London, a city of 1,572 km2, with more than 8 million inhabitants, 170 museums, 11 underground lines with more than 272 tube stations, and almost 9,000 buses, cannot be visited in one day.
Most of the time, the complaint we hear from tourists is "I didn't have time to see everything."
It's not just you. I've been living here for 6 years and I'm still discovering new things. Therefore, this post aims to make your life easier.
If you're wondering what to see or do in London, without missing anything essential, save yourself a thousand guides, videos or posts, this is the definitive one. Lean back, relax, and grab a pen and paper because I'm going to give you a list of things you can see in 2 to 5 days, with more or less haste, but that you need to do before you leave, without making the typical mistakes when visiting London.
You can also download this free guide I've prepared, ideal for organizing your trip to the city with itineraries, restaurant, pub and cafe recommendations, and a checklist of things to do before your trip.
First of all, let me summarize what this city is like, apart from being big. For practical purposes, and as a tourist, Zone 1 (the center) will be of interest to you. But you won't visit this center quickly either. It is divided into West and East.
In the West, better known as the Westminster area, we find the most photographed building: Big Ben, and in the East, Tower Bridge. To discover the history, origin and evolution of London, you must go to the East. To discover the most "touristy" part, you must go to the West.
At Juliet's Bridge, I offer two unmissable tours to discover both parts. These are the two tours to take if you want to leave with everything important seen and explored: London Through the Centuries (East), and Essential London (West) or you can also book a private tour.
That said, I'm going to give you the list, by area, of the most important things to see:
WEST/WESTMINSTER
1. ELIZABETH TOWER AND PALACE OF WESTMINSTER (BIG BEN)
Unmissable. My favorite and the most photographed building in the city.
The famous clock belongs to the Palace of Westminster, where the British Parliament is located.
Can you visit Big Ben inside? Very recently, they started offering tours inside. You climb the 344 steps of the tower and are right next to "Big Ben" itself, as the bell is called, while it chimes the hour (they give you earplugs). It's quite difficult to get tickets. They are released periodically.
To visit Parliament, you can also buy a ticket, and in fact, it is highly recommended.
Remember that we also do photo shoots, and this is our favorite spot.
2. LONDON EYE
London's most famous Ferris wheel.
135 meters high, and approximately 40 minutes to complete a full rotation, from where you'll have views of the entire city.
You have to buy your ticket in advance, but if you come during low season, you might find last-minute deals (however, it closes for maintenance in January).
3. WESTMINSTER ABBEY
One of London's most iconic and important buildings, considered the "church of royalty" as it is where all British monarchs have been crowned since 1066 (including, in May 2023, Charles III) and also where the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate Middleton, if you know what I mean) were married.
Apart from being one of London's most important and oldest churches, there are more statues inside it than in all of London, so it's well worth a visit.
Here is the Abbey's link, where you can buy your tickets or check the times of religious services.
4. BUCKINGHAM PALACE
The official residence of the British monarchy, and you can approach its gates. Although Charles III and Camilla do not reside there, it is their official "office", so you might run into them entering or leaving.
Remember that this is also the place to see the Changing of the Guard, which is what they call the official ceremony where the guards start their shift to protect the palace.
When and at what time?
It's at 11 AM, but we recommend arriving around 10/10:30 AM (you'll need to be earlier or later depending on whether it's high season or not, but keep in mind that it's usually quite crowded).
If it rains (a lot; if it's a London drizzle, it doesn't count), it's canceled, otherwise it happens on these days:
Summer, every day.
Rest of the year: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
Here is the website with detailed information and the best viewing spots.
5. TRAFALGAR SQUARE
London's most central and largest square, the point where the city's Kilometre Zero is located, and where you can reach several points (Buckingham, Big Ben, Covent Garden, Piccadilly).
It is also home to the National Gallery, London's quintessential art museum, and the National Portrait Gallery, Europe's largest collection of portraits. Two different museums, despite the similarity of their names, and both free.
I recommend booking tickets before your visit to ensure you can get in (it's free!).
If you're interested in fun facts, here are two: one about a painting you must see at the National Gallery that you'll see much more on your trip than you think, and another about one of the statues in this grand square.
6. LEICESTER SQUARE AND PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Side by side: the cinema square and the most modern square, New York-style, with large advertising screens on its facade. The nerve center of the city of London.
By the way, if you're interested in Harry Potter, I'm an expert, so you can check out our Harry Potter tour, which starts in this area, as one of the saga's most iconic scenes was filmed there.
And, speaking of cinema, remember that in Leicester Square you'll find bronze statues of movie characters. Will you find them all? Some are hidden, so it's not that easy.
You'll also enjoy high-level street music in this square. Ed Sheeran started his journey there, so keep an eye out because there's likely to be a future musical promise.
7. SOHO
It's essential to wander through London's Soho. The most eclectic and dynamic part of the city, where you'll find Chinatown, with a thousand restaurants and places to eat, many local or independent shops, the LGTBQIA+ neighborhood, and Carnaby Street, a beautiful, colorful, and central street that you absolutely must visit.
