Is London Worth Visiting? Why it Should Be on Your Bucket List in 2025!
Is London worth visiting?
I lived in London for almost 5 years, and it will always remain as one of the places I call home. London has so much to offer, especially if you love history, art, music and fashion!
So, in case you are wondering whether it’s worth visiting London, the answer is that yes, it is definitely worth visiting!
The main reasons to visit London is for its culture and history, famous attractions, museums, parks, theatre plays, music and fashion.
There are lots of activities and events in London all throughout the year, so whether it rains or shines, there is something to do!
The best time to visit London is in Spring and Autumn, which offer good weather, lower prices and less crowds. Summer is also a great time in London as there are many outdoor events, however, it is more expensive and crowded.
Getting around London is easy even if it’s your first time in the city! The public transport is extensive and safe, and London is also walkable, so it’s nice to explore the city on foot.
Here are the best reasons to visit London and why it should be on your bucket list!
Is London Worth Visiting?
Yes, London is definitely worth visiting! London is the capital of the UK and it is one of the greatest cities in the world (but I used to live in London so I might be biased)!
There is so much to do in London and it is a great place for history, culture, museums, art, music, theatre and fashion.
There are also many places near London that you can also visit for a day trip, such as Windsor, Bath, Canterbury, Stonehenge or Brighton.
Some of the best things to do in London is to visit the historic sites, go to a museum exhibition, chill in a park, shop for clothes, visit one of its markets, and watch a play at the West End.
As for historic sites, check out the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.
For museum exhibitions, some of the best museums are the British Museum, National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain. The entry is free to most of the permanent exhibitions!
If you just want to relax, London has many nice parks (Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath, Regent’s Park), or you can also just chill in a pub.
Why Visit London
London has so much to offer and the main reasons to visit London is for its culture and history, famous attractions, museums, parks, theatre plays, fashion and shopping for clothes.
London is a walkable city, and has a good network of public transport. Ultimately, it makes exploring London safe and easy, so even if it’s your first time in London, you will find it easy to get around.
🇬🇧 Best London Tours
Book the best London tours for your trip here:
✅ London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
✅ Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour
✅ Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip
Reasons to Visit London
See the Historic Sites
Visiting London’s iconic landmarks is a must on any trip to London! Exploring the historic sites is one of the best things to do in London, especially if it’s your first time visiting.
London is walkable and many famous attractions are located close to each other. You have to take the tube to get from one area to the other, but once you are in a specific area, you can visit many attractions on foot.
Some of the tourist attractions can get very crowded, especially during summer, so if you visit any attractions where you can pre-book a skip-the-line ticket, make sure to get one.
Exploring London on foot is great, but always check the weather forecast ahead. There is always a chance for rain in London, plus summer can be hot and winter cold. So, just make sure to wear clothes appropriate for the weather.
The top attractions to see in London are the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Trafalgar Square.
Chill in London’s Parks
London has many nice parks and green spaces! Visiting a park is great to relax and chill, especially when the weather is good.
The weather is usually warm enough to chill in parks from April to September. During the summer, there are also many events and festivals held in parks.
When the weather is colder, you can still go for a stroll in parks, but the weather is not warm enough to have a picnic.
Some of the best parks in London are Regent’s Park, Hyde Park, Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath and Greenwich Park.
Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill are great spots to see the sunrise and sunset over London. You can get a nice view of London’s skyline and some of its famous buildings, like the Shard.
Hyde Park usually holds the British Summer Time (BST) festival every year in late June to July, where many famous bands play. Around Christmas, they also have the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park.
See a Museum Exhibition
Going to museum exhibitions was one of my go to weekend activities when I lived in London.
I loved that many of the museums and galleries have a free entry to their permanent exhibitions, and you only have to buy a ticket if you want to see the temporary exhibitions.
The museums are open all year around, and are a great place to escape the rain, cold or heat!
You can also learn not just about the history and culture of Britain but of other countries too, as most exhibitions cover artifacts from around the world.
Some of the best museums in London are:
- British Museum
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- National Gallery
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum
- Tate Modern
- Tate Britain
Watch a Play at the West End
The West End is known for some of the best theatre plays in London and when I lived in London, I had lots of friends who came to London specifically just to see a show at the West End.
The tickets for a show at the West End varies, but generally cost between GBP 30-210 (USD 40-270). To get a cheaper ticket, try to book the show well in advance.
