3 Days in London Day 3: (What to do in London/An Itinerary)
If you’ve been following along on the blog, we’ve been covering what I did in London during my 3 day stay. If you’re looking for a basic itinerary for what to do and see in London, you’re at the right place. In parts 1 & 2 we covered some London essentials- a guided walking tour, visiting Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Borough Market, afternoon tea (on the Thames!) and even the (somewhat) controversial London Eye. I packed a lot into my third and final day in London- and here’s the itinerary:
It was Easter Sunday (so EVERYTHING was packed- so many tourists were there to attend the service at Westminster Abbey). The first thing on my list was to head to Westminster for spectacular morning views of Big Ben and the Thames. I’m not sure why, but standing on Westminster Bridge and taking in the beautiful views really captured the essence of being in London. It’s also a great spot for photos- especially if you cross Westminster bridge to the South Bank and turn right. From there, not only is it a breathtaking sight to see but you can catch some great snaps of Parliament and Big Ben.
London is FULL of markets- in part 1 of my London itinerary we covered the huge foodie hub of Borough Market, which has been around since the Victorian Era and has an endless selection of diverse treats. This time, I headed to another famous London Market: Camden Market, over in Camden Town (and near the London Zoo!) There’s something for everyone here- vintage clothing, jewelry, shoes, rare and unique records and art, etc. My first stop was SknFed, which is an organic, all-natural collection of plant-based skin and bodycare. As a skincare junkie, I was HOOKED. They had a diverse collection of moisturizers, shea butter lip-balms, serums, and soaps and more. I had to fight the urge to buy an entire new routine, but I did walk out with a blueberry glow face mask, one for me and one for my mom.
After that, we perused the stalls and were entertained by the sheer variety of items there. The scene in Camden Market is nothing short of loud, fun, and a little alternative, which was a fun experience as we were shopping around.
After we hit Camden Market, we headed to another famous London stop: Notting Hill. Famous for the movie of the same name, Notting Hill is a picturesque and colorful London neighborhood with a buzzing fashion and arts scene. You can walk around the neighborhood to see the colorful Victorian townhouses- then head to 13 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE to see the famous Notting Hill Bookshop, which was featured in the 1999 film Notting Hill. You can actually go in and shop- it’s a working gift shop with lots of souvenirs- books, postcards, tin double decker buses, and more. My sister and I both picked up an adorable tote- ‘The Notting Hill Shopping Bag’ and I bought two beautiful wooden postcards- one of Queen Elizabeth and another of my favorite Royal, Princess Diana.
We continued to Portobello Road, where there’s another market (one thing I love about London is the endless amounts of markets) with a range of vintage clothes, produce, and many other things. We then stopped into a perfumery- Eden Perfumes, where vials of colorful and beautiful fragrances are literally handing off the walls. They create vegan perfumes (many of which can be passed off as dupes for designer fragrances), and here soon they’ll be able to create your own custom mixture for a fragrance that is 100% you. My sister found one of their signature perfumes- No. 203 Portobello Road. Obviously named after the street you can find it on, this perfume is an oriental vanilla that captures the essence of Portobello Market itself. It’s a beautiful, strong scent and after my sister bought it I was kicking myself for not also buying a bottle myself- which thankfully they offer shipping. Every time I smell it it’s immediately recognizable and it brings me back to London.
After our stop in Notting Hill we headed to Kensington Palace- the official royal residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The birthplace of Queen Victoria and Princess Diana’s final residence, Kensington Palace is a beautiful site with hundreds of years’ worth of history. You can tour Kensington Palace (they often even have exhibits going on- currently it’s the Crown to Couture exhibit, focusing on past and current designer fashion). I highly recommend booking in advance- London is a very popular destination and tickets are very likely to sell out if you wait until the last minute to book- this happened to us multiple times with different attractions (it was Easter weekend and we didn’t realize it until we got there. Lesson learned!).
Even if you don’t go into the actual palace, you can still explore the beautiful palace gardens and even head next door into Hyde Park, one of the most beautiful and peaceful parks in London. By the time we were done enjoying the park it was basically dark out, so we decided to take the tube back to our hotel, as we had a train to Amsterdam to catch the next morning.
Of course I would recommend spending more than 3 days in London (there is so much to do and see- it’s really hard to fit everything in in just a few days). However, 3 days is a good amount of time to see most of the attractions that you want to see most. I highly recommend researching ahead of time and ensuring that you get tickets to what you want to see most- that way you’re not left disappointed by the time your trip rolls around. London is a city full of history, romance, and adventure, and there is something for everyone. Be sure to read days 1 & 2 of my Three Days in London Itinerary series for some more London travel ideas and recommendations! Got any London recs yourself? Leave a comment below and let us know your favorite things about London!
