London 3-Day Itinerary

Three days covers the essentials if you take the city one area at a time. This plan keeps each day within walking distance, with one Tube ride at most in between. Book the Tower of London, the Abbey and your show before you arrive.

Day 1: Westminster and the West End

Follow our Westminster walking route in the morning: Parliament, the Abbey, Horse Guards and St James's Park to Buckingham Palace. Have lunch around St James's, then walk back up to Trafalgar Square for an hour in the National Gallery. Walk up through Covent Garden and Soho as the evening starts, and eat there.

Day 2: The Tower and the South Bank

Be at the Tower of London at opening and see the Crown Jewels first. Walk across Tower Bridge and west along the river: Borough Market for lunch, then Southwark Cathedral, the Globe and Tate Modern. Cross the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's for the late afternoon, and stay on for Evensong if the timing works. Dinner in the City or back across the river.

Day 3: Bloomsbury and a show

Start at the British Museum when it opens, with a short list from our museums guide. After lunch, choose between the parks (Regent's Park and Primrose Hill for the view) or the shops of Marylebone. See a West End show in the evening.

With more time

A fourth day is for Greenwich by river boat, a Sunday at Columbia Road and the East End, or a day trip to Windsor or Oxford. On a wet day, swap in the Natural History Museum and the V&A, which sit next door to each other.