Exploring London might be one of my favorite things to do, ever. There’s so much to see in the beautiful city, which means we always spend most of our time walking instead of riding the tube (who wants to be underground when there’s so much to see?!). Between the architecture, open park spaces, and the local food + pub scene, London always captures my heart. If you’re planning on traveling to London anytime soon, I’ve created a London Travel Guide below with a few of my favorite must-see spots.

London Travel Guide

• Seven Dials: In this adorable village within Covent Garden, seven historic streets come together to create a network of shops, cafes, and bars. By far my favorite spot in London, plus the surrounding Covent Garden area and nearby Theatre district are just as fun to explore.

• Sky Garden: As cool as it sounds, the Sky Garden is an urban oasis located within the top three floors of a skyscraper in London. The space is filled with live trees, plants and flowers, and provides 360 degree views of the city. Admission is free, and reservations can also be made for the swanky restaurants and bars up there, too.

• Fortnum and Mason: The place of my dreams, Fortnum and Mason is a high end department store selling picnic hampers, confections, tea, ice cream, and countless other British necessities. Plus they sell frozen champagne popsicles…

• La Bodega Negra: If you’re in the mood for Mexican food abroad (we were craving it by the end of the honeymoon), this spot in Soho is a must visit. The ambiance is great and the tacos + margs are pretty swell, too.

• Shoreditch: After some recommendations from our hotel, we  spent a bit of time in this East End neighborhood. This part of the city is young, hip, and full of trendy bars and restaurants (basically London’s version of San Diego’s North Park times ten). Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane are an obvious must see while there, and we even managed to find a craft brew bar. There are countless other spots in this neighborhood worth mentioning, so I would just recommend making a trip over to the East Side and wandering around for yourself!

• Hyde Park: It’s hard to miss this huge green park sitting in the middle of the city, and it’s definitely worth a visit or two. A walk through the open space provides the perfect break from the bustle of the city. The swans and peonies growing in the park make it kind of feel like you’re in a fairytale, too.

• Sketch: To read everything you need to know about this pastel dream of a restaurant, visit my previous post here.

• Borough Market: One of London’s most infamous markets, Borough is always worth a visit on the South Bank to shop and try local eats . The small streets surrounding the market are wonderful as well and have quaint shops like Neal Yard’s Dairy.

• Portobello Star: If you’re a G&T fan, this bar and home of Portobello Road Gin should be on your list. The Notting Hill spot serves the classic London cocktail  in a stemmed wine glass complete with fresh juniper berries and citrus. You can also make reservations and attend the Ginstitute on property, where you can learn to distill your own gin to take home.

• Portobello Market: If you’re visiting on the weekend, the outdoor antique market on Portobello Road is always a fun stop.  My favorite part are the fruit stands within the market that serve fresh smoothies out of real pineapples, which you can sip while admiring all of the colorful Notting Hill homes.

• Bill’s in Soho: We ate brunch here on our last morning in London, and they had the best avocado toast ever. Enough said.

• The Churchill Arms: While London has an endless list of pubs, this one sets itself apart as the first one in London to serve Thai food. Built in 1790, the Notting Hill spot has the traditional vibe of a standard pub, but with the extra perk of ordering pad thai with your beer.

So there you have it! I could keep going on forever about the amazing pubs, gorgeous theatres, idyllic English breakfasts….. so I think the list needs to stop there. But there will be more to add soon because… surprise! We’re going back! That’s right, we’ve decided to make a trip to Paris for our one year wedding anniversary, which means we conveniently get to stop in London again (we definitely planned that). If you have any other recs for local spots to visit in either of the cities, I would love to hear!