London in 7 Days: The Perfect One- Week Itinerary for First Time Visitors
London is a city jam packed with things to do, as they say, if your tired of London, your tired of life! With having lived there for a few years myself, I have to say its true! London is a vibrant city full of life and there is always something to do or something new to explore!
With that being said to be able to enjoy your time in London and try and experience all the must see sights at the same time can be a challenge!
Luckily, my London 7 day Itinerary can help! To ensure you see the best of London, most days are broken up into a certain area, with multiple options so you can see and do the top attractions in that area – but more importantly what YOU want to see- and not spend all your precious time on transport hopping around all over London!
London is also a super walkable city, so once you are in that area, all the items on the itinerary are within walking distance. In London for a shorter time? check out my 3 Days in London Itinerary here.
Day 1- Explore Westminster
Explore the Royal London and the Houses of Parliament
Morning
If your suffering from a bit of jet lag, this is the perfect time to have a bit of a sleep in and have a slow and easy morning and get have a nice brunch.
11 am changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
(The closest tube station is Victoria station)
The changing of the guard at Buckingham palace occurs everyday at 11am.
I suggest getting there about 10-15 minutes before this starts, so that you can get a good spot to watch as it can get quite busy with lots of people (Daily).
If you have some extra time, the Royal Mews is just around the corner from Buckingham palace, where all the royal transport is kept, such all of the royal carriages and the horses which you can also check out!
After the changing of the guard, as you head down the Mall, you can explore the many memorials that are dotted along the Mall. At the end of the Mall as you walk under Admiralty Arch you will come to Trafalgar square.
Take some time to explore the square and monuments and
Continue down Whitehall road to the Houses of Parliament, where there are plenty of photos op’s along the way. Towards the end of the road is also the perfect spot if you want your classic London red phone box photo as there are lots of them!
While here check out:
- The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Cross over Westminster bridge for some Iconic big ben and Parliament House photos
- Parliament Square with many statues of famous people
- Explore Westminster Abbey
Afternoon
Head over to the Churchill war rooms, a fantastic museum showing the place where Churchill co-ordinated with the allied countries and ran the government during world war II.
I highly recommend getting the audio guide!
After exploring the rooms, enjoy a stroll through the beautiful St James Park as you head back to Victoria station for a early dinner and night in.
Day 2 – Central London
Explore Soho and London’s Famous West end
Morning
Breakfast Suggestions
- Daisy Green Cafe, Seymour Street
- Plants by Deliciously Ella, Binney Street
This day will involve a fair amount of walking, starting at Marble Arch tube station, head east down the famous Oxford street, you will pass Selfridges- the oldest department store in London, highly recommend going in for a visit!
As you continue heading down Oxford, spend some time checking out the side streets as well such as S Molton street.
As you reach Oxford Circus, there are many sections to explore, check out Regents street famous for its famous Georgian Architecture and Luxury stores and just off the side of Regents street is the beautiful Tudor style department store Liberty’s.
Just a little further and you will reach the fabulous Carnaby street. This street will be decorated throughout the year for different occasions or have a theme. I highly recommend coming back at night to see this street all lit up!
Head back over to Regents street and continue down until you reach Piccadilly Circus.
From here you can head down to Leicester Square via coventry street, and see if you can find all the statues in Leicester square.
From here you can head into Covent garden and seven dials.
Full of alleys and hidden courtyards covent garden is a great place to wander around and get lost in for a while- you never know what you will find!
From specialty Tea shops, Fromagerie’s, stationery stores and boutique clothing, there is so much to explore here Some not to miss places include:
- Neals yard, just off seven Dials- small courtyard with colourful buildings and artisanal shops and cafes. If your a cheese lover make sure you stop by Neals yard Dairy for some cheese!
- Cecil court- full of old bookshops
- Goodwin’s court- small old fashioned alleyway
- Add a little bit of Paris into your day by heading to one of the French patisseries to pick up some Macaroons from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée (highly recommend trying Marie-Antoinette tea macaroon from Ladurée- its delicious!)
- Stanfords bookstore (a bookshop full of just travel books! And maps!)
Lunch Suggestions
There are so many places around to have lunch, I suggest having just a light lunch or a snack. (This is so you can fit in afternoon tea of course!)
