The City of London and the River Thames
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. United Kingdom
  4. London
  5. 3 day itinerary

London in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 8.2 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the most comfortable way to get to know London without rushing. Each day has a morning walk, a proper meal and a couple of extras so the trip isn't only stones and dates: two great museums, a market, a neighbourhood. About 5 miles of walking routes spread out calmly, ideal if you like to go at your own pace.

Day 1Westminster, unhurried

Start at Trafalgar Square with «From Nelson to the royal balcony»: Horse Guards, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St James's Park all the way to Buckingham. Without the pressure of the other routes, you can linger at every stop. Have fish and chips, for example at The Rock & Sole Plaice, then spend the afternoon at the National Gallery, back by Trafalgar, and Covent Garden, ten minutes away on foot. A gentle first day, perfect for settling into the city.

  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

    National Gallery

    One of the world's great picture galleries, beside Trafalgar Square, with European painting from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. Choose two or three rooms and don't try to see everything. General admission is free; it pairs well with the morning walk.

    Directions

    Covent Garden

    A former fruit-and-vegetable market turned into a corner of shops, cafes and street performers under a large covered hall. It's a short walk from the National Gallery: a perfect way to end the afternoon with a cup of tea before heading back to the hotel.

    Directions

Day 2Two thousand years in the City

Start at Tower Hill with «From Londinium to Wren's dome»: the Roman wall, the Tower of London, the Monument, the Royal Exchange, Guildhall and St Paul's. If you want to go inside the Tower, book and arrive early. For lunch, pie and mash at M. Manze in Bermondsey, whose tiles and wooden benches tell you almost as much as a guide. In the afternoon, follow the river: Borough Market first, then along the bank to Tate Modern.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

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

  3. Afternoon

    Borough Market

    A food market with centuries of history, under the railway arches, beside London Bridge. Ideal for a mid-afternoon break. Very close by is The George Inn, London's last surviving galleried coaching inn, a perfect spot to rest your feet.

    Directions

    Tate Modern

    Modern and contemporary art in a former brick power station on the river. You walk there along the bank from Borough Market. Pick just a few galleries, and step out on the terrace of the new building for a view of the City from the far bank.

    Directions

Day 3Museum, Soho and ghosts

Give the morning to the British Museum and Soho, walking from one to the other via Soho Square and Chinatown. Have roast beef with Yorkshire pudding at a classic such as Rules in Covent Garden. At dusk, start at London Stone for «Ghosts, hangmen and a demon barber»: Newgate, Smithfield, Fleet Street and the Temple. End the trip with a pub dinner: the steak and ale pie at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, right on Fleet Street, is a very London finale.

  1. Morning

    British Museum

    A vast museum with the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and entire galleries of Egypt. You can't see it all: choose two or three galleries and save the rest for another visit. General admission is free; arrive early to avoid queues.

    Directions

    Soho

    The neighbourhood of theatre, music and nightlife, with narrow streets, cafes and restaurants from all over the world. From the British Museum it's a walk of about twenty minutes via Soho Square and Chinatown, on the way to lunch in Covent Garden.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding at Simpson's in the Strand. 100 Strand

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Steak and ale pie in a pub at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. 145 Fleet Street

The map

London in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for London in 3 days

  • Spread out the paid visits: the Tower, St Paul's and Westminster Abbey charge admission, while the National Gallery, the British Museum and Tate Modern have free general entry.
  • Pay for the Tube and buses with a contactless card or your phone; daily spending is capped, so there's no need to buy single tickets.
  • Pubs in the City and on Fleet Street often close earlier at weekends, and Westminster Abbey isn't open to tourists every day. Always check opening times.

Questions

London in 3 days: your questions

Is 3 days the ideal length for London?

It's a good balance: you see Westminster, the City, the mysteries, two great museums, a market and a neighbourhood without watching the clock. With more time, there's always Greenwich, Kensington and the parks.

How far do you walk in 3 days?

The three walks add up to about 8.2 km (5.1 miles), spread over three days. Add the strolls between extras and the walks to meals, but the pace is comfortable and there are stretches by Tube.

What if it rains?

London has plenty of indoor options: the National Gallery, the British Museum and Tate Modern are free and you can stay longer if the weather turns. Bring a light umbrella and swap the order of the days if you need to.

Other itineraries for 3 days

London

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 2 day itinerary All about London