So this is Part 2 of the "London in a Hurry" series, perfect for those people who have limited time in London and want to cram as much as possible in a short time. This walk is meant to cover a large area in a short amount of time but doesn't really give enough time to enter any attractions such as museums.

This walk can be done in one day or can be broken down into small walks to make it a little bit easier if you have the time. My suggestion is to start at Trafalgar square no later than 9:30-10am if you want to catch the change of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

The path shown in the Google map is just a suggestion so feel free to explore little side streets and get away from main streets.

This section focuses on more touristy shopping areas with big avenues full of shops, restaurants, and cafes that can be explored without a specific route. The areas visited are: Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly, Regent St, Oxford St, Carnaby St, The West End, Chinatown, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and Seven Dials!



Part one of "London in a hurry" ends in Westminster Abbey and this one begins a 15 minute walk away in:

Trafalgar Square

This square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar which was won by the British against the French. In the center of the square is the huge Nelson column guarded by four lions.

In this Square you can find the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery which are both free of charge and have amazing collections worth stopping by if you have time.

From the square walk down "Whitehall" until you reach the gates for the Horse Guards where you will find (obviously!) some guard men on top of horses.

 Horse Guards

From Whitehall take a right turn into the Household Cavalry Museum and through to the courtyard in the back. It is in this courtyard that the Horse Guards Parade starts to go to Buckingham Palace.

Love the view from the gate of St Jame's Park overlooking the London Eye and Cavalry Museum.

St. James Park

There are two main ways to get to Buckingham Palace: 1. Walk the paved street of "The Mall" or 2. Enjoy a nice walk through St. James' Park. I always prefer to take the scenic route and unless you are in a hurry to catch the change of the guards I would recommend to go see if you can spot a pelican or two at the park.

In the park you can take any route that you wish until you reach:

Buckingham Palace

I believe the change of guards at Buckingham Palace is a must see when in London and the good thing is that it is absolutely free! Just show up at Buckingham Palace around 10:30am (Check the calendar since they don't run every day) and see the big guard procession and the change of guards.

If you happen to be there during the summer months (August and September) I highly recommend getting tickets to visit the State Rooms inside Buckingham Palace.

Procession walking on "The Mall"

Picadilly

From Buckingham Palace walk through Green Park to get to Picadilly!

Fun  fact: did you know that 47% of London is made of green areas? There are 8 million trees in London (almost a tree per person) and it is considered the "world's largest urban forest"!

Once in Picadilly you have reached the first big shopping avenue, you'll see the Ritz and very soon all the fancy brand names shops. If you really want to check out Louis V., Gucci, Burberry, Tiffany etc. and do some window shopping (or real shopping!) I recommend to turn left on Old Bond Street (which becomes New Bond Street) and have a stroll and explore a little bit more of Mayfair.
(If you want to do this I would recommend walking all the way to Bond Street Station, then walk Oxford St to Oxford Circus, down to Picadilly Circus alternating Carnaby street and Regent St.)

For this walk I stick to the fast and easy but it is your vacation so you pick what you want. On Picadilly I recommend going inside Fortnum and Mason and checking out the beautiful cakes and pretty tins with biscuits, tea, chocolate, and their beautiful gift baskets.

Picadilly Circus Station

Picadilly Circus is a little chaotic and a very important intersection where Picadilly, Regent St, the West End, Chinatown, and Leicester Square meet. It is considered London's little Times Square with its big screen and a massive amount of people. I love chaos and seeing the many red double decker busses and people going everywhere... but it can definitely be overwhelming!

From this "circus" (meaning circle or round open space at a street junction) I recommend going to another shopping street:

Regent Street

For me one of the most beautiful avenues in London architecturally speaking! There is something about the grandeur of this avenue that makes it so aesthetically beautiful!

On this street you can find the very famous toy store Hamleys but be careful if going with kids!

When Regent Street and Oxford Street meet you have reached:

Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus is another famous London intersection and from here you can walk a couple of blocks down to the right just to get a glimpse of what Oxford St. is all about.

From Oxford Street you will head south (turn right) until you reach:

Carnaby Street

Carnaby street is one of the cutest pedestrian shopping streets. There are many restaurants and shops to keep you busy for a bit. The big attraction here are the colourfully painted buildings and the big Carnaby street signs and decorations that change a couple of times per year.

If you are feeling hungry and want to take a break there are plenty of options around here. Hopefully by the time you get here you have missed the lunch rush hour. I recommend Dishoom for indian food but the queue can be pretty long! Mildred's Soho for an amazing vegan feast! or even Whole foods near Oxford Circus to grab a nice healthy meal.

From Carnaby street you can chose any street that will lead you to Shaftesbury Avenue!

West End/ Shaftesbury Ave

By now you have probably seen a handful of theatres and that is because you are in London's famous West End (the equivalent of NYC's Broadway!)

London has more than 230 professional theatres and 38 of them are considered to be "West End"(meaning highest level of theatre). I love the theatre and in just 16 months of living in London I've been to about 45 performances from plays, to musicals, to ballets!

If you are not totally exhausted by all the walking I highly recommend you to go to the theatre while in London! During the walk you can pop-in into any of the theatres and ask if they have "day seats" and you can grab a great seat for about £20.
You can also read my "What to do in London- Part2" blog and see all the options to get affordable tickets.

Chinatown

Off Shaftesbury Avenue is Wardour Street... The beginning of Chinatown!

London's chinatown is very compact and, in my opinion, a 100% tourist attraction. It can't be compared to San Francisco's, NYC's, or any other Chinatown as this one is just a couple of streets filled with Chinese restaurants, a couple of chinese grocery stores and lacks the authenticity of a big Chinatown where Asian people live and the feeling of traveling to a small street somewhere in Beijing.
Instead, these little streets are packed with bubble tea shops, cheap and not tasty chinese buffet, and a handful of good decent restaurants. This doesn't mean it's not worth it, London's Chinatown is cute but just not authentic enough for my liking!


Feel free to walk whatever way you like but I recommend going down Wardour Street until you reach M&M's world and the Lego store, do a loop around Leicester Square and then walk through Chinatown on your way To Covent Garden.

Leicester Square

Leicester Square (pronounced "lester") is a big pedestrian square filled with restaurants, street performers, tourist shops, and discounted theatre tickets booths.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is the shopping and entertainment hub of the West End! Here you will find many street performers in the Covent Garden Courtyard throughout the day to keep you entertained for a while.

Make sure to enter the market and check out the many stalls, restaurants and listen to the music coming from the lower level where musicians from Opera singers to small bands play live for tips.

At the end of the market you can see the Royal Opera House, always fun to check out what's showing before you arrive to London and see if you can get some tickets!

Seven Dials

From Covent Garden I like to go to the Seven Dials area.

Seven Dials is the link between Covent Garden and Soho. So, from the Royal Opera House take James St. to Neal St. where you will find the Seven Dials Market, perfect for an easy and affordable dinner. The Stalls at the market sell all kinds of cuisine: Mexican, Indian, Korean, Thai etc. There really is something for everybody and a decent meal will cost less than £10!





After your tummy has been filled with some delicious food head back to Neal St and go check out the cute Neal's Yard... hopefully you left some space for dessert!



From Neal's Yard head to the Seven Dials Monument where 7 streets meet and where this walk ends.

For more ideas on what to do in London check out my blogs:

-"What to do in London- Part 1" An introduction to London's public transport and free activities in London.

- "What to do in London- Part 2" My top paid attractions in London.

- "London in a Hurry- Part 1" Part one of this serie on what to do if you have a limited time in London but you want to "see it all."