It also connects to Regent's Street and Oxford Street, London's shopping streets, if you want to go shopping.
And you can visit some iconic stores, like Liberty. If you want to know more about this store, we leave you information here.
EAST/CITY OF LONDON AND SOUTHBANK
1. TOWER BRIDGE
The Tower Bridge, an icon and symbol of the city of London.
You can visit inside, by buying your ticket in advance, and you can walk through the upper walkways, with a glass floor (not suitable if you're afraid of heights).
If you want to see it from the outside, and wish to visit when it opens, you can check the days and times it will be raised, to plan your visit for those times. Whenever possible, we coordinate our London Through the Centuries tour with the bridge's opening.
2. TOWER OF LONDON
One of the oldest and most emblematic buildings in this city.
When people ask me which activity or monument is worth paying for, I always say the Tower of London.
You can buy your ticket here; inside you'll discover a lot, a lot of history and the opportunity to have a Yeoman Warder give you a tour.
If you don't go inside, at least get close from the outside and learn a bit about what you're seeing; you'll be surprised (or come on the London Through the Centuries tour, and I'll tell you all about it in detail).
3. BOROUGH MARKET
Street markets are the most typical and unmissable thing in London. There are many, some more famous (like Notting Hill or Camden) and others not as well-known, like neighborhood markets.
So you definitely have to visit one, and what better than the oldest in London, with over a thousand years of history, central, photographic, and with lots of good, quality food from all over the world.
Its hours:
Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM
Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM
Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM
They close on Mondays, but you can check their hours here to confirm.
Take the opportunity to see, right next door, London's tallest building, the Shard.
4. CITY OF LONDON
In truth, this is an entire district, but it's worth getting lost in some alley of the City of London, the financial district and the place where you'll find a very typical London mix: new with old. The City is the place with the most history, as the city of London begins right there. However, due to the bombings of World War II (the Blitz), much of this area had to be rebuilt.
Wander through Victorian streets and markets like Leadenhall Market and medieval churches, or the first British mercantile exchange (Royal Exchange), amidst modern, glass skyscrapers.
By the way, in the middle of the City you'll find St. Dunstan-in-the-East, an ancient ruined church, and a great spot for taking photos or enjoying silence and peace.
5. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
You can't leave without visiting this city's cathedral, and this one is a very important one.
You'll have seen that it features prominently in films like Mary Poppins, and despite the constant bombing this area suffered during World War II, St. Paul's emerged practically unscathed and stood strong against all odds. It is a symbol of unity and resilience, an icon of the city of London, and one of the oldest buildings still standing in this area.
You can buy your ticket here, but if you don't want to go inside, you can visit it from the outside and take a photo in the middle of Millennium Bridge.
Finally,
6. A PARK
In general, because if you're short on time you might only be able to see one, or if you come in winter you might not be up for parks, but visit one before you leave. London's many green spaces are also typical.
Here's a list of those in the city center:
- Hyde Park, the largest in central London.
- Kensington Gardens, adjacent to Hyde Park, it's the park where Kensington Palace is located.
- St. James's Park, on the west side of Buckingham Palace, and my favorite. Very well maintained, with views of Big Ben, Buckingham, or the London Eye. Full of different animals, including its distinctive pelicans.
- Green Park, on the east side of Buckingham Palace, as its name suggests, it's all green, with hardly any flowers (on the Essential London tour, we tell you why it's called that).
7. A FREE MUSEUM
Again, choose one, but visit it! They are free and their collections are very comprehensive! Remember to check if you need to book a time slot in advance to ensure your entry, and to check opening hours.
Here's a list of the most central ones with links to book tickets and a brief description of their collections.
- National Gallery, pictorial art
- National Portrait Gallery, portraits (pictorial art)
- British Museum, a vast amount of material, covering more than 2 million years of history. From Paleolithic objects to the Rosetta Stone and mummies.
- Natural History Museum, ideal with children, the natural history museum, with a wide exhibition of animal and natural life and a very famous Hall with a whale skeleton.
- Victoria and Albert, a bit of everything; fashion, furniture, miniatures, painting, sculptures,...
- Science Museum, the science museum, also ideal for children.
- Tate Modern, the modern art museum, right in front of St. Paul's and with an aesthetic that will surprise you.
- Design Museum, the design museum
- Imperial War Museum, war museum (this museum has annexes such as the HMS Belfast or the Churchill War Rooms, both paid).
With all this, you have the essentials covered, the center explored, and you can leave with the most iconic photos taken.
Do you have more time?
You have a thousand more things to explore:
- Notting Hill
- Camden
- Other parks like Holland Park, Battersea Park
- More distant neighborhoods with a village vibe like Hampstead, Richmond or Greenwich
- Brick Lane and Shoreditch
- Visiting the Harry Potter Studios
And much, much more. Don't forget to check all our posts; we have options for things to do in the current month or by type of trip (family, couple or solo).
Remember that you always return to London, so save some things to do on your next visit.
London and I await you here 🇬🇧
