As someone who’s lived on the East Coast my whole life, it took me long enough to finally visit London. One detail I appreciated most is how cosmopolitan it felt, similar to NYC. There are so many cuisines to sample, world-class museums to explore, and of course, British-specific brands and stores to shop. If you’re planning a London girls’ trip itinerary, I’ve got you covered with my highlights that were a huge hit.
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You can also reference some of my earlier travel and packing blog posts here:
My 1-Week Itinerary for a London Girls’ Trip
As I’ve gotten older, I find that traveling at a more leisurely pace is preferable to packing it all in. You may find that this schedule offers too much time in London. But for me, I was glad I added in extra time to go back to places, or linger a little longer in certain neighborhoods. You can use this template as your starting point, and reallocate time as needed.
- Day 1 – 5: London (I broke the days up by neighborhood and proximity – Soho, Marylebone, Kensington Gardens, Notting Hill, Covent Garden, Tower Bridge, Westminster)
- Day 6: Oxford
- Day 7: Bath
- Day 7 – 10: I spent the latter segment of my trip in Amsterdam.
I used London as the base for all day trips we took, rather than finding a new hotel in each city. Trains run from London almost hourly to both Oxford, and Bath so this arrangement worked out perfectly.
Places to See & Eat in London
For the perfect London girls’ trip itinerary, here are the highlights of places we saw and ate at that I would certainly go back to. I will start by saying that it is a privilege to live in NYC, where I am exposed to authentic cuisines from all over the world. Coming with an extremely high bar, I was still impressed by the foods I tried in London.
Meal Highlights in London
For the best casual eats, you must visit: Borough Market, Padella (pasta), Mercato Metropolitano (food court inside an old church), Chinatown (so many affordable and authentic options), and the Food Gallery inside Harrod’s.
For proper sit-down meals, I loved Dalloway Terrace (afternoon tea), Dishoom Carnaby (Indian), Circolo Poplare, and Old Queen’s Cafe (traditional British breakfast). Dalloway Terrace was recommended by my blogger friend Margaret (Read her London Guide HERE), and the interior decor blew me away, along with its generous refills and delicious finger sandwiches!
Dessert & Pastry Highlights in London
There is no better way to start off a girls’ trip than with freshly baked pastries. I loved starting off every morning with a new bakery, and the two that stood out to me are Arôme Bakery and Moi et Toi (visit when you’re in Notting Hill).
As for desserts, Mamason has the most delicious ube bilog (milk brioche bun filled with ube ice cream) and refreshing lychee sorbet. Just two blocks away is a newly opened donut spot called Donutelier, where everything tasted as good as it looks, though a bit on the pricy side.
Free London Museums to Visit
London’s free museums are definitely something to prioritize. You probably won’t see it all, but I really enjoyed the British Museum, V&A (Victoria & Albert) Museum, and the Wallace Collection (located in the classy Marylebone neighborhood, and on the smaller side). I would allocate 2 to 3-hours for the British, and V&A Museum, and 1-hour for the Wallace Collection.
London Girls’ Trip: Best Places to Shop
I feel satisfied with my luxury purchase from Italy (read the story HERE), so I merely window-shopped this time around. Not to mention, there is no VAT-refund granted from the U.K. If you do want to visit any luxury shops, Bond Street & Regent Street are the places to go. I went in early January, and was able to catch some of the left-over Christmas decor as well.
For the London-exclusives, I’d also recommend popping into Selfridges, Harrod’s, and Liberty London for a unique department store experience. At Harrod’s, be sure to check out their vast food hall (take-out only) as well as gift shop. At Liberty London, make sure to visit their third floor fabric archive, which contains so many beautiful prints and is a sewist’s heaven.
Day Trips to Take from London for a Girls’ Trip
I went back-and-forth a few times to decide which day trips to take from London, but was super happy I decided on Bath and Oxford. Both had their own historical charm, and with hourly trains running to and from London, it felt like going someplace new in no time!
Oxford: Get brunch at the Handlebar Cafe. Walk through Covered Market, then explore parts of the Oxford campus (Bridge of Sighs, Radcliffe Camera) along with a Bodleian Library tour which you have to book in advance. I also did an audio-tour of Christchurch, which is the inspiration behind so many Harry Potter scenes!
Bath: Visit Bath Abbey, and take a tour of the Roman Bath. Visit Fudge Kitchen (if you’re lucky, you may even get to see them make it in real-time), then get lunch at The Scallop Shell, which is a family run seafood restaurant with the most delicious fish & chips! Go see the Royal Crescent, and admire the Georgian architecture.
I hope this round-up gives you plenty of great ideas for your next London girls’ trip! There is truly so much to see and do.
