Lovely London: A One Week Itinerary

There’s something stirring in the crisp London air that makes the city a place unlike anywhere else in the world. Maybe it’s the fact that I nurtured a Harry Potter obsession since age 5, or maybe it’s the feeling of walking through a busy intersection surrounded by lilting British accents - either way London is one of my favorite cities in the world.

I first visited London as a child and fell absolutely in love with the atmosphere, the architecture, and the history of the city. When I had the opportunity to spend a week visiting one of my close friends in early 2020, I jumped at the chance.

Day 1: Westminster & Soho

I arrived on Sunday, January 5, 2020 in the mid-afternoon. It was my first international solo-flight, and I of course stayed awake the entire time. My close friend Jasmin met me at the airport, we grabbed hot chai tea lattes and took a taxi into the city. She was in London studying for the year, earning her masters and staying in an adorable two bedroom flat in Clerkenwell with another student.

On day one, we started at Kettner’s, an exceptionally aesthetically pleasing brunch spot in Soho. I ordered an iced matcha latte and eggs benedict. The food was great, but catching up with Jasmin after six months apart was the best part.

From there, we meandered over to House of Minalima in Soho, an interactive Harry Potter exhibition displaying relics from the films. I could’ve spent the entire day admiring the intricate details of each piece of art displayed.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around, soaking in the energy and the architecture of the city. We visited the Glossier pop-up on Carnaby Street and admired the glittering, still hanging decorations from Christmas time. That night, we stayed in, cooked at home, and watched British reality tv shows. It was a perfect first day in London.

Day 2: Chelsea & Kensington

We began day two at Farm Girl Cafe, another brunch spot with perfectly pleasing indoor architecture. We ordered chai tea lattes adorned with cinnamon Frenchies, and I got eggs benedict (again).

We spent the afternoon walking around aimlessly, taking in the perfectly manicured neighborhoods adorned with black iron gates and brightly painted front doors. We stopped to take pictures here and there as we made our way through Chelsea to Elan Cafe, where we ordered a fruit tart, carrot cake, a matcha latte and a lucky charms latte as an afternoon pick-me-up.

We avoided taking the tube this day, as I wanted to soak in as much of the city as I could. After our sugar-high of a lunch, we walked to Buckingham Palace, St. James’ Park, and passed through Trafalgar Square, where we saw a crowd gathered outside of Canada House. Thinking we might be lucky enough to catch a glance of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we stuck around for a few minutes. After about fifteen minutes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked out, waving politely. I was beyond thankful that we opted to walk instead of take the tube.

Day 3: The Boy Who Lived

Day three was the day I was most excited for - a self-guided tour of Harry Potter film locations scattered around London, followed by a visit to the Warner Brother's Studio Tour in Leavesden.

Location one: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, which is seen as Ron flies his dad’s stolen car in an attempt to catch the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We snuck past the concierge to take in the beauty of the hotel, which also doubled as a location for the Spice Girls’ iconic “Wannabe” music video.

Location two: King’s Cross Station and Platform 9 and 3/4, an iconic location in the first Harry Potter film. This was a must see location for me - it includes the opportunity to take a photo “running” into the wall at the platform, and features a shop filled with exclusive Harry Potter merchandise.

Location three: #12 Grimmauld Place, seen as Sirius Black’s family residence in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The actual location is 23-29 Claremont Square. If you look closely while there, one of the neighbors has a Kreacher installation peeking from their upstairs window. It was just magical.

We went home to rest and prepare for the journey to Leavesden Studios. It was easily one of the best days of my life. As someone who spent their entire childhood (and much of my young adulthood) absolutely obsessed with the Harry Potter franchise - this was a massive moment for me. I actually cried, and if you know me, you know that’s extremely rare.

Jasmin and I spent hours wandering through each set with our self-guided tour headsets, listening to secrets about the cast and crew, details about each unique costume, and bits of movie magic used to bring each film to life. The studio tour was everything I imagined it would be - if you’re a Harry Potter fan this is a must see.

Day 4: Oxford for the Day

We left at a decently early time, catching a train from London to Oxford. We hadn’t researched much ahead of time - we just knew we wanted to visit the Cloisters at New College, another Harry Potter film location. It was brisk and colder than London, with a biting drizzle arriving as we stepped off the train.

We found solace from the cold morning at George Street Social. Shelves teeming with worn-in books lined the two story coffee shop, the smell of freshly brewed coffee mixing softly with the sound of light and quick typing as Oxford students studied around us. It was like the intro to a rom-com where the main character moves to a quaint town in the English countryside. It was perfect.

There was a street market just outside filled with vintage clothing, old newspapers, and collectible versions of Alice in Wonderland. We wandered through it once the drizzle stopped before making our way past Christ Church and on to the Cloisters at New College.

It was simply magical.

The rain began to pick up, and we found ourselves at a gaming cafe in Oxford City Centre, where we ordered hot apple cider and played a couple rounds of an Alice in Wonderland themed memory game.

Our final stop was The Covered Market, which was shutting down for the evening. From there, we journeyed back to London.

Day 5: Camden Town

On day five, we visited Camden Market in Camden Town, a bustling indoor/outdoor market with food vendors, thrift stores, jewelry stands, and so much more. It’s a tradition of mine to thrift something for Kyle on every trip I attend, so I found him a vintage denim jacket at one of the thrift stores.

That night, we visited The Cheese Bar at Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden. It featured a revolving bar with an array of cheese pairings, from chocolate to honey to thinly sliced meats. I highly recommend visiting if you’re in the area - it was a charcuterie lover’s dream.

Day 6: Borough Market & Shoreditch

On our final day, we visited Borough Market across the River Thames for a late breakfast. It was bustling in a pre-pandemic 2020, with delicately stacked fudge pouring out of wooden baskets, freshly baked croissants and cookies displayed across tables, and stacks of truffle brie littering vendor stands. We collected our treats of choice and people-watched by the Tower Bridge.

That night, we started in Shoreditch at a local bar with some of Jasmin’s new London friends. We soaked in the music of live bands, blaring Reggaeton, and loud bass before ending the night at a McDonalds. It was a perfect end to the trip.

And with that, my week in London came to an end.

From bumping into Prince Harry and Megan Markle in Trafalgar Square to admiring the perfectly uniform flats in Chelsea, to visiting every possible Harry Potter film location in London - it was the perfect week. But the best part was living like a local with a close friend, visiting London grocery stores and making meals on nights in.

Until next time.