My First Day in London: Big Ben, Pub Lunch and the London Eye

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Wednesday 25 March 2026. After leaving Australia and stopping over in Singapore, I finally arrived at Heathrow. My first ever time in the UK! This wasn’t a quick two-week holiday. It was the beginning of a much bigger adventure, and I was excited to get out and see some of the places I’d heard about for years.

And London certainly gave me plenty to look at. Red buses, enormous old buildings, black cabs and more history around every corner than I could possibly take in on one day. The camera got a workout.

Trafalgar Square: now this feels like London

We made our way into central London and came across Trafalgar Square. There were people everywhere, buses going past and the National Gallery looking very grand at the top of the square. It was one of those moments when you realise you’re actually standing somewhere you’ve only ever seen on a screen.

The National Gallery across Trafalgar Square, London
The National Gallery across Trafalgar Square, London.

Nelson’s Column was erected in 1843, and those enormous bronze lions were added in 1867. They’ve been keeping watch over the square for a very long time. Naturally, I had to get a photograph.

A bronze lion at the base of Nelson's Column in London
A bronze lion at the base of Nelson’s Column in London.
A red open-top tour bus on the edge of Trafalgar Square.
A red open-top tour bus on the edge of Trafalgar Square.
Grand old buildings and busy streets around Trafalgar Square.
Grand old buildings and busy streets around Trafalgar Square.
A red double-decker bus passing Nelson's Column.
A red double-decker bus passing Nelson’s Column.
Red buses and a group of cyclists in Trafalgar Square.
Red buses and a group of cyclists in Trafalgar Square.
Crowds and stone bollards across the square.
Crowds and stone bollards across the square.
Looking down Whitehall towards Big Ben.
Looking down Whitehall towards Big Ben.
One of the Trafalgar Square fountains with Nelson's Column behind it.
One of the Trafalgar Square fountains with Nelson’s Column behind it.
The fountain and Nelson's Column across the square.
The fountain and Nelson’s Column across the square.
The wide steps leading down into Trafalgar Square.
The wide steps leading down into Trafalgar Square.
St Martin-in-the-Fields church beside Trafalgar Square.
St Martin-in-the-Fields church beside Trafalgar Square.
A bronze horse and rider statue at the corner of the square.
A bronze horse and rider statue at the corner of the square.
One of the bronze lions with Big Ben in the distance.
One of the bronze lions with Big Ben in the distance.

Big Ben, Parliament and all that architecture

From there, we carried on towards Westminster. This was the bit I was really looking forward to: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, all those intricate stone details, and the sheer scale of the buildings. My Facebook post that afternoon summed it up pretty well: ‘The architecture is absolutely amazing! Must be time for lunch soon.’

A black cab and a red bus, about as London as it gets.
A black cab and a red bus, about as London as it gets.
A grand corner building on Whitehall.
A grand corner building on Whitehall.
A mounted trooper on guard at Horse Guards.
A mounted trooper on guard at Horse Guards.
The Horse Guards building with its clock tower.
The Horse Guards building with its clock tower.
A statue and ornate buildings along Whitehall.
A statue and ornate buildings along Whitehall.
Black cabs passing a grand domed building on Whitehall.
Black cabs passing a grand domed building on Whitehall.
Tall black iron gates along Whitehall.
Tall black iron gates along Whitehall.
Gates and a guard post off Whitehall.
Gates and a guard post off Whitehall.
A red phone box on a quiet stretch of footpath.
A red phone box on a quiet stretch of footpath.
Deb and a classic red London phone box.
Deb and a classic red London phone box.
Elizabeth Tower and the Houses of Parliament on a bright day
Elizabeth Tower and the Houses of Parliament on a bright day.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament under a blue sky.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament under a blue sky.
Big Ben and Parliament from across the road.
Big Ben and Parliament from across the road.
Big Ben from street level.
Big Ben from street level.

A little bit of history: Big Ben is actually the nickname of the great bell inside Elizabeth Tower, not the tower itself. The clock began keeping time in 1859. It’s funny how often we use a name without knowing exactly what it refers to.

The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower above the River Thames
The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower above the River Thames.

A proper pub lunch

All that walking and looking up at buildings makes you hungry. We stopped for lunch near Westminster, at St Stephen’s Tavern, and the photographs show some proper pub food: fish and chips, and sausages with mash and gravy. There’s something rather satisfying about your first London sightseeing day involving a plate of British comfort food.

A large battered fish served with chunky chips and a lemon wedge
A large battered fish served with chunky chips and a lemon wedge.
Sausages with mashed potatoes and rich onion gravy
Sausages with mashed potatoes and rich onion gravy.
A narrow staircase lined with framed pictures inside the pub.
A narrow staircase lined with framed pictures inside the pub.
The bar inside the pub where we stopped for lunch.
The bar inside the pub where we stopped for lunch.

