Travel Therapy: London in 13 hours

My love for London is indescribable. I have spent a considerable amount of time in this city ( six months being the longest), but still, I feel like a giddy little kid whenever I get the opportunity to visit. And so, a while back, when I had a 13 hour layover in London, the excitement kicked in once again, and I started mapping out an itinerary.

On this particular trip, I wanted to visit the popular tourists sites and see London like a first timer. With a few hours to spare, I had a strict timeline and itinerary that I could not deviate from. Want to see what I got up to in 13 hours? Check out the pictorial account of my adventure in London. Enjoy!

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Once I was out of Heathrow airport, my first stop was the West Minster pier area. I hadn’t seen the London Eye and Big Ben in years, so a visit to these must-see tourist attraction was at the top of my list.

London Eye

I am scared of heights, so I have actually never gone on the London Eye. I hear the view of London from this iconic ride is amazing…maybe some day. Had the most delicious nutella crepe while people watching at the pier.

House of Parliament/BigBen Clock Tower

Big Ben clock tower at the House of Parliament is a UNESCO Heritage site. The Big Ben and House of parliament is open to the public to explore the Elizabeth Tower and attend committee hearings, but I chose to only view this iconic building from the exterior

Once I was done sight seeing at the West Minster pier area, I took a short walk to Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is a popular tourist site and a good spot for watching street performances. The square features statues and fountains, and the National Gallery is a stone throw away.

Picadilly Circus, a busy intersection has always been a favorite spot, so I made sure to stop by to soak in the ever vibrant atmosphere

Picadilly circus is also known for its famous electronic billboards.

 Leicester Square which is a walking distance from Picadilly Circus was my next destination.

Since it was the holiday season, “Christmas in Leicester Square”, a holiday market was in full swing

Leicester Square tranformed to a winter wonderland

After exploring Leicester Square, I somehow found myself in Chinatown. 

Aside the slew of Chinese restaurants, there wasn’t much to see in Chinatown

I randomly met this Nigerian guy on the streets of Chinatown. He wanted me to take his picture…so I snapped away. After Chinatown, mindless wandering ensued, and I aimlessy  strolled the streets of London taking random photos.

Of course, I had to sneak in a London telephone booth photo!

Soon it was dusk, and I made my way to the Borough of Southwark to see the famous Tower Bridge. It had been 13 years since I had last seen the bridge and I was really excited to scope out the area.

How picturesque

Met up with my friend Yaya who blogs over at Hand Luggage Only

My friend Ify, was also in transit to Nigeria, so we met up at London Bridge tube station and explored Tower Bridge together.

So many lovely sites to behold as we made our way  out of Tower Bridge area

Hay’s Galleria Just before heading to the airport, my friends and I decided to grab dinner at Nandos. I am a sucker for the peri peri chicken, and I was not disappointed! Yummy! With dinner came the end of my time in my favorite city. Hope you enjoyed seeing London through my eyes. Happy humpday!