For our first trip to London, we wanted to see the classic sights we’d always seen in movies, travel shows and photographs. With just a few days in the city, we based ourselves in the Westminster area and created a bucket list for our itinerary that combined London’s must-see landmarks with scenic walks, the Tube and those iconic double-decker buses.
Although staying in the Westminster area is a little more expensive, it turned out to be a great location for a first visit. We could walk to many of London’s most famous landmarks and easily use the Tube or double-decker buses when we wanted to venture farther out.
Our 3-day London itinerary included a relaxed first afternoon after our overnight flight, a full day exploring some of London’s biggest attractions, and most of the morning before taking the Eurostar under the English Channel to Paris.
And when I say we explored London on foot, I mean it. One day we logged around 30,000 steps!
Here’s what we did, what we learned, and a few other popular places you might want to add to your own London itinerary.
Our 3-Day London Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1 – Westminster & Classic London
Arrive at Heathrow → Black cab to Westminster → Fish & chips at a local pub → Westminster Abbey → Big Ben & Houses of Parliament → Westminster Bridge → Horse Guards → Trafalgar Square → Early night after the overnight flight
Day 2 – Tower of London, South Bank & London Neighborhoods
Tube to Tower of London → Crown Jewels → Walk along the Thames/South Bank → Borough Market → Shakespeare’s Globe → Tate Modern area → Views of The Shard → Double-decker bus → Covent Garden → Covent Garden → See London illuminated at night
Day 3 – British Museum & Eurostar to Paris
Breakfast → British Museum → Explore nearby streets while waiting for timed entry → Return to hotel for luggage → Black cab to St. Pancras International → Eurostar to Paris
Additional ideas if you have time: Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Park, the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Richmond and Ted Lasso filming locations, or a day trip to Windsor, Oxford, Bath or Stonehenge.
London at a Glance: Get Oriented Before You Go
Before taking a look at the itinerary, it helps to have a general idea of where London’s major attractions are in relation to one another.
Our simple Best of London map highlights many of the classic sights, including Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the British Museum, the South Bank, Borough Market, The Shard, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
It’s intended as an orientation map rather than a street-by-street navigation map. Once you understand where the Thames and a few major landmarks are, London starts to feel much easier to navigate.
That was something we learned throughout our trip: getting an idea of how a city is laid out early in your visit can make those first few hours of exploring feel much less overwhelming.
Decide What Attractions You Want to Go Inside
One thing that helped us fit more into our few days in London was deciding which attractions we really wanted to experience inside and which ones that we were fine seeing from the outside.
Depending on how much time you have and what interests you, you don’t need to go in every famous London landmark. For example, you might be perfectly happy seeing Westminster Abbey from the outside while exploring Westminster, but choose to spend a few hours inside the Tower of London.
Think about your must-see experiences before your trip (purchase tickets in advance), and leave some of the other landmarks as sightseeing stops. You’ll still get to experience them without spending your entire visit standing in lines or rushing from one timed ticket to another.
Day 1: Westminster and the Classic Sights
We arrived at Heathrow Airport around mid-morning after a long-haul flight overnight from Phoenix.
It hadn’t been the most comfortable flight. We were packed into economy seats, didn’t get much sleep, and even discovered that once we were seated, accessing some of the things we’d packed in our personal-item bags wasn’t easy due to the tight seating.
Rather than figure out trains and transfers while tired and carrying our luggage, we opted to take one of London’s famous black cabs to our hotel.
We stayed at the Conrad London St. James in Westminster. The location was one of the things we really appreciated about our stay because so many attractions were within walking distance, and Westminster Station made it easy to get around by Tube.
After checking in and freshening up, we headed out for lunch and had one of those meals that just seemed appropriate for our first day in London: fish and chips at a pub.
Quick Tip: One small thing that took some getting used to – remember to look right before crossing the street! Traffic travels on the opposite side of the road from the U.S.
