Because I knew I was going to be in London on several occasions over the next few months, I decided to separate my exploration of the city in order to take full advantage of what London has to offer.

Round one found me staying at the Wombats Hostel on the Eastern side of the city. It was a really nice hostel as well - check out the basement/bar/breakfast area!

The other great thing about this hostel was it’s location. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

TOWER OF LONDON

One of the very first places I visited upon arriving in London was the Tower of London. It was raining pretty decently for the majority of my time touring through the Tower, but a wee travel umbrella and a good pair of boots did the trick quite nicely.

The Tower of London was built in 1066 and The White Tower, which is where the castle gets it’s name, was built in 1078. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, though it was mainly used as a place for royalty and other important people to reside during their stay in London. The Tower is composed of multiple buildings and is surrounded by a large moat. It is also home to the Crown Jewels!

Unfortunately you’re not allowed to take actual pictures of the Crown Jewels, but they’re everything you might expect - gold, bedazzled, expensive looking.

I also had the opportunity to witness the changing of the guard outside the Crown Jewels. There was a lot of stomping, even more arm waving, and yelling of things I couldn’t understand.

Walking by the place where Anne Boleyn was beheaded, one of the infamous Tower of London crows was getting his lunch of raw meat. Mmmm yummy.

I learned the Tower used to hold lots of exotic animals (those animals were later moved to a place now known as the London Zoo), even more suits of armor, and apparently the British refer to the Revolutionary War as the ‘American War of Independence’ *the more you knowwww*.

I also had my first fish and chips for lunch just outside the walls!

TOWER BRIDGE

Not to be confused with London Bridge, Tower Bridge is the iconic bridge that one thinks of when they think of bridges in London.

Tower Bridge, named for the Tower of London which sits nearby, was built in 1894, and crosses over the River Thames connecting the City of London with the South Bank.

It may be awesome during the day, but it’s even more stunning at night.

ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

St Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral which sits upon the highest point in the City of London, Ludgate Hill. The cathedral as it’s seen today was built back in the 17th century, and is one of the most famous and recognizable sights in all of London. It has been the location of many famous funerals, weddings, services, and celebrations, and is still a very active working church.

While you aren’t allowed to take pictures within the church (for obvious reasons), the outside to me is just as stunning and impressive as the inside! I mean seriously check out this architecture.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND

The Bank of England was established in 1694, is the main bank of the whole of the United Kingdom, and is the model on which most modern central banks have been based. It is the second oldest central bank in the world, and the world’s 8th oldest bank, and still remains the bank of the government of England.

This is definitely the financial district within the City of London, and the architecture surrounding the Bank of England is really impressive and so OLD.

You could feel the history of the city just walking around this area.

Except for the Gherkin.

This giant egg shaped building seems completely out of place amongst the old stone buildings surrounding it, but it quickly became a favorite of mine. It’s just so quirky looking!

ISLINGTON AREA

One morning I decided to walk from my hostel all the way up to King’s Cross station, a good solid hour/hour and a half walk. I could have taken the tube for sure, but I love to walk as much as possible, not only to save myself money (seriously the tube is so dang expensive), but by walking you get to experience parts of the city you normally wouldn’t see.

Which is how I found myself surrounded by some seriously cool street art.

As well as wondering into a little covered market that reminded me a lot of the street markets of Thailand.

KING’S CROSS/ST. PANCREAS

King’s Cross and St. Pancreas are two well known stations in London and are major hubs for travel throughout the UK and the rest of Europe.

King’s Cross is also famous for being the location of Platform 9 3/4 in the Harry Potter books and films. So needless to say they have created a photo op for you to pretend you’re running through Platform 9 3/4 just like in the series.

Unfortunately I was there on a Saturday and the line was ridiculously long, so I’ll have to wait for my sister to join me at the end of April before getting my own picture souvenir.

THE SOUTH BANK

To begin my exploration of the South Bank, I crossed over London Bridge and walked first to Borough Market.

It’s an amazing covered market with so many stalls selling bread, cheese, meats, sweets…you name it, they’ve probably got it. I could do so much damage on my budget at this place.

TATE MODERN

Ok I’ll be honest, modern art isn’t my thing. But I’d heard all good things about the Tate Modern so, as entry is free, I decided to check it out.

Yeah sorry…modern art still isn’t my thing.

Ummmmm…..

Seriously it’s three blank canvases. I just…don’t understand modern art.

THE LONDON EYE

The London Eye, if you’re not familiar with this iconic structure, is a gigantic Ferris wheel on the banks of the River Thames built in 1999. It is a staggering 135 meters (443 ft) tall and has a diameter of 120 meters (394 ft). It can also claim the right as Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel.

While I didn’t end up taking a ride on the London Eye this time around (I’m planning on going with my sister when she visits at the end of April), it’s still an iconic piece of London skyline that everyone has to see for themselves. It’s a pretty impressive structure in it’s own right and I’m sure it gives you great views of the city from the top.

Stay tuned for my post on exploring West London!

Have you ever visited London? Have a favorite spot?