- Lamb and Flag Pub- a famous pub that has been here since the 1600s, known for bare knuckle fighting and a local haunt of Charles dickens, the Lamb and Flag do a great pub meal.
- The Pickle and cheese bar
- Apple butter cafe (cute little cafe,
- Wild food cafe (a Raw and organic cafe)
- nat.ive- Neals yard
- Arome Bakery
- Champagne and fromage
- Chai guys
Afternoon
Heading back west from covent garden into Chinatown, you can spend some time wandering the streets here and grab a photo of the China town gate as you head towards the up market and richest part of London, Mayfair.
It can be surprising walking a few hundred metres and your entire landscape has changed when you are in Mayfair. Head up Piccadilly road in Mayfair and along the way checkout the Burlington Arcade, Savile Row and New Bond street.
Afternoon is a Classic British tradition and a experience definitely worth having. Some great places to experience this are at the classics in Mayfair:
- Fortum and Mason
- The Ritz Hotel
- The Wolseley Hotel
- The Landmark Hotel
- The Dorchester Hotel
- The Connaught Hotel
Afternoon tea needs to be pre-booked, but some places may accept walk- ins.
Evening
Head back to Leicester square for a theatre show.
Day 3- City of London
Today is the day for stunning views and gardens of London
What is known as the area of the City of London today, is actually the oldest part of London. This is where the original Roman city of Londinium was founded, and over the centuries expanded out from this area to the London we have today.
This area is now largely a business district, but it has plenty of hidden in plain sight goodies to offer, from sections of the Roman wall that once enclosed city and some of the oldest buildings and establishments in the city.
Morning
Spend the morning at the Tower of London, where you can learn some 1,000 years of English and Royal history in a few hours.
Take a tour with a Beefeater or grab a audio guide to learn about one of the most infamous places in England.
Built by William the Conquer, in 1078 and added to over the centuries it has been used as many things over the years, such as a fortress, a Royal Palace, Prison, Zoo, Bank and Royal Mint. Some of the highlights to see are:
- Beefeater walking tour, starting every 30 minutes at the main entrance (this tour is included in your ticket)
- The White Tower
- The Royal Jewels
- Traitors gate
- The Bloody tower
- The tower wall
Make sure to prebook tickets so you can skip the line. Ticket Prices start £34.80 for a adult. Tickets are time slotted, so make sure you arrive in your time slot. Closest tube station is Tower hill on the circle and District Lines (yellow and green lines).
Time spend here is subjective to how much you enjoy/like learning about history. Many people can spend the entire day here, others can spend a hour or two and feel they have seen everything.
Lunch Suggestions
Head over to St Katherine Docks with plenty of places around the marina to enjoy some lunch.
- White Mulberries cafe
- The Dickens Inn
- Traders wine Bar (Tapas and charcuterie boards, if after something small).
While in this area its a great time to head down to the Thames and get some iconic photos of Tower bridge with the girl with a Dolphin fountain.
Afternoon
Heading west through the streets past the tower of London, you can explore the streets of old London. As you head this way you will pass St Dunstan in the east church along Lower Thames street.
No longer a church, as it was significantly damaged during the Blitz in London during WW II, it is now some beautiful gardens amongst the ruins.
The church was built in 1100 and added to over the centuries and, most notably by Sir Christopher Wren after it was damage in the great fire of London in 1666.
Continuing along the road you will come to Pudding Lane, famous for where the great fire of London started from a Bakery early in the morning.
Heading up here, on the left hand side you will find yourself at monument square and the monument to the great fire of London. For about £5-6 you can head up the long (300 steps) spiral staircase and get a fantastic view of London.
After the monument there are a quite a few different options in this area to enjoy.
- Head down to St Paul’s Cathedral (15 min walk from the Monument)
- Guildhall (check out the Roman ruins in the basement)
- Barbican Conservatory (keep a eye out for the multiple sections of the Roman London Wall in this area)
- Head up to Leadenhall Market ( a beautiful old victorian Market, also used in the harry potter films)
- Bank of England Museum
- Head to the Fortum and Mason Bar and restaurant at the Royal exchange
Evening
Head up to the Skygarden at the top of the walkie talkie building to see a beautiful view of London in the evening. You can prebook a free time slot Here as it can get very busy.
