The Shard
After the Windsor Castle, I made my way back to central London as dusk fell. I was now headed to the last stop of my day – The Shard. The Shard is a 72-story skyscraper which is the tallest building in the United Kingdom at ~1000ft. It is a commercial building housing offices, hospitals, restaurants etc. I was visiting for the View from The Shard.
Traveling by escalator to the 68th floor, I arrived at a glass enclosed observation deck which gave 360 degree view of the London city. The panoramic night views of a lit-up London were fabulous and not to be missed.
Tip: One can order food and drinks from the restaurant inside this 3-storied deck and enjoy them while admiring the views.
Tickets (without Pass):
The Shard: £ 25
King's Cross!
Before I could call it a day, I made just one last impromptu stop – to Kings Cross station (it was on my way back, in my defense) and there I discovered the “Harry Potter shop at Platform 9.3/4”. I’m afraid I did quite a bit of shopping there! Muffler, mugs, pens etc. A must visit for Potterheads! That was it for the penultimate day of my London trip.
Day 6: Sky And Water
This was a Saturday so that meant my husband was off-work and we could enjoy my last day in London together. However, due to some circumstances, we had a late start to the day. The day was rainy and chilly. Our plan was to visit the Westminster Abbey and the London Eye.
Westminster Abbey is the site of royal coronations and weddings. It is a Gothic structure which is one of the most known cathedrals of UK. Unfortunately, just as we reached the gates of the chapel, the gates closed for entry for that week! I requested to let us through since I would be returning to India the next day but they didn’t budge. So, alas!, the Westminster Abbey was missed.
London Eye
We then turned towards the London Eye. The London Eye is a Ferris Wheel, one of the highest structures in UK, and is basically a rotating observation deck. We rode the London Eye – in the glass-cased capsules which slowly move up and then down in a 30-minute duration. I absolutely loved the 360 degree view of the London City from various angles. There is a guide map provided which points out what we are seeing on each side of the view. This is a must-do in London.
HMS Belfast
We strolled around the area simply enjoying the day when we chanced upon the HMS Belfast and decided to visit.
HMS Belfast was a cruiser built as part of the Royal Navy but is now a museum which stands permanently docked on the Thames close to the Tower Bridge. It has nine decks incorporating bunkers, kitchens & pantry, captain’s quarters etc. But the most notable or visit-worthy are the gun turret experience room on the deck and the boiler and engine rooms at the lower level. Its highly interesting to see the erstwhile workings of ship. We spent a good 45 minutes going over the ship because it was so intriguing! Also, don’t miss the view of the Thames from the bow of the ship!
Tickets (without Pass)
- Westminster Abbey: £ 24
- London Eye: £ 27
- HMS Belfast: £ 22.70
So Long, London
The last night we spent the way we started – dinner and “adda” (bengali; means chatting) with friends, but not before we had another stroll through the twilight-lit city of London.
At the crack of dawn the next day, I left London to return home. The 7 days trip was an amazing one and I really loved it – there was history, there was magic, there was opulence and there was architectural beauty, all wrapped up in one city. I will return again someday!
The Improved Itinerary
In the 7 days, I took a trip to Ireland, I attended a match and I spent time with friends. Had I not had these I would have a full 7 days to visit London. So, here’s my 6-day London itinerary – based on what I saw and liked and what I missed but would have liked to see had I had some more time.
Day 1: Buckingham Palace including Changing of guards, Westminster Abbey
Day 2: Tower Bridge, Big Bus, Trafalgar Square (get off from Big Bus), Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus
Day 3: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Borough Market, London Bridge, Walking tour (just walk around central hub of London), catch a West End show in the evening.
Day 4: Tower of London, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cutty Sark
Day 5: Windsor Castle, The Shard
Day 6: London Eye, HMS Belfast, Kensington Palace and Gardens, Hyde Park
Day 7: Optional: If you’re a sports fan – visit Wimbledon/Lords/Wembley Stadium. Or, if you’re a Harry Potter fan, do the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Or, explore the London Pass for hidden gems. Or, simply walk around and do some shopping for you and yours.
Tip: Apart from the Buckingham Palace and the Harry Potter tour, all are included in the London Pass and/or Explorer Pass.
Useful links:
- London Pass: https://londonpass.com/en-us/london-attractions/pricing
- Explorer Pass: https://gocity.com/london/en-us
- Oyster Card: https://tfl.gov.uk
- Trainline (for outside London visits): https://www.thetrainline.com
- Buckingham Palace: https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace
- Windsor Castle: https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle
- Big Bus: https://www.bigbustours.com/en/london/london-bus-tours/
- View from The Shard: https://www.theviewfromtheshard.com/
