Solo travel is becoming more and more common, but we have to say that London is one of the best places if you are planning to visit a city without companions, embarking on an adventure and discovering new places and people.
In London you never feel alone, and you can go wherever you want without feeling watched. Personally, I had hardly ever eaten out before living in London, and now it is something I not only do quite a lot, due to my job, but I really enjoy it. London is the perfect place to learn to enjoy being by yourself. Be careful, it can be addictive!
Here are some ideas for things to do or how to discover this city if you are travelling alone:
1. VISIT A MUSEUM. Many times appreciating the beauty and cultural interest of a museum is much better when you go alone (like buying clothes). So what better than taking advantage of the opportunity to be alone in London, with the enormous cultural offer that this city offers, to discover one of its museums. Take all the time you want, enjoy what you like most, without schedules and without rushing. Here is the list of our favorite free museums.
2. BIKE RIDE. Discover the city on a solo bike ride, stopping wherever you like. Are you coming in the summer? Then it's ideal to take a stroll and have a picnic in one of the various central parks in London. Here we tell you which ones are the most central, and above all we'll tell you about our favourite, St. James's Park.
Cycling around London is quite safe, but if you're a bit more afraid, remember that there are plenty of cycle lanes in the city centre, and there is always a bike zone in the parks.
3. TREAT YOURSELF TO CULINARY TREATMENT. Go out for dinner or lunch somewhere you really like. Try the best ice cream in London, go for an authentic brunch, or sit in a cozy pub with a book. Enjoy the feeling of being with yourself, in a beautiful place with good food.
4. BUY A BOOK. London has so many beautiful bookshops where you can spend hours discovering all the books there are and will be. It's a wonderful experience to enjoy the smell of books and the floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books. In many London bookshops you can even find sofas and seating areas. I've always loved reading excerpts from different books, in a perfect, relaxed atmosphere, I've even found people napping between the shelves of some of the bookstores. If you've been to London, you know that the city can be exhausting at times.
There's London's oldest bookshop, Hatchards , to discover books you haven't seen anywhere else. There's also Waterstones , our favourite chain of bookshops. Many have a café, and the one in Piccadilly Circus is not only the largest and most extensive in London, but in Europe. You can also explore Daunt Books, or independent bookshops like John Sandoe Books. In this post we tell you about our favourites.
5. BOOK A WALKING TOUR. Discovering the city with the help of a professional who knows its history, its secrets and its details and has prepared a tour designed for you to learn and enjoy is the best way to walk around it. Without worrying about putting concepts together, checking the map, or knowing the timetables of anything.
We create tours with a lot of dedication and love. For us, the experience of a tour has to be like going to the theatre. Only you have to walk, instead of sitting in a chair. You can check out all our group tours here.
6. ACTIVITIES TO MEET PEOPLE. London is a very big city, where many people come and go every day, from all over the world. On apps like Fever, Meet up or even Facebook, you will find many events to do activities and meet new people.
You can also search for other activities:
- Go dancing Salsa and Bachata
7. CINEMA OR MUSICAL. If you have never been to the cinema or the theatre, this is the best city to do so for the first time.
Pick your favourite film or show, sit back in a comfortable seat and enjoy, because London has a spectacular cultural and theatre scene. We always recommend checking your tickets on TodayTixx to get deals, even last-minute offers. You won't regret it.
Plus, getting last-minute tickets at a good price is much easier when you only need 1. Take advantage of the offers :)
8. GET A MASSAGE OR SPEND A DAY AT A SPA. It's an unconventional plan, and it doesn't involve exploring the city, but pampering yourself and taking care of yourself is always nice. Treat yourself and book a massage or a relaxing day. You'll find plenty of deals on the Treatwell app, or check out Groupon.
There are several spas in London, for all budgets and tastes. You can include a massage in your day to enjoy the experience of traveling alone.
Banya London, for example, offers comprehensive massages for £55.
9. HAVE A PICNIC IN A PARK (WITH A BOOK). You can do this plan right after a bike ride or after spending a morning exploring bookstores. It is one of the greatest pleasures in London. Sitting on the grass in one of its parks, especially if it is a sunny day (yes, they exist). Of course, it is the ideal plan for spring and summer. If you come in winter, you can walk through the parks, but we don't think you want to stay there having a picnic or eating in the cold.
