Doing London In A Day (It CAN Be Done!) + Photos!

For being such a large city, London is incredibly compact in terms of it's historical landmarks and popular sight-seeing activities. So it is entirely possible to see many of London's iconic features in one day. My friend and I definitely made the most of the one full day we had in London by getting up early and setting off (on foot) towards our various destinations. 

We had settled upon the Youth Hostel (YHA Earl's Court) in Barkston Gardens for its proximity to my one chosen destination, Kensington Palace. My friend, Christine* and I had already decided we would visit Kensington Palace first and then set off and see how far we could get and how many places we could see. 

First of all, if you plan to do London in a day, I would recommend going in the early summer months (we went in mid-June) so you have the extra hours of sunlight on your side. During those months you have until 9 p.m. or so until it starts getting dark, which extends your day and gives you time to see more sights. So, here's the list (and photographic tour!) of places my friend and I managed to see in ONE day in London. I've since Google mapped it and determine we walked about 17-18 miles from our hostel to the Tower of London and back again. Check out the places we visited below and use this to plan your own trip to London (although when you go I hope you have more than one day to play the tourist!)

Destination #1: Kensington Palace

Destination #2: Royal Albert Hall

Destination #3: The Prince Albert Memorial

Destination #4: The Wellington Arch

Destination #5: Buckingham Palace 

Destination #6: The Queen Victoria Memorial

Destination #7: Westminster Abbey

Destination #8: Big Ben 

Destination #9: The Battle of Britain Memorial + The London Eye

Destination #10: London Bridge

Destination #11: The Tower of London

Destination #12: Tower Bridge

Destination #13: St. Paul's Cathedral

Destination #14: Trafalgar Square

Destination #15: The Mall

Destination # 16: Harrod's Department Store

So, there you have it! Have you ever done London in a day? How many places did you see? Tweet me your stories at @calleysofalley !

Again, I apologize for not posting lately! I'm hard at work studying for the Illinois Bar Exam in February, but that trip will give me some time to tour around Chicago and get you guys a great post!

Until next time, Cheers!

*names have been changed