Photo: Colin and Kim Hansen · CC BY-SA 4.05 Days in London: The Classics, Markets and a Day on the River
Five days in London for first-timers: the icons of Westminster, the Tower and the Thames, South Kensington's museums, a day along the river in Greenwich, and a flex day in the West End. Each day re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, budget and style.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
15 stops · 10 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
5 days
Each day takes one part of London, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
- Day 1Westminster & St James's: The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben & Westminster Abbey
- Day 2Westminster & St James's: The London Eye & the Churchill War Rooms
- Day 3The City & the South Bank: St Paul's Cathedral & Tower Bridge
- Day 4Greenwich: The Old Royal Naval College & the Royal Observatory
- Day 5Soho, Covent Garden & the West End: Piccadilly Circus & the Sir John Soane's Museum
The postcard pair of British politics: tour the chambers and climb 334 steps to the Great Bell. Book an Elizabeth Tower tour (£55 adult) when tickets drop on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00; they sell out fast.
- Book Elizabeth Tower tickets the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00; they sell out fast.
A thousand years of coronations, royal weddings and national memorials under one Gothic roof. Audio guide included in the £31-32 adult ticket; visit on a weekday to dodge the crowds.
- It is closed to visitors on Sundays (services only), so plan it for another day.
- From Parliament, walk to the Abbey: coronations, royal weddings and Poets' Corner. It is closed to visitors on Sundays (services only), so plan a weekday.
The MPs' local: a Grade II listed 1890 pub on Parliament Street, the usual watering hole for parliament staffers, division bell and all.
The King's London residence. State Rooms open 9 July to 27 September (£33 in advance); the Changing of the Guard is free outside the gates year-round.
- Arrive by 10:30 for the 11:00 Changing of the Guard on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun.
Modern Indian fine dining inside the Old Westminster Library, from chef Vivek Singh. A pioneer of its kind since 2001.
- It is closed on Sundays.
Four-star on the South Bank with Big Ben views, indoor pool, spa and 1,023 rooms. Children 3-12 stay free.
See the city from the water with a City Cruises hop-on hop-off pass: Westminster, the London Eye, Tower and Greenwich piers. A one-day pass is £9, departures every 20-40 minutes.
- The £9 one-day pass lets you hop on and off across all four piers.
Churchill's secret underground WWII headquarters, the Map Room left as it was in 1945. About £32, audio guide included, allow around two hours.
The Abbey's own 14th-century cellar cafe: lunches and an Abbey in Bloom afternoon tea under a glass ceiling. No Abbey ticket needed.
The 135-metre wheel on the South Bank: a 30-minute rotation with 360-degree views from Big Ben to the Shard. Tickets from about £30; book a timed slot.
- Book sunset slots; avoid 13:00-15:30 in peak season.
Worth the trip
Michelin-starred South Indian inside the Taj hotel: seafood moilee, Malabar lamb biryani. The first South Indian restaurant in the world to win a star.
Stay put: 6 min walk back from the London Eye tonight, ~13 min by subway to St Paul's Cathedral in the morning.
Wren's great Baroque dome: the Whispering Gallery, the crypt of national heroes and 528 steps to the Golden Gallery's panorama. Adult from £24.
- It is closed to sightseers on Sundays.
Borough Market taqueria in a railway arch: proper tacos with house-made heritage-corn tortillas. Walk-in only with a text-back waitlist; the 12-hour short rib is the signature.
William the Conqueror's 1066 fortress: the Crown Jewels, Beefeater tours, ravens and a thousand years of royal history. Adult £37; Yeoman Warder tours included every 45 minutes from 10:00.
The 1894 bascule bridge: a glass-floor walkway 42 metres above the Thames and the original Victorian engine rooms. Adult £18, open daily 9:30-18:00.
- The quietest slots are 9:30-10:30 and the last hour.
- Walk the river from the Tower to Tower Bridge: the glass-floor walkway sits 42 metres above the Thames. Go 9:30-10:30 for the quietest slots.
London's last surviving galleried coaching inn (1677): cobbled courtyard, ale and pub classics by Borough Market. Two minutes from London Bridge.
Stay put: ~18 min by subway back from Tower Bridge tonight, ~38 min by subway to the Cutty Sark in the morning.
The world's last surviving tea clipper: explore the decks of the 1869 record-breaking ship preserved in a glass dry dock. Adult £22; allow 1.5 hours.
Wren's twin-domed riverside masterpiece: the Painted Hall, the Sistine Chapel of the UK. Painted Hall adult from £19; guided talks every 30 minutes 11am-4pm.
- Guided talks run every 30 minutes from 11am to 4pm.
- From the Cutty Sark, walk into the Old Royal Naval College: the Painted Hall's 40,000 sq ft of mythological figures. Guided talks run every 30 minutes 11am-4pm.
The grand Victorian riverside pub where Dickens and Gladstone dined: whitebait, fish and chips and Thames views. Open daily from 11:00.
