For anyone traveling to London for a layover, or a short trip of a few days, here are a few of my favourite places go in London and some tips for while you are in the UK capital. These places are based on many visits to the UK capital since 2012, when I went to the Olympics there, a stint living there in 2016, and subsequent visits. I thought I’d share some places, experiences, and tips that I’ve enjoyed and learnt over the years.
- Best location to stay in London
On my visits to London I’ve stayed in Camden several times, Aldgate in East London a couple of times, and stayed in Clapham for a long stint. All of these places are near a tube line, which is most important. Camden is my favourite area to stay in but also the most pricey out of the three areas. Clapham is a nice part of London also, it’s a bit further out in zone 2. It has Clapham common, and nice pubs and entertainment on the high street, and great music venues to check out. It’s on the Northern tube line which takes you right up the middle of London. This is convenient as it will take you pretty much straight, or very near, to a lot of attractions that are in central London, and will be only one or two stops on connecting line to get to other attractions.
2. Places to Eat and drink in London
If you are looking for historic pubs in the city of London then you should check ‘Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese’ on fleet street. Here you can grab a pint and get some sausage & mash with the city workers who pack out this pub after they knock off work. It’s a historic pub that was rebuilt in 1667 after the great fire of London the previous year but is also packed with Londoners at certain times of the day. It’s historic, but real.
If you are after live music in London then Venn street records in Clapham is a favourite of mine. Here you can grab a beer and watch some great live music. If English fish and chips is more your thing and you’re in Clapham then you might check out Moxies fish bar in South Clapham.
3. Leicester Square
Leicester square is one of the areas to check out in London. It’s home to the theatre district, cinemas, and various restaurants. You can check out a live show here and the area also features the Prince Charles Cinema, an independent cinema where you can watch new films, restored classics, and some forgotten films from archives that are screened here regularly. As of 2025 it is also under threat of closure at its current location, so check it out now while it’s still there.
Also near Leicester square is London’s Chinatown which has some nice restuarants that have pretty reasonable prices for London.
4. Camden & the Market
Camden is one of the first places I stayed in London. It’s convenient as it’s very central as well as being an interesting place to walk around in its own right. It’s easy to get to other areas of London from Camden as it is so central and don’t forget to visit Camden market. I used the market to try different foods available at the food stalls in Camden market.
5. Museums and galleries
I’m not usually all that big on visiting overly touristic museums and all that stuff but I did visit the Churchill war rooms in Westminster. I’d say this attraction was worth the price when I went a few years ago. Although the price seems to have gone up quite a lot since I went if you’re interested in this history it is still worthwhile. This museum was great and had really interesting and informative exhibits.
If you’re into photography at all then The Photographers Gallery is a great place to visit. It features around three floors of exhibits plus a cafe and a bookstore downstairs. Checkout their website for current exhibits.
6. Accommodation
As for accommodation that will vary quite a bit by budget. I always check booking.com and Agoda to see what deals are available. The first time I went to London I stayed in hostels as that was what my budget allowed. I found both Wombats hostel in near Aldgate and Generator hostel in Camden good places to stay. I got a good night sleep in both of them.
In Generator I was staying on the Fourth floor and could not hear any noise from the bar at night. If you’re are closer to the ground floor it may be different but I am somewhat sensitive to noise and on the fourth floor it was fine. Wombats hostel was not a party hostel, at least when I stayed there. There is a bar in the basement where you can get a drink but it seemed more like a place to get something to eat, have a few drinks, and hang out rather than a party place. I would recommend either of these hostels it just depends on your preference of location and atmosphere. If you’re staying in London for longer than a layover you may want to check out prices on Air Bnb or similar. I rented a full Month in a flat in Clapham on one trip. Prices have probably gone way up since then though. I also met some students in generator hostel staying longer term as they said it was cheaper than finding a place flat to rent short term.
