How to Explore London in 24 hours

What would you do if you were shipped off to London with only $150 in your pocket for a day?

A few weeks ago, I was given this interesting but not impossible challenge by Travelex.

We all know that London can be extremely expensive even with the best of intentions, but I was sure that with limited resources but lots of creativity, anyone can still have a great time and plan a great itinerary. So journey with me below and let me know if you have any other great ideas in the comments section 🙂

I started my day with a breakfast in the clouds at Duck and Waffle on the East side of town. On the 40th floor, this is the place to dine at any time of the day. But it is especially special to have your poached eggs at too-early-to-function hours of the morning, served with a side of the sun rising as you are having your strong coffee or two.

I still remember the day I arrived in London for the very first time, and was pleasantly surprised that most of the museums and galleries in this city are free-of-charge to visit. One of my favourite places to linger on the weekends is Saatchi Gallery. And on the day of my challenge, I was in luck because the gallery is featuring a show entirely by creative women artists.

This was a particularly odd but interesting piece of art installation below from Maha Malluh’s “Food for Thought”, made of discarded aluminium cooking pots all over the The Middle East.

After a feast for the eyes at Saatchi, I wanted to rest my legs at somewhere cosy and comforting in the middle of London’s windy winter day. As a huge travel and book geek, I found myself at Daunt Books, one of the best hidden gems in Marylebone with an extensive travel section for me to browse through.

Don’t you just want to sit down here and stay awhile?

While I was in Marylebone, it’s not a day in London without an afternoon tea experience. After all that reading, I needed a quick caffeine boost.

On Marylebone Lane, there is a lovely little spot called 108 Pantry serving three versions of afternoon tea and snacks at various levels of indulgence, healthy, not-so-healthy, and classic (not sure the difference there between the two latter). I was feeling good and went for the classic version, but if you are in a celebratory mood, they offer bubbles over black tea if that’s your kind of thing.

By this point, there is still one thing left to check off on my list. For the quintessential London shopping experience, Liberty London is a must visit for the unapologetically eccentric and truly innovative housewares, fashion and sweets.

I can never get bored in London with the abundance of activities and places to visit. I recommend the best way to see the city is to stroll around and you’ll never know what you might find along the way.

Thanks to Travelex for working with me on this post.