Start With a Westminster Walk
We had read Rick Steves’ advice about using your first afternoon in a new city to get oriented, rather than immediately packing the day with attractions.
And that’s what we did.
During our afternoon walk, we were able to see several of London’s classic landmarks without needing tickets or reservations:
- Westminster Abbey
- Big Ben
- Houses of Parliament
- Westminster Bridge
- Horse Guards
- Trafalgar Square
We were also able to see the Horse Guards while walking through the area, which was a fun surprise.
Trafalgar Square was busy – even on a Thursday – but it was exciting to finally see Nelson’s Column, the fountains and those enormous bronze lions we’d seen so many times in photographs.
One of Our Favorite London Views
One of my favorite stops that afternoon was along the Thames near Westminster Bridge.
From across the river, you get that classic view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament stretching along the Thames.
It was a gray London day, but somehow that made the scene feel even more like London.
By early evening, jet lag was catching up with us. Instead of forcing ourselves to stay out late, we headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
That turned out to be a good decision because we were ready for a much fuller day of sightseeing the next morning.
Day 2: Tower of London & South Bank Walk
The next morning, we took the Tube from Westminster Station to the Tower of London.
We had an early timed entry, which I would definitely recommend. One of our priorities was seeing the Crown Jewels, so we headed there before the lines became much longer later in the day.
Seeing the Crown Jewels ended up being one of the highlights of our London visit.
Walk London’s South Bank
After visiting the Tower of London, we crossed the Tower bridge and spent part of the day exploring along the Thames.
The South Bank is a great area for a first-time visitor because you can walk between attractions while enjoying river views and seeing a completely different perspective of London.
Depending on how far you want to walk, popular sights and stops along or near this stretch include:
- Tower Bridge
- Borough Market
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Tate Modern
- Millennium Bridge
- Views toward St. Paul’s Cathedral
- London Eye
- The Shard
We didn’t visit every attraction on that list. That’s one of the advantages of this area – you can choose what interests you and enjoy the walk in between.
Historic Borough Market is also a great place to stop for something to eat, especially if you enjoy exploring local food markets. Just know that it gets busy around lunchtime and you’ll probably eat your food standing!
And if you’re looking for views, The Shard is worth knowing about. Its observation experience, The View from The Shard, provides panoramic views over London from one of the city’s most recognizable modern buildings.
Ride a Double-Decker Bus
We also used London’s double-decker buses during our visit, including a ride from around the St. Paul’s area toward Covent Garden.
I’d recommend taking a bus at least once, even if the Tube would be faster. Sitting upstairs lets you actually see London while you’re getting somewhere, and for us, the transportation became part of the sightseeing experience.
Exploring Covent Garden
We also spent some time exploring Covent Garden, which was another area of London I really enjoyed. The historic market buildings are surrounded by shops, restaurants and cafés, and there always seems to be something going on.
We enjoyed simply walking around, browsing the market and watching the street performers. After visiting so many of London’s major landmarks, Covent Garden was a nice place to slow down and just enjoy the atmosphere of the city.
Other Classic London Sights Near Westminster
One advantage of staying centrally was being able to continue exploring whenever we had a little extra time.
A few other classic sights you can easily incorporate into a 3 day London itinerary include Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Park.
We saw this area at night, which gave us another perspective of the city.
Seeing London After Dark
I’d definitely recommend leaving some room in your itinerary for an evening walk.
We were able to walk around Westminster and see the city lights from Westminster Bridge. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are impressive during the day, but seeing this part of London illuminated at night was one of those simple experiences we really enjoyed.
You don’t necessarily need another attraction or tour planned. Sometimes just walking around after dinner becomes part of the experience.
What About the Changing of the Guard?
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is one of London’s most famous traditions, but we decided not to plan our day around it. We’d heard it could get extremely crowded, and there were other things we wanted to see.
If it’s high on your list, check the official Changing the Guard schedule before your visit because the ceremony does not take place every day and schedules can change.
