The plan for our second day in London was to cross three famous bridges: London, Tower, and Millennium, check out some Christmas markets, and end the day with a soccer game. We started our morning at Tower Bridge, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Tower Bridge, built in 1894, is a mix of beautiful Victorian Gothic design and clever engineering. It’s a bascule bridge, which means it can lift to let ships pass underneath. Over the years, it’s become more than just a bridge—it’s a symbol of London that’s appeared in movies like Sherlock Holmes and Spiderman: Far From Home.
Tons of other people had the same idea to visit the bridge that morning. There’s an option to check out the Tower Bridge Exhibition, where you can learn about the bridge’s history and walk across the glass walkway, 138 feet above the Thames. But the line was massive, so we decided to skip it and keep moving with the crowd. From the bridge, we got a fantastic panoramic view of London, including the historic Tower of London—a great spot for photos if you can find a gap in the crowd!
The Queen’s Walk along the Thames is lined with countless food, drink, and craft kiosks. Fish and chips, burgers, hot chocolate, mulled wine—you name it, it’s all there and so tempting! It’s the perfect spot to wander around, especially around breakfast or lunch, with plenty of delicious options.
I was hoping to find some souvenirs to take back home as New Year’s presents, so the first market I wanted to check out was Borough Market. It’s one is known as one of the oldest markets in the UK. We accidentally tried to enter through the wrong spot, beside the old church, and got stuck in a narrow, slow-moving crowd. Later, we found a much wider and quieter entrance.
As it turned out, this market was all about food rather than crafts to take home. Still, I love exploring food market checking out the assortment and comparing prices.
London Bridge, despite its noble name, turned out to be just an ordinary bridge—not much to write home about. On our way to the next market on our list, we decided to take a detour to Sky Garden. Known for its stunning views of the city, it’s London’s highest public garden and also features a restaurant. While admission to the garden is free, its popularity means you need to book a time slot in advance. When I initially planned the trip, the slots that worked for us were fully booked, but I’d read they sometimes allow walk-ins.
Since we were nearby, we thought, why not give it a shot? When we arrived, there was a line of people waiting to get in, so we approached the entrance to ask about walk-ins. The coordinator at the door asked if we had tickets. We said no, and to our surprise, she quickly replied, “Alright, it’s your chance—go, go, go!” Before we had time to process what was happening, we found ourselves stepping into the elevator.
Sky Garden is indeed a garden—a lush, green space filled with a mix of exotic and familiar plants. It’s very peaceful and beautifully designed. However, the main attraction isn’t just the greenery—it’s the open-air terrace that offers panoramic views of London.
Here’s the thing: tickets to get a bird’s-eye view of the city from places like the London Eye start at £30 per person, and The Shard costs about £25 per person.
So we rushed to the terrace, excited to get a free view of the city… only to be greeted by a blanket of fog. Now it all made sense—the short line, the ease of getting in. Oh well.
From the Sky Garden, we continued our day by heading to Leadenhall Market. This historic market, with its ornate Victorian architecture, inspired J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.
It was such a charming place! Seeing it in person, though, I couldn’t quite connect it to the Diagon Alley of my imagination—but no matter. The market was picturesque and beautiful, totally worth the stop.
From “Diagon Alley,” we moved on to another Harry Potter spot—Millennium Bridge. In The Half-Blood Prince, Death Eaters destroyed this iconic bridge.
The Millennium Bridge is a unique, shallow cable suspension bridge that was opened in 2000 and dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II. Its specifically designed to provide spectacular views of St Paul’s Cathedral and Tate Modern.
St. Paul’s Cathedral dates back to 1697, rising from the ashes of its predecessor, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The cathedral’s dome is an iconic part of the London skyline, and the church itself has hosted several historic events, including the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana and the state funeral of Winston Churchill. Unfortunately, it was closed for tours on Sunday, but even from the outside, its grandeur and architectural beauty are truly magnificent.
In the afternoon, we had another experience I was really looking forward to—Afternoon Tea. This British tradition, dating back to the early 1840s, was originally introduced as a mini-meal to bridge the hunger gap before an evening dinner at 8 PM. The ritual typically includes tea served alongside an assortment of sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and a selection of sweet pastries and cakes.
There are countless places in London to enjoy Afternoon Tea, but we chose one near St. Paul’s Cathedral at the Lost Property Hotel. The sandwiches and pastries were nice, but my favorite was the truffled chicken mayonnaise brioche.
Going to a game cheering for Liverpool in London, is a very different experience from being in Liverpool. It’s not as fun and, at times, can even feel a bit risky. We were thrilled that Liverpool won 5–0, but celebrating openly wasn’t really an option.
Once again, Liverpool fans left me in awe with their love and support. One sector of dedicated Liverpool fans managed to outshine the entire stadium of West Ham supporters. Their chants, energy, and passion were unmatched—I wouldn’t be surprised if they are the loudest fans in the world.