If you are already in London, you can also go to the ticket booths in the morning and try to get a ticket for the day. The tickets for the same day are sold at a lower price but are for lesser-known shows and ultimately a ticket is not guaranteed.
The best plays in London’s West End are Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Go on the Iconic London Eye
The London Eye is one of the most famous attractions in London and is a must-visit place if it’s your first time in London.
It can be very touristy and have long queues, especially in high season, so it is the best to get a fast track ticket to the London Eye to skip the queues.
It takes around 30 minutes for one round, so if the queue is too long for you to wait, you can just check out the London Eye without going on it.
From the London Eye, you get really nice views overlooking London and of famous landmarks, such as the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the St. Paul’s Cathedral.
However, if the weather is bad and there is no clear view, it is not worth to go on it, as you might not see much of London.
✅ Book your ticket and skip the queue to the London Eye here!
Shop at One of London’s Market
London has many cool markets where you can get street food and drinks, or shop for vintage clothes, jewellery, antiques and artworks.
Some of the best markets in London are Camden Market, Portobello Road Market, Spitalfields, Brick Lane, Covent Garden, Borough Market and the Columbia Road Flower Market.
The Camden Market is one of the coolest places in London and it has many vintage shops, food stalls, second hand bookshops and pubs. It is a great place to buy something unique or funny, or to get a souvenir to take home!
The Columbia Road Flower Market is the best place to shop for flowers! It runs every Sunday from 8 am to around 3 pm, and there are vintage shops and cafes in the area that are nice places to hang out.
The Borough Market is mainly about food and you can get lots of different delicacies, such as cured meat, cheese, bakery items, and fresh fruits and vegetables. It can get really busy during lunch time, so it is best to visit at other times.
Covent Garden has lots of shops, restaurants and pubs. It is located in central London and if you walk around in small allies, you can find many hidden gems around Covent Garden. There are also street performers in Covent Garden that are fun to watch.
Visit the English Countryside
When I lived in London, I loved that there are many places near London that can be visited as a day or weekend trip.
The towns in England are well-connected by trains and buses, so it’s easy to escape London and explore new places.
Some of the best places to visit for a day trip from London are Brighton, Hastings, Windsor, Oxford, Stonehenge, Canterbury and Bath. If you have more time, you can also extend each trip to 2-3 days, which gives you more time to explore the area.
Make sure to check the weather forecast before your trip and dress in clothes appropriate for weather. There is always some chance for rain in England, so it’s good to have an umbrella.
Hang Out in a British Pub
There are so many pubs in London with good music and drinks! One of the things I miss the most about living in London is catching a random band playing in a pub that later goes on to make it big.
There are pubs all over London, so the best is to visit a pub which is either close to your hotel or in an area that you are planning to explore anyway.
In the city center, the Porterhouse and the The Lamb & Flag are typical British pubs and they are located near Covent Garden. So, after exploring Covent Garden, you can chill at one of the pubs.
For pubs outside the city center, you can check out pubs in Camden and East London. Most of the pubs in Camden and East London also have live bands playing – some gigs are even free!
There are many pubs in Camden, but some of the best ones are the Hawley Arms, Elephant’s Head, and the Dublin Castle.
East London is also a great place for pubs and live music. Places such as Dalston, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch have lots of pubs, and some nice ones to check out are the Shacklewell Arms, The Victoria, and The Three Crowns.
Go on a Boat Trip
Going on a boat trip is a great way to see London! Two of the best tours are either a boat tour on the Thames or to go on a boat tour on the Regent’s Canal.
The boat tours on the River Thames can be a bit touristy, while the boat tour on the Regent’s Canal is more quiet and peaceful.
A river cruise on the Thames is a nice way to see London and its famous attractions, such as the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Houses of Parliament, or the London Eye.
There are also public boats in London that go through pretty much the same route as the paid cruises. The public boats are operated by the Uber Boats by the Thames Clippers, and you can pay for the boat fare even with an Oyster Card.
For a less touristy boat tour, the Regent’s Canal offers a peaceful and beautiful boat tour. The boats go from Camden to Little Venice (or vice versa) and take around 45 minutes.
There is also a footpath next to the Regent’s Canal, and if you want to spend some time in nature, you can even walk from Camden Lock to Little Venice.
Visit the Harry Potter Film Studios
The Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios is a fun activity for both kids and adults! It is a pretty cool experience, and it is totally worth checking out if you like the Harry Potter books and movies.
The Harry Potter tour takes around 7 hours and you get to see the behind the scenes, movie sets and costumes at the Warner Bros Studios in Watford (near London).
