One week in London off the beaten path
London is huge, cosmopolitan, walkable and has a lot to offer: Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Natural History Museum, Tower Bridge, British Museum, the list goes long enough to fill all your bank holidays of the year.
It’s very easy to compile a list of obvious places to see and visit, but what if you have been to all those places and looking for something else? Or you want to skip them altogether and are looking for less obvious? This 7 days itinerary offers exactly this - still interesting but far less crowded places to see and visit in London.
Link to the Google Maps with all places marked:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xmprZzypjjnxzqD38
Day 1 - Barbican Estate
This place is not featured on postcards and keychains but it’s as uniquely representative of modern London as Westminster palace or Tower Bridge. And you have to visit it to believe it.
Barbican estate is a huge complex that includes residential buildings, ponds, arts center, exhibition space, schools, cinema, bars, restaurants and more. It’s a prominent example of British brutalist architecture at a grandest scale. It has no cars, but it has streets that float in the air above each other, intersecting into a wonderful maze.
There are also much older things within the estate, like a church that goes back to the 11th century, or a lengthy part of a city wall from Roman times. All the structures within the estate may be from different times but somehow nothing there feels out of place.
The Barbican’s hidden gem is The Conservatory. It’s free to visit, but you need to book your free place in advance (check conservatory on the official website). It’s an amazing space that teleports you into a post apocalyptic future where plants took over the city.
Overall, you can easily spend the whole day there, wandering inside and outside, have lunch near the ponds, and likely will still have many nooks left for the next visit.
Day 2 - Hampstead
Hampstead is an area to the west from the large Hampstead Heath park. The park features several ponds (some are for swimming), lots of woodland, Parliament Hill viewpoint, museum, sculptures, etc. It’s worth a visit, but I suggest we focus on other things.
Start with exploring lively streets to the south from the Hampstead underground station. Flask walk, Oriel place, Perrin’s court - all lined up with cozy shops and cafes.
Then proceed uphill, to the north, towards little Holly Mount street that has a beautiful centuries-old pub at its corner. From this place you can go down to The Mount street, following with the Admiral’s Walk and Hampstead Grove where you can see Admiral’s House and, if you have time, visit Fenton House.
There are many more pleasant streets, interesting architecture, museums and other places to visit. You can also hunt for blue plaques as there’s plenty of famous people that lived in the area: Robert Louis Stevenson, Tamara Karsavina, Aldous Huxley - just to name a random few.
But if you want to have a break from residential areas then move further north towards The Hill Garden and Pergola. It’s a splendid Georgian terrace with a beautiful garden around it that altogether feels like an enchanted palace grounds.
Day 3 - Holborn and Bloomsbury
Begin the day with a magnificent Victorian Gothic building of the Royal Courts of Justice that looks more like a palace. It has so many details that you can spend a lot of time here, but move to the east via Strand and then Fleet street - there are more historical buildings on both sides of these roads.
Turn north to Wine Office court and then west to Gough square. You will find Hodge there - a peculiar memorial to a cat that was a companion of Dr. Johnson, a pioneer of dictionaries whose house and museum is situated nearby.
Find your way to Lincoln’s Inn Fields, a big city park that has a little museum gem on its northern side - Sir John Soane's Museum (check opening times on their website).
It was a house of, among other things, a passionate collector of sculptures, paintings, architecture and curiosities. This place has more exhibits per square metre than probably any other museum you’ve been to. It’s an unusual experience - like you’ve been invited by your friend-collector to drop by.
Walk further north to visit The Brunswick which has an unusual look that has been attracting filmmakers and photographers for decades.
It’s a beautiful modernist residential complex elevated above street level and hosting shops, restaurants and a cinema on its ground floor - plenty of choices to wrap up the day.
Day 4 - Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an oasis of highrises to the east from central London. You can reach it using, among other ways, the DLR - an automated driverless metro system.
Towering buildings there are complemented by the network of canals that you can cruise yourself on a rental boat, enjoying the reflections.
The Wharf also has several parks and more than a hundred outdoor art installations and sculptures (you can download the Canary Wharf Art Map from their website).