- After the Painted Hall, walk to the Trafalgar Tavern: the grand Victorian riverside pub where Dickens and Gladstone dined. Whitebait, fish and chips and Thames views; book ahead for a window table.
The home of Greenwich Mean Time: stand on the Prime Meridian Line, see Harrison's timekeepers, enjoy panoramic London views. Adult £24; open daily 10:00-17:00.
- Catch the red time ball drop at 13:00.
Modern riverside gastropub by the Cutty Sark: floor-to-ceiling glass, Thames views, £8-20 per person. Sunset seats are the best.
- End your Greenwich day at the Sail Loft: floor-to-ceiling Thames views and classic British fare, £8-20 per person; sunset seats are the best.
Closer: The Gipsy Moth, 3 min out of your way
The 1737 covered market in the World Heritage site: arts, crafts and a global street-food court under a glass roof. Open daily 10:00-17:30, free entry.
- Over 40 street-food traders: Ethiopian, Thai, Sicilian cannoli, Brazilian churros.
Stay put: ~42 min by subway back from the Royal Observatory tonight, ~13 min by subway to the Sir John Soane's Museum in the morning.
The architect's own house-museum: a labyrinth of mirrors, Hogarths and an Egyptian sarcophagus, kept as at his death in 1837. Free, Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00.
- The Picture Room's hinged panels open at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00.
Two million years of human history, free, under Foster's great glass-roofed court. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Egyptian mummies.
- Book the free timed entry slot in advance, especially at weekends.
Thai open-fire grilling at a steel counter on Brewer Street: the cull yaw skewers are a signature. No reservations; arrive before opening or off-peak.
The glowing heart of the West End: giant screens, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, the meeting point of six famous streets. Free, open 24/7, best after dark.
- Go after dark when the screens are lit.
Landmark 1896 Covent Garden fish restaurant: lobster thermidor, Sheekey's fish pie. A classic pre-theatre dinner.
Stay put: ~12 min by subway back from Piccadilly Circus tonight.
Where to stay in London
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a splurge budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge
Four-star on the South Bank with Big Ben views, indoor pool, spa and 1,023 rooms. Children 3-12 stay free.
The Hoxton, Southwark
The Hoxton's 14-storey Southwark hotel: 192 industrial-chic rooms, Albie all-day restaurant and the Seabird rooftop with Thames views.
The Soho Hotel
Firmdale's 96-room Soho hotel on a quiet cobbled mews: Kit Kemp interiors, Refuel bar and restaurant, two screening rooms.
Flights to London
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Getting around London
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
The Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and buses all run under TfL with one contactless payment system. Caps make lots of short hops cheap; paper single tickets cost more than double, so never buy them.
- Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line
The backbone of getting around London. Most central sights sit in Zones 1-2, reachable on the Tube or DLR.
Tip: Peak is Mon-Fri 06:30-09:30 and 16:00-19:00; off-peak zone 1 singles are £3.00, the zones 1-2 daily cap is £8.90 and the Monday-Sunday cap is £44.70.
- Contactless and Oyster pay as you go
Tap in and out with any contactless bank card, phone or watch, or with an Oyster card, for the same capped fares.
Tip: Use the same card or device for every journey so the daily and weekly caps apply; link a railcard to a physical Oyster for 34% off off-peak fares.
Rideshare
Uber and Bolt dominate private hire in London. All vehicles are licensed by TfL and must be pre-booked: only black cabs can be hailed on the street.
- Uber
The biggest private-hire network in London, with UberX, XL, Comfort, Exec and Green tiers. Fare estimates show upfront; surge pricing applies at busy times.
Tip: UberX rides start around £5; since Sep 2026 some UberX, Comfort and Electric requests may be matched with supervised Wayve autonomous cars at no extra cost.
- Bolt
Uber's main rival in London, usually slightly cheaper, with standard, XL and Exec tiers plus carbon-neutral rides.
Tip: Base fare is £2.80; surge pricing applies at peak demand just like Uber.
Bikes
London's official bikeshare, run by TfL. Docking stations cover the centre from Shepherd's Bush to Canary Wharf; e-bikes are also available. Bring your own helmet: hire bikes don't include one.
- Santander Cycles
12,000+ hire bikes at 800+ docking stations across central London. Day pass is £3 for unlimited 30-minute pedal-bike hires in 24 hours; extra 30-minute blocks are £1.65, e-bikes £3.30.
Tip: Pay with a bank card at the dock or in the Santander Cycles app; Oyster cards are not accepted and cash is not accepted.
Taxis
Black cabs are the only vehicles allowed to pick up street hails in London; private-hire cars must be booked through an app or phone.
- Black cabs
The iconic licensed taxis. Hail one on the street when the yellow TAXI light is on, or find one at ranks outside stations. Fares are metered and regulated by TfL; all cabs accept cards and contactless with no surcharge.
Tip: Drivers must pass The Knowledge; cabs can legally use bus lanes, which often saves time. Only black cabs can be hailed: never take an unlicensed street offer.