British Museum, which is also one of the free attractions, however, it needs a booking as well. The place is full of ancient treasures like Egyptian mummies and Parthenon Sculptures, making it a paradise of history lovers. Next was a visit to the well-known tower bridge. We timed it around the sunset to get the best pictures.

Afterwards, we took a tube to Soho, one of London’s liveliest neighbourhoods for dinner, and to end the day with a bang by exploring the vibrant nightlife of London on a Friday night. Our return journey was scheduled at around 2am which brought us back to Sheffield in the morning.

In conclusion, we saw royal palaces, museums, historic monuments, and vibrant neighbourhoods, all thanks to London’s easy-to-use public transport. Moreover, we didn’t spend more than £50 each on food throughout the day. So the entire trip was done in less than £100, which I believe is quite reasonable for London. However, as we went for the first time, we made quite a lot of mistakes, like going to different spots in opposite directions only to come back to the same place for the third spot. This made us miss quite a few places like the Camden Market on our list as well. I believe if we planned better, we could’ve had a better experience, with less hassle. It was a whirlwind tour, but it gave us a perfect taste of why London remains one of the world’s most beloved cities.

But all in all, London didn’t disappoint and every visit to London tells us a different story.

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