In winter, you can change this plan to eat at a street market. It's not as cold and the London experience will be practically the same.
10. FIND TREASURE IN NOTTING HILL. Discovering the antique market and the Notting Hill district will make you feel like you're in a movie. In Notting Hill I bought my first decorative antique camera. But you'll also find books, jewelry, decorative objects and a wide variety of food. It's the perfect place to get lost, take photos and enjoy the essence of this city.
You can also visit where the Notting Hill movie was filmed.
If you want to discover this neighbourhood and at the same time learn how to get the most out of your camera, you can sign up for our photography tour in Notting Hill. It's ideal for a fun, dynamic and creative activity with new people in one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in London.
11. HAVE A PHOTO SHOOT. You can choose to have the photo shoot done for you instead of doing it yourself. As a professional photographer, I offer photo shoots in London, so you can take home your best souvenir. Few cities offer as much fun with photography as this one. Take home a photo with the legendary Big Ben and the telephone booth or choose your favourite place in London. I will give you ideas to make your photo look magazine-worthy. And as well as taking home the memory of a beautiful day, you will have the photos to remember it forever.
12. DISCOVER BOROUGH MARKET. The quintessential street food market. We've already talked a lot about it, but apart from having a wide cultural offering, it's a place with a lot of life and movement. You'll love getting lost in the smells and colours it has. Enjoy various culinary delights, some great tacos, accompanied by a Colombian coffee and some famous strawberries with chocolate.
You can also come on our London Through the Centuries tour, where we will pause for you to enjoy this market.
13. EXPLORE HAMPSTEAD. If you fancy getting away from the mythical or touristy areas, I suggest you discover a more remote neighbourhood, with an English village aesthetic.
Not very touristy and with lots to discover. You will fall in love with its pretty streets, flower shops, cafés and bookshops and you can take a stroll through its extensive park, where films such as Notting Hill or Hampstead (or “A date in the park”) have been filmed.
From the highest point, you'll have views across all of London.
14. BUY SOMETHING SECOND-HAND (VINTAGE) IN SHOREDITCH. Another neighbourhood that is well worth discovering and where hours will fly by without you even realising. An alternative neighbourhood full of art, mixes and a lot of cultural diversity. From its famous graffiti on the walls, to vintage clothing stores or independent artists selling works that you can only find in London, to the most famous and viral bagel shop in London: Beigel Bake.
15. SIT IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE AND ENJOY THE VIEW OF LONDON'S BUSIEST SQUARE. If you like to sit and watch, the perfect place in London is Trafalgar Square, it is the most central square in London, and therefore the one that is always busy. A moment of reflection and tranquility, seeing lots of people, enjoying its statues, museums, views and the constant movement of the square, watched over by Admiral Nelson's column.
16. WALK AROUND LITTLE VENICE. Another must-do walk. Ideal for doing something different from the mythical tourist walks in the city centre (which you will have already done with our tours). Get lost in the canals of London, known as “little Venice”. You can walk from King's Cross (if you like Harry Potter, remember to visit the station where the famous Hogwarts Express leaves from) and go to London Zoo (where Harry Potter was also filmed, by the way).
17. SEE LONDON FROM ABOVE. Book your ticket to Horizon 22 , Sky Garden or the Shard viewing platform and enjoy the views of the city of London from its highest points. Remember to bring a notebook and a pen or a book to make the most of this experience on your own and be able to write down all the ideas that come to mind from that point, observing a city that evolves and changes with every passing minute.
18. TAKE A BUS TOUR. Sit on a famous red London double-decker bus and enjoy a leisurely stroll, without rushing or having to worry about a schedule, seeing the city from the comfort of your seat. Ideal for a rainy day too (since you can't have a picnic, this idea will make up for it).
Remember that lines 9, 11 and 15 have ideal routes for passing through the most touristic areas.
But we give you an idea that you will love, and that is, given the fame of the number 15 bus route, you can do it with an authentic vintage bus .
From Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill or vice versa. You simply wait at the bus stop (they run every 20 minutes) until you see it arrive. The journey costs £2.50, you can't pay with Oyster and it's not included in the London Transport fare, but it's a more than reasonable price to enjoy an authentic old bus.