Day 3: British Museum & Eurostar to Paris
On our final morning, we had breakfast and squeezed in a little more sightseeing before leaving London.
One of the places we wanted to visit was the British Museum.
The British Museum Is Free, But Plan Ahead
Here’s something we hadn’t realized about visiting the museum. General admission to the British Museum is free, but the museum recommends booking a free timed ticket in advance.
We hadn’t done that since we weren’t sure if we’d have time in our itinerary – and when we checked their app, the next available entrance wasn’t for a few hours. So we spent some time walking around the neighborhood and then came back for our entry. Even with the timed entry, you may still need to wait in the line outside the museum.
You can check current admission information and reserve your free entry through the British Museum (and can make a small donation).
After visiting the museum, we returned to our hotel, checked out and took another black cab to St. Pancras International.
From there, we boarded the Eurostar for Paris – the next stop on our trip.
Traveling from the center of London to the center of Paris by train, including traveling through the Channel Tunnel made it easy for us to travel in Europe between the two cities.
Have More Time? Popular London Experiences and Day Trips
If you have four or five days instead of three, there are some fun experiences outside central London worth considering.
We weren’t able to squeeze these into our itinerary for this trip, but they’re options we’ll consider when planning a longer London stay.
Harry Potter Studio Tour
For Harry Potter fans, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is located in Leavesden, about 20 miles northwest of central London.
This isn’t a traditional theme park. It’s a behind-the-scenes experience featuring original sets, costumes and props used in the Harry Potter films.
Visitors can see places such as the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and Platform 9¾ and learn how the movies were made.
The Studio Tour recommends allowing about 3½ hours for a visit, although there is no set limit once you’re inside. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
One of the easiest ways to get there is to take a train from London Euston to Watford Junction and then the official shuttle bus to the studios. Direct trains can make the London-to-Watford portion of the trip in around 20 minutes.
Harry Potter fan tip: The Great Hall you see on the Studio Tour is the actual purpose-built set used during filming. If you’re interested in another Harry Potter-related excursion, Christ Church in Oxford also has connections to the films: its staircase appeared in the movies, while its historic dining hall helped inspire the look of Hogwarts’ Great Hall.
Visit Richmond for Ted Lasso Filming Locations
If you’re a Ted Lasso fan, consider spending a few hours in Richmond, southwest of central London.
Much of the show’s fictional Richmond setting was filmed around the real Richmond Green and surrounding streets.
You can see the exterior used for Ted’s apartment and visit The Prince’s Head, which served as the exterior for the Crown & Anchor pub in the series.
Richmond is approximately 30–45 minutes from central London by public transportation, depending on where you start and which service you use.
You don’t necessarily need a formal Ted Lasso tour. You could simply explore Richmond Green, look for some of the familiar filming locations, have lunch and experience a quieter part of London.
Other Popular Day Trips From London
Some other popular excursions include Windsor Castle, Oxford, Bath and Stonehenge.
Instead of trying to squeeze one of these into a short visit, you may want to add an extra day to your London itinerary and choose the destination that interests you most.
What We Learned From Our First Few Days in London
Our first visit wasn’t about seeing every attraction in London. We wanted to experience the classic sights, learn our way around and leave ourselves enough flexibility to enjoy what we discovered along the way.
Staying in Westminster made that much easier. We could walk to some of London’s most recognizable landmarks, take the Tube when we needed it and hop aboard a double-decker bus when we wanted to see more of the city along the way.
And although walking 30,000 steps in one day wasn’t part of the plan, some of our favorite memories came from simply walking – along the Thames, through different neighborhoods and across Westminster Bridge to see London lit up at night.
If you’re planning your own 3-day London itinerary, don’t worry about fitting everything in. Choose a few experiences you’re most excited about, leave some room to explore, and use your first day to get oriented.
There’s always something else to come back and see.
