Things to do alone in London | Best tips for solo travelers

Your solo trip to the UK is about to start, but you’re still unaware of the things to do alone in London. Well, here’s everything you need to know about your trip.

Budget travelers will find useful tips to save money — look for the symbol in this article to find free attractions.

Solo trip to London – Useful information

London is located in the south-east of England and stands on the river Thames.
Like all the other cities in Great Britain, London is no longer a member of Eu. Get here all the information about crossing the UK border and visiting the UK from 1 February 2020.
The official currency of the United Kingdom is the pound (£, GBP). Try this handy converter to calculate the exchange rate.
Public transport: the best and cheapest way to get around London is with an Oyster Card. It allows you to travel on the underground, trams, overground, riverboats, and red buses.
Many museums in London are free of charge They have just reopened with plenty of measures in place to ensure your safety.
Remember the name Victoria Station. To get from any London Airport to the City Centre, you need to reach Victoria Station.

London is the ideal city for a solo trip because it has so much to offer its visitors. In addition, it’s well organized with a fast and functional public transport system. Walking tours, street art, the wonderful Covent Garden, and the famous Portobello market are only a few of the endless attractions.

Solo trip – Is London safe?

For the most part, London is safe to travel to, even if we recommend using common sense to avoid problems. Of course, there are some areas that it’s better to avoid, especially at night, such as the Borough of Hackney or Croydon. To check all the dangerous parts of London, visit the Churchill Security Ltd website.

Like all big cities, it’s good to be careful when you’re in crowded places or getting on and off the tube. To avoid being robbed, don’t forget to get rid of your luggage and leave it at a safe location. Here’s the list of London’s most popular luggage storage places, suitable for all budgets and supervised by reliable staff.

Other small tips for living your solo trip to London the fullest

As it’s a busy city, we don’t recommend walking with headphones and loud music.
It’s also not advisable to walk alone in the street in the middle of the night, especially if you’re on secondary roads. Keep to well-lit main roads.
Avoid public transport during rush hour and if your destination is within walking distance.
Follow our tips to make your solo travel unforgettable and to explore London like a pro.

Things to do alone in London if you love arts and history

Good news for art lovers, the most famous museums in London are entirely free of charge! This way, you have the chance to fill your heart and mind with incredible masterpieces without spending a penny. Are you ready for a wonders binge?

The National Gallery | In this huge building overlooking Trafalgar Square, you’ll find a rich selection of art from Medieval to Modern. From Leonardo da Vinci to Caravaggio, from Raphael to Monet. Do you like Van Gogh’s sunflowers? They are here!
The British Museum | What’s inside this museum? Oh, no big deal! This is just the oldest public museum in the world with an endless collection of artifacts! We convinced you right away, didn’t we?
The Westminster Abbey | This building will let you discover over ten centuries of British history and the lives of kings, queens, politicians, poets, and heroes. Unfortunately, this attraction isn’t for free, but it’s worth a visit! Check available tickets here.

Things to do alone in London – List of popular museums without entrance tickets:

Museum of London | Close to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Royal Academy of Arts | In the Buckingham Palace area.
Natural History Museum | South of Hyde Park.
Victoria and Albert Museum | South of Hyde Park and close to the Natural History Museum.
Tate Modern | Not far from Victoria Station.

Solo trip to London: what to do if you love sports and restaurants

Why did we put together sports and restaurants? Well, because after a match, there’s nothing better than filling your belly! So, among all the things to do alone in London, don’t forget to choose the right places to eat well!

Here are some must-see attractions for sports lovers:

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum | If you aren’t one of the lucky ones who can attend a tennis match at Wimbledon, you can settle in by entering this cute museum dedicated entirely to tennis. As you browse the collections, you’ll see authentic memorabilia from several Wimbledon champions.
Twickenham Stadium | For rugby fans, this is the stadium par excellence. Here’s a small museum that boasts rare items and memorabilia of the most famous English players.
Emirates Stadium | We don’t know where you come from, but football is the most popular sport in England. You can take a guided tour inside the adjacent museum and climb the stands to admire the vastness of the field.
Lord’s Cricket Ground | Welcome to the home of one of the oldest sports in the nation and the location of some of the biggest games. Lord’s Cricket Ground is located very close to Regent’s Park on St John’s Wood Rd.

Best restaurants in London

Okay, now that you’ve seen your favorite team or deepened your sports knowledge, it’s time to eat. What? Do you not know what to choose? Don’t worry, in this case, even if we can’t show you any free options, we can list the best restaurants with the most competitive prices.

Ah, we’ve almost forgotten it: even the ones with the best beers!

Get a salad lunch box at Maple & Fitz in Fitzrovia. It’s the ideal solution for those who want to save money and who don’t want to give up healthy meals. Starting price £5.55.
Eat a quick lunch at Caffe Vergano 1882, an elegant cafè in the City of London serving up a menu of contemporary Italian cuisine (and good British beers, too).
If you like oriental flavors, we recommend Café TPT. Here you can browse a rich menu of Cantonese dishes and typical Chinese desserts. The restaurant is located near Leicester Square.

Things to do alone in London if you feel a bit alternative

1 – Visit Shoreditch

One of the most popular alternative places is Shoreditch, a cool neighborhood located north of Finsbury (Subway stop: Old Street).
In Shoreditch, there are plenty of trendy live music clubs, vintage boutiques, and designer stores.

Also, walking around the neighborhood, you’ll find murals and installations by famous street artists (including Banksy).

2 – Reach Brixton

Brixton is a multi-cultural area, best known for being the place where David Bowie was born and for its beautiful murals. Of course, the most popular murals in Brixton is the one dedicated to Bowie, situated on Tunstall Road.
Moreover, the neighborhood is famous for its typical cafes, nestled among vibrant and colorful alleys. A lot of smart workers come here every day.

3 – Banksy Tour London

As you can imagine, there’s no official guided tour that takes you to all the works of this world’s most famous anonymous artist, but there’s an app!
The Banksy London Tour App shows you all the spots where you can find Banksy artwork. You can create your own path and start a fascinating tour.
Unfortunately, this app is available only for iOS.

Places to go if you only want to relax

Being in London alone could become a much pleasant experience if you take some time to relax.

From the outside look, the British capital may appear like an aggregation of people always late that run without stopping. But, London has it all, a lot of quiet places too.

Hampstead Heath

For instance, you can reach the fantastic Hampstead Heath, one of the nicest spots to sit back and relax.

Located in London’s North, it’s an ancient heath covering 320 hectares. It offers you the best views over the city and is also full of things to do.

So, after visiting the most beautiful monuments and going through the most interesting museum halls, you could go there for a while to rest and refresh your ideas.

Bring with you a good book if you want and spend a day surrounded by nature. Want to buy a new book? Visit Daunt Books.

St Dunstan in the East

If you had enough of bustling London, St Dunstan in the East is the ideal place to reach.

It’s an oasis of peace that came out after the second world war when the church located there was extensively damaged.

This true gem is within walking distance of the Tower of London and the Sky Garden.

Kyoto Garden

If oriental landscapes make you more relaxed, then Kyoto Garden is for you.

It’s a Japanese-style garden donated by the city of Kyoto to London and is situated within Holland Gardens.

Here are pretty waterfalls with all kinds of fish, wandering peacocks, and beautiful stone lanterns.

Another good news: this place is not crowded at all, so a very peaceful moment is guaranteed!

Living in London, international students have the opportunity to delve into the city’s cultural richness and experience its diversity through engagement with their off-campus accommodation community.

Things to do alone in London: guide for all tastes & budgets

By Anna Maria Parente