Planning on spending simply at some point in London? Certain, it’s not very lengthy, however you’ll have the ability to see loads of London’s highlights even in such a brief house of time.
On this publish, we’re going that will help you plan your good day in London. We’re going to check out a few of our favorite sights in London, capital of the UK and a spot I used to be thrilled to name residence for a few years earlier than I set off on my travels.
This information to what to do in London in a day makes for the proper day exploring London. It will make for an effective way to start out a longer journey across the UK, or to see a few of London’s prime sights when you’ve got a number of hours stopover in considered one of London’s airports.
This itinerary would additionally assist somebody planning a common European journey – check out our 2 week Europe itinerary for a suggestion of how one can plan one thing like that.
This publish is ready up that will help you see all of those key London sights in at some point and I’ve ordered them in the way in which that I’d advocate you go about doing that.
1 Day London Itinerary Overview
Right here’s a fast overview of what this plan has you doing, for fast reference
- The Tower of London & Tower Bridge
- The South Financial institution and London Eye, Shard or St. Paul’s Cathedral
- The Homes of Parliament and Westminster Abbey
- Buckingham Palace
- Trafalgar Sq., Covent Backyard and the West Finish
- Conventional London Pub
Now, let’s see how that appears in our detailed information to what to do in London for a day.
One Day In London: What to Do in London for A Day
Beneath is an in depth information to what to do in London in the event you solely have a day, within the order that makes essentially the most sense when it comes to getting round and minimizing transport.
Ideally, you’ll begin the day at opening time of the primary attraction (between 9am and 10am, relying on the day of the week), and hold going till you’ve seen all the pieces!
1. The Tower of London
Historical past! If you happen to just like the TV present Sport of Thrones (and who doesn’t?), then you definitely’ll love the Tower of London. This place was residence to a lot plotting, scheming, dying and betrayals that it nearly makes George’s epic story of Westeros appear pale compared.
Queens, princes and archbishops died right here, and historical past was actually made on the grass underfoot.
Admittedly, there are much less dragons in London.
Count on to spend a least two hours right here, exploring all there’s to see, from the tower, to the execution block, to the crown jewels themselves. You may see full ticket pricing data right here. It’s free for holders of the London Go.
In any other case, you’ll want to purchase tickets upfront of your go to to make sure you’ll be able to go to. You are able to do so through GetYourGuide right here, who we usually use for ticketing at points of interest world wide. You may as well examine costs on the official web site right here, the place you can even see opening instances. Word that tickets purchased through GetYourGuide usually embrace free cancellation as much as 24 hours upfront of your go to (though do examine the ticket description prior to buy to make certain).
Whilst you’re on the Tower of London, you would possibly as nicely take the chance to pop throughout the Thames on Tower Bridge, simply essentially the most well-known of London’s bridges, and for good purpose!
You may as well really go inside this bridge and study all about the way it works by visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which is commonly a spot we like to take family and friends after we present them across the metropolis because it’s fairly a novel expertise.
2. The South Financial institution and London Eye
When you’ve crossed over Tower Bridge, you’ll end up on the South Financial institution, cunningly named as a result of it’s on the south financial institution of the river Thames.
As you stroll west alongside this beautiful little bit of pedestrianized riverway you’ll end up passing such sights as HMS Belfast (considered one of our favorite army museums in London) and London’s Metropolis Corridor.
You’ll even be strolling previous the recreation of Shakespeare’s well-known Globe theatre, the Shard (Western Europe’s tallest constructing), the Millennium Bridge which ends up in St. Paul’s cathedral and the fairly magnificent Tate Trendy Artwork Gallery, all of that are prone to tempt you in. Go on, I received’t inform anybody.
When you’ve made it previous all these points of interest, and perhaps grabbed a chunk to eat at Borough Market simply behind London Bridge, you’ll end up coming across the nook, with the Homes of Parliament swinging into view and the enormous Ferris wheel often called the London Eye looming massive.
If you’d like a spectacular view of London, take a spin within the wheel, and marvel as town unfurls beneath you.
For tickets, it’s cheaper to e book upfront than in individual. You may e book tickets and examine costs on the official website right here. It’s additionally included on the London Go, which you’ll purchase right here.
