I wrote a post a few weeks ago with a 1 week London itinerary – it’s the most time and thought I’ve ever put in to writing a post. It was a labour of love…..and then it was my least liked post of the last 2 years haha! I’m still glad I wrote it though as I’ve been exploring a lot more of London recently, and really going in to depth to learn more about different areas.
One such area is Bloomsbury, which roughly constitutes the neighbourhoods from around Kings Cross down to Covent Garden. It features for a day on my aforementioned London Itinerary, but we actually spent a whole weekend there back in March (yes, I know, I’m super behind and all over the place with my write ups at the moment!). Despite commuting in to Kings Cross station for years, we never really knew anything about the area so decided to make it our base for the weekend, and we were very glad we did. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Itinerary Day 1
A. Russell Square
Start your morning off in beautiful Russell Square, grabbing some breakfast at Caffe Tropea or The Cabmen’s Shelter. Then have a relaxed walk through the park, especially if it’s a sunny day. Visiting in Spring is especially beautiful as the daffodil flower beds are out.
B. The British Museum
After breakfast, head to The British Museum – the most famous site in the area, worth spending at least 3 hours exploring. I’ve visited twice and both times have spent 4 hours + in the museum and seen completely new things each time. Even better – it’s free to visit. Top things to see include the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, Lewis Chessmen, Sutton Hoo Mask, Egyptian Mummies and Samurai Warrior. You can read my full guide to the museum HERE.
C. Covent Garden
After visiting the museum, head down beyond the border of Bloomsbury and in to Covent Garden. Covent Garden is one of the most picturesque areas of London and there’s loads to do here. We chose to visit beautiful Neal’s Yard, do some shopping, and also do an escape room at Konmata – London’s number 1 voted room.
Also in the area is ‘Art of Banksy’, a private collection of Banksy’s work, plus the Freemasonry Museum (if you’re in to secret societies), plus its home to London’s west end if you want to catch a show, and lots of pubs for a taste of an English tradition.
D. Dinner at Dishoom
Finish the day off with one of the most amazing restaurants in London – Dishoom. Dishoom is based on the Irani cafes of Bombay and oh my goodness, the food is completely amazing.
Itinerary Day 2
A. Tavistock Square Gardens & Virginia Woolf’s House
Start the day back in the heart of Bloomsbury by exploring pretty Tavistock Square, including finding Virginia Woolf’s house at number 29 and taking a stroll through the central gardens.
B. Woburn Walk and other stunning Bloomsbury Streets
Bloomsbury is full of picture perfect streets, but without doubt one of my favourites is Woburn walk. Pop in to some of the shops along the row, one of London’s most well preserved Georgian streets before continuing on to the next stop.
C. St George’s Gardens
Continuing the morning’s stroll, head to St George’s Gardens which I found really pretty especially as the park is still full of tombs and gravestones making it really quirky but stunning at the same time.
D. Kings Cross St Pancras – Big Chill bar and Platform 9 3/4
After your morning stroll in Bloomsbury, head to The Big Chill rooftop bar for a nice drink before heading in to Kings Cross St Pancras railway station. There are actually two stations here – one modern at Kings Cross (and home to Platform 9 3/4 for any Harry Potter fans), and one old at St Pancras. Both are worth popping in to to admire the architecture, before heading on to lunch.
E. Granary Square
Head on past the stations and up to Granary Square, a new and beautiful area by the canal. Here is a great stop for a late lunch with some lovely restaurants on offer. There’s even another Dishoom if you didn’t manage it for dinner yesterday! As the day was a Sunday for us, we had a traditional Sunday roast dinner.
F. Word on the Water
After having lunch, stroll along the canal to Word on the Water, a floating bookshop. I can never resist a book, let alone a book sold on a boat so obviously I left with new additions for my shelves at home.
G. Coals Drop Yards
Walk across to Coals Drop Yards, an area of old converted warehouses which are now full of modern shops and eateries. The area is also home to St Pancras locks at the top of the canals, so it makes a picturesque area to stroll around.
H. St Pancras Old Church and Gardens
Next, visit St Pancras old Church and Gardens, home to The Hardy Tree – an ash tree surrounded by hundreds of weathered gravestones, layered practically on top of one another by Thomas Hardy (of Tess of the D’Urbervilles fame) when he was working for a company tasked with reburying the dead who had to be moved to build the train lines. The church itself is also beautiful, and worth nipping inside too.
I. Cocktails at Hokus Pokus
As a final stop of the weekend, we had dinner at Megaro Hotel and then drinks in their amazing bar, Hokus Pokus. The drinks were probably more about theatre than taste, but they were still delicious and a fun way of finishing off the weekend before crossing the road to get the train back home.
So what do you think of my Bloomsbury in depth weekend? We had such a nice and laid back time spending a whole weekend in one area rather than rushing around. If you’re interested in my London area guides then also check out:
- 1 week in London Itinerary
- 2 days in London for a first time visitor
- Kensington
- Greenwich
- South Bank (post coming soon)
- British Museum Guide
- St Paul’s Cathedral Guide
- London Christmas Lights Tour
- Highgate Cemetery Guide
- London Hotel Reviews – Sea Containers, The Megaro (post coming soon), Treehouse
Thanks so much for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!
Barney Travel Technologies
Leave a comment