Jenny 5 Days in London - with a lot to see and do!
I recently returned from an amazing 5 day trip to London (my first time in the city), and loved it so much I already want to go back. And, if you know me, you know my all time favorite show is Downton Abbey – so of course when I went to London I had to do as Lady Mary would do and eat as Lady Mary would eat (at least a couple of times haha!). On that note – check out the details of my trip & what I did each day below!
Where we stayed:
We stayed at a hotel in Mayfair called The Mayfair Townhouse. I would definitely recommend it as we had an excellent stay and the location could not have been better!
Where We Ate:
- The Wolseley *– quite honestly the best breakfast I have ever had, I started with a croissant and followed with buttermilk pancakes and berry compote, with tea to drink of course
- The Mayfair Chippy – the best fish and chips in Mayfair, which has won many awards and was recommended by our hotel
- The Langham * – afternoon tea was marvelous, with delicious finger sandwiches, desserts, and scones! Not to mention the tea and the pianist playing!
- Cecconi’s Mayfair *– wonderful breakfast and tea with a super cute interior, great for pictures!
- The Carpenters Arms – (Windsor) great pub food, it won’t disappoint if you’re looking for a classic English pub in Windsor
- Dishoom – apparently famous to London’s Indian food scene, we loved it!
- Kensington Palace – we got afternoon tea here (no reservation), very good for a snack but I wouldn’t recommend it as your place to get a special afternoon tea!
- Le Deli Robuchon – offers tasty sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and tea. Great for a quick lunch – saw lots of working professionals!
- Pret – not special to London, but a fine fast lunch if you need something quick – with tons of locations in the city
- Cafe Concerto – we laughed about how many of these were throughout London! It’s quick to sit and offers decent food, nothing great but it gets the job done if you forget to make a breakfast reservation
My Recommendations Based on What We Did:
- Afternoon Tea at The Langham (Must do an Afternoon Tea)
- Windsor Castle Tour (Must Do)
- Breakfast at the Wolseley (Must do)
- Tower Bridge & Tower of London – and make sure to see The Crown Jewels!
- Walk through Hyde Park & St James’s Park
- Shop in Harrods & buy tea at Fortnum and Mason
- Relax in Kensington Garden
- See/Tour Buckingham & Kensington Palace
- Go on the London Eye (we bought the fast pass and were on within 7 minutes of buying our tickets)
- Walk through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus (no need to spend a ton of time IMO though)
- Check out Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament of course!
Keep Reading for a peak into what each day looked like!
Day 1: Thursday
We took an overnight flight from NYC to London on Wednesday and touched down in London Thursday morning, which was great because we really got to enjoy the day after checking into our hotel early! From there, we walked around the city and hit many of the tourist spots (we love to walk!!) which included Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. During the day we got sandwiches at a deli in Mayfair at the recommendation of the concierge, got tea, and finished the day with Fish and Chips from The Mayfair Chippy (10/10 recommend!!).
Day 2: Friday
Our first full day! After going to bed on the early side we got up early for a breakfast reservation at the Wolseley! The Wolseley is located right next to the Ritz London – and definitely gave me Downton Abbey Vibes with the beautiful interior! It was like stepping back in time, with modern finishes. I got the pancakes and tea (of course) and absolutely loved it, even considered going back another day! After breakfast we walked to Harrod’s to check out the famous department store – a must see if you’re a shopper like me. Later in the afternoon we took the tube across the city to see Tower Bridge and The Tower of London! We paid to go into the tower to see the old fortress and Crown Jewels – which were definitely worth the wait to get in! We ended the day walking through Shoreditch and got great Indian food at Dishoom!
Day 3: Saturday
On Saturday, we woke up early to catch a train and get to Windsor Castle for our 9:30 entrance time. We were lucky enough to see Queen Mary’s Dolls House which had been closed to visitors for a period – the details were astounding! After the castle tour we explored Windsor, with the many shops and cafes, before getting fish and chips at a pub nearby. We grabbed the train back to London (only 30 minutes) and walked around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. We found ourselves at Kensington Palace after a while and decided to get afternoon tea there – which was a great afternoon break! To end the day we got a quick dinner and walked through Notting Hill and Mayfair!
Day 4: Sunday
On Sunday, our last full day, we decided to get up early to take tourist pictures while nobody else was out yet! From there we got a quick breakfast and walked around – which led us to window shop on Old Bond Street! Then it was time to experience what I had been dreaming of – a nice afternoon tea!! We got ready (blog to come on my outfits in London) and left for what would end up being the best experience of the trip. Walking into the Langham felt like something of a dream – you know when you’re so excited for something and it totally lives up to expectations? Anyways, that was me in this moment, and for the two hours that followed as the pianist played and we were brought each course along with Earl Grey Tea.
Day 5: Monday
Our last day – bittersweet thinking of leaving at the same time as the amazing memories made in a wonderful city. We went for a great breakfast in Mayfair and then spent the day walking, shopping, and sat for tea and a pastry one last time before heading to the airport for our 5 o’clock flight back to JFK.
Beautiful pictures and excellent write up; your blog makes me want to travel to London and experience it myself.