We packed a lot into our last full day in London! We started the morning near Big Ben and Westminster Abbey for a three-hour tour that included Horse Guards, St. James’s Park and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. After a little downtime at our hotel, we spent the rest of the day enjoying a traditional British meat pie, doing a little shopping and taking in some incredible views of London from above. We ended the evening with a beautiful sunset and one last look at the London skyline. It was the perfect way to wrap up our time in this amazing city!
If you missed my first London recap, you can catch up here! I shared our direct flight from St. Louis, our stay at The Montague on the Gardens, Borough Market, Tate Modern, and our first dinner in London at Hawksmoor before diving into today’s adventures.
We started our last full day in London with breakfast at The Montague on the Gardens, which was included with our stay. I loved that the little smoothie they served was different each morning and always so refreshing! This was just my first plate, but I especially loved the charcuterie spread and the adorable little yogurt jars they had out every morning.
The Montague on the Gardens had the most beautiful decor throughout the hotel. I especially loved the rich red walls and the pretty metal bow detail on this light fixture. It was such a charming little touch!
We saw the iconic red telephone boxes all over London, but this one was extra special with Big Ben perfectly framed in the background! I had to get a photo of Nathan next to it.
We passed the Monument to the Women of World War II along Whitehall. The clothing and uniforms sculpted onto the monument represent the many different roles British women took on during World War II. I thought this was really interesting to see and learn about!
Next, we made our way to Horse Guards, where we got our first glimpse of the mounted guards and their beautiful horses. I was so excited that we were able to see this up close!
From there, we continued our walk through St. James’s Park on our way to Buckingham Palace. It was SO pretty with all of the colorful flowers and greenery! We also walked by the lake and saw lots of ducks and other birds along the way.
We were lucky enough to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, complete with guards marching down The Mall and a military band playing along the way. The band was SO good, and it was really neat to experience this London tradition in person!
Next up was Westminster Abbey, and the architecture was absolutely beautiful! Above the Great West Door are statues honoring ten modern Christian martyrs, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who was killed by the Nazis during World War II. Being Lutheran myself, I thought that was especially interesting to see!
Once inside Westminster Abbey, there was SO much to take in! I loved this beautiful view looking out into the courtyard, and I couldn’t believe how many tombs and memorials were right beneath our feet. Many people are actually buried underneath the floors of the Abbey, which was so interesting (and a little crazy!) to think about as we walked through.
The inside of Westminster Abbey was absolutely beautiful! This is the view looking down the nave toward the Quire and High Altar. The soaring ceilings, stained glass windows and all of the incredible details were just amazing to see in person. I also loved seeing all of the little prayer candles glowing throughout the Abbey. There was SO much history everywhere you looked!
We also got to see the Coronation Chair, which has been used in the coronation of British monarchs for hundreds of years, including King Charles III! We also stopped at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, where an unidentified British soldier from World War I was laid to rest in 1920 to honor all those who lost their lives during the war. I loved getting to see so much history inside Westminster Abbey!
This beautiful area is called the Quire, where the Westminster Abbey choir sits and sings during services. The stalls are also used for guests during special ceremonies, including royal weddings! I loved all of the gorgeous gold details, the little red lamps and the black and white floor.
At the other end of Westminster Abbey, we came to the beautiful High Altar. This is actually where coronations take place, with the Coronation Chair positioned in front of the altar during the ceremony! I loved all of the gold details, soaring ceilings and gorgeous stained glass. There was seriously something beautiful to look at in every direction!
We also walked through Henry VII’s Lady Chapel, which is located at the far end of Westminster Abbey. The beautiful stalls belong to the Knights and Dames of the Order of the Bath, with colorful banners, crests and coats of arms displayed above them. There were SO many interesting details to look at in this part of the Abbey.
After wrapping up our tour of Westminster Abbey, we headed back to our hotel for a little downtime and a much-needed nap! Once we were rested, we headed back out to explore some of the shops near our hotel before dinner. One cute little shop we stopped in was Scribbler, which had all kinds of fun London-themed stationery, cards and little gifts. I loved looking through everything!