If you visit London around the Christmas holidays, the usual sets at the studio are transformed into Christmas magic with snow and decorations. The Hogwarts in the Snow usually runs from mid-November to mid-January.
When planning your visit, you can either sign up to an organized tour or plan to visit on your own. If you prefer to plan it on your own, you can get the trains from London Euston Station to Watford Junction.
Once you are at Watford Junction, there are shuttle buses every 30 minutes that go between Watford Junction and the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios. The shuttle bus is free for everyone that has an entry ticket to the studio.
✅ Book the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour here!
Try British Food
Trying the local food is one of the best things to do in a new place. British food is not as savoury as Indian food, but while you are in London, you should try as much local cuisine as possible.
Additionally, the food scene in London is very diverse and you can find many great restaurants that serve food from all around the world, such as Indian, Italian, Mexican and more!
British food is mostly famous for the Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, English Breakfast, and going for a Sunday Roast.
There is also Secret Food Tour in London where you can have the best British food while also exploring London!
If you are visiting London around Christmas, you can also try Christmas dishes. Traditional Christmas dishes include roast turkey, Yorkshire Pudding (pastry served with gravy), cranberry sauce, Pigs in Blankets (small sausages wrapped in pastry), and Christmas pudding.
🥘 Book a Food Tour in London here!
Shop for Clothes
London is one of the fashion capitals of the world (in addition to Paris, New York and Milan). So if you like fashion, London is the perfect place to shop for new clothes.
The great thing is that there many different shops in London that fit all budgets. You can find clothes shops that range from budget to luxury brands. There are also some cool vintage clothes shops in Camden and Covent Garden.
The most famous places for clothes shops in London are Oxford Street and Regent Street. They are right next to each other and there are many fashion brands you can choose from.
Hotels in London
Looking for accommodation in London? Here are the top 3 hotels for every budget:
📍 Best Hostel: YHA London Central: check prices and availability here
📍 Best Mid-Range Hotel: The Resident Covent Garden: check prices and availability here
📍 Best High-End Hotel: The Savoy: check prices and availability here
Best Time to Visit London
The best time to visit London is generally in Spring and Autumn as they provide good weather, lower prices and less crowds.
Summer is also a great time in London, as the weather is nice, it is great for outdoor events. However, summer in London is more expensive and very crowded due to the summer holidays.
Winter in London is cold, but in December you get to enjoy the Christmas festive season. January and February tend to be very quiet in London but they are the cheapest months to visit.
✈️ London Trip Planning
Ready to book your trip to London? Plan your trip with my favourite travel resources:
✔️ SafetyWing: Get travel insurance here!
✔️ Booking.com: Book accommodation here!
✔️ GetYourGuide: Book activities here!
London Seasonal Guides
Not sure when to visit London? Check out my London seasonal and monthly guides:
London Monthly Guides
FAQs: Is London Worth Visiting?
Is London worth visiting as a tourist?
Yes, London is definitely worth visiting! There is so much to do in London and it is a great place for history, culture, museums, art, music, theatre and fashion.
There are also many places near London that you can visit for a day, such as Windsor, Bath, Canterbury, Stonehenge or Brighton.
How many days do I need in London?
You need at least 3-4 days in London to see the most famous attractions.
However, London is big and there are so many things to do. If you can spend 7 days in London, that gives you enough time to see the most famous places, plus visit 1-2 places in the countryside.
Is London a recommended destination for American tourists?
Yes, London is a great place to visit for all visitors, including American tourists!
London has so much to offer from history and culture to fashion and theatre – so there is something for everyone.
Visiting London is also safe, including for solo female travellers. However, it’s good to follow usual precautions and watch out for your belongings in crowded places.
Why should you visit London?
London has so much to offer and the main reasons to visit London is for its culture and history, famous attractions, museums, parks, theatre plays, fashion and shopping for clothes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes, London is definitely worth visiting!
The main reasons to visit London is for its culture and history, famous attractions, museums, parks, theatre, fashion and shopping for clothes.
There are lots of activities and events in London all throughout the year, so whether it rains or shines, there is something to do!
The best time to visit London is in Spring and Autumn, which offer good weather, lower prices and less crowds. Summer is also a great time in London as there are many outdoor events, however, it is more expensive and crowded.
Getting around London is easy even if it’s your first time in the city! The public transport is extensive and safe, and London is also walkable, so it’s nice to explore the city on foot.
Like This Post? Pin It For Later!
