Over the course of one year, the average UK adult spends more than 35 days on social platforms, posting, messaging and sharing online. London is particularly prominent in their feeds, with research recording approximately 16 million TikTok posts and more than 170 million Instagram posts featuring #London last year. With so much of our time spent scrolling and consuming content, particularly around the capital, it is no surprise that social media has become a go-to source of inspiration when planning where to go and what to see.
As autumn draws closer and many tourists plan days out to see London in the leaves, visitors will scroll through landmarks, save videos about new restaurants and build an itinerary from their TikTok feed. However, new research shows there is one thing social media struggles with: capturing the true London experience. More than two-thirds (69%) of international tourists who may have only experienced London through a phone screen leave the city with sights still left to see, with the majority saying the capital is much more impressive in person than it appears online.
The research, commissioned by The Original Tour, suggests that no amount of scrolling, planning or viral travel recommendations can prepare visitors for just how much there is to discover in London.
While scrolling for inspiration helps shape visitors’ expectations before they arrive, the research shows that the real-life experience surpasses what most tourists see on screen. Over half (58%) of French visitors and two-thirds (67%) of Spanish visitors say London is significantly more impressive in person than it appears across social media, films and television.
With so much left to discover, tourists are not only keen to return to London, but are clear on exactly which sights they think should be prioritised:
The Desire to Return: More than three-quarters (79%) of tourists say they are likely to return specifically to explore the sights they ran out of time to see, and 85% are likely to visit London again within the next five years.
The Must-See Landmarks: Buckingham Palace tops the list of landmarks tourists would recommend to first-time visitors, with 35% naming it a must-see, followed by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (31%) and The London Eye (29%).
While international tourists gravitate toward classic landmark architecture, domestic and demographic data reveal distinct priorities across age groups and UK regions. Older visitors aged 65 and over strongly champion historic heritage, with over half (50%) recommending the Tower of London alongside free museums and galleries (37%). The research suggests that this may be because these attractions pop up less on social media, and those aged over 65 spend less time scrolling on their phones than younger generations.
In contrast, younger travellers focus on lifestyle experiences. 18-to-24-year-olds are three times more likely to recommend London food and dining (23%) than over-65s (8%), while 25-to-34-year-olds favour The London Eye (36%).
Regionally, visitors from the North East lead recommendations for London’s markets like Borough and Camden (42%), South West tourists also heavily favour free museums and galleries (40%), and Scottish visitors are among the most eager to recommend a West End show (32%). Again, many visitors from these regions would have taken recommendations from social media, suggesting that different communities consume vastly different content on social media, even within the same age groups.
Other findings from the research include:
Social Dining: Three in five (60%) travellers used social media specifically to choose where to eat or drink during their trip, highlighting the continued influence of online recommendations on visitors’ decisions.
Planned Experiences: The majority (59%) of travellers said their favourite experience in London was one they had carefully planned and sought out themselves.
For visitors keen to make the most of their time in London and avoid planning an itinerary via Instagram or TikTok, sightseeing bus tours offer one of the most convenient and effective ways to take in the capital’s best attractions in one journey. With carefully designed routes and expertly curated commentary available in 10 languages, visitors can see the landmarks they may have already spotted online, while discovering the stories, history and culture behind them.
Credit: The Original Tour
As the creators of the Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus tour, The Original Tour has spent 75 years helping visitors discover London. As the only sightseeing operator solely focused on the capital, it has built specialist knowledge of the city, creating carefully curated tours that bring together its most iconic sights, hidden gems and stories. With a Thames River Cruise included, visitors can see even more of London’s most recognisable sights in one experience, making it a convenient way to make the most of their time in the capital, however long or short their stay. From royal landmarks such as Buckingham Palace to riverside views and cultural hotspots, its experienced guides bring London’s history and culture to life, offering visitors a chance to see a different side of the capital while taking in many of its most recognisable sights.
The research highlights the enduring appeal of experiencing London in person, while showing that social media and digital travel content continue to influence how visitors plan their trips. With carefully curated itineraries often leaving visitors struggling to fit everything in, the findings suggest there is still no substitute for experiencing the capital for yourself. Terry Gabriel, Chief Manager at The Original Tour, commented on this, saying:
“We are seeing a clear shift in how visitors approach London. Travellers may arrive with certain expectations shaped by short online clips and carefully curated itineraries, but once they experience the capital for themselves, they discover that its true scale, energy and atmosphere simply cannot be captured on a screen.
“With almost 7 out of 10 visitors saying they ran out of time, and many planning to return specifically to explore what they missed, it is clear that there is always more to discover in London. More than can fit in one Instagram Reel or TikTok. As we celebrate 75 years of sightseeing, we want to show visitors why London is one of the world’s most impressive cities, sharing the stories and local knowledge that bring the city’s most iconic landmarks to life.”
No two tours are ever quite the same. The different seasons, changing events across the city and diverse mix of passengers on board all help create a unique experience each time. Whether visitors are seeing London for the first time or rediscovering familiar landmarks, a sightseeing tour offers a fresh perspective on London.
The research is a reminder that no itinerary, social media post or digital guide can capture everything a city like London has to offer. For those visiting, there will always be another landmark to discover, another story to hear and another reason to return.