A 12-Day, £3000 Trip to the UK and Ireland – London and Cambridge
【London】
June 26, 2025, again and again, London, I'm here again! As the center of the world for a long time in history, having experienced the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, Europe has left countless treasures over centuries of development, so its museum collections are incredibly rich. Even just the city of London has dazzled me.
Of these ten trips to the UK, only last summer I didn’t come to London – that time I entered and exited through Manchester. On all the other visits, I always scheduled a few museums and art galleries. This time I specially arranged to see a show in the famous West End.
The V&A Museum – a visual feast! I’ve been here twice and still haven’t seen everything. This time I mainly covered the jewelry gallery I missed last time and a few British history galleries.
After leaving the V&A, I went to eat Vietnamese pho at a place called Go. The owner came over specially to ask where I was from, saying he hadn’t seen me before. I asked if he was from Hong Kong; he said he was Malaysian. I guess many Chinese people come here.
The National Gallery – so peaceful, viewing various famous paintings up close. It’s always my top 1 must-visit. This time before my trip I specially bought the classic "The Story of Art" to study Western art history in advance, just to understand better.
Oxford Street and Regent Street are London's busiest shopping paradise. Everywhere you look, your eyes are drawn to the black-and-white Tudor-style buildings. Surrounded by modern high-rises, this building full of history appears understated and luxurious – it's London's renowned department store, Liberty. So I visited Liberty again. Though I didn’t buy anything, inside the store I was enveloped by an incomparable sense of age, savoring the classic and dignified design style, feeling the quiet elegance washed by time.
London's West End, alongside New York's Broadway, is one of the world’s two major theatre districts, an international stage for performing arts, and synonymous with British theatre. The West End is hailed as a temple of musical theatre; countless classic productions originated here and spread globally. If Broadway represents the passion and creativity of American musicals, the West End attracts global audiences with its deep cultural heritage and diverse artistic expression. Whether tourists or locals, going into a theatre and watching a musical has become an unmissable part of London’s cultural experience. Unlike in China, shows in London typically run at a single theatre for years, so whatever you want to see directly corresponds to a specific theatre.
As for seats, obviously the closer the better, but in my opinion the best value for money is the front row of the Dress Circle (second level front row) – you can see the entire stage and the distance is quite close. The theatres aren’t very big; the ceiling height is roughly that of a second floor in China, so the audience is quite close to the stage!
I learned online in advance how to get discounted tickets. Sure enough, two days ahead I locked in a matinee (traveling alone, matinee feels safer) of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre. Original price £113, after discount £58, Dress Circle. The theatre is right at the bustling intersection outside Chinatown, crowded with people. The classic image of Cosette, Fantine’s daughter from Les Misérables, stands high above the theatre. Most of the supporting roles (those without names in the cast list, like the chain gang workers at the start, women on Paris streets, etc.) were all very much on point. During intermission, I went to the theatre’s small bar-like lounge and saw many people holding a glass of wine, chatting, waiting for the second half to start – warm and relaxed.
This time I booked a hotel near Notting Hill Gate, a five-minute walk to Portobello Road Market. It’s a lively market street that has been established for years; you can hunt for various knick-knacks and visit the bookshop featured in the film "Notting Hill." After breakfast I strolled over. Around 9:00 shops and stalls began opening one after another, and by 5:00 pm they close. Recommendation: 4 stars. The one star deducted is because the environment is a bit messy. At food stalls, I saw all kinds of delicacies piled like small mountains. The saltiness of cheese, the freshness of olives, the wheaty aroma of bread mingling in the air – anyone arriving hungry would find it hard to resist temptation.
One evening, I specially chose to walk through Kensington Park back to my hotel. The trees in the park are generally old; many old trees leave behind dead branches or stumps after they fall. Birds, squirrels, and swans – in water, on land, and in the air – were actively 'on duty.' Some weren’t afraid of people at all; when they saw you approach, they would even swarm around begging for food.
On my first trip to the UK years ago, I visited Cambridge. Since this trip is my farewell tour of the UK, of course I wanted to revisit Cambridge. From London Liverpool Street Station, the express train to Cambridge takes about 80 minutes. There are many departures daily; you can even return to London the same day. Buying round-trip tickets in advance saves a lot – under £20 round trip.