We even have a whole information to the London Eye right here with tons extra data that will help you plan a go to.
An alternative choice is to go to the Shard, which additionally provides spectacular views from a better vantage level. The Shard has higher views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, while the London Eye will get you near the Homes of Parliament.
You may e book tickets for the Shard upfront on Tiqets right here (e book on-line upfront for the perfect costs). It’s additionally included on the London Go.
If you happen to’d favor to not stroll from Tower Bridge to the Homes of Parliament, you can even take a river “bus” from both Tower Pier or London Bridge Metropolis Pier all the way in which down the river to Westminster Pier.
It’s a pleasant option to see London from the water, and costs for the river bus are fairly good worth. See our information to getting round London for recommendations on the completely different public transport choices within the metropolis.
3. The Homes of Parliament
After your London Eye experience, stroll or boat experience (whichever you go for!), you’ll need to pop throughout the river to soak up the Homes of Parliament, residence to the English lawmakers and the bell often called Huge Ben.
That is one attraction that’s straightforward to see from the surface, however not many individuals know that you could additionally drop inside if you wish to, and go on a guided tour.
Excursions aren’t fairly “flip up and go in”, as they solely run-on sure days, however with a little bit of analysis and ahead planning (and by visiting this website), it’s best to have the ability to go to the English residence of energy and authority with out an excessive amount of bother. You may as well e book a guided tour of each Westminster Abbey and the Homes of Parliament right here.
Whether it is an excessive amount of bother although, worry not. The constructing could be very spectacular from the surface, and you may sate your thirst for historical past fairly simply by popping to Westminster Abbey, which occurs to be simply behind the Homes of Parliament.
Westminster Abbey has performed host to a few of the most essential historic occasions of the final thousand years within the UK, internet hosting 16 royal weddings, round 50 coronations and a number of memorial companies, together with that of Diana, Princess of Wales.
It is usually residence to a few of Britain’s most well-known useless, together with Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, notable royals, and plenty of extra. Very a lot value a go to and free for holders of the London Go. Full particulars on pricing and opening hours right here. You may as well e book your tickets on-line upfront right here.
4. Buckingham Palace
Ah, the Queen. Relying on you who you discuss to within the UK, she’s both a beautiful outdated expensive who the nation wants, or a tragic waste of taxpayers’ cash.
Whichever, she does occur to have a lot of slightly beautiful homes to stay in, essentially the most well-known of which is after all Buckingham Palace. Right here you may peer by means of the railings to look at the altering of the guard and surprise as to how the opposite half stay, and wave frantically on the home windows on the off-chance that somebody waves again.
On our itinerary, you’ll doubtless miss the Altering of the Guard (see when that occurs right here), so that you would want to maneuver issues round if that occurs to be a precedence to your go to. Lacking it isn’t the top of the world although, because it will get actually crowded at the moment of day.
You may as well go to and truly go inside Buckingham Palace in very slender home windows of opening in the course of the summer season, with full particulars of pricing and opening hours accessible on this web site.
In fact, while you’re at Buckingham Palace, it’s best to in all probability take a second to discover a few of the different native points of interest.
A fast stroll down the Mall will take you previous the beautiful St James’s Park, residence to a lot of pelicans. Then you may head out onto Trafalgar Sq., the place you may get pleasure from seeing the lions, Nelson’s well-known column and sate your artwork urge for food on the glorious, and free, Nationwide Gallery.
Word if artwork and museums is extra your factor, you would possibly need to schedule a go to to the British Museum on this itinerary. From Trafalgar Sq. it’s a 20 minute stroll or a 12 minute tube experience to considered one of London’s most well-known (and free) museums.
5. Trafalgar Sq., Covent Backyard and the West Finish
From Buckingham Palace you might both stroll up the Mall, or head again in the direction of Westminster Abbey, and go up Whitehall. I’d advise the latter, and never least as a result of one of many Harry Potter London areas is close by.
Going up Whitehall takes you thru the guts of presidency in Britain, and also you’ll cross proper by 10 Downing Avenue. Don’t be upset in the event you miss it although, you may’t really see the well-known door from the road.
