London is less than three hours away from my home but, for one reason or another, I’ve never been able to get there. I even flew overseas, but I never had a trip to London.
-if you have followed me on my socials during my long weekend in London you will surely already know the steps I'll do along this post :) -
With today’s post I want to propose you a London itinerary that I hope will be useful to you to explore it in a few time discovering its main neighborhoods.
I have to say that having been my first time in London and having had so little time, I decided not to visit museums and to get lost in the streets to discover the true essence of this wonderful city. I also had to bypass some places that I wanted to see as Camden Town, Chelsea, St. Paul Cathedral and Shakespeare’s Globe. Reason why I can not wait to get back there soon; ).
MY LONDON TRIP IN 4 DAYS: WHERE I STAYED
During my London trip I had the pleasure to stay at two fabulous hotels that I have already shown you on my social pages:
– “The Westbourne Hyde Park Hotel”: the contemporary boutique hotel where we started our London trip. A luxurious complex of suites next to Hyde Park and 3 minutes from Lancaster Gate Metro Station, an elegant and quiet residential area, just 15 minutes’ walk from the heart of London. We were greeted in our wonderful Deluxe Studio with an unexpected bottle of champagne perfect to celebrate our arrival in my dream city. The comfy bed, the view on Hyde Park and my morning Nespresso dose, made the London awakening even more special!
- if you want to book this beautiful hotel you can enjoy a 10% discount by using the code B51. Click HERE to find out all the hotel rates! -
– “N°10 Manchester Street Hotel”: a luxury boutique hotel just a few steps from the heart of Soho, a real retreat from London’s hectic life five minutes from the most lively streets. The professional and kind staff welcomed us with a box of great macarons and the fashion magazines I mostly love. Giacomo and I will never forget the terrific breakfast served in our room with hot pancakes, small pastries, fruits and cappuccino.
The N°10 Manchester Street Hotel made our London weekend even more unforgettable! (For info and reservations please visit the hotel website by clicking HERE).
MY LONDON TRIP IN 4 DAYS: WESTMINSTER AND SOHO
-The original planning of our London trip (for Giacomo it was the fourth time lol!) originally provided a full day through Westminster and Soho. Unfortunately my programs have gone into smoke, but despite this, I want to propose you the exact route I had thought for us! -
My arrival at Westminster was preceded by one of the most unforgettable breakfasts ever. To tell the truth, I could not wait to arrive in London even to get there. Yes, I’m talking about the pinkest and sweetest corner of London, I’m talking about Peggy Porschen (in Belgravia): the most delicious, bon ton and feminine pastry there! I will never forget its pink pieces of cake with a so delicate flavor and its cappuccinos served in pastel-colored cups!
After completing our total pink breakfast we headed to the heart of Westminster passing through Buckingham Palace which, despite the rainy day, welcomed us with its majesty and its enchanting splendor. Then we went to St James Park, that was truly impressive during the autumnal foliage, to the Houses of Parliament and to the Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower), which, alas, was in the process of restoration and finally to the awesome Westminster Abbey!
So now let’s talk about Soho, the heart of London, the one made of streets crowded by black cabs, double-decker red buses, old red telephone boxes, shops at every corner and bright insignia. Soho is all this. Soho is chaos, is hectic life, is a lot of people coming out of the metro stations and bunches of restaurants, trendy clubs and theaters. If you are in Soho you can not miss its main streets: Oxford Street and Regent Street for trendy shopping, Bond Street for the most exclusive and luxurious shopping, Carnaby Street that will make you crazy among pubs and cute shops. Then, you must take a stop to take some pics at the bright displays of Piccadilly Circus and the majestic Oxford Circus palaces. And finally, you do not have to miss the experience of a musical at Covent Garden (we chose “Mamma mia!” And I admit that it was an exciting experience).
MY LONDON TRIP IN 4 DAYS: KNIGHTSBRIDGE AND HYDE PARK
Between a district and another, during your London Trip (especially on Christmas) you can not miss a visit to Knightsbridge: the richest and most luxurious neighborhood in the British capital, a crossroad of super luxury hotels and the headquarter of Harrod’s: one of the most famous shopping centers in the world. The Harrod’s splendor will literally impress you, the immense ground floor dedicated to jewelery and accessories will make you lose your head and immerse yourself in a dream world. If, however, the thought of exploring 7 levels of clothing annoys you, you can directly jump into the hall dedicated to Christmas with Santa Claus teddy bears, all kinds of balls and Christmas music that will make you feel right in the house of Santa Claus.
To get back to Soho I recommend you to forget the subway and venture into the magical Hyde Park. Get lost in its paths and fall in love with it.
MY LODON TRIP IN 4 DAYS: CITY + EAST END
- the London trip then continues to two neighborhoods close to each other but completely different from each other that we chose to visit on Sunday to discover the mythical Bricklane Market.-
Let’s start from the City of London, the pulsating heart of Britain’s economy, forge of new modern skyscrapers such as The Shard designed by Renzo Piano and The Gherkin so called for its “gherkin” shape. Maybe it would be more exciting to venture into The City during the week by juggling yourselves with busy businessmen and bars full of workers during their coffee break, but unfortunately we had to take a decision – and i preferred to explore the East End during its most distinctive day!- In The City there isn’t much to see but crossing it will make you feel a bit like in NYC, but in the heart of London!
Starting from The Shard, crossing the London Bridge and walking for a couple of miles you will literally be catapulted in another epoch, in a tangle of beautiful brick buildings with the signs of old little shops and dark streets that will immediately bring you to the historic Victorian England, the one of the industrial revolution and the contrasts between extreme wealth and inhuman poverty. The East End was a degraded and defective area and today is the cradle of fashion trends, young designers and street artists. Spitafield, BrickLane, White Chapel and Shoreditch are the neighborhoods of this area, and you will almost be unable to distinguish them because they perfectly mix with each other. My advice is to visit the East End on Sunday to get lost through the Brick Lane and Spitafield markets, which among vintage clothing, original creations and ethnic cooking booths will delight you as never before.
- before visiting the "real London", however, recharge your batteries at the The Breakfast Club enjoying the most tasty brunch in town! -
MY LONDON TRIP IN 4 DAYS: NOTTING HILL
The route I propose for your London trip ends in Notting Hill, the most romantic neighborhood of London, the one that made thousands of people dream. At the Hill Gate Station stop you will be immediately catapulted into the set of a romantic London comedy and within a few steps you will discover the delightful Hillgate Place area with its colorful terraced houses and its kindly homeowners who are super used to meet tourists who photograph their wonderful houses.
Walking around Notting Hill you will meet myriad of white villas with luxury cars parked in front of them and children with school uniforms coming down from the school buses.
- my advice to discover this district is just one: leave GPS and maps and get lost in its striking streets-
If you are in Notting Hill, then you don’t have to miss Portobello Road: the street where every Saturday morning is held the famous Portobello Market. We did not have the opportunity to visit the market, but I assure you that this road will also charm you with its vintage shops of antique maps, clothes and books.
Finally, if you are foolish romantics and, of course, fans of “Notting Hill” you must look for the most famous places of the movie such as Hugh Grant’s home, the “Travel Books” bookstore (which, maybe, won’t impress you so much) and the very famous garden with its bench;). Of course, I won’t tell you where to find them and I will leave you to this nice treasure hunt!
What can I say, I hope that this long post will help you and that these little tips will make your London trip even more special!
If you need any further advice, please feel free to contact me by email at info@lapetiterobinoire.com. .
xoxo,
Roberta
