Visiting London, England for the first time can be quite a daunting experience if you’re not prepared for the hustle and bustle of one of the most famous and diverse cities in the world.
Having visited London more times than I can remember throughout my life, I know just what to expect when it comes to the fast pace of the city, the numerous tourist attractions, and how best to maximize your time.
That’s why I’ve written this blog post, to help you get ready for London with top tips and advice on what to do, where to go, and what to prepare for when visiting this exceptionally busy but beautiful city.
Visiting London, England For The First Time
So let’s take a look at everything you can expect when discovering the UK capital for the first time, including the good and the not-so-good:
1. Unpredictable Weather
First thing first, you can’t talk about visiting London (or England for that matter) without talking about the weather!
As an English native, I actually think the UK has an unfair reputation for having terrible weather.
It’s a common misconception among tourists that it rains every single day in London and that you need to bring an umbrella and a raincoat with you, which is simply not true (although it depends very much on when you’re visiting).
Yes, UK weather can be very unpredictable, disappointing, and downright depressing at times, with plenty of rain, grey skies and terrible conditions that are seemingly never-ending.
But, there are also really lovely periods of sunny weather (honest!) and London can look absolutely gorgeous during the summer months as well as in spring and autumn.
Pro Tip: If you plan on visiting London and want good weather, then definitely don’t visit during the winter months! If you visit any time during October to March then you’ll experience a lot of grey, dark, wet, windy, cold weather!
I would definitely advise anywhere around May to September where temperatures should be mild and you may even be lucky enough to experience some nice sunny days!
2. Excellent Tourist Attractions
London is without a doubt one of the best cities in the world when it comes to tourist attractions. There are simply so many things to do and places to visit that it can be difficult to know where to start when putting together your itinerary.
From the most popular tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey to alternative areas worth discovering like Greenwich, Shoreditch and Camden Town, you are absolutely spoilt for choice.
Pro Tip: My advice would be to go on a one day walking tour of London to discover some of the most touristic sites and famous landmarks in just a few short hours.
There are a lot of different one day walking tours as well, including everything from Harry Potter tours to food, music, historical tours and a lot more.
Here are my top three tourist attraction recommendations for London:
- The Shard – this is the tallest building in western Europe and if you head to The View at the Shard then you can enjoy amazing 360 panoramic views of the London skyline. You can buy tickets here.
- The Tower of London – this UNESCO World Heritage site is a great day out in London for families. You can get to see the crown jewels, several different exhibitions and actual Beefeaters up close (just don’t get too close to them!). You can also book a tour with a Beefeater!
- Borough Market – there are some great food markets in London but for my money, Borough Market is the best of the best. Here you can find so many interesting food stalls selling all types of local and international cuisine – a foodie’s paradise.
Also Read: Insider Tips – Things to Do in London Beyond the Obvious
3. Lots of Green Spaces
What makes London so unique compared to almost every other major capital in the world, is just how green it is. With literally thousands of parks and green spaces in the region, it’s easy to relax in nature within an urban setting.
There are a total of eight royal parks in the city, with Hyde Park being one of the largest and most well known parks. Personally, I prefer St. James Park because it is within easy walking distance of Buckingham Palace as well as the Southbank.
Taking a morning or afternoon stroll in one of these beautiful parks and being surrounded by nature and wildlife is so refreshing – and it’s totally free to do of course!
4. Getting Confused on the London Underground
If you’re visiting London for the first time then get ready to be very confused when using the London Underground!
The Underground, or ‘the Tube’ as we call it, is the best and most common form of public transport used in the capital, but it is an extremely busy, overwhelming and confusing place if you’re not sure what to expect.
The London Underground is made of 11 lines in total, with each line having its own color. Just taking one look at a map of the underground for the first time is very intimidating and not easy to figure out at all!
So here are my top tips for using the London Underground:
- Instead of wasting time buying tickets when arriving at a London Underground station, I would advise using a contactless credit or debit card if you have one. Most foreign contactless credit/debit cards will work on the underground. You simply have to tap your card when you enter and exit each station at a gate, which saves so much time.
It’s worth checking with your card provider that your card will work internationally and be aware that international fees may apply – but it is the easiest and most convenient way to use the underground.
- I also recommend downloading a London Underground map app before your trip to London. There are several really good map apps that allow you to plan your trip easily – I use one every time I go to London and it saves me so much time and hassle.
5. High Accommodation Costs
Another aspect about visiting London that you may not be aware of before visiting is just how expensive it is, especially when it comes to accommodation.
Often ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world, London is definitely not cheap when it comes to restaurants, tourist attractions, and above all else; accommodation.
You can expect to pay on average between £150 to £250 a night for a hotel in central London on a weekday, and prices can be higher than that if you want to stay in a four or five star hotel.
Pro Tip: If you’re on a tight budget when it comes to accommodation in London, then my advice would be to look to stay outside of central London (in zones 3-5 realistically).
Yes, this means you’ll have a longer commute getting into the center of the city every day, but you can save on hotel fees, with prices considerably lower the further out of the city you stay.
However, this will probably mean staying in 2 star hotels or hostels which may not be the best quality, so it really is a case of compromising if you don’t want to spend a lot of money for your stay.
