What Not to Do in London
Are you wondering what not to do in London? These are the biggest mistakes to avoid!
I’ve spent a lot of time in London over the years. Over the course of many trips in my lifetime, I’ve done all the popular tourist attractions, but I’ve also seen the city through the eyes of a local.
London is an incredible city, and a bucket list destination for many people. But like with any destination, it’s a good idea to come prepared and know what to do… as well as what not to do.
So here’s a look at the most common mistakes to avoid on your first trip to London. Let’s get into it!
1. Looking the wrong way when crossing the street
Cars drive on the left (AKA the “wrong” side of the road) in the UK, which can be confusing to adjust to if you come from one of the majority of countries in the world that drive on the right, including the US.
This also means you need to look in the opposite direction when crossing the street. It’s been such an issue in London that most crossings have “Look Left” and “Look Right” painted in big white letters on the street.
I’m embarrassed to admit how many times I’ve looked the wrong way, only for a car to be coming at me from the opposite direction of what I expected. So be extra careful when crossing streets in London!
2. Buying individual Tube tickets
I’m sure paper tickets for the Tube will be phased out one day, but for now, you can still buy them. And they’re a terrible deal. Individual paper tickets purchased from a machine cost a whopping £6.70.
The much better option is to tap to pay at the turnstiles with your contactless payment card. This is so much easier, and it also saves you money. The fare you pay is based on which zone within London you travel to, but the typical fare for Zone 1 trips is just £2.80, less than half the price of a paper ticket.
And the daily cap for Zone 1 fares is £8.90, so after your third trip, any additional rides are free.
3. Underestimating travel times
London is a huge city covering more than 600 square miles, more than 25 times the size of Manhattan! It’s a sprawling city, and getting from one place to another can take more time than you expect.
You should never underestimate travel times, and it’s always a good idea to build in a buffer if you have fixed plans. This is especially true if getting to your plans requires taking the Tube.
4. Overloading your itinerary
On a similar note, overloading your London itinerary is a huge mistake. If you only have a few days in the city, it can be tempting to try and cram in as much sightseeing and activities as possible.
However, you’ll have a better time if you build in some downtime (rather than scheduling every minute of every day) and leave some room for spontaneity. That’s often when you’ll make the best memories.
5. Only staying in “central” London
London is divided into nine concentric zones, with Zone 1 and Zone 2 being the most central and thus the areas where most tourists stay. However, there’s so much more to London than that!
Some of my favorite parts of the city are outside central London. For example, the gorgeous Kew Gardens and the charming district of Richmond, which is situated along the Thames River and has a small-town feel, are both located in Zone 4. But they’re well worth half a day of your time in London!
Even if you have limited time in London, I recommend taking one day to explore outside central London.
6. Visiting one of the many tourist traps
Every city has its tourist traps that aren’t worth the money, and London is no exception. I don’t know what’s going on with this city, but there’s a weirdly high amount of ridiculous tourist traps here.
Some of the most popular tourist traps to avoid:
- The London Dungeon: Although the name might make you think this is a real historic site, the London Dungeon is actually a cheesy haunted house that charges £27 for admission.
- Madame Tussauds: You’ll now find two dozen Madame Tussauds around the world, but the one in London is the original, and it dates back to the Victorian era. While I’m sure visiting a wax museum was exciting entertainment in the 1800s, there’s really no reason to drop £29 on it today.
- Shrek’s Adventure London: It draws big crowds due to its location by the London Eye and Westminster Bridge, but paying £21 to walk through a Shrek-themed experience? Just no.
- London Sea Life Aquarium: It’s another tourist trap that sucks people in because of its location, but there are many better things to do in London than visit an aquarium that charges £28 for entry.
- The Sherlock Holmes Museum: I actually went here a long time ago and thought it was fine, but admission was included in a pass that I had. I definitely wouldn’t pay the full £19 ticket price for this museum. It’s really small, the exhibits are tired, and it’s basically just a glorified gift shop.
There are so many great free things to do in London, and attractions that are actually worth the money.
7. Paying for the view from the Shard
Speaking of something else that’s not worth the money, skip paying for the observation deck on top of the Shard. While not a tourist trap per se, it’s really overpriced when you can get a similar view for free.
The observation deck at the Shard is on the 68th, 69th, and 72nd floors, and while it offers great views, tickets are quite steep at £32. Meanwhile, you can visit the Sky Garden observation deck for free.
It’s on the 43rd floor of a building 15 minutes from the Shard, and while it’s not quite as expansive a view, it’s still very similar. You just need to book a time slot online in advance for your free visit.
8. Taking a rickshaw ride
Much like I mentioned taking a pedicab ride in my list of New York mistakes to avoid, you should also definitely skip rickshaw rides in London. You’ll often see these rickshaws in touristy parts of the city.
The drivers can be a little annoying trying to offer you a ride, but trust me, it’s never worth it. The rickshaw drivers charge an exorbitant amount of money, and you’re better off walking or taking the Tube.
