A WEEK IN LONDON

London. The Big Smoke. It’s a sprawling city, covering 607 square miles and home to over eight million people.

With so much to see and do, London can seem like an overwhelming place, so in today’s post I want to share my suggested one-week itinerary for a visit to London that takes you along — and off — the beaten tourist path:

Pick a neighborhood and wander – London is a great city to just walk around in. You can follow the ancient Roman wall (part of the wall still exists and so does an old Roman amphitheater, which was rediscovered in the 1980s) from the Tower of London through the center of the city. The city maintains a series of panels about the wall and the history of the city along the way.

Relax in a park – After all that walking on the first day (trust me, it’s worth it), chill out in any one of the city’s many parks.

Hang in Soho – It has cute little parks, world-class restaurants, lots of popular bars, funky bookstores, beautiful buildings, and everything in between. I recommend you spend your evening here eating and drinking and hanging out with the locals. Some recommended places.

Soak in art and culture at a museum – Take advantage of London’s hundreds of museums and overload on history, art, weird oddities, and everything in between. Some of them are so big you can barely see them in a week, let alone a day! Here are some of the bigger ones to start with:

• British Museum – By far one of the best in all of Europe, this giant museum houses one of the most comprehensive art, cultural, and historical collections in the world. Be sure to budget at least three hours to get a good sense of the museum, though you could easily spend a whole day there. Great Russell St. +44 20 7323 8299. britishmuseum.org. Open daily 10am-5:30pm.
• National Gallery – This art museum was founded in 1824 and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to around 1900. There are works by Johannes Vermeer, Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo, among many more! It’s a really extensive and wonderful art museum. Trafalgar Square. +44 20 7747 2885. nationalgallery.org.uk. Open daily 10am-6pm.
• City of London Museum – I love this museum. It gives you a detailed overview of London’s history and has an excellent exhibit on the Great Fire of 1666. 150 London Wall. +44 20 7001 9844. museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london. Open daily 10am-6pm.
• National Portrait Gallery – Here you’ll find portraits of centuries of famous Brits, from kings and queens to celebrities and artists. St. Martin’s Place. npg.org.uk. +44 20 7306 0055. Open daily 10am-6pm (until 9pm on Fridays).

Note: All these museums are free!

Wander around Westminster – Start off with a stroll through Hyde Park’s lush and expansive grounds, with its picturesque walkways, ponds, and ducks, before heading to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard at 10:45am.

Eat in Borough Market – After that, hop on the tube from Westminster to London Bridge (or walk along the South Bank) and head to the famous Borough Market to grab a meal from one of the many vendors. It’s hugely popular with locals, especially around lunchtime.

Wander South London – After you’ve satiated your hunger, wander around South London. See the site of the original Globe Theater, visit the eerie Crossbones Cemetery that honors the working girls and lost souls of London, walk along the riverfront, marvel at Millennium Bridge, and pop into the Tate Modern for a few hours to take in some of the best modern art London has to offer (it’s free).

Hit up some more museums – London is museum city. It has some of the best in the world.

Eat on Brick Lane – Head east to the famous Brick Lane and eat your heart out — it has some amazing Jewish delis (Beigel Bake is the most famous — and delicious) and Indian cuisine. On the weekends, this street becomes a bustling flea market and a hub of activity when it fills with antique and flea market sellers, food vendors, and people eating and drinking their way down the street.

Take a Jack the Ripper tour – Every night, you’ll find tons of people in the East End learning about Jack the Ripper on a ridiculous number of similar tours. My favorite is the original Jack the Ripper Tour. Get Mick as your guide; he’s obsessed with Jack the Ripper (he even wrote a pretty decent book on the subject) and will fill you with arcane knowledge. Very animated too!

Visit art galleries – Into art? Great! London is the perfect place to window-shop! Here are some galleries worth checking out:

Take in a show – London is my second favorite theater spot after New York City. You can’t leave without seeing a show.

Take a day trip to Stonehenge – Stonehenge, located in Salisbury, is one of the oldest man-made structures in the world (it dates back to 2500 BCE). You can’t approach the stones anymore as they are now cordoned off, but it’s still quite a fascinating site to explore. The audio tour is a must so you can get some historical context.

Take a day trip to Bath – Bath is named after its famous mineral baths. It is home to an ancient Roman bath that is marvelously well preserved (the audio guide by Bill Bryson is a must). It’s pretty much the main attraction in town, though the church and river are also nice.

Take a day trip to Oxford – Oxford is one of the oldest universities in the world and exploring all the beautiful colleges here makes for a fun day trip. Most cost a few pounds sterling for a tour. You can even see the one where they filmed Harry Potter. In addition, you can visit the famous Bodleian Library, wander the town’s historic center, and enjoy some good food.

Take a day trip to Cambridge – Cambridge is similar to Oxford with some of the best universities, parks, museums, and theatrical productions in the country.

Visit the Dennis Severs House – Located in the East End in Shoreditch, this house is an immersive art experience (“still life drama”) set up to represent how a family of silk weavers would have lived from 1724 to the early 20th century. Honestly, I didn’t really get it: I mean, it was funky and arty, and there’s whispering going on from speakers in the walls, but I didn’t get why everyone loves it.

Take a paid walking tour – During my last visit to London I tried out over 25 different walking tours. There are amazing companies that have created some insightful, entertaining, and delicious walks for every type of interest. From Harry Potter walks to historic pub crawls, there will definitely be something for everyone.

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