London
EN

City guide · 2026 edition

London trip planner,
your way.

Big Ben, the Tower, free museums and proper pubs. Build your itinerary, see how far it is to walk, and add dinner and a night out.

Plan your perfect London trip

How long are you staying?
Who are you travelling with?
First time in London?
What do you want to do?
Your budget?
or start from our suggested plan below
01

Itinerary

Your schedule

Day 1

  1. 09:30 Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament – The Elizabeth Tower and the Gothic Houses of Parliament, best seen from Westminster Bridge; guided tours can be booked.
  2. 10:00 Westminster Abbey – The coronation church of English monarchs, with royal tombs, Poets' Corner and a multimedia guide.
  3. 11:20 St James's Park – The oldest Royal Park, with a lake, pelicans and views to Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards.
  4. 12:10 Buckingham Palace – The King's London residence, seen from the Victoria Memorial, with the Changing of the Guard on set days.
  5. 14:00 Trafalgar Square – London's grand square with Nelson's Column, the fountains and the lions, right next to the National Gallery.
  6. 14:30 The National Gallery – Western European painting from Van Eyck to Van Gogh, with Turner, Constable and Monet; free entry.
  7. 16:15 Covent Garden – A historic piazza with street performers, covered market stalls, shops and the London Transport Museum nearby.

Day 2

  1. 09:30 Tower of London – A 900-year-old fortress with the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and free Yeoman Warder tours.
  2. 12:10 Tower Bridge – The Victorian bascule bridge, best seen from the walkway or the river path; the Exhibition has glass-floor walkways.
  3. 13:00 Borough Market – London's best-known food market under the railway arches, with fresh produce, cheese and hot street food.
  4. 15:15 Tate Modern – Modern and contemporary art in a former power station on the Thames, with a viewing terrace on the Blavatnik Building.
  5. 17:00 London Eye – A 30-minute ride in a glass pod on the giant observation wheel, with views over the Thames and Parliament.

Did this plan help? 🫖 Treat me to a cup of tea

02

Eat & drink

Restaurants near your stops

Book your meals into your day. Every day has a breakfast slot (avg. 45m, or mark it as at your hotel), a lunch slot (avg. 1h 15m) and a dinner slot (avg. 1h 30m). Use “＋ Add to schedule” on any place below, or pick one straight from a slot in your schedule.

  • St Stephen's Tavern (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Red Lion (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Westminster Arms (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Old Shades (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Two Chairmen (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Old Queen Street Café (British · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Sanctuary House (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Albert (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Laughing Halibut (Seafood · £ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Cellarium Café (British · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Buckingham Arms (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Bag O'Nails (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Cask & Glass (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Café Murano (Italian · £££ · West End)
  • The Sherlock Holmes (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Café in the Crypt (British · £ · Westminster & St James's)
  • The Chandos (Pub · ££ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Kanada-Ya (Asian · ££ · West End)
  • The Harp (Pub · £ · Westminster & St James's)
  • Dishoom Covent Garden (Indian · ££ · West End)
03

After dark

London by night

04

Good to know

Practical info & fares

Contactless is your ticket

  • Tap the same contactless card or phone in and out on the Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line, Overground, buses and trams: fares are capped each day automatically (zones 1–2: £8.90)
  • One card per person: two people cannot share a card, and mixing cards or phone and card breaks the cap
  • Touch in and out on the yellow readers (and on the pink readers when you change trains on a route that avoids zone 1); on buses you only touch in
  • Check your Belgian, Dutch or French bank card has no foreign transaction fee for contactless payments, or use a Visitor Oyster card

ETA, passport and plugs

  • Belgian, Dutch and French citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling: apply on gov.uk or in the UK ETA app, the official fee is £20 and it lasts 2 years or until the passport expires
  • Apply only on gov.uk or the official app: other websites charge more; each traveller, including children and babies, needs an ETA and decisions can take up to 3 working days
  • Bring a valid passport: for most EU visitors an ID card is no longer enough to enter (the exceptions are mostly for people with UK residence rights)
  • UK plugs are type G (three rectangular pins, 230 V): pack an adapter

Free museums, booked in advance

  • The British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, V&A, Science Museum and Tate Modern are free; special exhibitions are paid
  • Several ask for a free timed ticket (book online): always check the museum's website the day before
  • Paid sights such as the London Eye, The View from The Shard, Tower of London and Sky Garden are cheaper online in advance; prices vary by date and Sky Garden is free but needs a booking
  • Westminster Abbey and St Paul's may close for services: check their opening hours

Escalator and Tube manners

  • Stand on the right and walk on the left on escalators
  • Let passengers off the train before you board and move down the carriage
  • On the Tube the Mind the gap announcement is real: some platforms have a wide gap
  • Peak hours are Mon–Fri 06:30–09:30 and 16:00–19:00: trains are packed and fares are higher

Cards, tips and service charge

  • Card payments are accepted almost everywhere, and some places are card-only
  • A discretionary service charge of about 12.5% is often added to the bill in restaurants: check the receipt before adding a tip
  • Pubs: order and pay at the bar; many pubs stop serving food before they close
  • Book popular restaurants; Sunday roast is a tradition and is best booked

Tap water and refills

  • Tap water is safe to drink and restaurants must give it for free if you ask
  • Refill your bottle at the free fountains in parks and stations and many cafés
  • Bring a small umbrella: showers can arrive at any time of year

Sunday and bank holiday hours

  • Large shops in England may only open 6 hours between 10:00 and 18:00 on Sunday; many shut at 16:00 or 17:00
  • Markets have fixed days: Camden and Greenwich are daily, Columbia Road only on Sunday morning, Portobello antiques on Friday and Saturday
  • On bank holidays many sights open as on a Sunday and transport runs a Sunday timetable
  • Check opening hours before you go: some sights close on Mondays or on one weekday
05

Local life

Markets

Markets run on set days, so they are info only and not part of your schedule.

All markets, with a full guide →