Get ready for a jam packed 3-day London itinerary where you will get all the highlights of this beautiful city. Strap on some comfortable shoes and load up that Oyster card because we are taking London by storm!
Day 1- The Sights of London
Buckingham Palace
We will start our morning with one of the most iconic ways to start the morning in jolly ol’ England with the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. This is one of the oldest traditions at Buckingham Palace and what’s great is that it is free.
Watch as the old guard changes with the new while the band plays popular music, on our most recent visit they were playing songs from Mary Poppins, Frozen and Pirates of the Caribbean. Previously, we also heard music such as Celebration and the Spice Girls, so you never know what you are going to get!
The changing of the guard starts at 10:45am which gives you time to enjoy a traditional English breakfast or to grab a pastry and head over.
Crowds gather early to stand near the front but on each of my own visits, we only ever arrived 5 to 10 minutes early and were able to get great views right against the palace gates on the sides. In my opinion, it’s a better view and I don’t want to get there hours early when my time is limited on vacation.
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament
After this, head to the nearest tube station to Westminster. Get ready for your jaw to drop as you exit this station and marvel as The Elizabeth Tower aka Big Ben rises before you. The restoration is stunning, and the gold accents shine so brightly along with the original blue clock faces.
Walk right on over to Westminster Abbey. There is a fee to enter, but even if you just view the stunning gothic exterior of this historic church and marvel, that is fine too.
When you exit Westminster Abbey, walk across the street to see the houses of Parliament. There is a pleasant park where you can rest a while and enjoy the views of the gorgeous architecture.
Walk Along the Thames to more Sights
My favorite way to see London is walking along the river Thames. After a rest in the park, grab some lunch and let’s head back out along the river toward the millennium bridge.
This walk is approximately 35 minutes, but you will see plenty on your way, such as The Victoria Embankment Gardens, the London Eye, the Shard and Shakespeare’s Globe.
The millennium bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge that you will see in movies such as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It is beautiful and from there you can see a great views without worrying about cars so you can take your time and space to enjoy the Thames.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
From here, you can walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral in under five minutes. This iconic London landmark is gorgeous and the dome…don’t get me started. I want to build a house with a dome because of this Cathedral. For church services, it is free to enter but during sightseeing hours you will need to purchase a ticket.
Be sure to check their website for visiting hours or church service hours depending on what interests you the most. You can even check out their event calendar for orchestral performances!
The art inside the cathedral varies from influential classic art pieces to contemporary.
Whether you go inside or not, it is worth seeing while you are in town. After this, enjoy some dinner and drinks in a pub and rest for the remainder of your evening!
Day 2- History and Culture
Today is going to look light in comparison to day 1, but today’s locations take far more time.
The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Let’s start the day at the historic Tower of London. You can purchase a ticket online or at the ticket booth. Once you get inside, purchase an audio guide, it will elevate your experience.
The Tower of London is one of the oldest buildings, not only in the UK, but in the world. It became well known for its many and famous executions such as Anne Boleyn.
Here you can also see the exquisite crown jewels. You will typically see a line outside of this attraction but don’t let that deter you, they move quickly. Plus, if you got the audio guide, you could listen to the history of the Yeoman Warders.
The Yeoman Warders have been watching over the tower since 1708. They live at the tower with their families, and you can learn all about what it takes to become a Yeoman Warder, their history and gain insight into the traditions and life at the tower. It is all incredibly fascinating.
There are plenty of other historical offerings to see and do here that you can spend hours devouring the knowledge.
Once you are done, step outside and view the beautiful Tower Bridge. Many mistake the name of this bridge, thinking it is the London Bridge, but the London bridge is further away and not nearly as impressive.
For those not terrified of heights, you can even walk along the top of the bridge. Even the thought horrifies me, and I refuse to ever go but you do you!
Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
Take the tube over to Trafalgar Square where you can see the statue of Horatio Nelson and the epic lions. Stay in the square a while and enjoy the majestic architecture that surrounds you. Grab a bite to eat and bring it with you, sit on the benches that let you look upon the fountains. Take it all in, you’re in London baby, you made it!
Now, once you are done, head into the National Gallery which is Trafalgar Square adjacent. Museums are free in London, score! This museum is my favorite due to its incredible beauty. I marveled at the interiors just as much as I marveled at the statues and paintings. That means a lot considering they house some of the most incredible paintings in the world.
Check out Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, it is one of my favorites. You will also see works from Monet, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Vermeer, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They even have Donatello rounding out the Ninja Turtles. All jokes aside, the art here is incredible.
The West End
Great news, when you are done, you are within a 10-minute walk to the West End! This is London’s Broadway for those unfamiliar. There are so many plays and musicals, I highly recommend that you get tickets to see something that interests you. May I suggest a West End classic, Les Misérables. Their current cast is remarkably talented, and the sets and staging are probably my favorite from all the productions I have seen over the years.