Day 4- Southbank & Greenwich
Today is about exploring the Southside of London, the Thames and Greenwich
Morning
Today is all about exploring the south side of London.
A footpath runs from Lambeth bridge in the west all the way along to the Tower bridge in the east. This is known as the Queens walk and is roughly 3.5 km long. Along the walk there are plenty of things to see and do, along with some fantastic view points and photo op’s!
Start at Westminster bridge (closest Tube station is Westminster station) and cross Westminster bridge to the Southside and start heading East along the footpath.
Things to look out for include:
- The London Eye
- The Jubilee Gardens
- The book Market under Waterloo Bridge
- Hayward Gallery (Art Gallery)
- Shakespeares Globe
- The Tate Modern
- The Clink prison museum
- Southwark Cathedral
- Winchester Palace Ruins
- Original site of the Globe theatre
- The Shard
- Borough Market
- The Golden Hinde (a replicate of Sir Francis Drake’s Ship from the 1600’s)
- HMAS Belfast (WWII ship museum)
- Tower bridge engine rooms (showing the Victorian technology behind this famous bridge).
*Side note* if you would like to go up the London Eye, pre-booking is essential and it can be expensive. If you would like to explore some views of London that aren’t the Eye, check out my post London views on a budget.
Lunch Suggestions
- Borough Market- great food markets to stop for lunch or pick up some snacks for later.
Afternoon
Leaving from the London Bridge pier, catch the ferry down to Greenwich Pier. This ferry ride takes about 30 minutes, you can use either a oyster card or contactless card to pay as it is part of the London transport system.
You can catch the RB1 (purple) or the RB6 (Yellow) ferries as they both go to Greenwich Pier.
Once here you can spend the afternoon exploring Greenwich, which has a very quaint village feel, that you can easily forget your still in London! Spend some time wondering the streets, check out some of the numerous cafes, bars or enjoy a cream tea at a tea house.
Things to see in Greenwich:
- Greenwich market
- Cutty sark (Historic Tea ship) Museum
- National Maritime Museum (the British empire once had the largest and most powerful navy in the world, so I highly recommend!)
- Old Royal Naval College
Greenwich Park
- Royal Greenwich Observatory
- The Prime Meridian Line and Museum
- Roman Temple site
- Flower garden and Herb garden
Evening
Head back up the river to the via the RB ferries and get off at Bankside Pier. Immerse yourself in some Shakespeare by seeing a show at the Shakespeares Globe theatre.
As a replica, you can experience what it used to be like in the Elizabethan times, with wooden benches to sit on or purchase a standing ticket from £5.00.
Dinner Suggestions
If you have time before the show head just next door to The Anchor Bankside – Traditional English pub, once popular with the theatre performers during Shakespeares time. Does great pub dinners, including fish and chips!
Day 5- West London
Explore the quaint village like Notting Hill, and one of the most famous parks and palaces in the world
Morning
Starting in Notting Hill, this stylish and vibrant area in west London has beautiful streets and gardens with many parts giving a village type feel to it.
Starting from Notting hill gate tube station, head up Portobello road and on the way pick up a delicious coffee from Farm Girl cafe, or if your feeling a bit adventurous I highly recommend the Rose latte! it is delicious!
If you have time, stay for some breakfast, otherwise continue heading up the road to the Portobello markets and spend a few hours browsing the stalls, the markets are open everyday from 8am.
As you continue heading up the road you will also pass the Hummingbird Bakery with some great cupcakes that you can pick up for later, the famous Notting hill blue door from the movie and Alice’s (from the movie Paddington 2) full of Antiques.
A block over on Kensington park road is a very cute bakery Biscuiteers Boutique cafe where you can get enjoy a cream tea or some unique biscuits. After the markets you can meander the streets of Notting hill as you head towards Hyde Park.