As you stroll alongside Whitehall you’ll end up passing the Cenotaph, considered one of Britain’s most well-known struggle memorials. You’ll additionally cross the Horse Guards, the place you will get pictures of the, nicely, Horse Guards atop their horses, earlier than lastly arriving at Trafalgar Sq..
That is residence to Nelson’s Monument and the Nationwide Gallery, and a photograph with one of many lions is just about obligatory. From right here, you’re a simple stroll to the West Finish, residence to the well-known lined market of Covent Backyard and a lot of London’s most well-known theatres.
When you’ve got time, you would possibly now think about visiting the superb Transport Museum in Covent Backyard, the place you may study all in regards to the historical past of London’s transport system. Alternatively, you may simply soak up a free present from one of many avenue entertainers right here.
That is additionally the place you’ll discover Leicester Sq., which is known as the place main movies are first proven within the UK.
Right here you would possibly need to soak up a present to spherical off your day in London – we will advocate the Mousetrap, the world’s longest working stage present on the planet!
6. Go to a First rate London Pub
It’s not all exhausting work and sightseeing, . While you’re in London, you actually ought to take the time to expertise a very British expertise – a pub.
Take pleasure in a pint of one thing exotically named hand-pulled from a wood deal with, and marvel as to how the decor is probably going to not have modified for a superb couple of hundred years.
If you happen to’re hungry, check out an English traditional like fish and chips or steak and ale pie, and rejoice at how a lot of London you had been in a position to see in at some point.
If you happen to’ve gotten up to now and assume the concept of specializing in the pubs of London is extra your scene, take a look at this strolling tour which does simply that. For extra meals tour recommendations, see our full information to the greatest meals excursions in London, which has suggestions on numerous excursions in addition to element on all of the foods and drinks to strive if you’re in London.
Map of 1 Day London Itinerary
That will help you visualise the above we’ve put it right into a map, which you can even see on Google Maps right here.
Getting Round and Saving Cash in London
For the day in London as described above, getting round by foot is totally possible – opposite to public opinion, central London is completely walkable. If you happen to’re not so into strolling although, then London could be very nicely served by public transport.
The most affordable means to make use of that’s with an Oyster card, a pre-pay system which works out less expensive than paying for tickets, and accessible at almost each transport hub. You may as well use a contactless bank card or a tool which helps contactless funds.
We’ve an in depth information to utilizing the London transport community right here which covers all of your choices.
By way of visiting points of interest, a lot of London sights are free, together with a few of the prime museums just like the Tate Trendy.
Nonetheless, locations just like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, and St. Pauls Cathedral aren’t free, and in the event you assume you’re going to be visiting a number of sights, then you could have a few choices for saving cash.
First is the London Go, a sight-seeing cross that offers you entry to over 80 prime points of interest throughout town.
From these listed on this web page, the London Go contains the Tower of London, Tower Bridge Exhibition, View from the Shard, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Transport Museum.
If you happen to plan on visiting all these points of interest (we’d recommend both the London Eye or the Shard slightly than each although), the entry charges as of April 2024 could be round £153 per individual (assuming you decide both the Shard or the London Eye, it might be much more in the event you visited each!).
A 1 day London Go presently prices £114, so that will prevent round £39 per individual. It additionally saves you the trouble of getting to e book separate tickets for every attraction or becoming a member of lengthy ticket strains on website.
Verify our full evaluation and information to the London Go to see if it’s for you.
The second choice we advocate is the GoCity London Explorer Go. This allows you to decide and select from a set of points of interest. You may select to go to 2, 3, 5 or 7 points of interest from the number of over 60 points of interest.
We expect that each of those passes can prevent cash in London, the distinction is essentially right down to which points of interest you need to see, and what number of points of interest you need to see.
Get your London Go on-line from the official website right here.
What a few strolling tour of London?
If you happen to’d favor to have a information for all or a part of your day in London, who can share with you a few of the historical past of this metropolis in addition to extra native data and insights, then we will advocate this London in a Day tour.
This tour covers almost all the pieces now we have in our one-day London itinerary, together with the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Altering of the Guard, and Westminster Abbey.
