DAY01
We landed in London in the late afternoon and checked into our flat in Kensington & Chelsea. The location was perfect, with the tube only a short walk away. For our first dinner we ended up at The Builder’s Arms, a nearby pub, where I ordered my very first Fish & Chips. It quickly became a running joke in our group of four, since I ended up ordering the same dish every single day after that.
Later we walked down Kensington High Street and wandered into Kensington Gardens just as the sun was setting. The park was full of life, with people strolling and jogging, kids running around, and geese EVERYWHERE. I immediately slipped into street photography mode, trying to catch the atmosphere around me. My favorite photo of the evening is of a woman in a blue jacket walking in front of a flock of geese.
We ended the night at Royal Albert Hall and made our way back to the flat to rest before the long day ahead.
DAY02
We started the day with brunch at Farm Girl near the Natural History Museum, and then came my first real encounter with the London Underground. I was absolutely fascinated. I couldn’t stop looking at the map, listening for the “Mind the gap” announcements, and watching how seamlessly everything worked. Even now, weeks after returning, the Tube is still one of my favorite things about London. It wasn’t just about getting from one end of the city to another, it was the whole atmosphere, the iconic logo, the people, the rhythm of it all.
Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. We crossed Westminster Bridge, admired the Palace of Westminster, and I tried to take in every little detail - tourists photographing the same things as me, cyclists weaving through traffic, red double deckers rolling by. While the guys went to tour the Abbey, I felt the pull of street photography, so we split up after a quick pint near Trafalgar Square. I wandered in front of The National Gallery, along Charing Cross Road and Denmark Street, made a short stop in Chinatown, and then headed by Tube to the City of London.
The City is the financial heart of London, full of people in sharp suits, quick lunches in hand, and after-work pints in crowded pubs. I had seen it so many times in the videos of my favorite street photographers, and being there felt electric. It was exactly the kind of energy I needed, and I loved every second.
By evening I reunited with everyone in Soho, just as the rain started. We had pints and dinner at The Clachan and later walked the buzzing streets full of Oasis fans. We ended the night in Mayfair at The Chesterfield Arms, with more pints and ready for some rest before the big day ahead - the Oasis concert.
DAY03
We started the morning with a Tube ride to Little Venice, where we had coffee and breakfast on the cutest little boat café. From there we took a canal boat all the way to Camden Market. The market was buzzing with people, but for some reason it just didn’t click with me the way I thought it would.
This was also the day when the pain in my right foot began, which stayed with me for the rest of the trip. It slowed me down and made it harder to enjoy my favorite part of traveling - endless walking and street photography. After lunch at one of the pubs in Camden we returned to the flat for a short rest before the evening plan: Wembley and Oasis concert <3
There are fewer photos from this day, because I left my camera behind. I wanted to enjoy the concert fully, to sing, drink, and just live in the moment, as cliché as it sounds. And it was worth it. The night was magical, and after the long journey back we all fell asleep happy and ready for what the next day would bring.
DAY04
And the day brought Notting Hill & Portobello Road Market. I had been looking forward to this part of London, not to shop but to simply take it all in - the colorful houses, the market stalls, the comic book shops, and of course, the people. Some of my favorite photos from the trip came from this day: a man holding his dog, a comic book store employee, a smiling girl dressed in black, a man devouring an ice cream as if it was his last, and, of course, people reading The Borough Bulletin on the street.
From the chaos of Notting Hill we moved on to the equally crowded Borough Market, treating ourselves to strawberries dipped in chocolate before crossing Southwark Bridge back into the City. My foot was giving me a hard time by then, so we slowed down with pints and food in a pub. Later, as the sun set, we ended up in Soho again, sitting on the grass in St. Anne’s Churchyard. That’s where I took also one my favorite photos of the day: a girl lying in the grass, perfectly styled and asleep.
DAY05
Day five was a slow Sunday. We lingered over breakfast and coffee at Gail’s Bakery on Kensington High Street, then wandered straight into Holland Park next door. The park was full of people enjoying their Sunday routines, and we made our way through Dutch Garden and Kyoto Garden before heading out onto Holland Park Avenue. The walk took us past beautiful houses, another quick coffee stop, and a bit of loose planning for the rest of the day.
Eventually we decided on Hyde Park. Entering from the north side, we walked only briefly before ending up at a pub near Knightsbridge. The afternoon was spent with pints, Fish & Chips, and Formula 1 playing on the screens - a different kind of sightseeing, but just as memorable. My foot pain had reached the point where walking was no longer an option, so slowing down and taking the afternoon easy felt like the best choice we could have made.
DAY06
Although I had planned from the start that Monday would be my solo street photography day, my foot pain made me change course. Instead of wandering on my own, I joined the group and we headed to Westminster Pier to catch a sightseeing boat on the Thames. The weather couldn’t have been better - sunny, warm, and perfect for a slow ride with other tourists all the way to Greenwich.
From the pier we walked up toward the Greenwich Observatory, which turned out to have one of the most beautiful views of London. The modern skyline of Canary Wharf stretched out in the background while the Queen’s House anchored the foreground. I found it powerful and striking, and one of my favorite photos from the day came from that spot: a couple photographing the view on their phone while I photographed them from behind.
We also stopped by the Cutty Sark, which honestly didn’t do much for me, and later split up for a bit. While the guys went to yet another museum, I treated myself to a mascarpone cake at Gail’s. No regrets.
DAY07
The last day! We took the Tube to Mansion House in the City of London and decided to start with St Paul’s Cathedral. Before the visit we grabbed some sandwiches at Paul’s Bakery which were honestly not that good, but enough to keep us going. Inside the cathedral we used audio guides and walked at our own pace, which made the experience feel personal.
Part of the tour included climbing the narrow stairs up to the Whispering and Golden Galleries. I thought I was fine with heights, but spiral staircases proved me wrong. Still, the view from the top was absolutely worth it, and in the end we didn’t even feel the need to visit Horizon 22 or Sky Garden, which we were planning to do afterwards.
In the afternoon we went to the Natural History Museum. It was fascinating but also overwhelming, packed with people and impossible to take in properly. Honestly, I just wanted to see Hintze Hall and the huge blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling, which was as impressive as I had imagined. Afterward we wrapped up our trip in the most fitting way: with pints in a South Kensington pub, raising a glass to our final evening in London.
Thank you for taking the time to look through my photos and read along. London has been my favorite trip so far, and I know it’s only a matter of time before I start counting the days until I return. See ya! <3
Pro tip for anyone who made it this far: most of the locations I visited came from photographer Roman Fox’s Summer Week in London Street Photography Guide. It was an incredible resource, so I’m sharing it here for you too - https://www.snapsbyfox.com/blog/summer-week-in-london-photography-travel-guide-uk