London Calling: A Guide To The Perfect London Summer Getaway

Trust us, you want to put London on your 2025 travel bucket list. 

The city’s countless historical attractions and cultural experiences are great year-round, but summertime in this European capital, in particular, is pure magic — warm weather, sunnier skies and plenty of bustling markets and lush gardens to explore.

Here’s our guide to exploring London in style this summer.

Planning your trip

Planning a great trip to London can be a breeze if you are an American Express Platinum cardmember. Premium cardmembers have 24/7 access to Amex’s Travel & Lifestyle Consultants, who can help with planning and booking everything from bespoke tours to hard-to-get dinner reservations, plus a host of travel benefits including an annual travel credit, use of priority security lanes at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and entry to 1,400 airport lounges around the world.

Art worlds

There are many, many museums and art galleries in London — 1,049 to be exact — including three of the top 10 in the world. In other words: you have options. The British Museum is the most popular by far, attracting almost 6.5 million visitors in 2024.

But one of the hottest tickets of the summer may well be the new Cartier exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum. A must-see for fashion and design enthusiasts, the show features artifacts and exquisite objects from the Cartier archives alongside pieces owned by Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy.

High fashions

Despite the exchange rate and the end of tax-free shopping in the UK, shopping in London remains a delight. At Harrods, there is the famous food hall but also racks of runway looks from independent British designers like Simone Rocha and Wales Bonner — and the seasonal markdowns are just getting started in earnest this month!

Other must-visit shops while you’re in town: Dover Street Market for the latest by Japanese labels like Comme Des Garçons and Junya Watanabe; Liberty for designer homeware and charming gifts; and Arket for colourful, modern basics at a good price.     

Show place

As famous as Broadway, London’s West End is a great place to catch a show. There are many plays and musicals to choose from almost every day of the week, including now-classics like The Book of Mormon and Les Miserables.

One of the buzziest this year is the award-winning My Neighbour Tororo, which brings the 1988 animated feature film to life on stage quite charmingly.

A royal (day) trip

You won’t regretting adding a day trip to Windsor to your next London jaunt—the historic town is less than an hour away by car, and just over an hour via train. It’s home to Windsor Castle, the oldest and biggest occupied castle in the world, and on the grounds you can see the changing of the guards and St George’s Chapel, where Harry and Meghan got married and Queen Elizabeth II is interred. Plus, William and Kate live at Adelaide Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Home Park, so you might even see them in town or doing the school run.

For a remarkable, royals-approved experience, splurge on a ride with Windsor Carriages, the only company that can take guests through The Long Walk and Windsor Great Park on horse-drawn carriages. 

Where to stay in London

If you’re looking to be absolutely pampered, book a room at the luxurious Raffles London at The OWO. It’s steeped in history—the Grade II listed Edwardian Baroque building was once home to Britain’s Old War Office—but also just steps from famous London landmarks like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.

Plus, Raffles London is one of 1.500 Fine Hotels + Resorts properties worldwide, which means that Amex Platinum cardmembers have access to perks like free daily breakfast for two, a $100 USD hotel benefit, late check-out and early check-in and room upgrade when available.