9. Missing out on free museums
London is chock-full of incredible free museums, so it’s a huge mistake not to take advantage of them. Definitely visit one of these museums over the tourist traps I mentioned above!
Here’s a look at some of the best free museums in London:
- British Museum: One of the most impressive history museums in the world.
- National Gallery: An incredible art museum spanning centuries of Western art.
- Tate Modern: Another excellent art museum dedicated to modern art.
- Natural History Museums: A great museum dedicated to natural history and science.
- Victoria and Albert Museum: One of the best art and design museums in the world.
This is just a small sampling of the many free museums you can visit in London.
10. Not booking popular attractions in advance
While there are lots of great free attractions in London, there are also some paid attractions worth doing. One example is the Tower of London, which is a must-visit for anyone interested in history.
Westminster Abbey and the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour London are two other paid attractions I think are worth it. However, these need to be booked online in advance. Not only will it save you time waiting in line to buy tickets, but some of these attractions literally sell out days in advance.
11. Tipping on top of a service charge
Tipping culture in the UK is very different from the US. If you Google the question “Do you tip in London?” some of the answers that come up recommend tipping as much as 15% or even 20%. This is totally wrong information, and no one I know who is actually from the UK would ever tip that much, if at all.
Many restaurants in London include a service charge on your bill that’s 10% or 12.5%. If this is included, there’s no need to tip anything extra. If there isn’t a service charge, you can feel free to tip for good service (10% is standard), but it’s not super common. Similarly, no one really tips in bars or pubs in London.
12. Watching the Changing of the Guard
The Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace is a huge spectacle, and something that many people want to see while in London. Having seen it, I can’t say that it’s worth it.
People start showing up for this ceremony, which happens several days a week, well over an hour in advance. If you want to get a spot by the gates of the palace where you can actually see what’s happening, you’ll need to show up super early and stake out your spot, which is a waste of time in my opinion.
You should definitely plan on walking past Buckingham Palace (you can also visit the palace interior during the summer months), but I wouldn’t spend over an hour standing around just to watch the ceremony.
13. Eating in Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square are essentially the Times Square of London. These areas are very popular with tourists, but greatly lacking in high-quality restaurants that aren’t tourist traps.
Definitely avoid eating a meal in Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square unless you want to be ripped off and overpay for mediocre food. There are so many better options for where to eat in London.
14. Taking the Tube during rush hour
The Tube can be a very convenient, efficient mode of transportation for getting around London, but I recommend avoiding it during rush hour (7:30 AM to 9 AM and 5 PM and 7 PM) if you can.
This is when the Tube is at its most crowded, filled with commuters rushing off to their jobs or coming home at the end of the day. If you can avoid the Tube at these times, your trip will be a lot smoother.
15. Being unprepared for rain
London has a reputation for being gray and rainy, not entirely undeserved. While you are likely to experience some nice and sunny days on your trip to London, it does rain quite a bit too.
In fact, you can expect 11 to 15 rainy days per month in London. Be sure to pack a small, lightweight umbrella and a raincoat. You don’t need rain boots (which are actually super impractical for doing a lot of walking), but it’s a good idea to pack some sturdy waterproof walking shoes that can handle the rain.
16. Not going anywhere else in the UK
So many tourists, especially American tourists, only visit London while they’re in the UK. And I think that’s a huge mistake! This might be a controversial opinion, but London isn’t even close to the top of the list of my favorite places in the UK, a country that consists of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
I highly recommend picking at least one other destination. For example, you could escape the city for nature in the Cotswolds or the Lake District. Or head north and visit Edinburgh, Scotland.
If you’re short on time, you can at least use London as a base to take one or two day trips. The train system in the UK makes it easy to get around on your own. Here are some great, easy day trips from London:
- Windsor: One of the quickest day trips you can take from London. Explore the famous Windsor Castle, walk the grounds, and stop for lunch at one of the restaurants in this small town.
- Canterbury: Another easy day trip from London by train. Visit Canterbury Cathedral and enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring this charming and historic riverfront city, an hour from London.
- Oxford: Less than an hour from London, Oxford is a famous university town. You can explore many of the campus buildings (some of which were filming locations for Harry Potter) and the rest of the town. If the weather is nice, punting (or boating) on the River Thames is a popular activity.
- Bath: This historic city is a great day trip from London. There’s so much to do here that you can easily spend a full day. One of the highlights is visiting the ruins of the ancient Roman baths here.
- The Cotswolds: Although it’s not easily accessible by train, the Cotswolds is a beautiful region not too far from London that makes for a great day trip. This region is exactly what you picture when you hear the words “English countryside” and is full of rolling hills and picture-perfect small villages.
You can read more about the best day trips from London here.
What Not to Do in London
This guide showed you what not to do in London.
By avoiding these common tourist mistakes, you can ensure that you aren’t wasting your time or money in London, and that you don’t end up disappointed or frustrated by your experience visiting this city.
Enjoy your trip to London!
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