How to Plan the Perfect Girls Trip to London
London is the perfect destination for a girls’ weekend. It offers the huge benefit of being a major travel hub, which is ideal for finding flight deals, or if everyone is visiting from different places. More importantly, England’s historic capital offers so many fun things to do on a girls’ trip to London, whether you’re traveling with family or friends.
From sipping cocktails with a view of London’s skyline to shopping in iconic department stores to visiting historic castles, there are endless options to suit your group, whether it’s your first time or fifth time in London. This guide has all the info you need, including where to stay and the best places to eat on a trip. Everyone will be talking about this trip for years to come!
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How to Get Around London
London is nearly double the size of New York, so it’s a huge city! Even if you stick to the Central London area (and you probably will), your group will need to use transport to get around. Your main options are public transportation, taxis, and city bikes. With the city’s high congestion and parking charges, renting a car is not the best idea.
The London Underground is the city’s metro or subway system, and it’s also known as the Tube. It’s by far the most efficient way to get around the city, with 11 lines serving 272 stations. Tapping a contactless credit/debit card on the ticket barriers is the easiest way to pay.
Single journeys between Zone 1 stations cost around £2.70, depending on the time of travel (they are slightly more in peak times). Buy a daily travel card if you plan on traveling via the Underground frequently.
While London’s black Hackney cabs can be expensive, they are an essential part of the London experience. You can find them waiting outside of train stations (e.g., Paddington Station, Euston, and King’s Cross). They charge an initial fee of around £4.20, and the price goes up from there.
Santander Cycles is London’s bike-sharing scheme. There are 800 docking stations and 12,000 bikes in circulation, which you just need a contactless card to operate. It costs £1.65 per 30-minute journey. London is not the most bike-friendly city, but cycling through parks and along the Thames might be a fun activity for your London itinerary!
Best Things To Do on a Girls’ Trip to London
1. Hit Up the Top London Museums
London has almost 200 museums and galleries, including 11 national museums. Even better, most of them are free to enter! Here are some of the best museums to check out during your girls’ trip to London:
- British Museum in Bloomsbury
- National Gallery in Trafalgar Square
- Natural History Museum in South Kensington
- Tate Modern Art Gallery in Southwark
- Science Museum in South Kensington
- Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington
The British Museum and the National Gallery (as well as the National Portrait Gallery) are free to visit. They’re also crowd-pleasing, well-located museums in the heart of London near Piccadilly Circus. If you want to soak up some history on your first day in the city, these are great places to visit.
2. Go Shopping in London
One of the main reasons to take a girls’ trip to London is the shopping. London is known for its high-end department stores, legendary flea markets, and home-grown brands. Here are some of the best places to shop in London:
- Selfridges – Department store on Oxford Street with designer brands, homeware, gifts, and exclusive products
- Liberty London – Huge high-end fashion and homeware store in a Tudor revival building. Pick up a Christmas ornament!
- Fortnum & Mason – 18th-century department store famous for tea, biscuits, and other luxury English food staples
- Harrods – Luxury 19th-century department store with over 3,000 designer brands plus an in-house label
- Hamleys – Iconic multistory toy store if you’re traveling with moms and they need souvenirs!
- Harvey Nichols – English department store in Knightsbridge, known for selling a huge range of cosmetics
- Bond Street – Upmarket shopping street lined mostly with art galleries and jewelry stores
- The Apple Market – A cross between a street market and a mall in Covent Garden
- Portobello Road Market – a 19th-century fresh produce market turned famous antique and gift market in Notting Hill
- Brick Lane – East London’s hip shopping street selling vintage clothing, records, second-hand books, and more
Leave plenty of room in your suitcase!
3. Book a Unique City Tour of London
If you don’t have much time to explore London, a great travel tip is to book a London city tour. It’s a great way to see all the hot spots from a local guide who knows their stuff.
There are many unique ways to see the city. If you’re all partial to London dry gin, why not join the Gin Safari tour? Cycle around on a classic British Pashley bike to all of the top gin joints in London while learning about the city’s gritty social history.
Fans of the Harry Potter movies will love this magical Harry Potter walking tour. Art-loving ladies will love witnessing London’s best murals on this street art and painting tour, where you have the opportunity to make your mark on the city.
4. Night Time Dinner Cruise on the River Thames
The Thames River flows through London into the English Channel. The best time to sail on the river is at night while enjoying a meal and a glass of wine together, looking across the lit-up city. You’ll travel past St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater on the South Bank, and the incredible Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey.
This four-course dinner cruise on the Thames is a fantastic way to spend the first night of your girls’ trip to London.
5. Day Trip to Bath, Oxford, or the Cotswolds
If you’re spending more than three days in London, definitely organize a day trip. There are endless things to do in London, but you should also take advantage of exploring other beautiful parts of England!
Oxford is a one-hour direct train journey from Paddington Station and the perfect place for an easy day trip. Explore the historic colleges of the University of Oxford, check out the Covered Market, and try punting on the River Cherwell (or hire someone instead!).
Day Tours from London We Love
- Small Group Tour to the Cotswolds – Viator
- Downton Abbey and Village Tour – GetYourGuide
- Full Day Cotswolds Tour – Context Travel
- Oxford, Stratford, and Warwick from London – Viator
- From London: Full Day Stonehenge and Bath Tour – GetYourGuide
Bath is only slightly further, a 90-minute direct train journey from Paddington. One day is enough time to visit the Roman Baths and the top Jane Austen and Bridgerton sites.
Or if you’d all prefer to escape the city for the day, take a special visit to the Cotswolds, where you’ll find idyllic English villages. If you’re a large group, the total price for a private tour could be less than you think.
6. Take in the London Skyline Views
London is a beautiful, dynamic city, and there’s a lot to see from up above! Here are some of the best vantage points in London:
- The Shard
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- London Eye
- Tower Bridge (not London Bridge!)
- Up at the O2
- Sky Garden
Book tickets in advance, especially for the Sky Garden, as it offers free entrance, so tickets get snapped up fast.
7. Enjoy a Cooking Class in London
Because of London’s multicultural population, it’s a great place to take a cooking class of almost any cuisine.
Jamie Oliver Cookery School offers classes in London that will teach you how to make a range of dishes from South Indian curries to Vietnamese street food. The Gordan Ramsey Cooking Academy also has a range of classes, from 90-minute macaron tutorials to Middle Eastern street food.
8. Live Like Royalty and Visit Historic Sites
England’s Royal Family is famous around the world, and there are a few sites that you and your girlfriends might be itching to see in real life. Here are the top spots:
- Buckingham Palace – Royal palace of King Charles III, which is open for tours in summer. Visit for the Changing of the Guards ceremony four times a week at 10:45 am
- Kew Royal Botanic Gardens – UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best botanic gardens in the world, with over 40,000 plant species
- Windsor Castle – Royal Residence and location of many royal weddings, including Prince Harry’s wedding
- Tower of London – 11th-century castle and prison home to the Crown Jewels
- Kensington Palace – Former residence of Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, overlooking Kensington Gardens
You’ll need tickets for all of these attractions, so book in advance!
9. Catch a Show on London’s West End
New York City has Broadway, but London has the West End. The city’s theater district is full of musicals, plays, and cabarets, which are perfect evening entertainment on a girls’ trip to London.
Some of the best, longest-running shows on the West End are Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at St. Martin’s Theater, Les Misérables at Queen’s Theater, and The Lion King at Lyceum Theater. If you don’t manage to watch them all on this trip, there’s always next time!
