Are you looking for a perfect 1 week London itinerary? Then look no further! Welcome to London – one of the most amazing cities in the world! There is SO much to do in London and there’s no way you can explore it all in only a few days. I’ve spent months in this amazing city and still have loads to see, but I’ve tried to pull together an itinerary which works to help you on your trip.
This itinerary is designed to minimise travel time by grouping sights by area, and all of these recommendations are based on my tried and tested experiences from working in the city for over a decade.
I’ve tried to balance this itinerary with architecture, art, history, museums, parks, palaces and fun but if you have a particular interest I’ve also included options for substitutes on each day if there’s something that particularly does or doesn’t appeal. Or just pick and mix the items on it you like.
So, shall we explore London?
London 1 Week Itinerary Overview
The itinerary is broken out by day in detail below, but as a high level overview I recommend spending your 7 days in the city like this:
Day 1: City of London (St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, The Shard)
Day 2: South Bank (London Eye, Borough Market)
Day 3: Westminster (Big Ben, Buckingham Palace)
Day 4: Bloomsbury & Covent Garden
Day 5: Kensington & Hyde Park
Day 6: Greenwich
Day 7: Day trip (Windsor, Oxford or Cambridge)
How much time is needed in London?
To really get a feel for London you’ll need at least a week – so I’ve pulled together an up to 7 day itinerary below. As a minimum I think you need 2 days to tick off the main sites.
The itinerary below focuses a day on each area minimising travel time and rushing. I’ve seen so many London itineraries trying to fit all of this in to 2 or 3 days and honestly it’s not possible. Let’s go!
Don’t have a week to spare? Check out my 2 day London Itinerary HERE.
Day 1 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: City of London Highlights
Now, I’m assuming you’ve already arrived in the capital late the previous day and have a full day. If you don’t, then I suggest making sure Day 1 is a full day because it’s probably the most site packed day of all. Today you will explore the City of London’s highlights, with a route to explore historic castles, beautiful rooftop bars and ancient cathedrals.
- St Paul’s Cathedral: Be sure to spend an hour or so marvelling at the inside of one of England’s most historic buildings.
- St Dunstan in the East. This park inside an old church is the perfect spot for a quick break.
- Lunch at Sky Garden (book ahead for a limited number of free entry tickets), or in Leadenhall Market (more casual).
- The Tower of London Go and see the crown jewels first then take your time in the Tower Museum and book on to a Beefeater tour, as well as visit the spot where Anne Boleyn was beheaded.
- Tower Bridge, stopping to take in the exhibition within the Tower if that interests you.
- A special dinner at The Shard, or for a more casual and less expensive option head to Hay’s Galleria.
Day 1 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- Guide to visiting The Tower of London
- Guide to visiting St Paul’s Cathedral
- The City of London Area Guide
- HMS Belfast – WW2 ship which you can board to explore the museum on board
- The Tate Modern – World famous art museum
- The Medieval Banquet – 4 course banquet and show
- Electric Shuffle -Retro style bar with shuffleboard games and pizza
- Jack the Ripper walking tour – leaves from Aldgate East
Day 2 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: South Bank
Today it’s time to explore one of my very favourite London neighbourhoods. It offers beautiful riverside walks, interesting museums and lots of wonderful places to eat!
- Southwark Cathedral, for another beautiful London building.
- Borough Market for some delicious food.
- Jubilee Walkway to stroll along the river, past the South Bank Centre, National Theatre, lots of nice food stands, and the Grafitti Tunnel at Leake Street. All with wonderful views out across the River Thames.
- The London Eye for views out over the city followed by a pub lunch.
- Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s home in London (and book in advance on to a tour of one of the oldest buildings in London).
- The Imperial War Museum to learn more about Britain’s roles in various wars, with a specific focus on WW1 and WW2. It’s a really sobering experience, but well worth it and worth at least 2-3 hours of your time, closing at 6pm.
- For the evening, head to County Hall to watch Witness to the Prosecution, a detective play set inside a real court house.
Top Tip: if you’d like to save a bit of money, instead of riding the London Eye, head to the church tower of The Garden Museum for views and a tasty lunch in the café.
Day 2 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- Southbank Area Guide
- Sea Life Aquarium
- London Dungeons – London’s gruesome past with real life actors
- Florence Nightingale Museum
- The Garden Museum – beautiful gardens with interesting museum
- The Grid – Sci Fi themed cocktail escape room
- Bounce – Cocktail bar with ping pong tables
- iMAX Theatre – for 3D films on the biggest screen in the UK
- Thames River Cruise
Day 3 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: Westminster
Today it’s time for one of the most jampacked days of famous sites. You can’t come to England and not visit some of our royal palaces, so this day is packed with them!
- Buckingham Palace (book ahead for a tour, as they don’t run every day).
- Changing of the guards outside the Palace at 11am.
- St James’ Park for a lovely stroll.
- Trafalgar Square, stopping at any of the museums if they take your fancy.
- The Houses of Parliament, for a tour to learn about the British legal system in depth, including visiting the House of Commons and Lords.
- Westminster Abbey, to enjoy exploring where Kate and Wills got married, and where many English monarchs are buried. It’s even more special for Evensong at 5pm, a truly magical experience.
Day 3 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- Westminster Area Guide
- Churchill War Rooms – Especially if you didn’t do the IWM on Day 2
- The National Gallery
- Afternoon tea on a London bus – Leaves from Trafalgar Square
- Shopping – Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and Harrods are all close by
Day 4 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: Bloomsbury & Covent Garden
Today is spent strolling in some of London’s most beautiful streets, discovering museums and some of London’s vibrant neighbourhoods.