Also read: Important Things to Look for When Booking a Hotel Room and Pros and Cons of Staying in a Hostel
6. Lots of Free Museums
One of the best things about London is how many top-quality museums there are worth exploring. In total there are over 170 museums and several of the top museums are free to enter.
My personal recommendation (especially if you’re an art lover) is the Tate Modern situated on the Southbank. This is a really cool location with some fantastic modern art from internationally renowned artists.
You can find a full list of museums in London here.
7. A Busy Pace of Life
What’s really noticeable about London the first time you visit is just how busy it is!
Whether you’re visiting a museum or tourist attraction or using the London Underground, you’ll soon discover that London has a hectic pace of life.
This is totally different from pretty much anywhere else in the UK. To be honest, the intensity of the city is only matched by the likes of Tokyo and New York in my experience.
So be prepared for lots of people rushing from one location to another and plenty of crowds too. It can certainly get overwhelming at times if you’re not used to the fast pace of a huge international city.
8. A Wide Variety of Restaurants
Although British gastronomy has a poor reputation around the world, it has drastically changed for the better in recent decades and London has some of the best restaurants in the world.
The city has nearly 80 Michelin-starred restaurants, so you’re definitely not short on options if you fancy some fine dining restaurants when visiting.
Of course, Michelin-starred restaurants are expensive, but there are many cheaper food options in London as well. You can find decently priced meals at any pub, which may not exactly be fine dining but you’ll certainly save some money, and having a meal in a pub is a very British thing to do.
And you can also find pretty much every kind of international cuisine in the city, especially at one of the city’s trendy food markets which are a must-visit place if you’re a foodie fanatic like me.
9. A Lot of Traffic
London is a very congested city, experiencing endless traffic jams both in the center and on the outskirts of the city.
You may be tempted to hop on a London bus during your visit, but you can expect your journey to face delays, especially if you take a central route.
My advice would be to simply not use buses or taxis. I always use the London Underground when in the city and find it to be easily the most convenient form of transport.
This saves time and although there are sometimes delays on certain lines, in my experience they are almost always on time. It really doesn’t take too long to get from one part of the city to another.
10. Many Tourists
Yes, there is no getting away from the fact that London is absolutely crowded with tourists, with over 20 million international tourists visiting the city in 2023.
Every time I visit London I always hear Italians, Americans and more, which is great for the economy of the city of course. But it can get somewhat tiresome when every attraction you visit has huge queues and are overcrowded.
Pro Tip: If you want to avoid the crowds at many of the top attractions in London, then it’s better to visit during the off peak season. Of course this means the weather won’t be so great, but with London you do have to make compromises.
Also plan to visit tourist attractions during weekdays as weekends in London are always super busy wherever you decide to go. And if you visit the city during popular holiday periods like Christmas for example, then expect it to be extra busy!
11. Friendly Locals
And last but not least on this list of what to expect when visiting London for the first time is maybe a surprising one to some people; friendly locals!
It’s surprising because Londoners do have a bit of a negative reputation for being cold, aloof, and not exactly forthcoming if you need their help.
But I honestly believe this is quite a misconception about Londoners. In my experience, true locals of London such as black cab drivers or members of staff on the London Underground are very helpful, warm, and charming too.
Visiting London For The First Time FAQs
Still have questions about visiting London for the first time? Allow me to answer some of the most commonly asked queries about this fantastic city:
How Many Days to Spend in London?
It’s very common for a lot of tourists to visit London for a long weekend, and while you can do a lot in even just one day, it’s going to be quite a rushed experience.
I would recommend spending several days in London to really get to know the city – it’s a huge place with so much to offer and it’s impossible to visit everywhere in just 3 or 4 days.
Instead, a week or at least 5 days would be the ideal time to see all the typical touristy attractions as well as some alternative places that the capital has to offer.
What Are the Best Areas to Stay In London?
Knowing which part of London to stay in can take a long time as there are so many different and interesting neighborhoods and areas of the city. And you may have safety concerns about certain parts of London.
If you want to stay in a really nice part of London then you can’t go wrong with Notting Hill which is a very beautiful neighborhood, and the whole of Chelsea for that matter is a delightful area.
Shoreditch is a trendy area too and Soho is perfect if you want to stay central in the heart of the action. My overall advice would be to stay within zones 1-2 if budget is not a problem.
When Is the Best Time to Visit London?
It all depends on your preference!
If you want to enjoy nice weather and mild temperatures then for sure head to London from May to September. But keep in mind that accommodation prices will be at a premium during this peak season.
Early spring and late autumn months are better options when hotel prices will be lower, but the weather may not be so good.
Winter may seem a bad idea, but London is absolutely charming and more special than usual during the Christmas period.
Conclusion: Visiting London, England For The First Time
So that concludes everything you need to know about what to expect when visiting London, England for the first time.
Although some people think London is overrated, in my opinion it still remains one of the best cities in the world.
With a plethora of tourist attractions, food markets, shopping districts, and parks, it really does have so much to offer.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when planning your visit to London, or even when arriving in London. So I hope this blog post has helped you prepare for London and that now you’re well-equipped to explore this dynamic and exciting capital city.
Also Read:
- An Insider’s Guide to London Beyond the Main Tourist Attractions
- Visiting Camden Town in London
- Living in London – What It’s Really Like
- What Travelers Love About the UK
- How to Plan A Perfect Weekend Trip
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