Iconic London Landmarks | Westminster

Hello lovely reader! Happy Sunday! I hope you are all doing well. I feel like a need to provide a bit of explaining as to my lack of posting here on the blog. My explanation, I am a whole lot busier here than I had planned and school work and experiencing amazing opportunities has come before posting! The bad news is, I haven't posted anywhere near as frequently as I had planned, meaning that before I got to London I was thinking "Oh ya, I'll post after every excursion I take", then I got here and the reality was that I have been go, go, going ever since I landed! The good news is that I have been documenting every step of the way and have tons of photos and notes to share with you, so the posts will come! I want to share not only what I have experienced here in London and in other places I have visited but also tips for anyone who is considering or planning on studying abroad. For today's post I wanted to share what I think is the best way to start off your time in London, whether it be for a few days, months, or even years.

The Westminster area is the perfect place to start because it allows you to get a lot of the touristy things accomplished in one go, seeing many of London's iconic landmarks including the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards Parade, and Trafalgar Square! Now I know this may sound like a lot but I promise you they are all within walking distance of each other which makes for a nice and easy day.

If you are taking the tube I would highly recommend starting out from Westminster station. You literally step out of the station and Big Ben is right in front of you, looking beautiful and majestic. It's a moment for sure. After seeing it in person multiple times I truly believe that photos do not do it justice. There are so many amazing gold and architectural details at the top of the tower. 

You can then either walk across the bridge and to check out the London Eye or head towards Parliament and see Westminster Abbey.

There is sooo much history within this Church, over 1000 years. I haven't been inside yet but am planning to visit before I leave. You can go inside the church for free for worship services. Again the outside of this church is covered in details, both on the sides and the front of the building. 

Then, if you are there on a Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (always check the website to be sure) head towards Buckingham Palace around 11am to see the changing of the guards.

Of course you must checkout Buckingham Palace, see the guards, and have a look through the gift shop. Fun Fact, you can tell if the Queen is in based on the flag flying above the palace. If the Union Jack is flying it means she is not currently there and if the Royal Standard is flying then the Queen is in residence! I have been there twice and both times the Union Jack has been up so maybe the third time is the charm?

If it is a nice day, you can have a walk through St. James Park along The Mall towards the Horse Guards Parade.

Then checkout the infamous horse guards, snap a pick or give the gorgeous horses a pet. They don't bite......usually!

From the Horse Guards Parade, walk up Whitehall Street and you can conclude your tour with the lovely lions in Trafalgar Square. This area holds an idealic London-esque view especially when the sun is setting. If you stand at the foot of the lions and look down Whitehall Street you will be able to see Big Ben standing tall amongst the trees and buildings.

Just lovely. So as I said this is the first of many more to come! I have been more "lively" active over on instagram so if you haven't already, be sure to follow @notexactlyplainjane ! Xx