London on a Layover

London on a Layover

Even if you are short for time London is still a great place to visit. There is so much to see and do that it can be difficult to limit and choose where to go. Here is a list of some popular attractions to visit if you are only here for a few hours.

If you are coming from Heathrow Airport the fastest way into central London would be the Heathrow Express. This journey takes 15 minutes and runs every 15 minutes to Paddington.  Alternatively the Piccadilly line also takes you from Heathrow  Airport to Central London. This journey however, will take much longer, at 60 around minutes.

Kensington Gardens

THE PARK is open from 6am to dusk all year round. Entry is free.

First off we will take the Heathrow Express into Paddington.  A short walk from Paddington is Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.  It is one of the most beautiful and largest parks in London, and a lovely place for a leisurely stroll. Covering an area of 100 hectares, it is home to Kensington Palace, the Italian Gardens, the Peter Pan statue, the Albert Memorial and the Serpentine Gallery.

The Italian Water Garden located near to Lancaster is a nice and relaxing place to sit and admire the view. Here you will find a mix of 4 main basins and a number of classical statues. The main designs you will see are a swan’s breast, woman’s head, ram’s head, dolphin and oval.

The Italian Gardens, Kensington Gardens: sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Kensington Gardens pays special tribute to Princess Diana with a children’s playground. Located on the northwestern edge of the gardens, it is very popular among children and features a large wooden pirate ship and sand.

The British Museum

Great Russell Street, London, Greater London, WC1B 3DG

Opening times
Daily, 10am – 5.30pm (Fri until 8.30pm)
Closed 24 – 26 Dec and 1 Jan

Entry to permanent collections is always free. temporary exhibitions usually require a fee.

BRITISH MUSEUM can be accessed via the tube. From Kensington Gardens take the Central Line from Lancaster Gate station and get off at Holborn station.

Once we get off the tube, the British Museum is just a 7 minute walk away. The  Museum is one the best museums for British and World History. Founded in 1753, the museum’s collection is vast, spanning over 7 million objects and documenting over 2 million years of history. World famous treasures such as  the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian Mummies can be found here. The collections cover a range of disciplines including archaeology, history, world cultures, science, applied arts and prints and drawings.

The British Museum: sourced from Wikimedia Commons

The Great Court, The British Museum: sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Covent Garden

Covent garden is a  10-15 minute walk from Holborn and the British Museum. The nearest station is Covent Garden on the Piccadilly Line.

The market is open between 10 am and 6pm

Covent Garden is a popular spot for tourists. It is a major draw for visitors who enjoy its attractions including  shopping, entertainment, theatre, restaurants, bars and cafes. Things to see around Covent Garden include Covent Garden Market, the London Transport Museum and the Royal Opera House. There are several smaller areas within Covent Garden that are worth exploring as well including Seven Dials, Neal’s Yard and St Martin’s Courtyard.

Covent Garden: sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Covent Garden Market: sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Originally used as a fruit and vegetable market, Covent Garden Apple market is now a popular tourist attraction, offering a range of handmade crafts and goods. From Tuesday to Sunday the Apple market is filled with handcraft stalls and jewellery and prints. On Monday you will find antiques and collectibles.  The East Colonnade Market has a variety of stalls selling things such as soaps, sweets and jewellery and is open every day of the week.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is close by to Covent Garden. The nearest is station is Charing Cross on the Northern and Bakerloo Lines.

From Covent Garden we can walk to Trafalgar Square, which is a just a 10 minute walk away. Here is one of the most iconic spots in the whole of London, famous for Nelson’s Column, the Trafalgar Square Fountain  and the Galleries.

Trafalgar Square sourced from Wikimedia Commons

The National Gallery

Opening times for BOTH GALLERIES: daily, 10am – 6pm (Fri, 10am – 9pm)
Closed 24 – 26 Dec and 1 Jan

Entry is free to the galleries.

