London, a city of 1,572 km 2, More than 8 million inhabitants, 170 museums, 11 metro lines with more than 272 metro stations and almost 9,000 buses, it cannot be visited in a day.
The vast majority 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 six years, and I'm still discovering new things. That's why this post is meant to make your life easier.
If you're wondering what to see or do in London without missing anything essential, save yourself the thousand guides, videos, or posts; this is the definitive one. Sit 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 varying degrees of haste, but that you need to do before you leave, without making the typical mistakes when visiting London.
First of all, let me summarize what this city is like, aside from its size. For practical purposes, as a tourist, you'll be interested in Zone 1 (the center). But you won't be visiting this center quickly either. It's divided into West and East .
In the West, better known as the Westminster area, we find the most photographed building: Big Ben, and to the East, Tower Bridge. To discover the history, origin, and evolution of London, you must go East. To discover the more "touristy" part, you must go West.
At Juliet's Bridge, I offer two unmissable tours to discover both sides. 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 building in the city and the most photographed.
The famous clock belongs to the Palace of Westminster, the site of the British Parliament.
Can you visit Big Ben inside? They've only recently started offering tours inside. You climb the tower's 344 steps and stand right next to "Big Ben," as the bell is called, as it chimes the hour (they give you earplugs). It's quite difficult to get tickets. They only come out infrequently.
You can also purchase a ticket to visit Parliament, and it's highly recommended.
Remember that we also do photo shoots , and this is our favorite spot.
2. LONDON EYE
The most famous wheel in London.
135 meters high, and approximately 40 minutes to complete the entire tour, from where you will have views of the entire city.
You have to buy your ticket in advance , but if you come during the low season, you can get last-minute deals (although they close it for maintenance in January).
3. WESTMINSTER ABBEY
One of the most iconic and important buildings in London, considered the "church of royalty" since it is the place where, since 1066, all British monarchs have been crowned (including, in May 2023, Charles III) and it is also where the Prince and Princess of Wales were married (William and Kate Middleton, if you understand us).
Aside from being one of the oldest and most important churches in London, there are more statues inside it than in all of London, so it's well worth a visit.
Here's the link to the Abbey so you can buy tickets or find out what time the services are held.
4. BUCKINGHAM PALACE
The official residence of the British monarchy, and you can walk right up to its doors. Although Charles III and Camilla don't reside there, it is their official "office," so you might bump into them coming or going.
Remember that this is also the place to see the Changing of the Guard, which is the official ceremony during which the guards begin their duties to watch over the palace.
When and what time?
It's at 11am , but we recommend you get there around 10/10:30am (you'll need to be there earlier or later depending on whether it's high season or not, but keep in mind that it's usually quite full).
If it rains (a lot, if it's London drizzle, it doesn't count), it's cancelled, otherwise it's done on these days:
Summer, every day.
Rest of the year: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
Here's the website with detailed information and the best places to watch it.
5. TRAFALGAR SQUARE
The largest and most central square in London, the point where the city's kilometer 0 is located, and where you can reach several points (Buckingham, Big Ben, Covent Garden, Piccadilly).
It's also home to the National Gallery , London's premier art museum, and the National Portrait Gallery , Europe's largest collection of portraits. Despite their similar names, they're both free.
I recommend booking a ticket before your visit to ensure you'll be able to get in (it's free!).
If you're interested in curiosities, I'll leave you with two: one about a painting you have to see in the National Gallery , which you'll see much more on your trip than you think, and another about one of the statues in this great square .
6. LEICESTER SQUARE AND PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Side by side: the cinema square and the more modern, New York-style square 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, since one of the most legendary scenes from the saga was filmed there.
And speaking of cinema, remember that you'll find bronze statues of movie characters in Leicester Square. Will you find them all? Some are hidden, so it's not that easy.
You'll also enjoy high-quality street music in this plaza. Ed Sheraan started his career there, so keep an eye out for some promising new musicians.
7. SOHO
A stroll through London's Soho is a must. The most eclectic and dynamic part of the city, you'll find Chinatown , with thousands of restaurants and places to eat, many local and independent shops, the LGBT 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'd like to learn more about this store, we've got information here .
EAST/CITY OF LONDON AND SOUTHBANK
1. TOWER BRIDGE
Tower Bridge, icon and symbol of the city of London.
