The City of London and the River Thames
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London in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.2 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in London goes further than you'd think if you plan it well. This itinerary strings together three walks: postcard London in the morning, two thousand years of history in the City in the afternoon and its darkest legends as night falls. It adds up to about 5 miles, with stops to eat. An intense day for anyone short on time and long on comfortable shoes.

One day in LondonLondon from end to end

Start early at Trafalgar Square with the walk «From Nelson to the royal balcony»: Horse Guards, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St James's Park bring you to Buckingham Palace before the crowds do. For lunch, have fish and chips; The Rock & Sole Plaice is in Covent Garden. Then head east by Tube for «From Londinium to Wren's dome», from the Roman wall at Tower Hill to St Paul's. At dusk, «Ghosts, hangmen and a demon barber» runs from London Stone to the Temple. Finish with pie and mash in Bermondsey.

  1. Morning

    From Nelson to the royal balcony: picture-postcard London

    Mixed · 2.6 km · 2 h

    1. Trafalgar SquareLondon's great square celebrates a naval battle fought off Cádiz and the admiral who died winning it.
    2. Horse Guards and the Banqueting HouseMotionless horsemen on one side of the street and, on the other, the window Charles I stepped through to the scaffold.
    3. Big Ben and the Palace of WestminsterA fire in 1834 gave London its most famous skyline, and the bell everyone calls Big Ben cracked within months.
    4. Westminster AbbeyEnglish monarchs have been crowned here since 1066, and above its door stands an archbishop from El Salvador.
    5. St James's ParkLondon's oldest royal park has had pelicans since 1664 and, from its bridge, the loveliest view of the palace.
    6. Buckingham PalaceA duke's house turned into the world's most famous palace, with a balcony that has seen more than a century of history.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Fish and chips at The Rock & Sole Plaice. 47 Endell Street, Covent Garden

  3. Afternoon

    From Londinium to Wren's dome: two thousand years in the City

    History · 2.7 km · 2 h

    1. The Roman wall at Tower HillThe stones that enclosed Londinium still stand beside the Tube station, guarded by a bronze emperor.
    2. The Tower of LondonThe fortress William the Conqueror built to keep an eye on Londoners has been a palace, a prison, an arsenal and a mint.
    3. The Monument to the Great FireA 61-metre column whose height matches the distance to the bakery where the fire of 1666 began.
    4. The Royal Exchange and BankLondon's first exchange was born at this junction, named by a queen and is still crowned by a golden grasshopper.
    5. Guildhall and the Roman amphitheatreThe City has been governed from here for six centuries, right above the arena where Romans watched gladiators fight.
    6. St Paul's CathedralChristopher Wren's masterpiece: the dome that rose from the ashes of 1666 and survived the bombs of 1940.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Ghosts, hangmen and a demon barber

    Mysteries & legends · 2.9 km · 2 h

    1. London StoneA block of limestone behind glass in an office front, on which London's fortunes depend, according to a fake prophecy.
    2. St Sepulchre and the Newgate bellOpposite the old Newgate Prison, this church keeps the handbell that announced their last night to the condemned.
    3. The Golden Boy of Pye Corner and Cock LaneA plump golden boy marks where the Great Fire stopped, on the corner of the street of the 18th century's most famous ghost.
    4. St Bartholomew the Great and SmithfieldA vision in Rome, London's oldest church still in use and the open ground where William Wallace was executed.
    5. St Dunstan-in-the-West and Sweeney ToddTwo giants striking the hours, a statue of Elizabeth I said to be made in her lifetime and fiction's most fearsome barber.
    6. Temple ChurchThe round church of the Knights Templar, with stone knights lying on the floor and a secret invented by a novel.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Pie and mash with eels at M. Manze. 87 Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey

The map

London in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for London in 1 day

  • Set off early: Westminster and Buckingham fill up fast, and you still have two walks ahead for the afternoon and evening.
  • To get from Westminster to Tower Hill without wasting time, take the Tube (District or Circle line, no change needed).
  • On weekdays the City is packed with office workers; at weekends it's quieter, but some pubs and cafes close. Check opening times before heading out for dinner.

Questions

London in 1 day: your questions

Can you see London in one day?

Not all of it, but you can see the essentials. Three walking routes take you through Westminster, the historic City and its legendary corners. If you want to go inside the Tower or St Paul's, you'll have to choose: one day isn't enough to see everything indoors.

How far do you walk on this itinerary?

The three walks add up to about 8.2 km (5.1 miles): 2.6 km for Westminster, 2.7 for the City and 2.9 for the mysteries, not counting Tube rides or the walks to your meals. It's a long day, so wear comfortable shoes.

Do you have to pay for the walks?

The walks are free and you do them on your own, with map, GPS and audio guide. What costs money is entry to monuments such as the Tower of London, St Paul's or Westminster Abbey; if you want to go inside, book ahead.

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