The most convenient and affordable way to get to Cambridge University is by bus. Exit the train station, walk about 100m to the left to the bus stop across the street, take the U bus – 20 minutes to the area near the Mathematical Bridge. I bought a day ticket, but accidentally got on the wrong direction and ended up touring, by chance, the Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine campus on the other side of the city. I also saw the magnificent AZ scientific hub.
This is a city surrounded by Cambridge University. It hasn’t been overdeveloped or overcommercialized. Even after more than 800 years, it still retains its unique "original flavor." Solemn churches, the gently flowing River Cam, weathered university gates, a charming little market, ancient roads and walls that have witnessed a millennium, bicycles leaning against walls, long-pole punts… all are vivid calling cards of Cambridge. The clock tower standing in the center of the square, the ancient and dignified buildings, speak of the sanctity of centuries-old halls of knowledge; thousand-year-old books still preserve the light of human civilization. The Cambridge market has existed since Saxon times; to this day, trading under simple umbrellas remains brisk, with goods ranging from flowers, fruit, local handicrafts, foods from around the world, second-hand books, bicycle repair, and more.
First I went to the Fitzwilliam Museum, the art and archaeology museum affiliated with Cambridge University, founded in 1816. The museum houses artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and other Asian countries, as well as European paintings. Coincidentally, there was a special exhibition of Dürer’s prints in one gallery. I had just studied art history before my trip, and the book had several chapters on Dürer. Suddenly I felt quite cultured.
Opposite the Corpus Clock is the famous Eagle pub. It’s one of the oldest pubs in Cambridge; the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University was originally located nearby, and lab staff often came here for drinks and meals. On February 28, 1953, Francis Crick interrupted people having lunch, announcing that he and James Watson had discovered the secret of life – the double helix structure of DNA. Now there is a blue plaque on the wall outside the pub commemorating that great discovery. Next to the Eagle pub is a very good ice cream shop called Jack's Gelato, very popular. I bought two scoops for £4.90 and rested a bit while watching people come and go.
People rode bicycles loaded with books across cobblestone paths; students relaxed on manicured lawns. The person brushing past you might well be a famous Cambridge scholar.
King's College is open to visitors with tickets, allowing me a good look. The most visited part is the chapel. Standing inside, it was as if scenes from British films showing scholars arguing on either side of the high table flashed before my eyes like montage. Entering the college, on the main lawn in front of the main building stands a bronze statue of Henry VI. Notice the pedestrian on the lawn in the picture below; ordinary people are strictly prohibited from stepping on the lawn unless you are a senior Fellow of the college.
I entered St Mary's Church to sit and rest. This church has a history as long as Cambridge University. It is open to tourists; for a few pounds you can climb to the top and get a panoramic view of King’s College and the city center. Stephen Hawking’s funeral was held here.
In Cambridge bookshops, popular college canvas bags are on sale; the hottest style is "Women Who Change the World." I have quite a few such canvas bags at home, so I just enjoyed looking.
On the gate of Trinity College is a statue of Henry VIII. In his left hand he holds the sovereign orb (a golden sphere with a cross), but in his right hand he grips a wooden chair leg – clearly visible. It is said that long ago students played a prank, and the university accepted the joke.
Walking out of St John’s College, not far ahead there is a round church. This is the second oldest building in Cambridge and one of only four round churches in England. Its history dates back to 1130, commemorating the church of the same name in Jerusalem.
I walked into Cambridge’s ancient streets under the blazing summer sun. The buildings, accumulated over centuries, stand in a mix of styles reflecting different eras. Some are medieval in their simplicity and solemnity, the mottled stone walls seeming to tell the past; others cleverly incorporate modern elements like steel and large glass windows, retaining traditional charm while showing a contemporary feel… yet everything appears so harmonious.
The magic is that no matter how lively the street, once you pass through a magnificent gate or an inconspicuous small doorway, within seconds you are transported to a tranquil, grassy enclosed courtyard, like a paradise away from the world – everything becomes quiet.
Returning from Cambridge, I got out at London Waterloo station and walked to see the night view of The Shard. The best atmosphere is when the lights first come on – twinkling dots of light, not harsh, reflecting on the water, with an elegant beauty. It combines urban vitality with historical depth; the ancient buildings along the banks and modern skyscrapers complement each other. For a moment, I felt as if I had traveled back to a bustling port era.