It’s a full day tour, however we expect is likely one of the higher choices in the event you would like an escorted expertise and the enter of a information.
We’ve used the tour firm “Take Walks” for strolling excursions world wide, and have at all times had a optimistic expertise, and are joyful to advocate this tour. In addition they have a lot of different excursions in London which might be value trying out.
An alternative choice we advise are these excursions by Metropolis Wonders, they provide a variety of excursions in London, from introductory excursions by means of to extra detailed and particular excursions.
In addition they provide attraction entry to a lot of the points of interest on this checklist if you wish to e book gadgets individually. Positively a superb one-stop store to your London journey planning.
Harry Potter followers will need to take a look at this guided tour of Harry Potter filming areas in London.
We’ve a full information to a few of the greatest strolling excursions in London, which can be value reviewing in case you are serious about a strolling tour while you’re within the metropolis.
The place to Go After Your Day in London – Day Journeys & Extra
We’re usually requested the place to go to from London after this itinerary is over, or simply for recommendations on good day journeys from London.
We’ve executed fairly a few day journeys from London, together with a day journey to Oxford and a day journey to Stonehenge from London, and we needed to share some concepts, for each day journeys from town and longer journeys to see extra of the nation.
- Stonehenge, Bathtub and the Cotswolds are actually well-liked locations, and you may simply do these collectively as a part of a day journey from London. This tour options all of these locations, in addition to Windsor Fort. It even contains lunch!
- Lovers of Downton Abbey will need to go to Highclere Fort the place the present was filmed. See our information to visiting Highclere Fort, which incorporates suggestions for visiting as a day journey from London, then take a look at this tour.
- A tour of Oxford, the Cotswolds and Stratford. Three well-liked locations from London that you could go to as a part of a day journey. Additionally see my information to visiting Oxford from London for extra concepts.
- A personal tour right down to Portsmouth. This can be a good tour for these of you with an curiosity in naval historical past and/or visiting a beautiful English seaside metropolis. Additionally see our information to issues to do in Portsmouth for extra concepts.
- For an extended journey, take a look at my 10 day UK itinerary by public transport, which begins with a few days in London, however then has you touring some highlights of the remainder of the nation. We even have 1 week and 2 week self drive itineraries.
- Visiting Paris as a day journey from London is a well-liked choice as nicely, and with the Eurostar practice direct from central London to Paris in round 2 hours, this may even be executed as a day journey. You may both do that your self, reserving practice tickets right here, or you may take a day tour like this one. See our information to spending a day in Paris for sightseeing suggestions.
- If you wish to take an extended guided tour from London and see extra of the UK, we advocate this small group tour, which takes eight days to take you from London to Edinburgh.
Hopefully these offer you a place to begin for the subsequent stage in your journey!
The place to Keep in London
If you happen to’re planning on spending the night time in London, you haven’t any scarcity of lodging choices, from hostels to luxurious 5 star properties.
For this itinerary, we’d recommend putting your self pretty centrally in the event you can, to minimise journey time. For a brief keep like this, we’d positively advocate utilizing reserving.com to e book your property – while we love condominium leases, we expect they’re much less smart for a whistle cease go to.
For examples of properties at completely different worth factors which might be centrally situated, listed here are some choices:
Typically when looking for someplace to remain our first alternative is reserving.com. They’re straightforward to make use of, normally have the perfect costs, and have all the pieces from accommodations to hostels, guest-houses and even flats. Strive them for London and see!
If you happen to favor an condominium, then we advocate both Plum Information or Vrbo.
Plum Information doesn’t have fairly so many decisions, however they rigorously curate their listings so their choices are typically of a really prime quality while nonetheless being accessible at a variety of worth factors. We’ve stayed at a lot of their properties world wide, and you may see our evaluation of the Plum Information right here. See their listings for London right here.
If you happen to can’t discover what you need from the above decisions, otherwise you need some new choices to check out, we wrote an entire publish on the greatest alternate options to AirBnB which it’s best to take a look at!
Between these choices, it’s best to discover the perfect costs and locations to remain to your journey, in addition to a wide variety of opinions and suggestions that will help you make an knowledgeable choice.
