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5 Days in London
38
items Spend 5 days exploring all the different areas of London with me!
Map
Sections
6
Hotels
Day 1: Arrival Day
Day 2: Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and more!
Day 3: Explore Westminster and Covent Garden
Day 4: Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, & Marylebone
Day 5: Take a day trip!
Hotels
I prefer to stay in Westminster most of the time since it’s very accessible to everything but tends to be a much quieter area of the city. There are several tube (subway stations) to get you everywhere you need and is close to many attractions as wel...
The Sheraton Park Lane is a great hotel with lovely ambiance! The rooms are lovely and it has a very old world feel to it. This hotel is a bit closer to the middle of everything versus staying in Westminster.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane
St James Court is one of my favorite hotels! The courtyard is unmatched and the rooms are fairly large by European standards. It is walking distance to several tube stops and down the street from Buckingham Palace!
St. James’ Court London, A Taj Hotel
St Ermins is a Marriott hotel and has the best bang for your buck if using Marriott points! Right in Westminster, it is walking distance to two tube stations (subways) and just a lovely neighborhood. It’s walking distance to several attractions inclu...
St. Ermin's Hotel, Autograph Collection
Day 1: Arrival Day
Usually you arrive in the morning and since it’s too early to check into your hotel to take a nap after your flight, here is a list of things to do to pass the time! Don’t worry, I penciled you in a nap later.
Wagamamas are all over London and the best noodle bars! This one is in Westminster inside a small outdoor shopping mall. If staying in Westminster, walk down here, look around some shops, then head up the escalator to Wagamama.
Wagamama (Victoria)
After lunch, if you still need to kill time, taking a walking loop around Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St James Park! It will take about an hour, and the park is so beautiful and lovely to walk through. Then, go back to your hotel and ta...
St James's Park
Harrods is a London staple! It has everything you can imagine. Walk around the store for a bit to see what all the fuss is about. It’s famous for its decorations, both inside and out! Especially if it’s Christmas time, you won’t be disappointed.
Harrods
Known for its famous colored doors (and the Julia Robert’s movie obvs!), just walking around Notting Hill will make you feel like you never want to leave. There are so many wonderful shops and outdoor markets to explore here. Be sure to stop and buy ...
Notting Hill
Most known for its Christmas decorations, but Churchill Arms still looks incredible in the spring! It is said that Churchill himself used to broadcast from this pub during the Second World War even!
The Churchill Arms, Kensington
Day 2: Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and more!
Start out your trip with a hop on/hop off bus to get to know the city. The open air buses (which have insides if it’s cold) give you headphones and tell you all about the sights as you’re driving past them in real time. Then start out by learning abo...
Time to see the king! Not really, there’s a slim chance of that. But you can get here early in the morning to see the changing of the guards! It gets pretty crowded so get here early. It’s quite an interesting event! Don’t forget to try and make a gu...
Buckingham Palace
Take the red route on the hop on/hop off bus. This pass is good for 24 hours too so you can use it as transportation to get around for the entire day! Start at Buckingham Palace and do the full loop which takes about an hour and a half. You will not ...
London Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
Borough Market is food heaven! They have every type of food imaginable here. Take a loop around before deciding what to eat. This is a market with very limited seating so take note that you’ll probably want to find a bench in a less crowded area outs...
Borough Market
Stop at the Leonardo Hotel. In the middle of their main courtyard is a wall that has a piece of the original Roman wall. Very cool stop!
Leonardo Royal Hotel London City | UK
My favorite spot in the city! You need to make a reservation to get inside the walls of the tower, but with tickets come a free Beefeater tour. This is what they call their operators and they’ll tell you why on the tour! While inside, don’t miss seei...
Tower of London
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel where you get the best views of the city! Don’t worry, it’s not as small as a regular Ferris wheel. Each car is enclosed and made for a group!
London Eye
The Globe theater is next on the list. There are actually actually two of them, the original spot where Shakespeare’s original one stood (but sadly burned down) and the working one down the street. Both are great to see in real life, especially after...
Shakespeare's Globe
Leadenhall has all sorts of great food for either lunch or dinner options! It’s also a main filming spot for the Harry Potter movies and will transport you to feel like you’re inside the movie when here! It’s especially beautifully decorated for the ...
