I was fortunate enough to go on a family trip to London England for a couple of days this past week. With the brisk air, hustling and bustling, thousands of people in the area, and huge buildings as far as the eye can see, it can seem like any other major city around the holidays. However, there are so many sights and activities that are great for tourists and natives of the country alike that just make London so much different then anywhere else and more than just another city. Here is a list of some of the favorite activities that my family and I did while on this particular vacation that made the trip that much more memorable. Hopefully if ever given the amazing chance to visit this incredible place, you will get to enjoy these activities as much as we did! Safe travels!

1. Pubs

A great place for a little break between touring the sights! It helped us feel a little less like tourists and more like locals when we sat among them in their favorite spot eating typical English food (I particularly liked the mini pies filled with meats and cheeses and the fish and chips). Also, the drinking age is eighteen here so its pretty exciting and you feel slightly rebellious when you can order your first real drink here.

2. Piccadilly Circus

Similar to Times Square in New York, its full of lights, excitement and great shops for souvenirs!

3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Play

As a huge Harry Potter fan, it was a great experience to see the eighth installment of the series in person!

4. London Eye

Well worth the long wait to ride in this huge ferris wheel and see London from a new perspective! I especially recommend going at night and seeing everything lit up. It is a beautiful sight.

5. Tower of London

A large fortress that is great for history lovers as there is a lot of information on the history of it! From the questionable disappearance of two nobility members to hosting a large amount of exotic animals, it was very interesting to learn about the long, long history and many events that happened here.

6. Big Ben

No visit to London is complete without passing by this very recognizable landmark and getting a picture.

7. Warner Brothers Studios Harry Potter Exhibit.

My sister and I are both huge Harry Potter Fans, so we had to come to the place where all the magic (literally) happened. We got to see original sets, costumes, sketches and much, much more! (Also here is a picture of yours truly really trying hard to get into Hogwarts for next semester).

8. Afternoon Tea

It is a good way to feel all prim and proper until you enjoy it a little too muted get a little messy, like we did as you can see from the picture above.

9. Buckingham Palace

Just by seeing the fancy gate, I'm sure you can imagine what the rest of the palace looked like. Definitely fit for a queen.

10. Churchill War Rooms

Great for World War Two history buffs! This took you into the real war bunker that Churchill and his staff stayed in during the war and made major decisions.

11. Jack the Ripper Tour

This tour was great for those that love mystery and a little gore! Doing this tour at night added a little bit of a spooky element to it. The tour was very informative.