#1 Watch a musical
Just like New York city has Broadway; London has West End. Even if you’re not a big musical fan, I would always recommend watching at least one show. West End has plenty shows to offer. Find their most recent shows at https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on
#2 Theatre Cafe
The Theatre Cafe is a multi-award-winning stagey coffee shop and probably my favorite café in London. The food is really good and the atmosphere really welcoming. Even the drinks are perfectly themed into the world of theater. Every once in a while, there are different performances of either musical actors or open mic events.
#3 Camden Market
One of the biggest and well-known markets in London is Camden Market. It offers all kind of food, art, clothing, souvenirs etc. With more than a million visitors a month, Camden market belongs to the biggest market in the world. Also, if you’re looking for vintage stuff, this is your place to go.
#4 China Town
No matter if you are just a Bubble Tea lover or East Asian food and culture lover in general. Choose from over 100 authentic East Asian restaurants, shops, bars and cafés in China Town in the heart of London, near Leicester Square. If you’re lucky enough you may witness one of their many colorful celebrations.
#5 Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is London’s equivalent to Time Square in New York City and not only famous for the billboards but also the memorial dedicated to the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. The first billboard was installed in 1900 with an advertisement for Spätenbrau, a brewery in Munich. Piccadilly Circus is surrounded by a lot of shops and restaurants and is always worth a visit. It is referred as circus as it used to be a roundabout.
#6 Oxford Street
This 2km long street offers lots of shopping possibilities. It’s one of the most important connecting streets of east and west in central London. Because of the traffic, Oxford Street had the highest Nitrogen dioxide pollution ever measured in 2014 and was referred as the most polluted place on earth. Nevertheless, Oxford Street should be always considered.
#7 Leicester Square
As soon as you enter Leicester Square it is pretty hard to miss one of the most well-known attractions around this area. Each hour a Glockenspiel given from Switzerland as a gift announces the full hour to you with little figures dancing around. There are many street artists, theater, shops and restaurants. If you want to follow my first advice, go and check the TKTS tickets booth. You can buy cheaper last-minute tickets there.
#8 Harrods
One of the most exclusive, biggest and well-known department stores in the world. With 30 departments for luxurious articles, 27 different restaurants and premium services like buying gold, a visit to Harrods might be a bit pricey. But just looking costs nothing.
#9 King’s Cross
If you’re a Harry Potter fan you most likely have this already on your list. King’s Cross is the train station in London. The photo location for a picture jumping through the wall at platform 9 ¾ and a Harry Potter store will probably make your heart beat faster.
#10 Borough Market
Borough Market is one of the oldest food markets in London. I had the best food ever there and it’s always a must do for me. Just go there with an empty stomach and you will be the happiest person.
#11 Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The making of Harry Potter
A walkable tour through the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Ever since its opening in 2012, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour has been the highest-rated attractions on TripAdvisor in the world. With 3,5 hours tour, almost an hour from London with the train and a ticket price of approximately 55€ ($62) (as of November 2021) it takes quite a while and isn’t the cheapest thing to do. But I would recommend it anyway if you’re a Harry Potter fan. However, depending on the season, it might be tricky to get tickets.
#12 Hyde Park
Always the best option to relax a bit in a big city. Hyde Park offers a big lake where you can swim, row and enjoy the atmosphere as well as horse riding area, soccer pitches and lots of areas to picknick.
#13 Cereal Killer Cafe
Themed in a 90’s childhood look this cafe offers a full menu of over 100 of your favorite American cereal brands. Not only the atmosphere is just right, the cereals (some served with ice cream) is just delicous.
Edit: Unfortunately due to Covid-19 Cereal Killer Cafe had to shut down. However, there are 2 more in Dubai.
