As the largest city in the UK, London has earned an iconic status. It’s one of the places everyone flocks to for a city break – and for many great reasons. There’s an abundance of things to do and sights to see. A foreign tourist could take a week-long break in the city and find something to occupy them every single day. 

For UK residents, London remains one of the best places to visit in the country. You’re unlikely to book a staycation for a week, which is why many Brits opt for a weekend city break. The best thing about London is that it doesn’t matter when you visit. If you go now during the height of winter, you’ll have Christmas markets and Winter Wonderland to tickle your fancy. Visit during any other month or season and there are new things to explore. 

As well as season-specific events and scenes, London is home to a plethora of entertaining aspects that you can enjoy at any time. So, we’ll introduce you to the top things to see, do or enjoy during a weekend away in this vast city! 

Take In Panoramic City Views

London is known for its impressive skyline and there are loads of great buildings throughout the city. It’s an urban paradise that looks amazing from above – and boy does the city know it! There are ample opportunities to go up high and see panoramic views around the whole of London. 

The obvious one that springs to mind is a trip to the London Eye. Here, you enjoy a small ride on a large Ferris wheel, giving you views across the city. 

If you’d rather spend a bit more money and enjoy a more luxurious experience, head to The Shard. This iconic building sticks out like a giant spike in the city skyline and offers a wealth of tourism opportunities. You can enjoy a fancy dinner here, go to the bar for drinks or pay to go to the observatory platform right at the top. From here, you’ll look out across London as far as the eye can see. 

Your pro tip for anything involving London city views is to do it when there’s clear weather. If there’s a lot of cloud coverage, you won’t see anything! 

See A Fabulous West End Show

London’s West End is only rivalled by New York’s Broadway in terms of theatrical brilliance. Some of the best shows in the world travel here and perform for weeks or months on end. If you’re visiting London for a weekend, we strongly recommend looking at the West End shows while you’re there. There’s usually something spectacular on – a few of the current favourites include Mamma Mia, Hamilton, The Lion King and Frozen. 

Or, here’s another idea, why don’t you check to see when your favourite show is due to play? If you’re desperate to watch a particular production, plan the whole trip around it. Book to visit London on a weekend when you know you can get tickets and have a wonderful time. 

Enjoy A Taste Of London’s Epic Food Scene

The food in London is absolutely fantastic. When we say there’s something for everyone, we genuinely mean it! 

This city is a melting pot of cultures and people from all walks of life settle here. As a result, you get restaurants and street food stalls sampling cuisines from all over the world. Likewise, there’s a strong vegan/vegetarian scene, so anyone who swears off meat or animal products will have a brilliant time here. 

We won’t recommend any London restaurants to visit as there are too many. Instead, the best option is to visit a few of the markets or squares dotted around the city. Borough Market is one that instantly jumps to mind. It has many street food stalls and you can buy fresh fruit and veg there too. 

Spitalfields is another market you have to visit. It’s got loads of independent shops as well to buy cute souvenirs as well as various food trucks and stalls. There’s everything from Italian to Asian to Mexican and even lots of sweet treats. Honestly, you should enjoy as much food as you can while you’re here – if you don’t live in a big UK city, you’ll instantly miss having such a diversity of food options close by! 

Visit All Of The City’s Iconic Landmarks

London is full of iconic landmarks that people from all over the world know about. We’re talking Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the Tower of London and so on. You probably think it’s impossible to see all of these things over two days – but you’re wrong! 

The city of London knows tourists love snapping pics of these iconic spots, so it has various City Sightseeing tours you can go on. To be honest, you can book sightseeing bus tours from a range of companies, but we like the official one as it’s a hop-on-hop-off type of thing. 

Basically, it takes you around all of the legendary landmarks and you can get off the bus whenever you like. Hop off to take photos or go inside certain places, then hop on the next sightseeing bus that comes by. It’s the easiest way to see as much of London as you can.

Walk Down Oxford Street & Stroll Through Hyde Park

Oxford Street is one of the most famous streets in the whole UK, let alone London. It’s home to plenty of shops and is regularly packed full of eager shoppers. You can pop into Selfridges or just go for a stroll to see the views. 

Another reason to visit Oxford Street is its proximity to Hyde Park. In fact, if you walk down the street towards Marble Arch tube station, you’ll be right there! During Christmas, Hyde Park houses the epic Winter Wonderland – but it’s still a beautiful park to walk around during any time of year. 

If you’re in London for a weekend, these five things will give you more than enough to do. In fairness, you may struggle to fit it all into your itinerary. That’s the beauty of London; it’s such a big place offering many delights. You can take multiple weekend trips here during the year and enjoy a new experience each time!