The National Gallery  is among the most popular public galleries in the world. The gallery houses more than 2,300 pieces of art, most of which are on permanent view. It has one of the greatest collections of Western European art in the world. With paintings dating from the 13th to the 20th century, all major genres are represented. It includes many inspiring works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, Renoir and Van Gogh.

The National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery, which is located right next door is well worth visiting as well. It is the first public portrait gallery in the world and houses some 11,000 works. The gallery houses portraits of many different  distinguished members of British society, from monarchs to actors, authors and explorers. Although paintings make up the vast majority of works, there are also photographs, videos and multimedia installations. Every year it also hosts the British Photographic Portrait Prize.

The South Bank

The South Bank is a short 10-15 minute walk from Trafalgar Square via Hungerford Bridge.

The nearest stations are Embankment (Bakerloo, Northern, Circle and District Lines), Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee, and Waterloo & City Lines) and St Paul’s (Central Line).

A short walk from Trafalgar Square is the South Bank, which can be accessed via Hungerford Bridge. The Bridge, along with the adjacent Golden Jubilee Bridge, was opened in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Hungerford Bridge: taken by myself

Walking along the the bridge allows you to get some spectacular views of the South Bank and the London skyline. The fact it is a pedestrian only bridge makes it much easier and safer to cross without any traffic.

Once we cross the bridge we are in the area known as the South Bank. The South Bank stretches all the way along the central part of the River Thames. We can walk all the way along the River from the London Eye to Tower Bridge. The whole walk is entirely pedestrianised which makes it even more unique. It is especially beautiful during the long summer evenings.

There are many cultural and tourist attractions situated along the South Bank. This includes The South Bank Centre and Royal Festival Hall, The London Eye, Tate Modern and the National Theatre.

The Tate Modern

As is the case with the majority of public galleries and museums in London, entry is free. temporary exhibitions usually require a fee. Opening times: Daily, 10am – 6pm, Fri and Sat until 10pm (last admission to special exhibitions 45 mins before closing)

The nearest station is St Paul’s (Central line).

Alternativetly it is around a 15/20 minute walk from Embankment or Waterloo stations.

For those interested in modern art the Tate is one of the best around.  The gallery is  dedicated to international and modern art, showcasing art from a range of different mediums. This includes paintings, drawings installations, photography and video.

Tate Modern: Image taken by myself

Part of the Tate group, the gallery was opened in 2000, in a former power station on the bank of the River Thames. In 1995 Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron were appointed to convert the iconic Bankside Power Station into a magnificent exhibition space. Their vision was centered around the building’s original features including the spectacular 35 metre high and 152 metre long turbine hall.

In 2016 a new 10 storey extension was built. This increased the size of Tate Modern by 60 per cent as well as offering astounding 360 degree views over the whole of London.

View from the Tate Viewing Gallery: Taken by myself

Heading back to Heathrow  from the Tate and the South Bank, you can either walk back to Waterloo station for the Bakerloo line direct to Paddington.  This walk takes about 15 minutes from the South Bank, and takes around 20 minutes on the tube.

An alternative route you could do would be to walk in the other direction crossing the river via the Millennium Bridge.  This is another amazing bridge to walk along and offers great views of the London skyline.

Millennium Bridge taken from The South Bank: Image taken by myself

St Paul’s Station is around 10 minutes across the bridge. From here you can take the Central line to Lancaster Gate and Paddington is around a 5 minute walk from there.

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Churchyard

London

EC4M 8AD

The price to enter St Paul’s Cathedral is £17 for adults and £7.20 for children. Concessions is £15. The Cathedral is open to tourists from 08:30 to 16:30 Monday to Saturday, with last admission 16:00.

If you have a bit of time it is well worth having a look around this area as well.  St Paul’s Cathedral is situated right by the tube station and is a magnificent piece of architecture and one of the most iconic buildings in London.  You can even go all the way to the top, and experience stunning views over London.  Entry to St Paul’s requires a fee.

St Paul’s Cathedral: Taken by myself

As you can see even if you only have a few hours to spare there is still lots of things to do and somewhere I am sure you will enjoy visiting.