There is so much to see and do, mostly for free or low cost, in any big European city. London is no different.

I spent about 4 weekends exploring London during my visit to England in 2012. On those visits, I wandered the streets of London and found incredible history, architecture, art, shopping, food, parks, and more.

I share in this post all of the highlights from my mostly self-guided experience around London.

1. Bicycle Or Walk Along Regents Canal

To get around London, I mostly walked, took the subway, or bicycled (thanks to my host's loaner bike!). If you can get your hands on a bicycle, I highly recommend taking it along the Regents Canal one day.

The Regents Canal offers a beautiful, easy ride. I saw interesting street art, architecture, and houseboats pulling in and out of locks along the way.

2. Shop The Markets

There are many markets to check out for shopping and even entertainment. All are unique from each other. I went to 3 major ones.

Spitalfields Market is a 350 year running market inside of Victorian buildings in Tower Hamlets.

Fun Jewish History fact - Spitalfields was home to many Jewish refugees fleeing Poland and Russia, making it one of the largest Jewish communities in England between the 1880s and 1970s.

The street markets in Camden are a fun stop especially for younger crowds. Shops sell fashion, food, books, antiques, alternative clothing, and gifts.

Brick Lane in the East End of London has markets every Sunday from 9-5. There are all kinds of hand-made items, antiques, thrift items, and art for sale at these markets. It's a popular spot for artsy folx and bargain hunters. There’s even lots of delicious food vendors at Brick Lane!

You may recall when I lost my wallet on the plane to New Orleans? Well, I bought that wallet at Brick Lane! One day I'll go back there and have it remade.

On Brick Lane is also one of the only and best bagel (beigel bake!) shops!

3. View Street Art Around Brick Lane

While shopping at Brick Lane, you'll want to check out the nearby street art. Walk up and down Brick Lane and you'll spot it easily.

4. Picnic At Primrose Hill

Right around the corner from Camden is Primrose Hill. It's a cute spot to bring a date or read a book. Grab some food from Camden and bring it there for a socially distant picnic! You can catch views of central London from the crest of its natural hill.

5. Check Out The Art Galleries

All around the area nearby are galleries to check out. When I was there, I saw two galleries with Dean—The Wire Gallery and Xxxora Gallery. I'm not sure if they are still there 8 years later but there's plenty more to check out now.

6. Walk Abbey Road

I mean, you gotta do it right? Not far from Primrose Hill is Abbey Road Studios with the quintessential road out front.

As a daughter of huge Beatles fans, I could not pass up the opportunity to walk across Abbey Road. Mirroring the Beatles 1969 album cover, I had Dean snap my photo as I walked across with a sarcastic jaunt and a dorky smile. I couldn't help myself—it was just such a touristy thing to do!

The fun part is there is a live Earthcam covering Abbey Road at all hours. We were able to tune in later and look back at the CCTV video of us at Abbey Road and take screenshots from the candid footage. Here are some of the shots:

7. Be A Hipster In Shoreditch

If the Beatles were the original hipsters, then you can go be a new age one in Shoreditch. Shoreditch is London's answer to the Williamsburg, Brooklyn equivalent.

Known as the gateway to Shoreditch, I popped into The Roadtrip & Workshop restaurant during my time in London. While it’s now permanently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there's plenty of other places still open in the area.

8. Walk Across All The Bridges!

One of my favorite parts of London is its many unique bridges that stretch across River Thames.

Westminster Bridge is possibly the most famous as it is the bridge that approaches Big Ben.

Opened in 1973, London Bridge had me humming "London Bridge falling down" as I walked across it. This bridge offers views of Tower Bridge which, while I was there, had the Olympic rings displayed for the 2012 Summer Olympics!

Another of my favorite bridges was Hungerford Bridge which is a suspension footbridge that leads alongside the Golden Jubilee Bridge. Opened in 1845, it was designed by Isambard Brunel—an historic engineering icon.

9. Ride The London Eye

Between Hungerford and Westminster bridges is the London Eye.

I didn't ride the London Eye while I was there despite it being a very popular tourist activity. My brother and his wife did on their honeymoon tour of London—they loved it! I'm sure you will, too, if for no other reason than the views. Apparently, taking it at night is especially beautiful to see London lit up.

The London Eye is a unique and iconic feature of the London skyline over the River Thames. I was happy to appreciate it from a distance!

10. See Big Ben

When you reach Westminster Bridge, you will easily spot Big Ben. Also nicknamed the Great Bell, Big Ben is a cultural symbol of the United Kingdom and well-know for its accuracy. While I got to hear Big Ben chime, the clock tower started a 4 year silence in 2017 for renovations.

Earlier this year, they discovered undiscovered damages from WWII bombings and asbestos that requires nearly L80M in contruction costs. Big Ben is not expected to toll again until 2021.

Watch the video below to see Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, the London Eye, and London's famous red double-decker buses! It's a very British video.

Nearby Big Ben are lots of other interesting old buildings with beautiful architecture, including St. Margaret's Church. Founded in the 1100s by Benedictine monks, St. Margaret's is now World Heritage Site.

The Sanctuary hotel is another gorgeous structure next door. This hotel is rumored to have secret tunnels/passages through to Westminster under the ground from its basement. Now a real functioning hotel, the building housed the London Municipal Society in the early 1900s, it was a railway gazette in 1930, and a book publishing house in the late 1940s.

11. Explore St. James' Park

A short walk from Big Ben is the 57-acre St. James' Park. This park has a lake with two islands and tons of pelicans, swans, pidgeons, and other types of bird.

I spent at least an hour there walking around and observing the beautifully sculpted gardens.

12. See The Changing Of The Guard

At the western end of St. James' Park is Buckingham Palace. If you time it right in the morning, you can make your well over to check out the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Check out my whole post on this experience here!

13. Spot History Everywhere

Walking around London, you'll easily spot monuments, landmarks, and plaques commemorating moments and figures in history.

Like the monument to the great fire of London

A Statue of the Duke of Wellington—a war memorial in front of the Royal Exchange

There's also lots more Jewish history around—which you do have to really know where to look for it. Lucky, my friend Gavi showed me these parts. For example, we visited a synagogue and war memorials associated with Lond's Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition.

14. Contemporary Architecture

There are lots of old buildings and historic landmarks to see around London. But sprinkled throughout are more modern designs that I loved to see.

Near London Bridge is a Aqua Shard – a modern restaurant with hefty prices.

The Daily Express Newspaper building has beautiful reflective glass that was fun to take photos of opposite the Shard.

I also really enjoyed the aesthetic of 30 St. Mary Axe or "the Gherkin" designed by Norman Foster and Arup Group. This 41 floor structure building houses several different companies and was built at the site of the former Baltic Exchange.

15. Eat A Traditional English Breakfast

At just about any pub or cafe open early in London, you can find on the menu a traditional, full English breakfast.

This consists of a hearty grouping of bacon, fried eggs, toast, baked beans, sausage, mushrooms, and grilled tomatoes with tea or coffee. And no their tea is just called "tea"—not English Breakfast tea—when you're dining in England.

The best of these breakfasts are the mom and pop places where they definitely don't try to make the plate look fancy!

In Conclusion

There are endless things to see around London. The above covers some of the iconic sights I found and a few off-the-beaten path locations around old London town.

Most of it you can see by foot and spend little to no money unless you're buying food or souvenirs. These experiences are even accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can see it all outside while wearing your mask and keeping your distance, as most places are closed and less frequented by tourists right now anyway!

If you find yourself in London in the coming months, I hope this guide helps!

15 Self-Guided Things To Do In London