Which Areas Of London Should You Visit First?
If you are planning a visit to London once the Coronavirus pandemic blows over, and you don’t currently know the city all that well, you might well be wondering which part of the city you should visit first. London is absolutely enormous, and one of the first feelings that most tourists get is this feeling of being overwhelmed by its sheer size, even if you are used to large cities. It is also hard to tell where exactly you want to stay and what to do, and if you only have a limited time in the city you might struggle to prioritise. In this article, we are going to attempt to make this easier for you by looking into some of the areas of London which you should think about visiting first. Make time for these places first and foremost.
The City
There’s London – and then there’s the City. Essentially, this is just the very centre of London, and it’s where you are going to find all of the major sights that you would likely want to see. Okay, not exactly all of them, but a vast majority. This is where you’ll find the middle of the river, with the London Eye and the Parliament buildings, after all. It is also the location of the Shard and the Gherkin and other skyscrapers you might recognise from the famous skyline. If you are keen to do some shopping, it is also a top shopping district – as well as a major business centre of the world. If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the City, Dorsett Hotel, City is always a good option.
Greenwich
For a completely different vibe entirely to the City, you should consider visiting Greenwich, as this is one of the most interesting parts of London that you might want to visit. In Greenwich, you will find a much more bumbling, gentle, almost country feel to the place, but that doesn’t stop it also having some of the best pubs and restaurants anywhere in the city. One of the main highlights of Greenwich is to do with its naval history – if you are keen on seeing the famous shipwreck of the Cutty Sark, then this is the place for you to go, and otherwise it is just a generally lovely place full of interesting, arty people. What’s more, you have to ride the DLR to get there, which is great fun for all.
Kensington
If you are sure that you are going to spend your time in London going to the theatre and museums, then there’s only one place to stay, and that’s the borough of Kensington. That’s where a vast majority of the museums are, including the Natural History Museum, which is a whole day of delight and wonder in itself. Likewise, you have the Royal Albert Hall on your doorstep, and Hyde Park just next door, where you can go and sit on a sunny day or even find the occasional music event happening. It’s a fun and rocking part of London to be at any time.
Getting around London even during a pandemic is straightforward as the tubes and trains are still running. If you don’t feel like being underground though that’s understandable and there are other affordable and convenient options such as a private cab or an Uber. Sometimes the Ubers in London aren’t too reliable though so if you are in a rush I wouldn’t recommend using them.
Which areas of London would you love to visit?
Claire x