London Town. Destination: London. Home to my favorite London boys: Prince Harry and Harry Potter. Oh how I love you, your people and their sexy accents. What more could a small-town U.S.A. girl ask for?

Full Disclosure: Really Bad British Puns To Follow

During my 3-day trip to London, I got to do, see and eat so much. I got to catch a glimpse of the changing of the guard through the gates of Buckingham Palace, take a spin on the London Eye, and was cast under a spell by a performance of “Wicked” in the West End. Considering I only had a few days to it all in, I did what any basic London itinerary would have suggested.

Of course, I didn’t get to do it all, but would I be a Gallivanter if I didn’t try? So this is what I wish I’d done in London, England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Food

There is no phrase more popular amongst my friends who enjoy the occasional fake British accent as the saying, “Oy! Fish and Chips.” I had the pleasure of trying Fish and Chips from a market in the heart of London, but I wish I had gotten to experience some delicious ethnic cuisine.

I’ve heard some great things about Punjab’s, which has traditional tandoori dishes and Punjabi specialties. Indian food is my typical weekend “take-away,” as the Brits say, and once I heard about Punjab’s Brie Naan, I almost booked my flight back.

Indian food for dinner, and what for dessert? Why Doughnut Time of course! Americans may run on Dunkin, but Doughnut time has a Biscoff Cookie Donut known as the David Hasselhoff. Doughnuff said! (Bloody terrible I know).

Stay

After all of the gallivanting and gluttony, all I want at the end of the day is an oversized duvet, my eye mask, and a good-no, a great night’s sleep. I definitely got all of this and more at the Holiday Inn Express attached to Heathrow Airport. England was my first experience out of the country and you never forget your first.

The anxiety of being in a new country paired with the jet lag from a 10-hour red-eye leaves your nervous system pretty shot, so it was a relief to know that our journey to the hotel would be short and sweet. With that being said, as an American, I felt at home at the Holiday Inn, but we’re all Gallivanters here, so I want to try and find that feel-good spot between Point A: right outside my comfort zone, and Point B: an anxiety attack.

A stay that is within walking distance of some of London’s key locations would be in Holborn. Not to mention it is very close the Apple Market, which was a highlight of my trip and where I bought most of my souvenirs.

Art

I don’t know if the English are as notorious for a rich art history as they are other things Colonialism, imperialism, etc…I don’t know where I was going with that.

While in London I did get to experience a performance of Wicked in the West End, which was incredible. But when I go back (Yes, Universe I’m speaking to you: WHEN), I would love to visit the National Gallery in London.

The National Gallery is home to a few low-key artist’s paintings you may have heard of (ahem, Monet’s Water-Lily Pond and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers).

One of the pieces I would love to sit and stare at for a long while is the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck, leaving enough time to circle back to the many religious themed works available for view in the Gallery of both Michelangelo and Botticelli.

History

To say I didn’t get to experience as much History as I wanted is an understatement.

For starters, I only got to spend about 2 hours at The Tower of London.

Home to some really wicked torture device replicas? And might I add THE Crown Jewels, I wish I had spent a full day dedicated to exploring the castle, maybe even taking a guided tour.

With that being said, the trading history of Camden Market goes back to the 1800s, and Taylor Swift has a song about it, ‘nough said.

And just look at it:

So yes, this is what I wish I had done in London. I hope that you get to do the “tourist trap” itinerary items and so much more. There is a reason that some locations and to-dos are so popular across “What to do in London” blog posts – it’s because they are iconic.

But, we Gallivanters are always chasing the best that life has to offer, which could be just around the corner. A hypothetical corner don’t go around shady corners. Remember, your next adventure might include some items not on your itinery.

When I go back to London, you’ll know where to find me!

-Allison