- Granary Square, to grab an early breakfast at Dishoom (incredible Irani/Indian food) and strolling along the canal side.
- Russell Park, particularly pretty on a sunny day, surrounded by the elegant Georgian houses in the area.
- The British Museum, which is free and is where you can see the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, Lewis Chessmen and so much more. It’s easy to spend at least 2-3 hours here.
- Covent Garden to grab a late lunch before exploring some of the most picture perfect streets in London including Neal’s Yard.
- Soho to explore some of the lovely shops in the area – be sure to check out Carnaby Street and Liberty.
- West End show to suit your tastes.
Day 4 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- A Guide to The British Museum
- Bloomsbury Area Guide
- St Pancras Station – Including Platform 9 3/4 Harry Potter shop
- St Pancras Old Church and Gardens
- Charles Dickens Museum
- Postal Museum – including riding Rail Mail
- The Crystal Maze Experience – Interactive game based on the UK gameshow
- Harry Potter Walking Tour – leaves from The Palace Theatre
Day 5 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: Marylebone & Kensington
Today is spent in the area in and around Kensington, slightly out of the main centre of London, but home to interesting museums, parks and palaces.
- Sherlock Holmes Museum, to learn about Sherlock Holmes (and English icon) at 221B Baker Street.
- Madame Tussauds to take photos with all the waxworks, if it takes your fancy.
- Marble Arch, home to lots of lovely lunch spots.
- Hyde Park to enjoy the rose garden and beautiful lakes and fountains.
- Kensington Palace, to discover Queen Victoria’s home. It’s here I also recommend sampling the English tradition of Afternoon Tea, which you’ve got to do at least once whilst in the capital.
- V&A Museum to spend a few hours browsing the collection.
- The Royal Albert Hall to catch a show if you’re lucky with your timing.
Day 5 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- Hyde Park Guide
- Regent’s Park
- Natural History Museum
- Peggy Porschen – for Insta worthy cakes
- Mayfair – stroll around one of the most expensive areas in London
- Science Museum
Day 6 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: Greenwich
Today it’s time to head out of central London and to an amazing London neighbourhood known as Greenwich. It’s here you can see one of the most magnificent buildings in all of London, and learn lots at the local museums.
- The Royal Observatory to cross the Prime Meridien line where east meets west and learn more about navigation over the years.
- The Planetarium to catch a show to learn more about our solar system and beyond.
- The National Maritime Museum to delve deeper in to England’s naval history
- The Cutty Sark, an old tea clipper which used to sail to China. You can even have afternoon tea on board if you’d like to.
- The Old Royal Naval College and its stunning historical Painted Hall.
- North Greenwich cable car over to the O2 for dinner
Day 6 Detailed Posts and Optional Extensions:
- Greenwich Area Guide
- Greenwich Park
- Up at the O2 Climb – Harness up and climb the O2 dome for great views
- DLR and Docklands – Old London docks area, now a cool area of town with nice bars and views
Day 7 of Your London 1 Week Itinerary: A Day Trip
With a week in London it would be a shame not to see a bit more of England so it’s time for a day trip. And if there’s a day in London that doesn’t massively appeal, just do another day trip instead. There are so many choices but these are my top recommendations.
Windsor Castle
Full post: Windsor Castle
If you like the Royals, visiting Windsor Castle is a must as it’s one of the Queen’s main residences. You can explore the grounds, chapel and certain areas inside the Castle for a really special royal day out.
Cambridge
Full post: Cambridge
Take an hour long direct train from King’s Cross to Cambridge to explore the historic University, go punting on the River Cam and maybe even visit a picture perfect English cottage or two.
Oxford
Full post: Oxford
Another short train journey away, Oxford is known as the city of dreaming spires. With a day in the city, you can visit the University, plus visit The Radcliffe Camera and see inside one of the most incredible libraries in the world.
Other Day Trip Options
- Highgate Cemetery – a unique gothic Victorian cemetery, home to Karl Marx
- Bletchley Park – visit the WW2 codebreakers and learn about their role in the war
- Salisbury and Stonehenge – World famous ancient site
- The Cotswolds – beautiful area of typical English countryside
- Brighton – for a beach trip in the summer
Where to Stay in London
There are literally hundreds of options of where to stay in London, and really as long as you’re fairly central it doesn’t matter too much. The average cost of a hotel room in London (at time of writing in 2026) is £200, but you can find places for much less if you don’t mind staying somewhere basic.
For me personally, I enjoy travelling to hotels which are in themselves part of the experience, but appreciate that isn’t everyone’s choice. If you’re like me, then I can recommend a few lovely ‘experience’ hotels in the capital which are worth it if you want to splash a bit on accommodation, even if for just 1 or 2 nights of your stay.
Treehouse Hotel – this is closest to the things in Day 4 of the itinerary and provides a lovely sustainable hotel option. The modern design and views out over London from the tub bath are what makes this hotel stand out.
Sea Containers – this is closest to things in Day 2 of the itinerary and puts you central to the cool Southbank area of London. The balcony out over the Thames and wonderful spa are what make this hotel special.
The Megaro – this is closest to day 4’s activities and is great if you love design and architecture. The unique rooms are beautiful and full of colour – you won’t find a more bold design choice than Megaro.
So what do you think of London? I’ve spent a long time compiling this guide and really hope you like some of my ideas if you’re planning a stay in the capital. And if you are using this guide to plan, just drop me any questions you might have in the comments below. It will also be constantly updated as I write more detailed posts on individual items, and experience new things in London so save it for the future as well if you’re planning on visiting one day. Thanks for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!
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