The Facade of the Sir John Soane's Museum

Sir John Soane's Museum (view site)
If you have a keen interest in architecture, art and sculpture, and especially if you are a student you should not miss Sir John Soane's Museum in Holborn. Opened by the architect Sir John Soane, it contains numerous collections of antiquities and art, which he hoped would appeal to amateurs and students alike.  The museum is the result of the renovation of 3 houses by Soane himself, where the inter-linking of three houses has resulted in an interesting and unusual layout.

As with all museums in London, entry is FREE although some exhibitions come at a price. Open from Tuesday - Saturday, you can enjoy a candlelit opening on the first Tuesday of every month.  Located in Lincoln's Inn Field, the museum is close enough to be visited on the same day as the British Museum.

A Winter View of the Thames from Richmond Hill

Richmond Thames view from Richmond hill (view map)
One of the most represented and some assure the most beautiful is the view of the Thames from Richmond hill. Richmond itself is a cute town crowned by a fantastic park where you can feel you are in the middle of the forest away from the urban streets. In summer the sunsets and the views are lovely, whilst you can enjoy a pint from the pub across the street. In winter, if it has snowed, you can see the kids going down the hill in their sleighs. The park itself has deers hanging around freely and a big pond. Head there for a healthy and fresh air walk. Just go to Richmond tube station, as you get off turn left and follow the main street full of shops and restaurants and all you have to do is keep walking up the hill…

Royal Botanical Kew Gardens (view map)
Even though they charge you to get in, if gardens is what you like, you must visit Kew Gardens. Sometimes they have exhibitions inside and during Easter time they have the Bunny hunting party for the kids. Is a big big garden and will take you a good couple of hours to walk all around it. Take a picnic with you and spend a good sunny day there with your loved ones. Make sure though the district line is working or you will head for disappointment if you cannot get there.

Primrose Hill (view map)
With a great view of the London’s skyline and just across from Regent’s park – the hill is situated in a nice neighbourhood with a few restaurants and terrace cafes and bars where you can enjoy a nice snack after the short climbing.

Swim at Hampstead heath (view map)
If you want to escape the heat of the summer and you dislike the artificial swimming pools.. then you are in luck! Head for Hampstead Heath (park) and jump into one of its two natural ponds. You’ll have a refreshing time and afterwards you can enjoy a long nice picnic day with your friends. Take a few games, a towel and some drinks and there you go, your Saturday sorted!

(London View from Greenwhich)

Boat to Greenwich (view map)
It is sunny, you want to get out of London but you don’t want to jump in a car or the train as they are expensive or crowded.. then head to the Thames, pick up a boat from the South Bank and head East towards Greenwich! It is a nice boat ride but take a jacket with you as the wind tends to be a bit chilly.

Greenwich is a lovely lovely town, with lots of things to look at. Visit the mini flea market, check ou the university and the museum and walk up the park’s hill and admire the view!

See the Meridien, take some photos and et voilá! Day out but not entirely out! You can return on the tube, cathing the DLR line is really interesting too if you want to see the City, around Canary Warf, a very futuristic side of town in comparison with the rest of the capital. The youngest (and not so younger too) may enjoy seating at the front of the train that moves without a conductor!

(The Mall)

Trafalgar Square - Buckingham Palace – Picadilly Circus (see map)
Trafalgar is the centre of the centre! Head there, admire the square, with the nice fountains, the recently cleaned massive sculpture of Nelson is unmissable! In this square you have all the “houses” of all the countries that form the Commonwealth. Some with nicer buildings than others… You can pop in the National Gallery for a look to some masterpieces and when you have had enough, get out and check out the church of St. Martin in the Fields, small but cute. Sometimes they play very cheap classic music concerts there.

Then, take The Mall, an impressive street leading you directly to Buckingham Palace. Take a few photos there and head towards your right (if facing the palace), crossing Green Park. That will lead you to Piccadilly Street, beautiful with the sumptuous Ritz Hotel and Fortnum and Mason. Try book ahead a tea time there, well deserved after the long day/walk. You can buy some yummy souvenirs there too! And, once your tummy is full, head towards Piccadilly. On the way, you can visit Waterstone’s bookshop, one of the biggest in Europe with 5 floors!!

Once you get to Piccadilly, you find the famous sight of the neon posters and Lilywhites, the cheapest shop in town for any sports gear. Sit down in the steps and do some people watching...

Really, this route can be as big and long as you want. You could have added here Westminster with the Big Ben and a quick look to the London Eye.. or keep going after Piccadilly up Regent Street for some window shopping. Or, end up your day with a cheap meal in Soho... Follow Shaftesbury Avenue, and off that street you got Wardour Street, Frith Street, Dean Street, all full of restaurants for all tastes and budgets!

