London is an iconic and absolutely fascinating city which has an incredible amount of things to offer any kind of tourist. Given that there is so much to do in can be very difficult to plan a short trip there, and in fact there are locals who live there, that have still not seen it all. Recently my friend S R Buzzi and myself were in the UK and decided to spend a day in London. We knew fine well that we weren’t going to be able to see everything and so we made the best of our time in the capital. A day trip to London is still enough to tick some landmarks off the list, and here is how I’d recommend that you spend your day.
Greasy Spoon
A greasy spoon cafe is a traditional cafe in London, and the perfect place to enjoy a breakfast, freshly cooked, no bells and whistles and absolutely delicious. If you’re arriving in King’s Cross Station, there is a greasy spoon around 10 minutes walk away called Double Six, head there and fuel up to get you day started.
Camden Market
My friend and I wanted to see a real life Banksy and there is one in a nearby town called Camden, just 2 tube stations away from King’s Cross, on the Northern Line. The Banksy is under a bridge on the Camden canal, just a 10 minute walk away from the tube station, if you wanted to go and see it. Camden itself is super cool, very punk, and lots of great markets serving international street food, music, memorabilia, souvenirs and cool, handmade clothing. Many places like this exist around London but with just one day to spend, Camden makes most sense because it is so close to King’s Cross Station.
Buckingham Palace
It seems foolish not to visit the home of the Queen of England and this is pretty close to King’s Cross as well, just 3 stops away at Green Park on the Piccadilly Line. After some photos at Buckingham Palace, you can head up through Green Park to see the Ritz, and enter into Mayfair and Park Lane, alternatively you can go straight into Hyde Park, depending on what you want to see.
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is the big shopping street in London and this is where you’ll see places like Liberty and Selfridges. From Hyde Park or Park Lane you can access Oxford Street.
Final Fling
To finish up your day, I’d recommend heading to nearby Covent Garden, a beautiful area with cool pubs, restaurants and classy markets, a great place to eat. From here you can easily walk to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson’s Column, walk through Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, busy and exciting tourist areas. Finally you can head back on the tube from Leicester Square, back to King’s Cross in time for your train, which is just 4 stops away.