We even have a whole information to the place to remain in London. That has over 60 suggestions for the place to remain throughout a lot of areas in London for all budgets. It additionally has recommendations on which neighbourhoods to remain in and issues to know earlier than reserving a property. Properly value a learn.
Practicalities for Visiting London
Energy
Electrical energy in London is of the 220v commonplace, with a 3 pin plug that isn’t present in too many different nations. Travellers from a lot of the remainder of the world, together with mainland Europe and the US will want an adapter like this.
As well as, US travellers might want to examine their gear helps the 220v commonplace – it is going to be written clearly on the facility adapter.
As a common rule, now we have discovered that laptops, cellphone and digital camera chargers and different small electronics are common, while bigger gadgets like hair dryers and hair straighteners will not be.
See extra on journey adapters and the way to decide on one to your journey in our information to the greatest journey adapters.
Forex
London makes use of the British pound, which is accepted throughout the British Isles. You will get Kilos from ATM’s, banks and forex exchanges, though bank cards are broadly accepted, and there’s no want to hold massive portions of forex.
If you happen to do use a credit score or debit card, simply make sure that it doesn’t cost overseas alternate charges or have a poor forex conversion charge. There are a selection of wonderful bank cards for travellers, and it’s at all times value checking to make certain you could have a superb deal earlier than travelling and racking up sudden charges.
Web Entry
Web entry is broadly accessible within the type of WiFi throughout town, together with in accommodations and occasional retailers, so that you shouldn’t have any bother getting on-line. You may as well decide up native SIM playing cards when you’ve got an unlocked cellphone. These are normally glorious worth as knowledge charges within the UK are very aggressive.
For extra choices on getting on-line when travelling, take a look at our information to getting on-line when travelling that will help you work out the perfect choices. We even have a information to choosing the greatest journey router, which will help you lengthen a weak WiFi community and share it throughout a number of gadgets.
Water
The water within the faucets in London is secure to drink until in any other case indicated. If you happen to don’t just like the style, bottled water is broadly accessible. We normally advocate you journey with a re-usable water bottle like this to avoid wasting on having to purchase water bottles.
Security
London is a secure metropolis in our expertise, though as with all main metropolis, after all you must hold your wits about you – hold your possessions in view on a regular basis, hold your pockets or cellphone in a entrance pocket (with a zipper if doable), and don’t do something that you simply wouldn’t do at residence. If you happen to’re going to make use of a taxi, ensure you use a licensed operator similar to a black cab.
Additional Studying on Visiting London
We’ve loads of additional studying that will help you plan your journey to London, each content material we’ve created primarily based on our experiences, and third occasion content material we expect you’ll discover helpful in planning what to do in London, in addition to the broader UK.
- Jess’s detailed information to the London cross, which is able to assist you to resolve if this can be a great way so that you can get monetary savings in your London sight-seeing.
- Spending extra time in London? Take a look at our itinerary for spending two days in London, in addition to our detailed itineraries for 3 days in London and 6 days in London.
- We’ve a whole information to the place to remain in London, with over 60 suggestions throughout all the principle areas in London we advocate.
- We’ve detailed guides to visiting the Tower of London and the London Eye which incorporates data on planning your go to and the way to save cash on these well-liked points of interest
- A information to public transport choices in London, in addition to the perfect methods to pay for public transport in London
- A information to the greatest meals excursions in London
- Harry Potter followers will need to take a look at our information to the important thing Harry Potter filming areas in London
- Jess’s information to a 1-day strolling tour of the highlights of London.
- An in depth London packing checklist that will help you pack
- A information to entering into central London from all London’s airports
- How about heading to Paris from London? We’ve an in depth information to the greatest option to get from London to Paris that will help you plan
- The Eyewitness Journey Information to London, which has all types of data inside, together with extra itineraries and concepts to your journey
- Rick Steve’s London information, the #1 bestseller on Amazon for UK journey guides, and at all times a wonderful supply of related data
- The official TfL web site, which will provide you with data on tickets, routes and any updates to companies within the types of delays or cancellations
And that sums up our thought of the proper at some point in London! Have you ever visited London? What would your good day appear like. Tell us within the feedback under!