Leadenhall Market
Day 3: Explore Westminster and Covent Garden
See all the important sights that London is famous for in Westminster and then go walk around Covent Garden to explore shops, restaurants, and bars with just the best vibes. This area gets pretty crowded sometimes but really gives you the feel of liv...
Westminster Abbey is the most interesting church you’ll ever step into. All kings and queens for centuries have been not only coronated here, but also laid to rest here. You can get a free audio guide with tickets to learn about its rich history. Pla...
Westminster Abbey
Stop and say hi to Big Ben! No need to go inside, it’s just an iconic site so be sure to stop and take a great photo!
Big Ben
See London from above! This giant ferris wheel will give you the best views of the city.
London Eye
The Albert is a great spot for lunch or dinner! It’s a quintessential British pub and the food is all great here. Fun fact: It’s one of the few surviving buildings in the area from The Blitz in World War II.
The Albert Pub Restaurant in Victoria - Greene King
Church War Rooms is a historic underground complex that housed a British government command centre throughout the Second World War, and the Churchill Museum, a biographical museum exploring the life of British statesman Winston Churchill. Go see this...
Churchill War Rooms
Walk around Covent Garden. Start at the Market for lunch and then just meander around the entire area. It’s fun and interesting and vibrant and just really really cool. Lots of shops and bars to lose yourself in.
Covent Garden
Neal’s Yard is a small alleyway in Covent Garden. It’s filled within colorful building and just a very picturesque spot to stop for lunch or dinner!
Neal's Yard
Stop for a drink at the Lamb and Flag! Hidden down an alleyway in the middle of Covent Garden this is THE original first pub which opened in 1772. It was also a favorite of writer Charles Dickens!
Lamb & Flag
After dinner, take a tour to learn all about Jack The Ripper, the famous serial killer!
The Jack the Ripper Tour
Day 4: Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, & Marylebone
Today you’re going to walk through some of the more well known areas of London, each having its own unique feel. We’ll end the day in Marylebone, a very chill but adorable neighborhood.
Walk around Trafalgar Square. Explore the streets that lead out from the square and find some of the best hidden spots for a drink or a quick bite to eat!
Trafalgar Square
Walk around the area of Leicester Square and don’t miss the theaters in the West End (London’s version of NYC‘s Broadway). If you have time get tickets to a musical for a great experience! The entire surrounding area is lovely as well so stop in some...
Leicester Square
Don’t miss Cecil Court. Browse through these old bookshops, as you will find many first editions of books at affordable prices!
Cecil Court
Once you’re done walking Cecil Court don’t forget to stop in Godwin’s Court! It took me years of visiting this area to discover this small alleyway which was the inspiration (and filming location!) for Diagon and Knockturn Alley in the Harry Potter m...
Goodwin’s Court
Picadilly Circus is London’s version of NYC’s Times Square with all its lights and tvs! This is also a great spot for a photo op of London’s famous double decker buses.
Piccadilly Circus
Like Harrods, Fortnum & Mason is an iconic London department store. Especially important not to miss during the holidays when they go all out decorating it!
Fortnum & Mason
This famous major shopping street with designer stores is a great stop while already in the West End.
Regent Street
Marylebone is another great neighborhood to explore. Fill with shop and bars and restaurants, it’s a great way to wind down your day and take in your surroundings. It’s definitely a less visited and underrated area of the city!
Marylebone
Stop at Fortitude bakery for their famous beignets (which sell out every day!) but really everything is incredible at this Moroccan inspired bakery!
Fortitude Bakehouse
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, don’t forget to stop at King’s Cross station to take a photo at platform 9 3/4! There is also an incredible official gift shop right next to this. Note that if you go during the day, there is a line and they charge for p...
King’s Cross
Day 5: Take a day trip!
Use your last day to explore outside of the city! Here are some of my favorite day trips that don’t feel overwhelming.
Hampton Court Palace dates back to the Tudor times and was a favorite of King Henry VIII (and all his wives!). It’s a working palace that lets you walk through most sections and really makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. Additionally, the g...
Hampton Court Palace
Windsor castle is breathtaking. Take a train 45 minutes out of the city and see this working castle and it’s unbelievable grounds. This castle portrays royalty at its finest!
Windsor Castle
Take an Uber boat from Westminster (which in itself is a great attractions with unbelievable views down the Thames) 45 minutes down the Thames river to Greenwich. Here you can walk through the park and stand on the actual prime meridian line (the lin...
Greenwich