Welcome to London! I love this city; it’s easily one of my favourites in the entire world, and I feel very lucky to have it on my doorstep. From iconic sights like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace to vibrant neighborhoods like Camden, Notting Hill, and Shoreditch; London is packed with things to see, do, and eat. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, this city always has something new waiting around the corner.
Let me start by saying – you can’t see all of London in 2 or 3 days, BUT you can absolutely get a taste of the city and take in some of the main attractions. I’ve seen lots of itineraries which try and rush around everything, so I’ve tried to put something together which is manageable and enables you to actually experience a bit of the city, not just take photos of it whilst running around.
I do really encourage you to give the city longer if your itinerary allows, but if you’re sure you only have 2 days then I’ve got you covered regardless – let’s go!
Can you give London more than 2 days? Check out my One Week Itinerary: HERE
Contents
- Contents
- Itinerary Day 1: City of London & South Bank
- Itinerary Day 2: St James’ & Westminster
- Have a little longer?
Itinerary Day 1: City of London & South Bank
Tower of London
Full Tower of London Post: HERE.
The Tower of London is by far my favourite attraction in London, offering visitors 1,000 years of history in one castle. It’s worth at least 3hrs of your time, so prioritise it for a morning and don’t rush! You want to enjoy London while you’re here, not flit through. You can pick from the below to your interests:
- The Crown Jewels
- Traitor’s Gate & The Medieval Palace
- The Tower Mint
- Battlement Walk
- White Tower Museum covering 1,000 of English Royal history
- Tower Green & execution site
- Fusilier Museum
- Yeoman Warder’s Tour (to learn about the Tower, torture methods, the gunpowder plot and of course, the castle ravens).
Top Tip: Buy advance tickets to The Tower of London for opening (9am Tues-Sat, 10am Sun-Mon) and go straight to Tower Square and then The Crown Jewels. That way, you can see them all to yourselves for a few minutes.
Tower Bridge
From The Tower of London, it’s a 5 minute walk to Tower Bridge. Built in the late 1800s, this bridge is a London icon. You can walk over the bridge, and there is also a really interesting museum within the bridge, explaining the engineering of how it opens, and offering unique views out through the glass floors!
The Shard or Borough Market
At this point in the day, it’ll be about lunch time and I have two options for you – fancy or authentic London. Let’s start fancy. The Shard is an iconic glass building which is host to numerous restaurants and bars offering 360 degree views out across London. Go for this option if you like food and views, though book ahead to be safe.
If you’re not fussed at fancy, you can instead visit Borough Market and grab a local treat off the many stalls; I eat here about once a week as my office is just round the corner and I can definitely recommend Hobb’s Meat Roast (roasts in a sandwich) for something British!
South Bank Stroll
After lunch, stroll along The Queen’s Walkway following the river, until you reach Millennium Bridge. This will take you past some lovely riverside spots, including Southwark Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe and views out across the River Thames. If it’s a nice day, you can even stop in Bankside for a proper English pint at the lovely Anchor Pub.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Full St Paul’s Cathedral Post: HERE.
As the last major stop of the day head to St Paul’s Cathedral, over the Millennium Bridge. St Paul’s is a Grade I listed building and a London icon. It’s here that the funerals of Churchill and Admiral Nelson were held, plus the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana. It’s really worth going inside if you have the time.
Evening Options: Sky Garden and/or Witness for the Prosecution
The Sky Garden is the perfect spot to finish your day. A 15 minute final walk gets you there, and it’s home to the highest public garden in London. Watch the sun set on your day with a glass of wine in hand – a great spot for drinks with a view, or dinner in one of the 3 restaurants.
Alternatively (or additionally), you could finish your day at Witness for the Prosecution, a unique London experience, watching a play in a courtroom. The play is following the trial of a man for murder and you get to sit in the courtroom seats! It’s a great night out.
Itinerary Day 2: St James’ & Westminster
Buckingham Palace
You can’t visit London and not visit the most famous Royal house! You can tour inside the palace with pre-booked tickets, and if you want to see The State Rooms, Royal Mews and the Queen’s Gallery then a 2hr tour may be for you.
As a minimum though, start the day early to walk up The Mall to the Palace, without the crowds. Changing of the Guards also takes place at 11am each day (but get there early to get your spot).
Hyde Park and Kensington Palace
Full Guide to Hyde Park: HERE (coming soon)
Just round the corner, through Green Park, is world famous Hyde Park – the biggest park in London. On a nice day, it’s the perfect place to stroll around, take in some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful tree lined ways. It’s s worth at least 1.5-2hrs of time.
If you are interested in royal palaces, you can also head to Kensington Palace in Hyde Park, the birth place of Queen Victoria. It’s home to an interesting museum, lots of temporary exhibitions and some lovely gardens, and needs about 1.5hrs for a visit.
Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament
It’s time to hop on the tube over to Westminster to explore. After getting off the tube, I recommend walking south across Westminster Bridge to get the iconic views back to Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, another London icon.
Then head back over the bridge to Parliament itself. The buildings are open Monday to Saturday and you can attend debates, committee hearings or take a tour to learn about the role of the House of Lords, House of Commons, British judicial system, and Prime Ministers over time. Tours last around 2hrs.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is right by the Houses of Parliament. It’s a World Heritage site, with over 1,000 years of history and is an imposing Gothic church which is most definitely worth a visit. Prince William and Kate were married here in 2011, Henry VIII had his coronation here, and Edward III (and many other Kings and Queens) are buried here. It’s historic and it belongs to the Sovereign. Again you can do an audio tour round the Abbey, which is very interesting and takes around 1hr.
Evening Options: London Eye and/or Thames River Cruise or a West End Show
To finish off your day it’s time to do something fun, and there are no end of options in London. Some of my favourites are:
- The London Eye – Originally built as the Millennium Eye, you sit in a pod and ride round the wheel in a circle with panoramic views out over London. The circular rotation lasts 30 minutes, and the queues are on average 30 minutes to 1 hour long. The views are magical by night time as well, but be warned – it will be busy and expensive.
- Thames River Cruise – if heights aren’t your thing, you could alternatively choose a boat trip on The Thames – either a nice relaxing evening drinks/dinner cruise, or a really exciting option is a RIB boat ride which will throw you up and down as it rides across The Thames, wind in your face.
- West End Show – there are dozens to chose from. You could pick an Agatha Christie classic like The Mousetrap or world famous musicals like Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera.
Insider Tip: If you want an amazing view without the price tag of the London Eye, head to the church tower of The Garden Museum just round the corner.
Optional Extra: Imperial War Museum
If you choose not to go in to some of the places on this itinerary, you may have spare time in your schedule on Day 2. I highly recommend visiting a London Museum whilst in the capital, and conveniently the Imperial War Museum will be nearby. There are galleries on WW1, WW2, Afghanistan, The Cold War, The Falklands and many more. It’s really worth a visit.
Have a little longer?
There is so much more to see and do in London than this itinerary could ever cover. I’ve given an overview of central London above, but it’s a big area and each sub-area can warrant at least a full day each. Plus London has dozens more neighbourhoods, and lots of day trip options to explore.
Wider Exploration of Central London
Add more to the areas already on this itinerary by checking out my detailed area guides and adding in any stops that take your fancy – such as historic gardens in old churches, beautiful markets, quirky museums or even cocktails on a warship!
- City of London Area Guide: HERE.
- South Bank Area Guide: HERE
- Southwark Area Guide: HERE.
- Westminster & St James’ Area Guide: HERE (coming soon).
Explore Other London Areas
There are so many other areas to explore in the city, beyond the main tourist hub in central London. I’ve listed a few of my favourites below:
- Bloomsbury & Kings Cross – Spend a day in this area of London to discover everything from The British Museum, gorgeous Georgian streets, gardens and even bookshops on canal boats!
- Shoreditch – Spend a laid back day eating your way through street food stalls, some of London’s best markets and restaurants and enjoying lots of unique things to do like Junkyard Golf and the famous Colombia Road Flower Market.
- Greenwich – Head along the river to Greenwich to explore the Royal Observatory and Planetarium, Old Naval College and iconic Painted Hall, Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark trading ship and Greenwich Park.
- Battersea – Another area a bit off the beaten track in London is wonderful Battersea and its famous power station. Want to take a lift up a chimney to a rooftop? Or do an escape room in an old control room? Or a bit of world class shopping? Then Battersea is for you!
- Bloomsbury and Kings Cross Area Guide: HERE.
- Shoreditch Area Guide: HERE.
- Greenwich Area Guide: HERE.
- Battersea Power Station Guide: HERE.
A Day Trip
There are so many day trips from London that are well worth doing if you have the time whilst in the capital. I highly recommend any one of the following:
- Windsor Castle: To visit one of the most famous royal castles (30 minute train).
- Oxford: To see one of the most famous historic English cities (50 minute train).
- Cambridge: To come and see my home town and explore the beautiful University buildings (50 minute train).
- The Cotswolds: A trip in and of itself, but worth seeing even if just for a day. It’s easiest to visit on an organised day trip tour as many of the villages are only accessible by car.
- Brighton: For a bit of the English seaside! (1hr train).
And with that, it’s a wrap on London! It’s such an amazing city with so much to see and do – 2 days is no way near enough, and I do really encourage a week if you can spare the precious time. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Stay safe and happy travelling!
Travelling Han 
Leave a comment