You can visit the inside by purchasing your ticket in advance , and you can walk through the upper corridors, which have glass floors (not suitable if you are afraid of heights).
If you'd like to see it from the outside and visit it when it opens, you can check the days and times it will be raised to plan your visit around those times. Whenever possible, we time our London Through the Ages tour to coincide with the bridge's opening.
2. TOWER OF LONDON
One of the oldest buildings in this city and a clear emblem.
When people ask me what 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 of history and the opportunity to be toured by a Yeoman Warder.
If you don't go inside, at least go outside and learn a little about what you're seeing—you'll be amazed (or come on the London Through the Ages tour, and I'll tell you all about it).
3. BOROUGH MARKET
Street markets are the most typical and unmissable part of London. There are many, some more famous (like Notting Hill or Camden) and others not as well-known, like the neighborhood ones.
So you have to visit one, and what better than the oldest in London , with more than a thousand years of history, centrally located, photographic, and with lots of good, quality food from all over the world.
Their schedules :
Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm
Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm
Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm
They're closed on Mondays, but you can check their schedule here to be sure.
Take the opportunity to see, right next door, the tallest building in London, the Shard .
4. CITY OF LONDON
This is actually an entire district, but it's worth wandering around some alleyway in the City of London, the financial district , where you'll find a very typical London mix: old and new. The City is the place with the most history, as the city of London begins right there. However, with the bombings of World War II (the Blitz), this area had to be rebuilt extensively.
Stroll through Victorian streets and markets like Leadenhall Market and medieval churches, or visit Britain's first mercantile exchange (the Royal Exchange), nestled among modern, glass-clad skyscrapers.
By the way, right in the middle of the City, you'll find St. Dunstan-in-the-East, an ancient ruined church and a great place to take photos or enjoy the peace and quiet.
5. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
You can't leave without visiting the cathedral of this city, and this is a very important one.
You'll have seen that it features heavily in films like Mary Poppins. Despite the constant bombing that this area suffered during World War II, St. Paul's emerged virtually unscathed and resisted against all odds. It's 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 tickets here , but if you don't want to go in, you can visit it from the outside and take a photo in the middle of the Millennium Bridge.
Finally,
6. A PARK
So, in general, because if you're short on time, you might only be able to see one, or if you come in winter, you won't have much time for parks, but visit one before you leave. London's many green spaces are also typical.
We leave you a list of those from the center:
- Hyde Park, the largest in central London.
- Kensington Gardens, bordering Hyde Park, is the park where Kensington Palace is located.
- St. James's Park , west of Buckingham Palace, and my favorite . Very well-kept, with views of Big Ben, Buckingham, and the London Eye. Full of different animals, including its unique pelicans.
- Green Park , on the east side of Buckingham Palace, as its name suggests, it is all green, there are hardly any flowers (in the Essential London tour we tell you why it is called that).
7. A MUSEUM
Again, choose one , but visit it—it's free and their collections are extensive! Remember to check if you need to reserve a time in advance to ensure your entry, and the opening hours.
Here's a list of the most centrally located museums, along 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 wealth of material covering over 2 million years of history. From Paleolithic artifacts to the Rosetta Stone and mummies.
- National History Museum , ideal with children, the natural history museum, with a wide exhibition of animal and natural life and a very famous Hall with the skeleton of a whale.
- Victoria and Albert , a bit of everything: fashion, furniture, miniatures, paintings, sculptures,...
- Science Museum , the science museum, also ideal for children.
- Tate Modern , the modern art museum, right across from 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 HMS Belfast or the Churchill War Rooms , both for a fee).
With all this, you've covered the essentials, explored the center, and can leave with the most legendary photos.
Do you have more time?
You have a thousand more things to explore:
- Notting Hill
- Camden
- Other parks such as Holland Park, Battersea Park
- More remote neighborhoods with a small-town vibe like Hampstead, Richmond, or Greenwich
- Brick Lane and Shoreditch
- Visit the Harry Potter studios
And much, much more. Don't forget to check out all our posts; we have options for things to do depending on the time of year you're visiting the city or by type of trip (friends, family, couples, or solo).
Remember, you always come back to London, so plan ahead for things to do on your next visit.
London and I are waiting for you here 🇬🇧👩🏻🦰
