Itinerary · London · United Kingdom
7 days in London
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing London, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
7 days is enough to see London's highlights at a comfortable pace, with time for day trips. Day 1: British Museum and Tower of London. Day 2: Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey. Day 3: Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and Churchill War Rooms. Base yourself in Covent Garden and Soho.
Key facts
- Days
- 7
- Sights covered
- 12
- Day trips
- 2
- Best base
- Covent Garden and Soho
- Book ahead
- British Museum and Tower of London
Day by day
Day 1: British Museum and Tower of London
British Museum and Tower of London, then Sky Garden in the evening.
Morning
British Museum
Bloomsbury · 2–3 hours · free. Entry is free, but booking a free timed slot online helps at busy times such as school holidays.
Late morning
Tower of London
Tower Hill · 3 hours · mid-priced. Tickets bought online in advance are usually cheaper than at the gate and secure entry on busy summer days.
Lunch
Lunch: Full English breakfast
Traditional cafés ('caffs') and pubs across the city; vegetarian versions with meat-free sausages are easy to find.
Evening
Sky Garden
If the free slots are gone, a reservation at one of the Sky Garden's bars or restaurants also gets you in.
Day 2: Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey
Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey, then London Eye in the evening.
Morning
Tower Bridge
Tower Hill · 1–1.5 hours · mid-priced.
Late morning
Westminster Abbey
Westminster · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced. Timed sightseeing tickets bought online save queuing in summer.
Lunch
Lunch: Fish and chips
Fish-and-chip shops ('chippies') across London and many pubs; Friday is the traditional fish day.
Evening
London Eye
Book a time slot online for a lower price than on the day, and in winter aim for late afternoon to watch the city lights come on.
Day 3: Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and Churchill War Rooms
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and Churchill War Rooms, then Soho in the evening.
Morning
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Westminster · 1–2 hours with a tour · free. Guided tours sell out at peak times; book them on the UK Parliament website.
Late morning
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets often sell out in summer and school holidays; book online in advance.
Lunch
Lunch: Sunday roast
Pubs all over the city; popular ones fill up, so book a table for Sunday lunch.
Evening
Soho
Cocktail bars, late-night restaurants, jazz at Ronnie Scott's and the centre of LGBTQ+ nightlife around Old Compton Street.
Day 4: Day trip to Windsor Castle
About 1 hour by train each way. Getting there: Train from Waterloo, or from Paddington changing at Slough.
Morning
Travel to Windsor Castle
About 1 hour by train (Train from Waterloo, or from Paddington changing at Slough); about 35 km.
Day
Windsor Castle
Visitors see the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls' House and St George's Chapel, where many monarchs are buried; Windsor town and Eton across the river fill the afternoon.
Evening
Back in London
Dinner: try Pie and mash.
Day 5: Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard and National Gallery
Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard and National Gallery, then Shoreditch and Dalston in the evening.
Morning
Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard
St James's · 1–2 hours · free. Check the official schedule for Changing the Guard days, and book State Rooms tickets ahead for summer visits.
Late morning
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square · 2 hours · free.
Lunch
Lunch: Pie and mash
Historic shops such as M. Manze on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey.
Evening
Shoreditch and Dalston
Warehouse bars, rooftop terraces and clubs with a young crowd, busiest from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 6: Day trip to Hampton Court Palace
About 35 minutes by train each way. Getting there: Train from Waterloo to Hampton Court.
Morning
Travel to Hampton Court Palace
About 35 minutes by train (Train from Waterloo to Hampton Court); about 20 km.
Day
Hampton Court Palace
The gardens include a hedge maze planted around 1700 and the Great Vine.
Evening
Back in London
Dinner: try Afternoon tea.
Day 7: St Paul's Cathedral and Natural History Museum
St Paul's Cathedral and Natural History Museum, then Camden in the evening.
Morning
St Paul's Cathedral
City of London · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced.
Late morning
Natural History Museum
South Kensington · 2–3 hours · free. Free entry, but booking a timed slot online is advised during school holidays.
Lunch
Lunch: Afternoon tea
Hotels in Mayfair and Piccadilly, department stores such as Fortnum & Mason, and museum cafés for lower-priced versions.
Evening
Camden
Live music at the Roundhouse, the Electric Ballroom and smaller pub venues most nights of the week.
Before you go
Reserve timed tickets for British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard, London Eye, Natural History Museum, Churchill War Rooms and Sky Garden before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.
Where to stay for this itinerary
With 7 nights, Covent Garden and Soho keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, South Bank and Bankside ($$$) suits first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers. Compare every area.
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–25 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.9 hours in December to 16.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is 7 days enough in London?
7 days is enough to see London's highlights at a comfortable pace, with time for day trips. How many days London needs.
+What should I book before visiting London?
British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard, London Eye, Natural History Museum, Churchill War Rooms and Sky Garden.