Solo Girl's Guide to London
London is one of the most-visited cities in the world for good reason! It’s home to a massive foodie scene, the Queen of England, and afternoon tea. Plus, it’s actually pretty safe for solo female travelers.
So, what are you waiting for?
Check out this solo girl’s guide to London and start preparing for your next solo trip!
Safety in London
London is a very welcoming city for solo female travelers despite being a huge city. You’re bound to run into other solo travelers as well, especially if you opt to stay in a hostel in London.
Even though it is safe for solo female travelers, still exercise normal precautions that you would when traveling anywhere else.
For instance, try not to go out at night, or if you can, go out with a group of other solo travelers so you won’t be fully alone. Watch your belongings closely because London does have pickpockets, especially if you’re a tourist. Just use your common sense and you’ll find that you won’t have an issue!
It’s smart to also just double-check with your host or receptionist at your hotel or hostel to see if they have any extra advice for solo safety in the area that you’re staying. They may have some extra pointers since they’re from the area!
Transportation in London
Getting around London is a lot easier than it looks. All you need to do is purchase a Visitor Oyster Card! You can either pick one up right at the airport or train station where you arrive or opt to order one ahead of time and have it delivered to you at your home address.
You might be asking, why do I need one of these? Well, the answer is simple! The Visitor Oyster Card caps the amount of money that you pay each day depending on how many zones you travel through. This can save you money if you especially try to stay only within a few zones.
Plus, the Visitor Oyster Card works on regional trains, the Underground, and buses. Just remember to tap on and off on the Underground or you’ll be charged the maximum amount possible for your ride!
You can purchase a Visitor Oyster Card for £5 but you have to add extra money on in addition to it. For reference, it’s probably best to have at least £40 for a 3-day trip.
The London Pass
If you’ll be visiting a lot of historical places in London like Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, or Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, then consider purchasing the London Pass.
This pass will ultimately save you money in the long run and can be used or purchased for anywhere from 1 to 10 days, depending on how long you’ll be spending in London!
The London Pass’s pricing starts at £79 for 1 day and goes up to£201 for 10 days.
Must-See Sights for Solo Travellers in London
London is filled with an abundance of sights that solo girls absolutely can’t miss while traveling to London!
Here are a few of the highlights.
The London Eye
The London Eye offers some of the best views of the city of London. It can be seen as really touristy, but the view at the top is 100% worth it.
You’ve most likely seen pictures from the London Eye and not realized it. It’s a big Ferris wheel that’s situated right next to the River Thames and is one of London’s most famous attractions.
The Ferris wheel is made up of 32 different pods that around 20 people can fit into. You’ll love the experience because you’ll get to spend quite a bit of time taking photos of the view!
Tickets to the London Eye start at £27.50 if you were to purchase them online ahead of time. If you wait until the day of, then they’ll cost £31. You’ll most definitely want to purchase them at least a day or two ahead to guarantee a time slot to go on it!
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in all of London. The streets here are lined with houses in pastel shades and other beautiful colors. You’ll be snapping photos the whole time that you’re there!
Since this is a residential area, it’s quite safe for solo girl travelers. Just try to be mindful of the fact that people do actually live in these houses when you’re posing for photos.
Since this is a pretty popular touristy area as well, you’ll easily be able to ask another tourist to take a photo for the ‘Gram!
The Tower of London
This castle right in the middle of London is best known for holding the country’s Crown Jewels. You’ll want to visit the tower for the Crown Jewels alone!
The castle also holds a lot of history and has served many purposes over the years. Try going on a guided walking tour of the Tower of London to really get the most out of your experience.
Tickets are £25 and this will provide you access to the whole castle experience, including the Crown Jewels.
Buckingham Palace
A visit to London just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace! This is where the Queen of England resides.
This area is always so busy and is normally flooded with tourists. Try to visit right in the morning to beat the crowds!
Unfortunately, the inside of the palace is off-limits to tourists, but you can normally at least see a few of the rooms on a tour during the summer!
River Thames
The River Thames is the huge river that runs right through London. You wouldn’t be able to miss seeing this river at least once if you tried!
A great free way to spend the afternoon as a solo girl in London is to just walk along the river. There are some amazing views along the river and you’ll even see some of the most popular bridges in the city.
Be sure to stop for a picture at the Tower Bridge! Most people commonly confuse this bridge as the “London Bridge”, but the real London Bridge is actually a lot different.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, be sure to stop by the Millenium Bridge as well. You will recognize the scenes from the movie immediately!
Peggy Porschen Cakes
This is the best Instagram brunch spot in all of London! This cute bakery is completely cotton candy pink, and the inside is set up so nicely.
Not only is it a really cute building, but the food is tasty too! Peggy Porschen Cakes serves desserts, coffees, teas, and smaller food items like avocado toast.
Because Peggy Porschen Cakes is such a popular spot for people trying to get a photo for Instagram, don’t hesitate to ask the workers if they could take a photo for you. They’ll do it in a heartbeat!
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
A great way to spend an evening in London as a solo girl traveler is to see a show at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. This theater was built exactly where the original Shakespeare’s Globe was built. The original one burnt down quite a while ago.
Shows are extremely affordable if you’re willing to stand for the whole thing. It’s only £5 for what’s called a Commoner’s Ticket.
You’ll definitely want to dress in layers for your evening at the Globe because it’s an open theater in the middle of London. You never know when it might just start raining or hailing!
Shoreditch
This is one of my favorite areas of London (and the neighborhood I would love to personally live in!!). It’s the quirky, hipster part of town with eclectic street art around every corner, art galleries, trendy rooftop bars, delicious eats, and vintage shopping.
Don’t miss Boxpark - a pop up mall with great options for food and drink, the Brick Lane Sunday Market, Columbia Road Flower Market, stroll the eccentric Nomadic Community Gardens, Queen of Hoxton’s rooftop cinema nights, and The Geffrye Museum.
Best Tours for Solo Travellers in London
Since London is such a big city, there are actually tons of tours that are perfect for solo travelers. Below are just a few of the most interesting ones.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, try checking out the Magical London: Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour. For only £20, you can go on a 2.5-hour boat or Underground tour of all the Harry Potter sights in the city.
Are you more of an adventure junkie? Luckily for you, there’s a fun tour/experience where you can climb the roof of the O2 Arena! The tour lasts 1.5 hours and only costs £32. You’re bound to meet some other adventure junkies during this experience that could end up being friends for life!
Last but not least is the River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise. This £16 ticket will last you the whole day. You can hop on and off at any sight that you’d like and just use the boat as your mode of transportation for the day! Some popular spots on the cruise include the Tower of London, Borough Market, and the London Eye.
Where to Stay in London
As a solo traveler, it’s actually best to stay in a hostel! This way you can easily meet a lot of other similar travelers who are traveling alone as well. They are also extremely budget-friendly.
Below are a few of the top-rated hostels in London.
Wombats City Hostel London: This hostel has dorm rooms from £28. Wombats is also one of the top-rated hostel chains across Europe. They have a breakfast buffet, bike rental, and more.
Generator London: The Generator London hostel offers dorms from just £16 and private dorms from £47. Plus, this hostel, in particular, offers female-only dorm rooms for 4, 6, or 8 guests. There’s also luggage storage, a laundry room, and a bar.
Clink78: Clink78 offers dorm rooms from £17 and is located in King’s Cross. There’s a bar, cheap breakfast, and 24/7 security.
For something a little more upscale (and very instagrammable), check out: The Hoxton or The Curtain.
What are you waiting for?
It’s time to start planning your next trip to London! Solo girl travelers will feel right at home in this huge city, especially if they follow this great travel guide.