Lunch Suggestions
- Daylesford Organic cafe
- Granger and Co Restaurant
- Farm Girl Cafe
- The Shed
- Leinster Arms Pub
- The Swan, Hyde park (pub)
Afternoon
After lunch head on into Hyde Park and you can hire a bike (closest Hire stations are on Bayswater road just near the Lancaster tube station or the North west corner of Hyde park at Black Lion gate (There are also various place in the park you can pick one up.) and head for a ride around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Some places to check out include:
- The Serpentine
- The Italian gardens
- Princess Diana Memorial
- The Albert Memorial
- The Round pond
After a ride around the park and gardens head to Kensington Palace.
Kensington palace a Royal residence, known as the London home of the Prince and Princess of Wales, home to the late Princess Diana of Wales and Queen Victoria, many royals have lived here over the centuries.
The Museum contains the state rooms with exhibitions of various royals, such as Queen Victoria and King George I and II and fashions from Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana.
After, you can enjoy a walk through the Orangery and enjoy afternoon tea at the Kensington Palace Cafe.
Evening
Head to the Famous Churchill Arms Pub for a pint on Kensington Church street. This beautiful pub covered in flowers all year round is full of 1940s and world war II memorabilia.
After a pint or two, catch the bus from the bus stop (stop P Sheffield terrace) across the road from the Pub (buses 452 to Vauxhall or the 52 to Victoria) to head down to South Kensington.
Try and grab a seat on the top of the bus and along the way you will go past world famous Kensington High street, where you can get off to explore for a bit, or continue down to the famous luxury shopping area of Knightsbridge and Brompton Road.
Here you can go and explore the famous Harrods department store and the other Luxury stores along this road.
Don’t forget to explore the Harrods food hall and head to the bottom levels for a Harrods Souvenir, you can even have dinner in one of the multiple restaurants here or otherwise head back out onto the high street for dinner.
Day 6 – Museums
London has some of the best museums in the world, from history, art, culture, take a day to check out a Museum or 2.. or 4!
Some of the top museums to check out are:
- Natural History Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- The Tate Modern
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- The London Museum
- The transport Museum
- Imperial War Museum
- National Maritime Museum
- The British Library
- The British Museum
- The Barbican Conservatory
Day 7- North London
Put on your walking shoes and start the day off at the canal behind Paddington Station and head for some breakfast next to the water.
Breakfast Suggestions
- Beany green
- Bondi green
- Darcie and may green
After breakfast start walking along the canal towards Little Venice, where you can see all the colourful house boats. From here continue down the path and you will pass behind the back of Regents park and the London zoo.
You can hop off the canal path here and have a wander around Regents park. Once your done, you can either head through the park, or hop back on the canal path and continue to Camden Markets.
Spend some time checking out the famous Camden markets grab some lunch at one of the stores and the dont forget to check out the streets around the markets.
From the Markets head to the Camden tube station and head up to Hampstead station (Northern- black line) and on to Hampstead heath. Hampstead heath is a massive park but does have some great spots to check out.
Take your swimmers if its a hot date and go swimming at the Kenwood baths.
- Kenwood House
- Checkout the fantastic view of London at the Parliament Hill viewpoint (also a scene from Bridget Jones baby is filmed at the seat on the hill here).
- The Hill garden and pergola is a must see along with the walled garden.
If you have time you can head over to the famous highgate Cemetery with the famous Egyptian avenue and Karl Marx’s’ tomb.
From here catch the tube back down the Northern line (black line) to Kings Cross. Here, if you are a Harry Potter fan, you will know this is where Harry catches the train to School, inside the station is the famous spot of his trunk halfway through the wall at platform 9 3/4.
Outside you can see the famous St Pancras station building too.
Further down the road you can see the British Library which is open until 8pm on most nights.
Optional Day Trips
If your need a break from the hustle and bustle of London for a day or have a extra day to spare, a day trip to another city is always a good idea! Some great suggestions close to London are:
The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros Studio
A must see for any Harry Potter fan! A great day trip and a less than a hours train ride from central London (Euston train station) to Watford Junction where you can be picked up by the Warner bros bus if purchased in your ticket. You can book tickets Here.
Bath
A 1 1/2 hour train journey, leaving Paddington Station on Great Western Railway (GWR), will land you in the city of Bath!
Famous for its name sake, the Roman baths, the city became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987. With beautiful Georgian architecture everywhere, it is a great city to explore on foot.
Aside from seeing the Roman Baths museum, you can go and enjoy your own at the Thermae Bath Spa.
