Our first day in London began super early. After dropping off our luggage at a Stasher spot in the St. James’s Park area, we had a bit of breakfast and then set off towards the park. It was actually really nice walking around the city before all the tourists were out and about.

St. James’s Park is absolutely stunning. There are so many animals just roaming the park. Did you know they have pelicans in the Park?

Our main goal was to arrive at Friary Court inside St. James’s Park by 10:15am. At 10:30am, the Old Guard leaves St. James’s Palace and make their way to Buckingham Palace to meet up with the other half of the Old Guard in order to handover to the New Guard. We opted to catch them here, rather than wait at the gates of Buckingham Palace, which gets super crowded.

A trip to London is not complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace.

If you’re in London on a Sunday, don’t be like me and not realize that Westminster Abbey is closed on Sunday’s. But that just means we have to go back to see it, right?

Unfortunately, Big Ben is currently covered in scaffolding due to repairs. Repairs are scheduled to run through 2021. We were both a bit sad we weren’t able to see this London icon.

After exploring the St. James/Westminster area, we walked over the river to the Coca Cola London Eye. This is perhaps the most touristy attraction in all of London. But, when in Rome! And honestly, you do get some truly fantastic views of London. I just wish we knew more about the city so we could spot out the landmarks!

The last stop of our day was a visit to Harrods. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always dreamed of visiting Harrods. It sounded like a magical place filled with bears, bags, cookies, and candy. I remember my mom returning from a work trip to London with stuffed animals for us from Harrods. It was just as I imagined – and so much more. Harrods is truly a maze of a department store. You can truly get lost for hours!