Three Days in London: Bookstores, Crown Jewels, and a Bathroom in Outer Space
By Diana | Between Chapters
I spent three full, busy, gloriously sleep-deprived days in London and loved every minute. This is the trip, the favorites, and the honest advice for anyone craving a stylish, walkable, bookish London escape. I averaged 13 to 16 miles of walking a day. The Tube caught me every time my feet gave out.
Where I Stayed: The Kimpton Fitzroy
A destination in itself. The grand staircase, the floral tea room, the cozy library lounge. Every inch of this hotel is stunning, and my vegan afternoon tea there was a dream: warm scones, delicate pastries, impeccable service, and they boxed up my leftovers without my asking. The evening social hour introduced me to fellow travelers and one very cute dog.
Five olives. No notes.
The neighborhood delivers too: Cecil Court and Waterstones within walking distance, Bloomsbury cafés for bookish people-watching, and The Swan right around the corner, the ideal cheery British pub with great people and great food.
Day One: Bloomsbury to Camden
Jet-lagged but buzzing, I set out to wander. Cecil Court's antique bookshops were still shuttered when I passed, and honestly, this famous street was smaller than I expected. I'd envisioned hundreds of shops and it's more like fifteen, most leaning antiquarian, which isn't quite my scene. I prefer newer titles. Waterstones, on the other hand, felt like a literary playground. I could have lost the whole morning there.
I meandered past churches dressed in twinkling decorations and sat outside a café with my coffee, just breathing London in. There was a permanent smile on my face.
After checking in and that dreamy afternoon tea, I walked to Camden Locks: street art, canals, live music, and grit. London's creative heartbeat, and worth every step of the canal walk. Wear comfortable shoes. I ended the night back at The Swan with vegan nuggets and a cocktail, then slept like the jet-lagged dead.
Day Two: The Tower, the Market, and a Pink Velvet Dinner
Book the first morning slot at the Tower of London. Fewer crowds, more magic, and seeing the Crown Jewels was genuinely goosebump-worthy.
From there I met a friend at Tower Bridge, wandered through a breathtaking church, and dove into Borough Market, which is food heaven. My vegan taco might have changed my life. Go early or late afternoon, because by 11 am it is packed shoulder to shoulder, and bring a bag: you could easily stock up here for the week.
We caught the Uber Boat down the Thames, gliding past the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament. We didn't go inside, just hopped off and strolled, taking in the buildings and far too many photos. Sometimes observing from the outside is exactly enough.
I continued solo through historic pubs, tea shops, and bookstores, then reunited with my friend for dinner at Sketch: all pink velvet, whimsy, and art. The cocktails were beautiful, the food divine, the company even better, and the bathrooms are truly an experience. Otherworldly. We felt like we were in outer space, and I mean that as the highest compliment a bathroom has ever received.
Day Three: Kensington, Notting Hill, and Farewell Wine
A morning stroll through Hyde Park and past Kensington Palace: swans, soccer matches, couples holding hands. Coffee at The Orangery gave me life.
Then Notting Hill, which is charming, chaotic, and colorful. A word of warning: Portobello Market on a Saturday is gorgeous but absolutely mobbed. Shoulder to shoulder. I skipped the hour-long line at Farm Girl Café and wandered the quiet side streets instead, which turned out to be the better version of Notting Hill anyway. Go early or go midweek.
The afternoon handed me a few closed doors. No luck at Sky Garden without a reservation (book that one before you fly, lesson learned). The Blackfriar, a genuine beauty, quoted me a two-hour wait thanks to a parade. So I landed at Gordon's Wine Bar instead: a vegan cheese board, a glass of wine, calm after the parade chaos, and world-class people watching. I was very tempted by the cave-like interior, and next time it's mine.
Pub collection for the day: The Old Bank of England, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Ye Olde Mitre. Each one steeped in history and character.
Dinner at Mildreds was vegan comfort at its absolute best, and probably my favorite meal of the whole trip. Cozy, colorful, flavorful, perfect.
The Practical Bits
The Tube is intuitive, cheap, and safe, and Google Maps tells you the line and the countdown to your train. London is remarkably vegan-friendly: the Kimpton, Sketch, the pubs, and Mildreds were all standouts. And I felt completely safe the entire trip. Londoners keep to themselves but are kind the moment you need help.
One honest caution: keep your bag close and your phone closer. I watched a woman have her bag snatched right outside our hotel, gone in seconds, and phone-swiping from bikes is a real thing in busy areas. It never made me feel unsafe. It made me feel like paying attention, which is different.
And pack one elevated outfit. Many places have a dress code, LOOKING AT YOU, Ritz, where I was denied entry in leggings and sneakers. I have made peace with this. Mostly.
Highlights and Honest Olives
A note for the newcomers: I rate things in olives, one to five, because this all started with reading books in bars, and a martini seemed like the only honest unit of measurement. Five olives means perfect, order it again, tell everyone. One olive means we don't speak of it.
Hotel: Kimpton Fitzroy, five olives. Meal: Mildreds, five olives. Drink spot: Gordon's Wine Bar, five olives. Experience: Borough Market, four olives. The miss: Portobello Market on a Saturday, two olives, and one of them is for the architecture.
London reminded me how alive I feel when I'm exploring alone, moving at my own pace, discovering corners that feel like mine. Three days, endless steps, and one very full heart.
Want the full plan, not just the story? I turned this trip into 3 Days in London for the Book Lover: every stop in the right order, the four things to book before you fly (including the Sky Garden ticket trick I learned the hard way), the days to avoid at the markets, my honest hotel review, and a London reading list to match. It's the version of this post you can actually follow. Grab it here.