With Baths, saunas, steam rooms and a cryotherapy room it is a great way to spend a couple of hours. They will also supply you with a locker, towel, flip flops, and showers for after, so you don’t need to bring anything but your swimmers with you!
Other Places to see include:
- The Jane Austen centre
- The Royal Crescent and the Circus Street (2 of the most famous and beautiful streets in Bath. Both used in a lot of period Movies and tv shows)
- The Bath skyline trail
- Canal cruise
- The Bath Christmas markets are great if you’re there during November or December
City of Oxford
A 1 hour train journey from Paddington station on GWR and you will be in the city of Oxford. Home to the oldest University in the English speaking world, the city is also full of history, literary legends and beautiful architecture and a great city to wander around.
Things to see and do include:
- A walking tour run by a Oxford University Student
- The Radcliffe camera building
- The bridge of sighs
- Head to the oldest coffee house in Europe. The Queens lane coffee house has been running since 1654.
- Go Punting on the river Thames
- The Bodleian Library (one of the oldest libraries in Europe and second largest in Britain)
- Oxford castle
- Turf tavern- A Grade II heritage listed pub and one of the oldest in Oxford. Has a beautiful beer garden too!
- Oxford Botanical Gardens
- Head the the actual oldest pub in Oxford (1242), The Bear for great pub lunch
- Check out some places of literary inspiration, such as Harry Potter at New collage, the Lamp post from Narnia near Radcliffe camera and Alice’s shop and the Cheshire Cat statue from Alice in Wonderland.
Stonehenge and the City of Salisbury
A gorgeous ancient city, Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire is a short 1 1/2 hour train ride from Waterloo station, London, with south western railways.
Settled on the river Avon, this charming town has cobbled stoned streets, Tudor style buildings, beautiful gardens and ancient ruins. With a ancient Cathedral that has the highest spire in Europe and one of the few copies (and best preserved copy) of the Magna Carta left, this is a ideal city to visit.
The closest city to Stonehenge (10 miles up the road) you can do a Stonehenge bus tour, which takes you to Stonehenge, the Cathedral and Old Sarum (the original Salisbury settlement) that overlooks the city.
You can buy tickets for all the attractions included or just the bus, with a audio guide on board explaining the history of both Stonehenge and the city of Salisbury as you cross the Salisbury plains.
Pick ups are from the stop outside the train station or in the town centre, with buses leaving every 30-40 minutes. You can buy Tickets here.
Other things you can explore is a tour up the Spire in the Cathedral, learn how the cathedral was build 1,000 years ago and the engineering involved and see beautiful views of the city and surrounding countryside from the top, and see the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta while your there.
Enjoy a pint in the the beer gardens overlooking the river at the Bridge Tap Pub on Fisherton street, or the Bishops Mill, enjoy a traditional English pub meal at the Haunch of Venison (the Roast on a Sunday is alway a good call), the Ox Row inn or enjoy a Wine and cheese board at Mauls Wine bar, and lastly stroll through the beautiful Elizabeth gardens with the river Avon flowing through them, before heading down to the station and hopping back on the train to London.
City of Cambridge
Another famous university city, Cambridge lies a 1 1/2 north of London on the river Cam. Leaving from Liverpool Street station on the greater Anglia railway.
With a settlement being here since the bronze age and a 800 year old university ranked as one of the top in the world, there is plenty to see for the day.
Like in Oxford, you can do a walking tour with run by the university students showing you around. Go Punting on the river Cam, see some of the most famous Cambridge Colleges such as Kings, Trinity, corpus christie and Queens.
Other places to explore:
- The Fitzwilliam Museum
- The Cambridge Botanical gardens
- Kettles Yard
- Newtons Apple tree
- Cambridge university Library- One of the largest academic libraries in the world
- The Mathematical Bridge- grade II heritage listed bridge and engineering feat. (Also known as the Bridge of Sighs)
Brighton
If its a nice warm sunny day, a great trip would be to head to the seaside at Brighton. A 1 1/2 hour train from Victoria Station, London, and you can be on the beach in Brighton.
Explore the old winding streets with pubs, cafes and plenty of Antique shops, Walk along the promenade and the Brighton pier and enjoy some English fish and chips on the beach.