Whatever you choose, you can get inexpensive tickets on apps like Today Tix. I’m no way affiliated with them, but I have used them in Los Angeles and London for a more affordable way to see shows and you can often buy same day tickets at a discount as well. Have a wonderful evening at the theater!
When you leave the theater or if you are here in the evening, it is my favorite time to see Piccadilly Circus which is in the area so be sure to go and see it.
Day 3- A Day of Free Delights
After your morning breakfast tea, I recommend visiting the museum of your choice. The British Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum. Admission is free at both locations and each one has something special to offer.
The British Museum
The British Museum is controversial due to the vast number of Egyptian artifacts and mummies, many presumed stolen by England in the colonial era. But this vast collection is so incredible that it is hard to pass up for Egyptian history lovers. From full temple walls, statues, pottery, hieroglyphics galore and a large mummy collection, you will be dizzy with history. The magnitude of these incredibly ancient artifacts is overwhelming at times.
The British Museum is also home to the famous Rosetta Stone and features 60 galleries with artifacts from around the globe.
You can spend hours getting lost here. If you’d like an audio guide at this museum, be sure to download their app because that is the only place they offer audio guides.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
This beautiful museum has a wide variety of offerings from Alexander McQueen fashion to an epically stunning Chihuly glass chandelier in the rotunda, to ancient artifacts. The entire collection spans 5,000 years of history. The V&A was founded in 1852 and has a collection of 2.7 million objects. You most likely won’t see it all in a day but it is worth going and seeing the collections they have to offer.
If you do choose this museum, you will be in the perfect neighborhood for the next stop on the itinerary.
Kensington Palace
You can walk the mile to Kensington Palace from the V&A or tube in from The British Museum to High Street Kensington Station to see the palace. This is the birthplace of Queen Victoria and is now home to Prince William and Kate Middleton. It is a simple palace, but the gates are beautiful, as is the park that it is within. You can even stroll up the street and see all the embassies nearby.
If you stroll the park or use your oyster card to rent a bike you can enjoy the pond or the Diana memorial playground. From here, we can continue our journey on foot, bike, tube, bus, or taxi to my absolute favorite neighborhood in London.
Notting Hill/ Portobello Market
Welcome to my absolute favorite part of London, Notting Hill. Portobello market is a joy to walk around, shop and eat delicious food. After all the walking you’ve been doing, you should indulge in all the wide variety of treats you will find at the stalls.
This is a next level farmer’s market and a delightful way to spend the afternoon. It is a great place to get unique souvenirs for yourself and others.
Take a walk down the residential streets and see all the colorful walkups. This neighborhood oozes charm.
For the remainder of your day, if you haven’t visited a pub on your trip, definitely go and have a pint and some fish and chips.
Bonus Activities
For the remainder of your day, or trip, if you have more time, enjoy some of these bonus activities!
- Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea.
- Take a double decker bus around the city and explore from the second level seats.
- Visit the Churchill War Rooms.
- Visit Covent Garden for more shopping and dining opportunities.
- If heights are your thing, views from the London Eye are incredibly spectacular.
- For fans of Ted Lasso, take a tube ride to Richmond.
- For fans of Harry Potter, get tickets and head over to the Harry Potter studio tour, it is incredible. Or get tickets to see The Cursed Child!
- For fans of Soccer, catch a game at one of London’s many historic football clubs.
- Take a tour at Beefeater Gin Distillery and learn the history of gin and enjoy a delicious gin and tonic that comes with your admission.
- Visit Little Venice and see the canals that many people call home on their house boats!
Bonus Activities Holiday Edition:
- If you are visiting during the holidays, walk around and discover pop-up Christmas markets.
- The lights are spectacular around the city, especially around Piccadilly Circus.
- If you are a big shopper, Harrods doesn’t disappoint, and their window displays at Christmas can’t be missed.
London Travel Essentials
- Download the app City Mapper. It is essential for getting around the city. It will be an asset if you don’t understand the tube and bus system. It can also accurately predict your total travel time.
- If you are visiting London before heading on a cruise and need to get to South Hampton, I highly recommend using the National Express. This is the most inexpensive way to get to and from South Hampton to London.
- Exchange currency at your bank before your trip so you have some cash. There will not be fees, unlike exchanging at the airport.
- Major cards are excepted nearly everywhere but make sure your card has the ability for tap and pay, they use that the most in the city.
- Get your oyster card the day you arrive, you can use it for buses, tubes, and city bikes. I only ever do $25 at a time because I don’t want to do too much and have the money go to waste if I don’t use it all. There is a small one-time fee for getting a card to start.
- Make sure you are covered with all your electronics. This means adapters and portable chargers. Pro tip: check in with your hotel to see how many outlets they offer. If you are travelling with a few people, you may want to look into dual adapters if there aren’t enough outlets.
- Download or go to the Today Tix website for discounted theater tickets
Enjoy your time in London!