(Westminster view from LondonEye side of the river)

Covent Garden - Leicester Square – Soho (Chinatown) (see map)
If you liked My Fair Lady.. start your walk in Covent Garden's Opera house - where the movie starts.. when they make the bet... Covent Garden is always lively and full of bars to have a drink whilst doing some people watching. If you go during the days, you can also catch the market open – a bit overpriced for tourists but quite cute.

Covent Garden is a great area also for shopping, you can walk down Long Acre towards Leicester Sq and you’ll get a good idea of what are the main chain retail shops in the UK. You’ll pass by also a fantastic maps’ shop: Stanfords.

Once you get to Leicester Square, you can walk around and buy some tickets for one of the numerous shows in town at the Tkts

And walk up Wardour street to have a pint in Waxy O’Connors, a huge pub with many levels and trees inside! And then walk up to Chinatown for some yummy Yum cha and see the Asian teens showing off the latest trends in gadgets and fashion.

(Crossing the river by Westminster)

Westminster – Southbank – Tate Modern/St Paul’s cathedral – the Globe – London Borough market- Tower Bridge
This walk is the perfect way to spend a nice autumn or spring sunny day. Head to Westminster, admire Big Ben and cross the river... walk by the Dali Museum, have a ride (or not) in the Big Wheel (or London Eye).. and then, staying in the South Bank, head East. Slowly you'll reach the Southbank (across from Embankment). Where the recently renovated Royal Festival Hall houses interesting free events and exhibits, as well as good concerts. You can have a yummy break in one of the numerous restaurants and cafes in the area. Stop and look at the kids riding their skateboards, as well as the cool graffitis. Then keep walking towards the Oxo Tower, passing by the quaint Gabriel's Wharf and check the selection of hand craft shops there. At the bottom of the Oxo Tower there is a small gallery with good free exhibits and also a wonderful flower shop, as well as other shops and a fantastic restaurant with a view.

Bit further down the river, following the walking path you get to the Tate Modern, just a brilliant museum with free entry. Take a photo from the terraces of the museum of the Millenium Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral. Then keep walking East towards the Globe (where they only play Shakespeare's pieces) and Borough Market (after passing by the London Dungeons- worth a visit if you are brave enough!) This is a farmer's market, just below the bridge at London Bridge. You can find organic and home made products to devoure with the apetite you've been building up in your walk.

(The Globe Theatre)

Just next to this market is the Southwark Cathedral, where John Harvard was baptised, before he emigrated to America and became the benefactor of the world-famous university which bears his name.

Southwark Cathedral

Cross the street and head for that modern looking building by the water, with some very steep and complex steps down to the riverside path. As you keep walking you will come to the HMS Belfast military ship, pretty impressive sight just before the Tower Bridge.

(HMS Belfast)

(Tower Bridge)

Once you cross the famous Tower Bridge, probably one of the most famous sights of London, together with the Big Ben.. you get to the Tower of London, which you can visit to see the jewels of the Crown and the reknown Beefeaters. Allow good 3 hours because it is pretty big and consists of various buildings.

(Pub Dickens Inn)

If you are hungry again, head towards St Katherine's Docks, and go to the Dicken's Inn for a nice pizza in the balcony (or inside if it is too cold). It is situated within luxurious yatchs and flats and will allow you to give your feet a rest!

(Little Venice)

You wouldn’t believe you are in London when you arrive at Little Venice (closer tube station is Royal Oak, in the Hammersmith & City line).

Suddenly an oasis of tranquillity invades you. Situated next to the wealthy Maida Vale, this canals area is quaint and relaxing if you want to stretch your legs and avoid the rush of the capital.

Once you arrive to Little Venice you can follow different paths, one leading to the modern developed area in Paddington, one towards the West (Ladbroke grove and beyond) and my favourite, towards Camden.

(The canal at Camden)

The walk would take you 45 minutes to an hour depending on your speed and how often you stop to take some photos or a rest. Take some water with you if it is a sunny day or an umbrella if it looks a bit grey, as there are not covered spaces where you can protect yourself from the weather! You go through Regent’s Park, the zoo and land in the middle of the Camden lock, where you can reward yourself with a good meal (there are plenty of organic and international food stalls, plus a lot of restaurants too). The barges in the canal along the way will make you curious and wonder about travelling slowly through the canals in UK. They are well taken care of by their proud owners and create a sub-community far from our hectic daily life. Read more about this walk here

Other water walks here

This "river" walk follows an old canal built in th e 1600s to bring fresh drinking water to London. It was used until the 1980s and today is just a man-made mini canal (in some bits) where you can see ducks and a great variety of plants, bushes and willow trees. There one long stretch of this walk (in between a few council blocks) that is truly a little gem, a windy, narrow path, with a few benches on the way to sit and admire the wonderful reflection of the willows in the water.

You can find more information about this walk here and here.

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