72 hours in London
Bookmark this for your next trip across the pond...
There are a few cities around the world that I could picture myself living in for a long stretch of time, and London is definitely the highest on the list—it’s very clean and beautiful, super easy to get around, and public parks and green spaces are very abundant and very verdant. I visited for the first time in 2022, but one of my best friends moved to London a few years back, and it’s given me an excellent excuse to make trips across the pond more frequently—although I wish I could visit even more!
I am definitely by no means an expert on the city, but London is my first stop in Europe this summer, and I am so excited to be spending a week there. Obviously I’ll report back on all of the new spots I discover, because I plan on really doing as much as I can.
Maybe I’m lucky, but I’ve visited London on five separate occasions and have never encountered as much as a sprinkle of rain, even in the winter. I know, it’s a gray city, but I really do think NYC has a better weather PR team—did you know that NYC receives double the rain on average per year?! Of course there are rainy days and cloudy weeklong/month long stretches there, but this guide is built around my fantasy of a sun-soaked London weekend, so pls don’t hate me if this isn’t your reality.
If I only had 72 hours, here’s how I’d spend it bopping around, shopping, seeing art, and eating my way through London. As with every other Mindholiday “72 Hours in…” guide, this guide is also built around walking. It’s an ambitious three day itinerary that prioritizes movement over checklists, with a lot of ground to cover (and yes, comfortable shoes are non-negotiable). But it’s worth it, even if you end up with a few blisters. Because this is a city best experienced one step, one alleyway, one perfect corner at a time. You’ll see four parks (including my favorite, Hampstead Heath), take in underrated art, experience the best vintage shopping in London, and eat a lot of delicious food.
Note: This is a LONG post because it contains a ton of details and a ton of photos I’ve taken, so it might be cut off in your email. Either read it in the Substack app or here to see it in its entirety.