Spending 48 hours in London

After a busy few days in Plymouth, and only one day actually spent at home(!), Aaron and I decided to hop on the National Express coach to spend a couple of days in London.

There’s so much to see and do in the city, which is just one of the reasons why it’s one of my favourites to visit in the UK. I never fail to find something new every time I visit.

We had planned to do a tandem bunjee jump alongside the 02 arena on this trip. But unfortunately they were sold out! 🙁 Instead we booked an overnight stay in a B&B near Victoria Station and decided to check out Madame Tussauds.

Read more: My Dream Locations to Visit in London

With only 48 hours in London city centre we knew planning would be key. But quickly found out there is very little to do after 8pm unless you fancy casinos or nightclubs! So it’s worth baring in mind.

We got to London around midday and our first stop was brunch at Ed’s Easy Diner in Victoria. A place I’ve walked past on multiple occasions but always been too rushed to try out. The food was decent and had a few vegan options available (including a milkshake), but I felt it was expensive for what it was.

With our bellies full we headed off to find our B&B. I always like to get my bearings first when I’m staying overnight anywhere. Mostly so I know where I need to get to later and I’m not frantically hunting for my accommodation at night!

We were staying at the Surtees Guest House which was a rip off if I’m honest. Even by London pricing. The room was a box, the shared shower was uninviting and the thin orange curtains let the street light lamp through! Needless to say we didn’t sleep well. 🙁

The staff were friendly enough but not as accommodating as we would have expected. It was a completely different experience to our B&B stay in Plymouth. But was adequate enough for one night.

Madame Tussauds

We booked our tickets online before visiting to take advantage of the online discount and bought Alien Experience tickets too. We were disappointed that people were entering the Alien exhibit for free when we visited, as there were no staff monitoring the area. We felt cheated but loved the Alien Experience regardless – especially the face hugger eggs.

Towards the end of the exhibit we were treated to a Marvel 4D cinema experience in the old planetarium. The story line was good and it was nice to sit down for a few minutes.

We took a lovely evening walk around Regent’s Park before having dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Regent’s Park was full of wildlife and a handful of street performers.

The Rainforest Cafe is, quirky, that’s probably the best word to describe it. The cafe is full of animantromic creatures, the bar resembles a snakeskin and every so often you might experience a thunderstorm.

Although we enjoyed the atmosphere, both the food and the service were poor compared to my last visit (6 years ago). One of the only items I could eat were the chicken tenders from the ‘appetisers’ section. A vast change to the dairy free options I was offered previously.

London Dungeons

We checked out of our B&B and headed towards central London. Our first stop was the video arcade near the London Aquarium where Aaron beat me at Mario Kart! 🙁 I blame the seats not being suitable for short people – I had difficulties reaching the accelerator.

There were a few attractions we wanted to see and ultimately decided on both the London Dungeons and the London Eye. Having experienced the dungeons in Edinburgh I knew what to expect, with live actors, two rides and a bunch of jump scares. The London Dungeons was very similar and did not disappoint!

So if you like the macabre, are interested in history, or just looking for something a little different, I’d highly recommend it. The staff and performers were all very entertaining.

London Eye

If you want a great view of Westminster and, aren’t scared of heights, then the London Eye is perfect for getting a birds eye view of the city.

Depending on the season or time of day it can get very busy, so book in advance. In fact the more London attractions you buy, the better the discount you receive. Especially online!

The London Eye is roughly 30 minutes and is a slow ferris wheel ride over the River Thames. We had a reasonably clear day and I was able to spot the Houses or Parliament, The Shard and The BT Tower as we went round.

On the way back to Victoria station we took a stroll up South Bank and popped into Tate Modern. I’d never been inside before and was stunned at just how big it was! We’ve made a note to go back and have a proper look around next time, but I am happy to say we were able to see Claude Monet’s water lilies.

We completely lost track of time and didn’t have chance to grab food before rushing to meet our coach! It’s very easy to get lost in the artwork within the Tate Gallery.

My next travel post will be all about my sister’s hen weekend in Disneyland Paris, so stay tuned. 😊

What do you love about London? How would you spend 48 hours in the capital?