The London gay bucket list: jolly good!

Oct. 24 2018

by Lachlan

London is one of those cities which should feature on everyone’s travel itinerary. Royal, bold, and constantly on the go, you’ll never be short of things to do in London. But when it comes to having the perfect gaycation in the British capital, where do you start? Well we’ve made things a little easier for you, with our gay bucket list of what to do in London. How many will you be ticking off? 

1) Wear your best outfit and head to Buckingham Palace in the hope of catching a glimpse of Queen Liz through one of the palace windows. 

2) Ride an iconic red bus, and be sure to snag a seat on the top floor, at the front. Best views guaranteed. 

3) Tell yourself your credit card bill is not due for another month, and go shopping along quaint Carnaby Street. 

4) Stroll along the River Thames in the hope that Mr. Darcy will be miraculously appear in front of you. 

5) Head to Borough Market, grab some tasty food from one of the stalls, and walk in the footsteps of Bridget Jones for an afternoon. 

6) Strut down Soho’s Old Compton Street, and park yourself at one of the many bars for an afternoon drink and some people-watching. 

7) Settle in for a quintessential afternoon tea at Mayfair’s Sketch, and admire the model-like barmen over a scone with jam and cream.      

8) Walk down Kings Road in Chelsea, in the hope you might ‘accidentally’ run into one of the cast members of Made in Chelsea. 

9) Have a picnic in Hyde Park for your first date with your new British man crush, followed by some rowing on the Serpentine.  

10) Grab your grungiest tee and head to Dalston Superstore for a night of dancing with the hipsters. 

11) Give a nod to Australia, with an antipodean-style brunch at hip cafe, Lantana. 

12) Ruin your new pair of shoes with a night of uninhibited dancing at Heaven in Charing Cross.

13) Ride the Circle Line for an afternoon, and be sure to Mind the Gap.

14) Head to Topman on Oxford Street, and appreciate how many cool clothes you can pick up for such a little price.

15) Start your evening in Soho for pints of cider at G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street, then head around the corner for late-night dancing at G-A-Y Late.

16) Get your curry fix at super trendy Dishoom in Shoreditch, and cool the spice down with one of their seriously good cocktails.

17) Top up your Oyster Card with a much cash in one hit as possible to avoid the awkward ‘insufficient funds’ notice at the tube gate.

18) Find the perfect spot on Westminster Bridge to grab an Instagram-winning selfie with Big Ben.

19) Go to Harrods and ride the Egyptian-themed escalators from floor to floor. 

20) Head to any typical-looking pub on a street corner and go in for a pint or two of beer, if quiz is on offer, double win!

21) Travel south of the River Thames to Vauxhall, and commit to a hard night of gay clubbing at Fire. 

22) Have a night in at your misterb&b, with food provisions from Marks & Spencer - the packaging is a treat! 

23) Get rid of any loose pennies by giving them to one of the unique buskers in Covent Garden. 

24) Stop by a Space NK store and get your fix of the best skincare in town.

25) Spend hours trying on shoes in the massive shoe department at Selfridges, you’re guaranteed to find the right pair. 

26) Head to Regent’s Park with some Pimms and appreciate views of the London Skyline.

27) Travel to Greenwich, and get your sense of time at the Greenwich Meridian Line. 

28) Prepare your voice for a singalong at one of the city’s touring musicals, we’ve heard Kinky Boots is a hit! 

29) Head to Portobello Markets in Notting Hill, and pretend you’re Julia Roberts, about to run into Hugh Grant. 

30) Catch an iconic drag performance at East London’s The Glory, and integrate into the city’s alternative queer scene. 

31) Grab a hipster flat white at Broadway Market in trendy London Fields. 

32) Head to Spitalfields Market, by Liverpool Street, and buy some unique gifts for your friends back home.    

33) Allocate some of your travel budget to a ride in a black taxi. It will cost an arm and leg, but it’s an experience. 

34) Stop by an Off License at 1am, and marvel at the fact that you can still buy a beer - and super cheap! 

35) Unveil your inner diva with a balad hit of karaoke at gay The Karaoke Hole in Dalston. 

36) Visit Hamleys toy store on Regent Street and let your inner child loose.

37) Queue up at Brick Lane Beigel Bake for one of the best bagels around town 

38) Head to the top floor of The Shard and secure some of the best views of London’s skyline.

39) Go to Platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross, and pretend you’re Harry Potter for the afternoon. 

40) Lounge the afternoon away in the outdoor courtyard at Yard, in Soho. 

Are we missing something? Send us your suggestions here [email protected] We’d love to see what you’ve got!

Cover image: Flickr/Kurtis Garbutt