Westminster Bridge and the London Eye

Then it was back out into the city, across the Thames and towards the London Eye. The river, the bridges and Parliament all look different when you’re actually there, with buses and people going in every direction. I wanted photographs of everything.

Westminster Bridge crossing the River Thames under a blue and cloudy sky
Westminster Bridge crossing the River Thames under a blue and cloudy sky.
The London Eye seen from near Westminster Bridge
The London Eye seen from near Westminster Bridge.
The London Eye across the Thames.
The London Eye across the Thames.
An ornate lamp post on Westminster Bridge with the London Eye behind it.
An ornate lamp post on Westminster Bridge with the London Eye behind it.
Big Ben towering over the crowds on Westminster Bridge.
Big Ben towering over the crowds on Westminster Bridge.
Looking along the Thames past the Houses of Parliament.
Looking along the Thames past the Houses of Parliament.
Parliament and Big Ben from Westminster Bridge.
Parliament and Big Ben from Westminster Bridge.
A bagpiper playing on Westminster Bridge.
A bagpiper playing on Westminster Bridge.
Walking across Westminster Bridge towards the London Eye.
Walking across Westminster Bridge towards the London Eye.
The Thames and the London Eye from the bridge.
The Thames and the London Eye from the bridge.
County Hall at the end of Westminster Bridge.
County Hall at the end of Westminster Bridge.
Westminster Bridge and Parliament from the South Bank.
Westminster Bridge and Parliament from the South Bank.
A Paddington Bear ice cream van on the South Bank.
A Paddington Bear ice cream van on the South Bank.
Looking back across the river to Westminster.
Looking back across the river to Westminster.
The riverside walk leading to the London Eye.
The riverside walk leading to the London Eye.
Looking straight up at the London Eye.
Looking straight up at the London Eye.
The London Eye ticket office.
The London Eye ticket office.

The London Eye first opened to passengers in 2000 and stands 135 metres high. It was originally intended to be temporary, but it’s become one of London’s best-known landmarks. The photos from our visit include the view out over the city, which is a brilliant way to appreciate just how far London stretches.

But this time we weren’t just looking up at the London Eye from the street. We actually went on it. Seeing one of those big glass capsules up close is quite different from looking at the wheel from below.

Glass capsule at the boarding platform of the London Eye
Glass capsule at the boarding platform of the London Eye.
The pods coming round at the boarding platform.
The pods coming round at the boarding platform.
Boats on the Thames as our pod started to rise.
Boats on the Thames as our pod started to rise.
The river stretching away below us.
The river stretching away below us.

Then the view opened up. Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and boats on the Thames were all spread out beneath us. I’d been looking at those famous buildings from the pavement just a little earlier, and now I was seeing the whole scene from above. What a way to spend my first full sightseeing day in London.

The Houses of Parliament, Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Bridge viewed from the London Eye
The Houses of Parliament, Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Bridge viewed from the London Eye.

And looking further along the river, there seemed to be London in every direction. The photographs speak for themselves.

Wide view from the London Eye across the Thames and central London
Wide view from the London Eye across the Thames and central London.
Bridges and rooftops from higher up.
Bridges and rooftops from higher up.
Another pod with the city spread out behind it.
Another pod with the city spread out behind it.
Looking down the Thames from near the top.
Looking down the Thames from near the top.
Parliament and Westminster Bridge from the top of the Eye.
Parliament and Westminster Bridge from the top of the Eye.
Rain clouds rolling in over Westminster.
Rain clouds rolling in over Westminster.
Westminster Bridge and the river from above.
Westminster Bridge and the river from above.
County Hall from above as we came back down.
County Hall from above as we came back down.

A word about hotel stairs

Our first week in London, Deb and I stayed in a hotel where our room was on the top floor, four flights up, with no lift. The staff told us they couldn’t help or leave the front desk, so we had to drag our bags up ourselves.

When it was time to leave, I spotted the cleaners’ laundry bags sitting against the wall at the bottom of each flight of stairs. I said, “Bugger it, I’m not going to try and carry this down the stairs. There are laundry bags at the bottom, so I’m just going to push my bag straight into those. They didn’t want to help us, so if we damage their walls, that’s their problem.”

So I laid my hard shell suitcase down flat (all 23 kg of it) and pushed it down each flight, with the laundry bag at the bottom as a buffer. Not elegant, but it worked.

If you’re travelling with big bags, check whether there’s a lift before you book. A lot of older places in the UK have plenty of stairs and no lift at all.

That was my first sightseeing day in Britain: a bit of history, a very good look at Westminster, some proper pub food and lots of excitement. I had only just arrived, and already I was loving the experience. There was still so much more to see.

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