Early morning London: why you should experience the city at sunrise

Let me start this post by clarifying, for the record, that I am categorically not a morning person.

Almost six years in London, and I think I’ve seen about three sunrises. And two were probably because I had to wake up early for flights.

But here’s the thing: early morning London is a totally different city than afternoon London or even late night London.

If you can manage it, and I highly recommend that you do, here’s why you should experience the city at sunrise.

It’s the most calm you’ll ever see it

Even late at night, London is thrumming with people.

First thing in the morning, however, there’s this stillness about the city that you just won’t find at any other time. There are, of course, a few people around – you’re never completely alone in London – but even the buses and trains seem quieter.

It’s like the bustle of the day before has been washed away, and the city is starting again, fresh and clean; a moment of serenity before it’s once again thrown into its daily chaos.

You might actually get a reservation at Duck & Waffle

As if we hadn’t had enough fun the day before, Monica managed to get us a reservation at the popular 24-hour restaurant Duck & Waffle.

At 6:15am.

I’m not going to pretend I was happy when my alarm went off at 4:45am, but by the time I got to the 40th floor of Heron Tower and saw the golden morning light flooding the rooftops of the city, my grogginess was forgotten.

I tried the signature duck and waffle (sweet and savoury, crunchy and tender…delicious!) while Monica tucked into an ox cheek benedict that looked as mouthwatering as my own dish.

It was difficult to focus on the food, with the gorgeous light display going on all around us, but after we’d taken about a hundred photos and sipped steaming coffees, we settled into our tasty breakfasts, feeling smug about our successful early morning.

If you’re struggling to get a reservation at Duck & Waffle, try first thing in the morning…it might feel painful getting out of bed, but it’ll be totally worth it!

You can see London’s landmarks without the crowds

There are so many amazing things to see and do in London, but one of the frustrations of the city is that you always have to battle with crowds to see anything.

Not early in the morning!

Walking past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament without anyone around was kind of eerie at first, but then I just enjoyed actually being able to stop without having to apologise to someone power walking behind me.

As Monica and I strolled along the South Bank, we spotted a rare sight: the Undercroft Skate Park with no one in it. Bloggers can’t resist a colourful graffiti background, so we spent some time snapping photos of one another against this iconic background.

I’m wearing: Hotsquash dress | Dune boots

You can beat the queues

Not only can you beat the crowds around London’s sights, but you can also beat the queues at the most popular attractions.

Monica had travelled to London with ThamesLink, which meant she could get 2FOR1 tickets on a bunch of attractions. As soon as the London Eye ticket office opened in the morning, we jumped in the line, and within half an hour we were boarding the Eye.

If you’ve ever tried this in the afternoon or evening, you’ll know the queues can be massive, taking hours to get to the front. Early morning was a breeze, and we were soon treated to stunning views from the top.

The best thing about it? Even after all of that, we still had the whole day ahead of us!

Have you discovered early morning London? Was it worth waking up for?

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