Imagine you have only 48 hours to spend in an incredible place like London. My blog will help you to find the best places to visit in such a short time. In 2019 I spent two incredible weeks in England. My husband came to visit me during my trip and we spent 48 hours in London. We stayed in the Premier inn London Hall hotel located in the heart of London, just a minutes’ walk from Waterloo train station and the London eye. If you have just 48 hours to enjoy a fabulous city like London it’s important to find a hotel in the central location. From Premier inn London Hall hotel, you can easily walk and see different attractions, such as Buckingham Palace, London Dungeon, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and many sights all along the Southbank itself.
London Chinatown
London Chinatown is located in the City of Westminster bordering the Soho and Theatre district. It is a vibrant place with Chinese restaurants and supermarkets. I love the vibe and colors in the London Chinatown, it seems like you walking in the middle of China but you are in London and therefore it is so fun. It is a great place to visit for dim sum and crispy duck lovers, that can be found in almost every restaurant in Chinatown. You can find delicious dumplings at the Joy king Lau restaurant located on Leicester Street. It is a busy restaurant with a good selection of dim sum dumplings, duck in any form, and a great selection of noodles at reasonable prices. If you are looking for freshly baked buns visit Chinatown Bakery and do not forget to take a picture near the Chinatown gate.
Tower of London
The Tower of London is a must-see place to visit, you cannot visit London without seeing this incredible place! This historic castle is located on the North bank of the River Thames in central London. The Tower of London is the most famous castle in the world. During my visit, I learned a lot of history and saw outstanding architecture. If possible, take a free tour with one of the beefeaters, the tour with beefeaters is very entertaining because they know a lot of interesting facts about the Tower. Do not miss the Crown jewels, The Crown Jewels are simply stunning, diamonds, sapphires, and other gemstones are still extensively used by The Queen for important national ceremonies. During the visit to the London Tower, you will meet the 7 famous ravens, they are protecting the Tower. Ravens in of the Tower are highly intelligent and have their own names. If you like shopping, there are lots of little souvenir shops around as well.
London eye
London eye is located on the South Bank of the River Thames in London not far from the Waterloo train station. London eye is a must to do tourist attraction in London. It takes 30 minutes to do a full circle of the Eye and it’s an amazing way to experience London, you can see Big Ben, the House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Shard, Buckingham Palace, parks, and more. I did this attraction on a very sunny morning and was incredibly surprised by how far you can see on a bright day. I am not afraid of heights but when you are inside the capsule you feel safe. This is an amazing attraction for the whole family, great for adults and for kids. I would recommend buying skip the lines tickets to avoid long lines.
The London Dungeon
London Dungeon is located on London’s South Bank, it is a short walk from Waterloo train station. It was my first visit to the London Dungeon and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I heard that is an extremely popular attraction in London and decided to try it myself.
We pre-booked our tickets online and visited London Dungeon on Sunday morning. I have to say it was an amazing experience with incredibly talented staff. It is a great way to learn about London’s history, the actors make this experience fun and a little scary, it is was very dark and you don’t know what to expect. Actors tell you stories about Sweeney Todd, Jack The Ripper, The Great Fire, and other dark events of London history. I enjoyed the boat ride, lighting, and special effects. All the experience was very entertaining and educational. A great attraction for all families. If you have a few hours to spend, go for it!
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly circus is the most popular square in London. Located in London West End Piccadilly circus often called the Times Square of London. It’s only a short walk from Regent Street, China town, Hyde Park, and Oxford Street. Busy during the day and evening time, with huge TV screens and lights Piccadilly circles always remind me of New York. It is a lot of shopping, restaurants, bars, street performers, and architecture. Is one of the spots where you will be never bored.
You can find it at Piccadilly Circus Fortnum and Mason department store, Piccadilly Arcade, UGG, and many other shops. Just a few blocks from Piccadilly you can find M&M World & the Lego Store both are situated on the northwest corner of Leicester Square, also many shops such as Uniqlo and Zara are located just a few minutes’ walk on Regent Street. If you are looking for a restaurant you can visit Rainforest Café, Five guys, Hard rock café, Pizza hut, and many others. If you visit London, do not miss Piccadilly Circus.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is one of the must-see places in London, is a very special and happy place located between Charing Cross and Leicester Square. You can see a Column with the statue of Sir Horace Nelson on the top, in the center of the square, two beautiful fountains, and many statues of kings and admirals of Great Britain like King George IV, Lord Sir Beatty, and many others. This amazing square is the home of the National Gallery and it’s very easy to access. I enjoyed the street performers, shops, and restaurants nearby. Trafalgar Square is very close to Pall Mall Street, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. It is a great place to spend one-two hour with the whole family.
Buckingham palace
Buckingham place is the official London residence and working royal place of her Majesty the queen. This lovely iconic place is located in the city of Westminster. You can visit beautiful gardens and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to picnic with the views of the palace or watch the Royal Changing of the Guard ceremony known also as Guard Mounting.
Changing the Guard ceremony is free and hundreds of people come to watch this ceremony each time, you need to get there about 1 hour early to see anything. You can watch changing of the guard in Buckingham palace from August to May on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays and during June and July daily at 10:45 AM. The ceremony takes around 45-60 minutes with music as well. You can book a tour to see the beautiful State Rooms inside Buckingham Palace, this amazing experience is only available when Queen is away. Inside the Staterooms, you can see cathedral ceilings, beautiful paintings, and art objects but of course, taking pictures inside is not allowed. I highly recommend visiting Buckingham place if you are in London.
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