At the top floor of a barge-like building in the northern part of the area, you can find the Canary Wharf Roof Garden - a well-designed set of paths amidst various trees and plants.
Be sure to reach the western shore of the peninsula, near the Canary Wharf ferry terminal, where you can admire the views of central London. From here you can take a river bus to have a ride over the Thames and get back to the city centre.
Day 5 - Farringdon
Start this day, full of history, by passing through the massive gates of the Order of Saint John that are preserved in superb state, including its fan vault ceiling (they have a museum there, check opening times on their website).
Proceed south towards the Smithfield Market and its grand avenue of metal arches that still serves its purpose as a meat market (although may soon lose this function).
Slightly to the north-east lies the former 14th century monastery - The Charterhouse. This estate has a fascinating history that you can learn on one of the guided tours that are often run by residents (check times and prices on their website).
Adjacent to the Charterhouse you will see the Florin Court - an elegant apartment block with hints of Art Deco that was used as the home of Hercule Poirot for TV series.
Walk south towards Cloth street then turn right onto Cloth Fair - the street with a long history of being a home to the Bartholomew Fair that was held here until 1855 (and was resurrected in 2023). On this street, you will see many notable buildings, including the oldest house in the City of London and the 12th century St Bartholomew The Great church. The church is worth a visit, as well as its picturesque old gatehouse that nowadays stands separately from the main building.
To wrap up the day walk further east to find yourself at the impressive small plaza of Guildhall which is surrounded by all sorts of architecture from gothic to brutalist with the one intricate and distinctive 18th century façade by the renowned architect George Dance.
Day 6 - Hampton Court Palace
There are many castles and fortresses in the UK, but not so many palaces, and very few of them are fully open to the public. Luckily, there is one a short train ride away to the south west from London - the Hampton Court Palace (check opening times and ticket prices on their website). Alternatively, you can reach it by boat from central London (check the website for details).
Built in the 16th century it was one of the favourite residences of the notorious king Henry VIII. Expanded several times over the years, this palace now is a vast complex in a distinctive style - a mix of red bricks and Portland stone. Highlights that you can spot outside include the astronomical clock and the Fountain Court.
Amongst the interiors you can find a grand staircase, the Great Hall of immense size, multiple smaller chambers with period furnishing, and even a set of kitchen rooms that are enriched with tools and replicas of food for a better immersion.
There is a lot of art there as well, both the permanent collection of historical value and temporary exhibitions.
Buildings and interiors can easily take hours to explore, but carve some time to walk through formal gardens, a vast area of mushroom-shaped trees, the maze, and also see the "Great Vine" - the world’s biggest, planted in the 18th century and still producing grapes.
Day 7 - The City
Wrap up the itinerary by exploring the City - the center of London, reaching its many distinctive towers into the sky.
A good way to begin is to visit The Garden at 120 (free of charge, but check opening times on their website). This rooftop of a relatively small building allows you to comfortably observe many of the surrounding skyscrapers like the Walkie Talkie and the Gherkins, and other landmarks, like the Tower Bridge.
There’s one building that stands apart - the Lloyd’s of London. Come closer and walk around to observe its inside-out architecture in detail that looks extraterrestrial even nowadays. Imagine how it felt in 1986 when it was built.
It’s not only glass and steel in the City. You can pass through the Leadenhall Market - a crossroad under an ornate roof with a variety of establishments behind every door.
Then reach St. Dunstan-In-The-East - the old church that was severely damaged in World War II and now is a magnificent public garden where plants grow around and climb survived walls with pointed gothic arches.
To finish the day and the whole trip - cross the Thames into Southwark borough, towards the Shard skyscraper that is instantly recognizable by its seemingly broken spire. This tallest building in Western Europe solitary dominates the area and juxtaposes itself with predominantly low-rise surroundings.
Admire the immense structure and then walk further east towards bustling Bermondsey street - a local favourite trendy area to hang out and shop. There you can find modern restaurants and bars offering variety of cuisines and vibes to have a good time this last evening.
I hope the list will guide you to some of the lesser-known and explored areas of London, but feel free to ask questions or provide any feedback in the comments below. Thank you, and see you on another adventure!
