Having a day out in the smoke next week, mainly to see the poppies at the tower! Where else would a cycling type visit on his day? Either bike related or not?
We did a boat trip from Westminster bridge down to Greenwich a few months back. Which was really nice (if the weather is good).
Borough Market is always worth a wander for some food.
Emirates cable car is really good - the views are as good as the Eye and it's much cheaper. From the Tower (Tower Gateway station) you can get the DLR to Royal Victoria where the cable car starts, then get the Jubilee line from North Greenwich to wherever you want to go after.
Second the boat trip (we went from the London Eye to Greenwich), not too expensive and the bloke doing the commentary was pretty good value.
Yep, cable car thingy is really good, and use can use your Oyster card to pay for it.
I Boris biked around all of the touristy bits - started at marble arch - Hyde Park, Buck House, Westminster Embankment etc. - none of it was too bad to ride (I balked a bit at the traffic around trafalgar square though) I seem to remeber it was cheap as chips provided you swapped bikes every 25 mins or so.
The bikes manual nicelly but aren't much fun to carry up the steps on the enbankment
Obviously not much fun if it's raining.
Poppies are amazing, I've been back a few times since July as more and more are added. If you are there and have time visit the Tower and make sure you wait for one the guides.
Boat to Greenwich is great but best on a decent day. Once at Greenwich the maritime museum is excellent if you like boats.
If you are going to the Tower I would suggest a walk to Monunment (and up it if you wish) then Leadenhall Market (used in lots of movies inc Harry Potter, sadly most of market shops gone now), then down Cornhill (past Louis Vitton shop and location of last scene in Bridget Jones Diary if you care - look for old blue water trough), Bank of England then Cheapside to St Pauls which is worth a visit too. Again if you care you can cross river by footbridge to Tate Modern.
I can't think of a lot of bicycle type things frankly. Boris Bikes are a good way to get around, depends how much you like/dislike traffic. Riding up the Mall to Buck House is cool (I think so anyway !) and if you look hard you can still see the Skoda sponsors markings on the road from the TdF. Around that area you have horse guards parade, cabinet war rooms, Downing street, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament ect
I was reading in this weeks Time Out that there's some kind of street food festival thingy on ,opposite Truman brewery in the popular east end.wear your sisters jeans.not too far north of the tower.
Borough Market is always worth a wander for some food.
Except if you want to avoid all the tourists you do the maltby st food/booze walk instead, only don't tell everyone as it will be full of tourists not looking where they are going and dawdling.
Lego art thing at Truman Brewery (book), walk to top of Monument.
If you're going to the Tower, I'd just stay in that area all day, there's so much to do.
The Shard is a quick wander up&across the river from the poppies, and you could do the Monument on the way, tall buildings old and new 🙂
If you like gallery mooching, the new Tracy Emin is on at the White Cube in Bermondsey (free), which is about ten minutes wander from the Shard. The Design Museum is close by, too.
Maltby St/Spa Terminus is a good call for munching, only in full swing on Saturday though I think? Worth grabbing a coffee from Monmouth on your way past Borough Market if the queue's not too long...
I lived here for years and still love the standard South Bank wander of Globe, Tate Modern, BFI, Southbank Centre then a gawp at Big Ben. Then walk into Soho and get some dinner (&Princi for dessert, nom).
The Tate (Proper one, in Pimlico)
Cask (Also in Pimlico)
The National Gallery
The Wallace
The NHM
The Science
The V&A
The NPG
So much astonishing stuff to see, eat and drink!
I miss living in London some days. 🙁
Shard is £25 pre booked £30 on the day WTF??
To ride in a lift and look out a window
Get yourself to the Olympic velodrome. £30 including bike hire. Amazing!
Shard is £25 pre booked £30 on the day WTF??
To ride in a lift and look out a window
It's worth it though, at least you can't see the building from the top.