DAY 18 – THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2026
This was the final full day of our trip, and Karen decided we should end our London adventure in style. A shopping day!
After packing up and checking out of our hotel, we left our luggage with the concierge and set out for our first stop just a couple of blocks away: the famous Selfridges department store. Breakfast was also part of the plan, so we headed straight for the Foodhall entrance. As we approached, we were surprised to see a very long roped-off line stretching down the sidewalk. We could not imagine that this many people were waiting for breakfast.
Once inside, we discovered the line had nothing to do with food. Designer Anya Hindmarch had collaborated with Selfridges on a new release of their trademark yellow reusable shopping bags, and they had just gone on sale at 10:00 AM. Apparently this was a major event. London shoppers do not mess around when it comes to limited-edition bags!
After navigating around the special checkout area devoted entirely to bag sales, we explored the Foodhall, which felt part gourmet grocery store and part luxury grab-and-go market. Since the café there was not yet open, we were directed upstairs to the beautifully named Brasserie of Light.
The restaurant absolutely lived up to its name. Sunlight poured through enormous windows, mirrors reflected light throughout the room, and the centerpiece was an enormous sparkling silver Pegasus sculpture mounted dramatically on the wall. It was quite a sight first thing in the morning.
We enjoyed a delicious and reasonably priced breakfast while soaking in the bright, glamorous atmosphere. Clearly the department store has mastered the art of encouraging shoppers to linger a little longer.
After breakfast we wandered through the rest of Selfridges. It was mostly window shopping for us, though we did circle back and pick up a few of the famous yellow reusable bags once the crowds had disappeared.
About a ten-minute walk away was another iconic London shopping destination, Liberty London. The store itself may actually be more beautiful than the merchandise inside. Housed in a Tudor Revival building with dark wood beams, creaking wooden floors, and grand staircases, it feels more like walking through an old manor house than a department store.
The center of the building features large atrium-like spaces topped with glass ceilings that flood the interior with natural light. While Liberty carries many brands, the store is still famous for its signature Liberty of London floral prints and fabrics. The top floor showcases rows and rows of fabric bolts in every imaginable pattern and color. It was genuinely fun browsing through them all, though it is possible Karen enjoyed this portion of the day just a little more than Greg did.
From Liberty we walked around the corner to Hamleys, the legendary toy store on Regent Street. Even though we were not shopping for toys, it was impossible not to enjoy exploring the six floors packed with games, gadgets, and demonstrations. Around every corner an enthusiastic employee was launching flying toys, performing magic tricks, or racing miniature cars. We can only imagine how chaotic and exciting the store must feel during the holidays.
Just a few minutes later we arrived at the destination that had inspired this entire shopping-themed day: afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason.
We had reservations for afternoon tea in the elegant Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. The room was beautifully decorated, a pianist played softly on a grand piano, and many guests were dressed up for the occasion. It made for excellent people watching. We ordered the traditional afternoon tea, with Karen beginning with a glass of champagne while Greg chose a sparkling peach iced tea.
The tea service itself was an experience. We each selected our own tea from a menu featuring more than 50 varieties. Soon a beautiful three-tiered silver tray arrived at the table. The bottom tier held finger sandwiches including smoked salmon, cucumber, egg salad, ham, and Coronation chicken salad, a curried chicken salad created for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. The middle tier featured warm scones served with strawberry jam and thick clotted cream. The top tier was filled with delicate two-bite desserts that looked almost too pretty to eat.
Almost.
One of the lovely traditions of afternoon tea is that you are encouraged to request more of anything you would like. Over the course of nearly two hours we enjoyed multiple pots of tea, but after all the sandwiches, scones, and desserts we simply did not have room for additional food. We eventually packed some desserts up to take with us. It was one of those wonderfully indulgent experiences that simply feels quintessentially London.
Afterward we explored the rest of Fortnum & Mason. By now we had noticed that each iconic London department store seems to have its own signature color. Selfridges is bright yellow, Liberty is deep purple, and Fortnum & Mason is unmistakably teal. The store’s stunning teal spiral staircase sits at the center of the building and ties everything together beautifully.
The ground floor is filled with teas, biscuits, preserves, and beautifully packaged treats, while upper floors feature china, linens, cookware, and specialty gifts. There were even departments dedicated to picnic baskets and all the accessories needed to stock them properly. The entire store feels less like shopping and more like stepping into a carefully designed experience.
By the time we left Fortnum & Mason we were definitely ready to walk off some of our afternoon tea, so we made the thirty-minute walk back toward the original Twinings tea shop. We had visited the store on our second day in London but avoided buying much since we still had our entire Cotswolds hiking adventure ahead of us. Now, with the hiking portion of the trip behind us, we could browse much more freely. We sampled teas, picked up a few favorites, and enjoyed one last proper London tea-shopping experience.
By late afternoon we were officially shopped out. We slowly made our way back toward the hotel, stopping along the way for one final British gin and tonic while enjoying the unexpectedly warm weather. We could hardly believe London had reached the mid-70s.
After collecting our luggage, we grabbed an Uber to what we thought was our airport hotel for the night before our morning flight.
And then came our final unexpected British adventure.
Our Uber dropped us off at the Heathrow Hilton Garden Inn. Unfortunately, when we checked in, the front desk could not find our reservation. After several confused minutes, we discovered there are apparently three Hilton properties at Heathrow, including two different Hilton Garden Inns.
Really?!?
So we called another Uber and took a fifteen-minute, two-mile ride to the correct hotel. Thankfully we had built in plenty of extra time, and the second hotel turned out to be connected to Terminal 2 by a pedestrian bridge, meaning no additional transportation would be needed in the morning.
After finally checking in, we grabbed a light dinner and spent the evening playing suitcase Jenga as we attempted to fit hiking boots, souvenirs, tea tins, and shopping purchases into our luggage.
The next morning we were up bright and early for the walk to the airport and our flight home to Boston.
Farewell to a wonderful British vacation!
Hammond Adventures 