A (budget) Week in London Guide
So you only have a week in London?
Here is everything you want to see, & didn’t know you needed to see, for the right price!
Fall of 2023 I spent a week in London which accidentally turned into the best week abroad I could’ve had. This guide is a step by step tour of everything I did, and how I did it.
Starting with accommodation!
My favorite place to stay in London is in the South Bank. If you are looking for the perfect budget/backpacking travel accommodation, I suggest the Walrus Hostel near Waterloo station. It’s nestled about a 10 minute walk from Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, and the London Eye. 5 minutes to Leake street arches, and a dozen restaurants and bars. A perfect location for getting around the city. This hostel offers free walking tours, pub crawls, live music on weekends, and discounts at the downstairs pub. The bartenders are always friendly and happy to help, the rooms are cleaned daily, and the location felt safe (as a solo female traveler). It’s a great place to meet people and make friends, while also giving you the freedom to walk the city.
Day 1:
Explore Leake Street Arches and Lower Marsh. There are so many cute shops, pubs and restaurants. Take a walk and get a bite to eat! A favorite of mine is Pizza Pilgrams. The inside is a perfect Insta photo location, but the food is phenomenal! My favorite was the hot honey pepperoni pizza!
After dinner and a couple drink at the hostel, head to Convent Garden and catch a “Choir of Man” show at the theatre! This show was suggested to me by one of the bartenders at the Walrus, and I had the best time. Get there early, the set for the show is a bar and you can get drinks on stage from the cast! When the show starts, you can bring your drinks back to your seats, and if you are close enough to the stage, they will bring you up during the show. It’s a super fun experience, and after there are plenty of places to see in the area!
My next stop was for some live music to end the night. Just a few blocks away is a pub called O’Neill’s located in the West End off of Wardour & Gerrard Street. Right in the middle of Chinatown, this pub is an easy walk from the theatre, and a fun place to grab a pint, watch the game, meet people from all around the city, and enjoy some music.
Day 2:
After leaving my accommodation in south bank, I grabbed a coffee at the local Pret, and made my way to the East End to walk around Bethnall Green. Take a walk through the Bethnall Green Gardens, see the stairway to heaven, and when you get hungry, stop at one of my favorite local pubs, The Camel.
Part of my trip was trying all the English food I could, and the Camel has an excellent selection of meat pies. All are served with a side of mushy peas, and pair best with a local pint. This place was a perfect hole in the wall spot to sit, relax, and enjoy a hearty meal before continuing my walk.
The rest of your day a great time for exploring, or just have a free evening to do whatever you want. (I got a tattoo that took up my next 4 hours)
Some suggestions I have:
- Hit a couple museums in the area
- Explore Hackney Rd
- Find a cool Art gallery in the area (there are tons)
-Catch a train over to Neal’s Yard. It’s a bit touristy, but perfect for pictures and leisurely exploring.
Day 3:
After exploring the city like a local for a couple days, I decided I wanted to have my tourist experience. I walked from the Walrus Hostel across Westminster Bridge, saw Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliment, took a walk through St. James Park (got a sausage roll and a coffee at a kiosk in the park) and walked all the way up to Buckingham Palace. Trafalgar Square is a central location for all things tourist. I explored the National Gallery, got to see the internet famous horse,
And even managed to get a picture in the red phone booth!
After this LONG day of walking, I called it an early night after a couple of drinks back at the Walrus. Because I had an even longer day ahead.
Day 4:
For £131, you get on a large air conditioned charter bus around 7am with a tour guide who talks to you during the drive and gives you the history of the area. The first stop brings you to Stonehenge, where you get to see the ancient megalithic site up close.
After a couple hours, you load back onto the bus, where you head off to the beautiful city of Bath, with the opportunity to tour the Roman baths or just explore the city.
After a couple more hours, you load back onto the bus to enjoy a beautiful drive through the Cotswolds, arriving at your last stop in William Shakespeares hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, where you are given the opportunity to enjoy a private tour of the school he attended.
This tour allowed plenty of time to walk and eat at each location. The tour guide gives interesting history facts en route to each stop, and you end the day back in London around 7pm with the ability to say you saw more than just one city. It was a 10/10 experience for me.
Day 5:
Start your day with a toastie at Scooter Caffe in South Bank, right down the street from the hostel.
This place is perfect if you love blues music, intimate terraces, and café cats that sleep on barstools. The pesto toastie is delicious, and so are their cocktails/coffee.
Then I’d go to my personal favorite, the Victoria & Albert museum. Enjoy a walk through this immense and beautiful collection, and don’t forget to see the short term exhibits! After, I personally took the afternoon off to take a nap after all the travel, and then headed out to enjoy some nightlife!
Back in Hackney, I started my night with some cocktails at Netil360. Before you go up, don’t forget to hop in the photo booth on the street out front, perfect for documenting your travels. Once upstairs, you get 360° rooftop views of London, and great cocktails for a decent price.
Next, I wandered to Mare Street Market for a little Sunday Roast! The food was phenomenal, and the the drinks were even better. A little on the expensive side, but the ambiance, service, and eats were worth every pence. The outside area is also awesome for meeting people and making friends.
If you want to hit one of the best cocktail bars in London, don’t miss The Natural Philosopher. The drinks are expertly made to satiate your senses. On the pricier side, but worth the experience.
If you want to pub crawl, right next door is The Queen Adelaide, a quiet intimate place with great wine, spirits, and ciders!
Day 6:
This day was personal for me. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I had to go see the Warner Brothers studios where the movies were filmed. I spent my whole day here, and loved every second of it.
If you aren’t a fan, and would like to do something else, here is your day to do it!
I did go out after with friends I’d made on the trip. And here are the places we went!
Day 7:
After a fun night out on the town, the best way to recover is a trip to bourough market.
This food market has anything and everything you could ever want. I had small bites from about 5 different places, and it gave me just enough nourishment to hit the Lancaster street charter market in Chelsea. Every Wednesday and Sunday they have local vendors line the streets with vintage clothes, shoes, posters, pins, foods and anything else you can imagine.
It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, and while you’re there, be sure to see the blue door from the movie Notting Hill! I found it by accident while getting a snack at The Castle.
If you would like any help planning a personalized vacation itinerary in London, reach out to me!
Safe travels and lots of love!
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