A fair warning though- If the weather is nice and warm and sunny, this little town can become extremely busy, as most of the country will flock to these seaside towns during summer when the weather is nice.
Frequently asked Questions
Is 7 days enough to explore London?
Yes, 7 Days is enough of time for a first time visit to explore London and see all the main attractions.
Is London Safe?
Yes, London is a reasonably safe city. Like every city in the world, there are certain areas that have higher crime rates and not as safe at night. Central London is safe during the day, and plenty of people around at night as well.
The Tube and buses are safe to travel on day and night. But like in most cities remain vigilant and beware of pick pockets especially in touristy areas.
Is London Expensive?
Yes, unfortunately London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. From accomodation, to restaurants and attractions it can be very expensive.
For a cheap hotel you are looking at minimum £100.00 a night. Most tourist attractions cost roughly £25.00-40.00 each. Check out my Tips and tricks for London on a budget post for some ideas on how to save some cash here.
How to get into Central London from Heathrow Airport?
From Heathrow airport you have a couple of options to get into London.
- Heathrow Express- Takes roughly 20 minutes from the airport into Paddington station, where it arrives and departs from, this is the most expensive public transport option costing about £25. From Paddington you can connect to the Tube through the Elizabeth (Purple), District (green), circle (yellow) Bakerloo (Brown) and Hammersmith (pink) Lines.
- Piccadilly (Navy) and Elizabeth (purple) Lines both run frequently to and from the airport. The Piccadilly doesn’t start until approximately 5 am and 7 am on Sundays so beware if your travelling early morning. (If you choose this route, be aware that not all stations have lifts or escalators, so make sure you can carry your suitcase if needed).
- Buses- there are a few buses that run from the airport. The National Express, Flix bus and Mega buses leave from the Heathrow bus station and go to the Victoria Coach station that is just next to Victoria train and tube Station.
What is the best way to get around London?
London has excellent public transport! Between the Tube, the overground, the trains and the buses it is very easy to get around London at a reasonably cheap price.
Alternative you can hire a Lime or Santander bike and is free for the first 30 minutes. Black cabs and Ubers are also very popular, but can be quite expensive.
If you are out late at night, there are only a few tube lines that run late at night on Friday and Saturday nights.
Where should I stay in London?
London is a very big place, and what is defined as the main part of London is also very big and there isn’t one “main” section.
Places such as Soho, covent garden, Bloomsbury, Kings Cross, Victoria, Paddington, Mayfair, Holborn are suburbs that can be great to stay in and do make up what is known as “central” London.
These can be good to stay in as they have good public transport connections, but also close to many attractions within walking distance. But in return these areas can be very expensive to stay in.
Another area known as the city (city of London), is the oldest part of London, with many attractions, but is also mainly the Business district, so will be busy during the week, but is very quiet with many places, including food places shut on the weekends.
If you chose to stay further out you may find some cheaper places, and catch the train in each day, it can become expensive with train tickets.
Do you have to Tip in London?
No, tipping in London is not compulsory, But in many places they will automatically add on a service charge for anywhere between 10-15%. However you can request this to be removed if you would like.
How much Cash should I bring with me?
In London English Pounds (£) are used, and I would recommend a maximum of £50.00 to bring. Why so little? Because cards are used everywhere and a lot of places don’t even accept cash anymore (including public transport). I would bring the cash as a just in case.
However If you are planning on travelling outside of London to smaller towns or villages, cash is used a lot more, such as some in some places local buses and taxis only take cash and don’t actually have card machines.
Do I need to pre-book attractions?
London is a very busy place with lots of tourists, especially in the summer months (peak season), to avoid disappointment on missing out on a attraction, I would advise booking ahead and especially if it is on a weekend.
Many free attractions like museums, still have pre-booked timed slots to prevent crowding.
What are some other attractions to see that aren’t included in the 7 day Itinerary?
- Hampton court Palace
- Windsor Castle
- Kew Gardens
- Richmond Park
- Spitalfields markets
- Borough food markets
- The royal Mews
- HMS Belfast
- London Zoo
Other London Posts
The Best 3 day London Itinerary
The best things to do in London in Winter