Is London Worth Visiting in 2025? What I’d tell First-Time Visitors

ContentbyJess — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:29:23 +0000

London is a city I regularily visit. But I know what many think about her: Too touristy, too grey, too predictable. And yet, every time I visit I find myself humming „There’s no place like London“ under my breath. London surprised me, in all the best ways. It’s not just a city of red buses and Big Ben. It’s layers of history hiding in quiet alleys. It’s a perfectly brewed tea in a bookshop café. It’s the thrill of watching your assumptions melt away, one cobblestone street at a time. And discovering new places every single time.

Here’s what I loved, what I didn’t expect, and a few things I’d do differently, if you’re heading to London for the first time in 2025.

What Surprised Me Most About London

1. London has a softness

If you know where to look. Behind the fast pace and crowds, I found pockets of absolute stillness: pastel rowhouses in Notting Hill at sunrise, Sunday mornings in Hampstead Heath and the hush of Daunt Books, where time seemed to stop.

2. The food scene is actually incredible.

Gone are the days of soggy fish and chips being your only option. London is a global food capital now and you can eat very well without going broke. There’s everything from classic pub cuisine to haute cuisine and a lovely afternoon tea time in different levels of elegant. From hidden spaces, to street food, to sky bars. Londons kitchens don’t disappoint.

3. It’s surprisingly walkable

I walked 30,000+ steps in a day and didn’t even notice. The city unfolds in layers: Georgian townhomes give way to brutalist galleries and suddenly you’re standing in front of Tower Bridge without even trying. And it’s quite easy to navigate public transportation or take an Uber Boat across the Themse if you just can’t walk anymore.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Stay in a different neighborhood. I stayed near Shoreditch and loved the hotel, but next time, I’d book in Bloomsbury or Marylebone for a more romantic, quiet vibe or London East to be more central in the fray, depending on what I am planning to do. Book key tickets in advance. I missed out on the Afternoon Tea and a few exhibitions that had been on my list. London’s always busy, lesson learned.

Bring better shoes. Trust me. Cute and functional is the only acceptable combo in this city.

Plan for more special events. From Afternoon Tea to musicals and theatre, London is full of fun times and just a few days are never enough to cover them all.

What I Loved Most

The bookstores. The layered accents. The many free activities. The golden hour light on the Thames. But most of all, the way London made me feel like I was part of something bigger. Like I was walking through every chapter of a story I didn’t know I needed to read. And that keeps me returning there every year.

Before you go:

Planning your first trip to London or Europe in general? I have 7 hacks I swear by as a full-time worker to help you plan your trip, as well as some tips on traveling to Europe during shoulder season.

London – a perfect first time

ContentbyJess — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:05:04 +0000

Tower Bridge from Tower of London ©AstheticofJess

London – the dream of many a traveler and a city of contrasts.

I am of the firm opinion that everyone should visit London at least in their life. Read along to learn why and what there is to see in this famous city.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are ‚affiliate links‘. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.

The classics

No week in London without at least some sightseeing.

You will start your trip with the absolute royal experience: by visiting Buckingham Palace. Arrive in the morning for Change of Guards or any time a day for a view of the building. Prepare for crowds, no matter the time. If you’re lucky you timed your visit with the yearly opening and catch a glance inside. From there its easy to get walk through St. James Park and see the Horse Guards. Whitehall and Westminster are a short walk away. Here you‘ll visit famous Westminster Abbey*, see Big Ben and House of Parliament.

Big Ben ©AstheticofJess

From here head east towards Tower Bridge along the river Themse. The South Bank with popular London eye* and many a street artist is perfect for a walk. Stop by Borough Market and cross London Bridge into the City of London proper. Catch your first glimpse of Tower Bridge and visit St. Paul‘s Cathedral* on the way to the Tower.

My absolute favourite sight to visit was Tower of London*. I spent so much time walking all the parts and visiting every corner I could and it was absolutely worth it!

Tower of London ©AstheticofJess

Cross Tower Bridge and head to Shakespeares Globe for some poetic vibes. Watch a show if possible.

I love getting around in London with public transportation and use my Oyster card everywhere. But you could also chose to use the Hop-on-hop-off busses to visit the different sights. These will probably take you two days to take it all in.

A walk in the park

London is a metropolitan city but still offers lots of greenery.

Classically you could head to Notting Hill, get a feel for the movie, or visit Kensington Palace and the Gardens. I would also suggest a walk through Hyde Park. Feel a little bit of these Bridgerton vibes there and imagine yourself strolling down these ways during that period.

From there its back to the busy streets via Convent Garden and into brilliant SoHo. From here its not far to Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Perfect to visit in the evening and visit a show in West End.

If you chose to see some calmer streets, head to Hampstead, walk around Camden and visit Granary Square and Regent‘s Canal while your on the road. This would be perfect to see King‘s Cross as well.

Skyline of London from Parliament Hill, Hampstead Head ©AstheticofJess

Royal Treatment

London is the place if you want to feel like royalty. Various locations offer afternoon tea in movie-like atmosphere or you could try tea time on the river Themse during a cruise.

Mayfair, the Ritz, the Brown‘s Hotel*, there’s literally an afternoon opportunity for every taste or budget.

Visit the royal palace at St. James‘s or stroll through Regent‘s park. There is so much to see if you want the full royal experience.

Outside the city

Leaving the inner city for a day trip or even for half a day is a very fun thing to do if you have the time.

Enjoy a boat cruise to Greenwich and visit the royal observatory* and the campus of old naval college.

You could even combine it with an afternoon tea cruise. It’s been an absolute joy to get the first glance from the river and then enjoy walking and exploring from there.

If your heart longs for the English countryside, with its cottages and cobblestone streets, visit the Cotswolds. Just a short ride away and everything your cottagecore heart needs. I love seeing them in autumn, but its worth it any time.

A royal lover will probably love a trip to Windsor with Windsor castle* the seat of the royal family. So definitely enjoy this experience your trip!

Knowledge and experience

London offers some amazing free museums, that are always worth a visit. From famous natural history museum, to the science museum and the Victoria and Albert museum, you could spent days just visiting all the museums of the city. Outernet is also worth a visit.

For all the Harry Potter fans it’s not only a must to visit King‘s Cross, but also the Leavesden studios to see the World of Harry Potter. Definitely worth it and take an extra SD for all the photos you will take there.

The metropolitan London

London is also a very modern city. For all the urban feeling you should visit Canary Wharf or Battersea Power station.

I also recommend visiting one of the many sky bars and get a feel of the skyline from in the city. I recommend skipping the shard and heading to Sky Garden or OXO Tower.

Visit Bank to see the corporate side of London and enjoy an afterwork drink or food here.

A stay to remember

I hope you took something from this little guide to plan an amazing time in this city for yourself.

I put together a complete itinerary for your week in London with daily recommendations for you to enjoy. Get it here:

Get your guide

No idea what and how to plan and nothing is really to your liking? Do you have special requirements and no idea how to find what you need? Chat me up at Instagram @AstheticofJess and I’ll help you plan your next dream trip.

London – The Asthetic of Jess