Great Things To Do as Backpackers This January in London
In some ways January is the ideal month to come and explore London. The crowds that flock round the most famous tourist spots during peak season won’t be there, and there’s plenty of exciting stuff happening. We’d like to suggest a fantastic New Year’s resolution – book a stay at London backpackers and explore some of the following:
New Year’s Day Parade
The 2020 New Year’s Day parade is the 34th of its kind and features more than 850 participants. It offers a dazzling display of colour and spectacle, including marching bands from the US, cheerleaders, cast members from hit West End shows and floats made by London boroughs, competing to win part of a prize pot for the best float. From acrobats and clowns to amazing musicians, it’s a moving exhibition which stretches for over 2.2 miles along famous streets such as Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Big Ben. It’s free to go along and watch, and if you manage to get hold of a ticket, you’ll get a particularly great view from one of the specially constructed grandstands.
Winter Lights at Canary Wharf
Winter Lights at Canary Wharf is a free attraction consisting of stunning visual displays created from lights by artists and designers around the world. Some of the displays are interactive and can be enjoyed, for example, the one at the Docklands Light Railway. The display runs between January 16th and January 25th and it probably goes without saying that you should wait until the sun goes down before paying a visit.
Skylight Rooftop
If you’re like most people, then you probably love stunning rooftop views over a city like London and gliding around the ice on a pair of skates. You can combine both of these when you visit Tobacco dock in Wapping and enjoy winter themed attractions – which include the afore-mentioned rooftop ice rink (the only one in Europe) as well as treats like mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. You’ll also find heated bars where you can relax and warm up again after enjoying the winter-themed fun.
Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh
For something a little more cultured, pop along to the Saatchi gallery in Chelsea, where you can soak in the stunning sight of more than 150 dazzling artefacts discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. The tickets – at £28.50 – may seem a bit steep, but this is the last chance to see these historical objects before they return to Egypt, and anyone with a love of history or simply a taste for the greatest bling ever produced, won’t be able to resist going along.
Cars: Accelerating the Modern World
This exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum is a must for anyone interested in cars, or great design in general. It includes everything from a classic E-Type Jaguar to “the Audi Pop.Up Next”, which is a driverless electric car that can also fly. Soak up the history of motoring and get some ideas for your next set of wheels.
Planning your January stay at London Backpackers hostel means you get to enjoy clean, comfortable and secure accommodation, complete with cooking and laundry facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi. From your base close to the heart of everything the city offers, you can explore everything London has to offer, and kick 2020 off in style, all on the kind of budget price-tag you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