We decided to have lunch at Holborn Dining Room, so we made some quick reservations before leaving the hotel. I really wanted to try a traditional British meat pie while we were in London, and this place specializes in them! They even offer a Pie Masterclass, which sounded like so much fun. I don’t drink soda very often, but a nice cold Coca-Cola sounded SO refreshing, and I loved that they brought it out in a cute glass bottle with a glass of ice and a lemon wedge. They also brought a little loaf of sourdough bread to the table (and we all know how much I love sourdough!) with some delicious butter to spread on it. Such a good start to our lunch!
My meat pie was so pretty before I even cut into it… and every bite was so delicious! I ordered their beef ribs pie with wholegrain mustard and smoked beetroot relish. I wish I could order something like this in St. Louis!!
After lunch, we browsed a few more shops before heading back to the hotel to rest for a bit. Later that evening, we took an Uber over to 20 Fenchurch Street, home of the Sky Garden. The building itself is SO cool! It’s actually nicknamed the “Walkie Talkie” because of its unique curved shape, which gets wider as it goes up. At the very top is the Sky Garden, a huge indoor garden filled with greenery, restaurants and bars, along with incredible 360-degree views of London.
I had made dinner reservations for us at Larch Restaurant, an Italian restaurant located at the base of the Sky Garden building. Unfortunately, because our reservation was later in the evening and Autumn is under 18, we weren’t able to go up to the Sky Garden afterward to take in the views. We weren’t quite ready to give up on seeing London from above, though! We discovered The Garden at 120, another rooftop garden that was only about a five-minute walk away, so we decided to head over there after dinner. It ended up being such a great find! And it is FREE!
I had to get a photo outside the Sky Garden in my new brown and white polka dot dress! It felt like the perfect dress for our last night in London.
The Larch restaurant is on the lower floor of the Sky Garden and the offer inside and outside seating. We sat inside because it was a little warm while we were in London and we preferred some a/c after being out and about all day. Larch had a really fun cocktail menu! And I loved the big bottle of Aperol at the bar (this photo doesn’t do justice on how big it was!).
We started with a caprese appetizer for the table, and I decided on the lasagna for my main course. I’ve been on a bit of a lasagna kick lately, so of course I couldn’t resist! Everything was really good and it was such a nice dinner for our last evening in London.
After we finished dinner, we quickly walked over to The Garden at 120, since we knew the rooftop closed at 9:00 p.m. We only had about 30 minutes to enjoy the views, but we were just thankful we made it up there at all! This was a very last-minute change of plans since we had originally hoped to go up to the Sky Garden after dinner, and it ended up working out perfectly. The sunset was absolutely beautiful that night, and we were able to get some great photos of London from above!
A really nice lady offered to take a family photo of us, and I’m so glad she did! It was the perfect spot to capture one last family photo from our time in London.
To finish off our last night in London, we walked through Russell Square Gardens, a pretty little park near our hotel, on our way to Amorino for some gelato. Amorino is known for their flower-shaped gelato cones, although we opted for ours in cups. By the time we finished our gelato, the park had closed for the evening, so we had to take a different route back to our hotel. It was such a fun and sweet way to end our last night in London!
That’s a wrap on our second day in London! It was such a memorable day filled with history, afternoon tea, shopping, and another delicious dinner. Next, I’ll be sharing our final day in London, including Westminster Abbey, the Changing of the Guard, Big Ben, St. James’s Park, Covent Garden, and dinner overlooking the city at Sky Garden. Stay tuned!
Missed Day 1 and/or 2?
If you’re just joining my London travel series, be sure to check out my first London recap! I shared our new direct flight from St. Louis to London, our stay at The Montague on the Gardens, Borough Market, Tate Modern, and our first dinner at Hawksmoor.
➡️ Read London Itinerary: Day 1 | Direct St. Louis Flight, The Montague Hotel, Borough Market & Hawksmoor
If you’re just joining my London travel series, be sure to check out Day 2! I shared our visit to the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, a beautiful afternoon tea at The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason, some London shopping, and a delicious pub dinner to finish out the day.
➡️ Read London Itinerary: Day 2 | Tower of London, Crown Jewels & Afternoon Tea at The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
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