24 Hours in London: Gluten Free Food, Ghost Tours, and More

From Highland Hugs to Ghost Bus Chases – How I’m Spending a Solo Day in London After Visiting My Boo in Inverness

Alright y’all, I’m buzzing. Like, butterflies-in-my-gut, can’t-stop-refreshing-my-flight-info kind of buzzing. In just a few days, I’ll be hopping across the pond to spend three whole weeks in Inverness with my man, Barry. If you’ve been around here long enough, you know Barry is my long distance Scottish boyfriend.

On the way back, I’ve got a 24-hour layover in London. I want to use my time as efficiently as possible while I am there. This is my second time doing a 24 hr layover. This time my little solo date with the city is going to be a mix of vibes: food, hauntingly beautiful ruins, gluten-free chicken nuggets, and an extremely theatrical ghost bus tour.

Wanna see what I’ve got planned? Let’s dive in to my itinerary.

✈️ Touchdown at Heathrow – 12:10 PM

First thing’s first—I land at Heathrow just after noon. My plan is to take the direct train to Paddington Station because I’m not about to be messing with traffic or navigating the Tube. If I’m required to pick up my checked luggage, I might stash my luggage at Heathrow lockers and roll light.

🛏️ Check In (Fingers Crossed) – 1:30 PM

I’ll be heading straight to my EasyHotel near Paddington to drop my stuff. If the universe loves me, they’ll let me check in early. If not, I’m still tossing my bag in a corner and heading out. I’ve got gluten free food to hunt down.

🥐 Borough Market Bliss – 2:00 PM

Calling an Uber and heading south of the river to Borough Market. This spot is foodie heaven, and I plan on doing some damage. Gluten-free snacks? You know I’ll sniff them out. After I go I plan do to a whole blog dedicated to that so stay tuned.

I’ve done lots of research and it seems like there are quite a few different options for savory and sweet gluten free food. I will be grabbing a little pastry treat for the morning, because my hotel doesn’t have any continental breakfast.

🌿 Old Churches, Pretty Ruins – 3:50 PM

From the market, I’m walking about 12 minutes to St. Dunstan in the East—a partially ruined old church tucked between city buildings. It’s covered in ivy and just has that quiet, eerie charm I love. I’ve seen photos and it looks like the kind of place that makes you slow down without trying too hard. I’ll probably just sit for a bit, take it in, and let the city buzz around me.

🚇 Underground Wandering – 4:30 PM

After I’ve soaked up the vibes of the church (and taken a hundred photos and videos), I’ll hop on the Tube at Stop Q and head to King’s Cross. Because duh—Platform 9¾. I am definitely a Potterhead, the kid in me still screams at the idea of seeing filming locations in person. Plus, the station is beautiful, so that’s a huge bonus!

🍗 Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets – 6:00 PM

From King’s Cross, I’m hopping on the tube to Covent Garden stop and walking to Leon— to fill my heart and my belly with some gluten-free chickie nuggies. Yes, I’m planning my trip around nuggets. No, I will not be shamed.

👻 Spooky Girl Hour – 7:30 PM

I am a tourist. I do not mind leaning into doing super touristy things. I go absolutely feral with excitement for things like: THE GHOST BUS TOUR. It’s like a haunted theater ride through the city, complete with actors, lighting, and dramatic storytelling. It’s cheesy. It’s theatrical. It’s me. It brings me joy.

🚕 Back to Base – 9:30 PM

Tour ends. Depending on my energy, I might stop for a drink or a sweet treat before I Uber back to the hotel. Happily full of spooky stories and nuggets. I’ll probably fall asleep watching one of the Harry Potter movies and wake up with one sock on. Just being real.

☕ Next Morning – 7:30/8:00 AM

Time to roll out. I’ll be grabbing coffee from Blank Street (they’ve got GF options too!). A gorgeous cafe! Then head back to Paddington for the train to Heathrow. I’ll little tired, and probably a bit melancholy from the bittersweet feeling of this trip coming to an end.

So why am I telling you all this?

Because I truly believe even the shortest trips can be full of adventure, romance, and random nuggets of joy (literally and figuratively). Travel doesn’t always have to be big and fancy. Sometimes it’s just about chasing a little silly vibe, even if it only lasts a day.

Stay tuned—I’ll be posting pics, stories. Catch you in London, baddies. 🖤

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Wanna follow the trip in real time?
I’ll be posting it all on IG: @theroamingrebelblog
And yep—blog updates coming from Inverness too. Spoiler alert: there will be a loch ness moster sitting.