This is the ultimate travel guide: things to do in London!

London has always been a popular destination for tourist and has become even more popular in recent years with the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (and their unceremonious exit from royal life). Prince William and Kate Middleton have become wildly popular and seems to be very in line with a more modern and youthful monarchy. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the The Queen — a woman as formidable as the London Bridge is Britains longest reigning monarch.

A Rare Sunny Weekend in London!

I’m back from London (sad face) but I am happy to report that I managed to visit London on the rare occasion where there was no rain, plenty of sun and clear skies!  It was a whirlwind of a trip but, luckily, as I mentioned in my previous post, I have been before, so it wasn’t crucial for me to see every historic monument/spot London has to offer.  This time it was more for play; I really wanted to experience the city as one would if they were living there.

A quick visit to Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

Oh Prince George are you in?  Well the toddler had a previous engagement, so we weren’t able to connect on this trip–but I did manage to visit his future palace, Buckingham that is.  I also strolled by Big Ben and Westminster Palace–absolutely breathtaking!  

Aside from those visits, I shopped, ate fish ‘n chips, hung out with locals at traditional British pubs and even watched the Wales versus England rugby match, as England happens to be hosting the Rugby World Cup.  (Poor England and Prince Harry!)  

Make sure to explore some of the cooler and more hip neighborhoods!

I explored some new neighborhoods that I imagine were not as popular 15 years ago like: Notting Hill (thanks Hugh and Julia!), Shoreditch (this neighborhood is giving Brooklyn in London) and South London (Brixton and Herne Hill).

This trip was an absolute delight and I can’t wait to go back for a longer trip–click on the pictures below to enlarge and more posts coming on my style in London, shopping habits, and language barriers–wait they speak English there?!–so stayed tuned.

Go shopping – London has amazing shops: from Selfridges (akin to Saks or Bloomingdale’s), Liberty – very high end, and of course the famous Harrod’s – once owned by Dodi Al Fayed’s father (Dodi was dating Princess Diana when they both died in a car crash in Paris).

Have tea and cake – a simple English pleasure and a daily ritual!

No visit to London is complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace – these gates are iconic!

Stroll the famous Notting Hill – with its colorful homes and vintage shops.

Main photo and style shots in gallery by Mark Pengelly.

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