“London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…” That was the song … and here we are with a layover in London. We’re sure you remember the song, but don’t believe it. The current bridge in London is NOT falling down.
Actually, this one is called Tower Bridge. The original London Bridge is not in London anymore. It’s not even here in the United Kingdom. The original London Bridge is in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. They moved it a long time ago, way back in 1967-68, and brought it to the USA for $2,460,000.
Easy way to see London in one day
The first time we were in London, we used a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour to get oriented to the city. We like to take them because they are affordable, narrated tours, and they allow us to cover a great deal of ground quickly
We bought a two-day ticket but we were able to see the major highlights of London in only a single day.
London Eye
Since this was our first night here, we decided to take a sunset ride in the London Eye. It’s like a Ferris wheel with pods that turn so you can stand and see a spectacular view of a city, like what we did in Singapore. Tickets start at about $22.00 and were well worth the expense. We choose to go at sunset so we could get the city silhouetted like it was in the movie Mary Poppins. Here are a few photos from out experience.
Well, it’s off to bed for us since it has been a long day. I hope you enjoyed reading about our layover in London, although it’s technically a stopover, because we’ll be here for more than 24 hours. We have 2 more days here so we intend to take a Thames River cruise tomorrow. Then on our last day, we’ll enjoy a tour of the Tower of London before heading to the airport.
See more photos in our London photo gallery.
Read more about visiting London:
- Lonely Planet London (Travel Guide)
- Rick Steves London 2017 Paperback – by Rick Steves
- London: Free Things To Do: The freebies and discounts travel guide to London – by Sarah Retter
Great photos! We regret not taking advantage of a layover we had in London. Hop on hop off tours can definitely be excellent to see more in less time.
True, Debbie. Also, those who have more time will find that, besides being a great orientation to the city’s layout and history, HOHO tours can also help you check off those attractions that require little more than a “been-there-seen-that” photo.
The view from the London Eye is amazing!! WOW… even though I wanna check it out one day, I am so afraid of heights that I am sure I will freak out when I get up there and won’t be able to look around.
Amazing photos!!
#TheWeeklyPostcard
I had thought I might as well, but I found the solid framework very reassuring. Not to mention that the floor is solid, there’s a handrail to hold on to and the turn is so slow that the movement is hardly noticeable.
Stunning sunset pictures, Linda. I’ve been in London for a week and still didn’t get to see all I wanted. I’d imagine spending only one day there will leave you wanting to get back. At least, you’ve got a taste of the place.
I agree, Anda. Dan did a fabulous job with his camera.
When we originally planned our move from Bali to Panama I practically begged Dan for a week in London. He was so eager to settle in our new home that he would only agree to a few nights. Once we were in the city though, he agreed that London requires at least a week.
I couldn’t imagine trying to see London is in a single day but you seem to have managed it well.
We actually stayed for four days, but the HOHO bus on the first day proved to be a good one-day introduction to the city in itself.
Some great shots of London! I agree the hop-on hop-off is fab for a short stopover. Even when you get stuck in the notorious traffic you are still sightseeing. And, the tube gets so hot in the summer.
Yes, it’s a simple solution when you want to see a city in only a few hours.
An additional, unexpected bonus of the bus was that we got to see a lot of automotive models we’d never seen in the U.S. 😉