When Sam and I were planning our itinerary for our London trip, we planned everything down to the last detail to make the most of every moment. We knew that during one of those days, Sam would be visiting her family friends who live outside of London and I would have the day to myself. Sam of course invited me along, but I had already purchased tickets for a tour. I must confess, aside from the tour, this was the one day I didn’t plan out minute-by-minute, but I figured it would be fun to wing it! So here’s how I spent my solo day in London…
So, not going to lie, I let myself sleep in. We hadn’t had a moment to let ourselves breathe so we could explore as much as we could (NOT that I’m complaining one bit!), plus it was a bank holiday, so a little sleep was deserved. Eventually, I hopped out of bed and was ready to tackle the day.
I strolled along Mayfair in search of somewhere to relax and have a coffee. I ended up in Piccadilly Circus and entered a Waterstones, where I ended up having lunch and coffee. Now this may not have been the most off-the-beaten-path location, but since I was surrounded by books and Harry Potter quotes; I was pretty content.
After strolling along Piccadilly a bit more, it was time to head over to Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. I had booked tickets for a tour about a month prior, and this was the portion of the trip I was most looking forward to. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have read the story of how I loved the 10th Anniversary concert of Les Miserables which was filmed at Royal Albert Hall (still my favorite thing ever). I was beyond excited to finally visit this great music hall in person.
There were about 20 of us in the tour group, and our fantastic guide explained the rich history behind Royal Albert Hall. (Fun fact: Royal Albert Hall has a 900+ year lease!) We were able to see people setting up for a BBC Proms performance (don’t worry, we had the OK to take pics), saw the Queen’s box and entrance, and soaked in the splendor of this magnificent building.
After the tour, it was time to head right across the street to admire The Albert Memorial and lounge in Hyde Park.
While walking in Hyde Park, I passed by Kensington Palace and scoped out The Orangery – both places we visited the following day.
After more strolling, this girl was ready for a quick nap. I went back to the hotel for a rest, and texted my friend Rebecca for some advice. She was recently in San Francisco and had a solo day, where she had a fantastic time. She encouraged me to find myself a nice place to sit down and enjoy an awesome meal. We’ve talked about doing things solo on the blog before and how empowering it can be, but it can still be scary. Rebecca gave me the motivation I needed to get going – it’s London after all!
The night before, Sam and I had dinner at a place where she and her family went to when we were studying abroad – Wright Brothers Oyster Bar in Soho. Side note: Wright Brothers is AMAZING and you should go. I decided to head back to the same street since it was bustling and full of restaurants. I ended up eating amazing Thai food and having some drinks at Rosa’s. The servers were really kind in helping me choose the perfect dinner – I enjoyed the vegetable Tom Yum Soup and the Chili and Basil Stir Fried Flat Noodles; YUM. I had a really lovely chat with a waiter at Rosa’s who told me he was doing a road trip in America in a few weeks, and we talked about our love for travel. I told him about my solo day in London, and he gave me his seal of approval that I had spent the day well. After that delicious dinner, it was time for one more drink at a pub down the street.
And that was my solo day in London! For me, it was the perfect day of relaxing, eating, exploring, and making new friends. And isn’t that what travel is all about? Thanks for sticking around during this lengthy post – I hope it helps if you’re ever planning on having a solo day in a foreign city! If you’ve done a solo day before, I’d love to hear about it! <3
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