LONDON 2026

Our first afternoon in London we walked around the area near the hotel for a bit, then went to the Design Museum. They had an awesome exhibit on Wes Anderson, one of our favorite directors. It was very cool getting to see the costumes, props, and behind the scenes stories of some great movies!

Day @2 started with breakfast at Larch Restaurant which included admission to the Sky Garden. It's an indoor planted space, with an outdoor terrace and 360 degree views of the city, about 35 flights up. Great views of the Thames, Tower Bridge and the rest of the skyline.

Next, we decided to keep "getting high", and visited the Monument to the Great Fire of 1666. We climbed up the inside of the tower, all 311 steps!, as they remind you over and over. More great views, but this time incredibly windy!

Originally built around 1100, it was named after St Dunstan, a 10th-century monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. The church was severely damaged during the Great Fire of London. Rather than a total rebuild, it was patched up, and Sir Christopher Wren added a stunning Gothic-style tower and steeple in 1695. During World War II, the church was largely destroyed by German bombing. Only Wren's tower and the north and south walls remained standing. Instead of rebuilding after the war, the City of London Corporation decided to turn the ruins into a public garden, which officially opened in 1970.

Ready for a bite to eat and a bit of Harry Potter lore, we headed to Leadenhall Market. This spot was where they shot the outdoor scenes for Diagon Alley! The blue coffee shop may be 2 i's Coffee Shop to Muggles, but WE know that it's really the Leakey Cauldron!

Now let's head over to Brick Lane, the vintage capital of the city. Not only are there a ton of vintage clothes shops, but we also found a great handmade chocolate shop, and every single wall, doorway, post and floor is it's own art exhibit as far as the eye can see!