One day in London

Day by day

1. Day 1: British Museum and Tower of London

   British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, then London Eye in the evening.

   1. Morning

      British Museum

      Pick three or four galleries — Egypt, the Parthenon sculptures and Sutton Hoo are the classics — rather than trying to see everything in one visit. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Tower of London

      Head to the Crown Jewels first thing before the queue builds, then join a Yeoman Warder tour from near the main entrance. Allow 3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Full English breakfast

      Traditional cafés ('caffs') and pubs across the city; vegetarian versions with meat-free sausages are easy to find.

   4. Afternoon

      Westminster Abbey

      To experience the abbey without a sightseeing ticket, attend Choral Evensong, which is free and open to everyone. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

      The classic photo is from Westminster Bridge or the riverside path across the Thames; for a closer look, walk through Victoria Tower Gardens beside the palace. Allow 1–2 hours with a tour.

   6. 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.

Before you go

• British Museum: Entry is free, but booking a free timed slot online helps at busy times such as school holidays.
• Tower of London: Tickets bought online in advance are usually cheaper than at the gate and secure entry on busy summer days.
• Westminster Abbey: Timed sightseeing tickets bought online save queuing in summer.
• Houses of Parliament and Big Ben: Guided tours sell out at peak times; book them on the UK Parliament website.
• London Eye: Timed tickets are cheaper online, and fast-track tickets help on summer weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in National Gallery (Trafalgar Square): Start with the early Italian rooms in the Sainsbury Wing, then finish on the portico steps looking over Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column.
• Swap in Tate Modern (Bankside): Begin in the Turbine Hall, then walk across the Millennium Bridge for the framed view of St Paul's dome.
• Swap in Natural History Museum (South Kensington): Use the Exhibition Road entrance and visit the Dinosaurs gallery first, as its queue grows through the morning.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–11 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. The Tube runs from about 5am until after midnight, with a 24-hour Night Tube on Friday and Saturday nights on the Victoria and Jubilee lines and most of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in London
• 3 days in London
• 4 days in London
• 5 days in London
• 7 days in London

Questions travellers ask