Finally Made It to London! First-Time Adventures in the City

London at Last!

London has been on my travel bucket list forever, and in April 2024, I finally made it happen! This was the first stop on our Euro trip, and I got to experience it with my cousins Diane,Grace and Cynthia, which made it even better.

We spent April 27 – May 1 exploring the city, and honestly, it lived up to every expectation I had (and then some).

Where We Stayed

We booked a stay at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, which turned out to be the perfect home base. It was right in the middle of all the major sights, making it super easy to get around. Being able to just walk out and be minutes away from places I’d only seen in photos was surreal.

First Impressions

After a long 10+ hour flight from LAX, Diane and I were determined to power through and start exploring right away. We met up with Grace and Cyn at the hotel, freshened up and were ready to go. As expected, London greeted us with cloudy skies and a little rain, but honestly, the excitement of finally being here outweighed any complaints about the weather. Nothing was going to dull that first-day thrill!

Our first stop? Big Ben. Seeing it in person after only ever seeing it in photos felt so surreal. From there, we walked by Westminster Abbey, taking in its incredible architecture, and then made our way to Buckingham Palace. One thing that really stood out to us was how clean London was. For such a big city, everything felt well-maintained and orderly, which made walking around even more enjoyable. Even with the jet lag creeping in, just being surrounded by so much history and beauty kept us going!

London at Night

Changing of the Guards

We watched the Changing of the Guard, which was definitely cool to experience at least once—but it took up a lot of time. If I go back to London, I’d probably skip it. One thing that stuck with me was how often the guards reminded everyone to watch their belongings since pickpocketing is pretty common in the area. Definitely a good reminder to stay aware in crowded spots!

Tower Bridge

One of the most iconic landmarks we visited in London was Tower Bridge. It’s often mistaken for London Bridge, but fun fact—London Bridge is actually a much simpler structure, while Tower Bridge is the one with the two grand towers and the famous drawbridge.

Walking across it gave us some stunning views of the Thames. It’s also been featured in some major films, including Spider-Man: Far From Home and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Seeing it in person after spotting it in so many movies made it even more exciting!

We walked through Trafalgar Square, only to find it completely blocked off for filming. From what we could see, it looked like some kind of military or protest scene. We were definitely curious but had no idea what it was for.

Fast forward a few months, and while watching the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning trailer, I spotted a quick clip of the exact scene being filmed that day! It was such a cool realization, and now I can’t wait to see the full sequence play out on the big screen.

Harry Potter

We checked out the WB Harry Potter Studio Tour in London, and it was absolutely incredible! The 3–4 hour experience was packed with iconic sets, costumes, and interactive exhibits that made it feel like we had stepped right into the Wizarding World. There’s so much to share, so I’ll be diving into all the details on another post!

Restaurants

We got to try some amazing restaurants while in London, each offering something unique. Dishoom Covent Garden was a must for its delicious Indian dishes, and The Ivy made for a great dinner spot with its classic British charm. At Caravan King’s Cross, we started our day with a traditional English breakfast—because you can’t visit London without having one! Darwin at Sky Garden gave us incredible views along with dinner, but hands down, my favorite was Mr. Ji in Camden—the food was incredible, and the vibe was just right. London definitely delivered when it came to great eats!

One of our first food stops was picking up desserts from Cédric Grolet. If you’re not familiar, Grolet is a renowned French pastry chef known for his stunning, fruit-inspired desserts that look almost too good to eat. He’s the executive pastry chef at Le Meurice in Paris, but luckily, he has a location in London—saving us from the long lines and crowds at his Paris shop.

I had preordered a set of pastries for us to share, and let me tell you, they were works of art. Even though Paris was on our itinerary, we couldn’t pass up the chance to try these masterpieces without the hassle.