London itinerary in 5 days

London itinerary in 5 days

It is defintely possible to explore London, in five days.  One of the most loved cities in the world, it is known for numerous tourist attractions like fashionable neighborhoods, spectacular skyline, and top-notch museums. All one requires is a careful planning about the places that you wish to travel in the city. Just make a note of the opening hours, closing hours, ticket sales, discounts and smart travel hacks, so that you can make the best of your trip.

London has many accommodation options from hostels and AirBnBs to affordable/mid-range hotels and luxury boutique hotels and international chains. Summers with its sunny pleasant weather is the peak season and accommodation is more expensive by over $200 during this time.

Presented below is a London itinerary for 5 days.

1. Day One

Day one of your London trip should not be too hectic as you may have jet lag or be tired. Hence, go to the hotel, rest a bit, eat something and then begin the trip. You may go for the hop on hop off (HOHO) bus tour of the city and then visit the London Eye.

• London is a big city and a hop on hop off bus tour is a great way to get acquainted with it. Additionally, a HOHO bus tour can be the ideal relaxing start for tourists worn out by international travel. There are several operators of HOHO tours in London and different tours have different routes that traverse across different attractions. The bus tours are available with validity periods of 1, 2, or 3 days. Some tours may have additional excursions like a cruise across River Thames. You may choose a tour that you want. If you have time and are up for it, you may opt for the HOHO tour with the boat cruise. Book the HOHO bus tour tickets in advance to save some money on the costs.

• The London Eye Ferris Wheel is one of the most popular attractions in the city. First timers should definitely go for it and enjoy the thrill of looking down at the city, the neighborhoods, and the skyline from up above in the sky. Opt for a HOHO bus tour that has a stop at the London Eye. Later, you may hop back onto the bus to get back to your hotel.

2. Day Two

Day two of the London itinerary can comprise of visits to the varied historical sites like the Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Covent Garden, and Whitehall, etc.

• The Buckingham Palace is the official home of the Queen of England. Tourists are not allowed inside the Palace and you can just look at it from across the fence. The Changing of the Guard can be exciting to watch, but it can get crowded. During some selected periods of the year, and during August and September, tourists are allowed to take a trip across the State Rooms of the Palace.

• Westminster Abbey is the mansion where royal weddings, royal funerals, and royal coronations of English monarchs take place. It is walking distance away from the Buckingham Palace. The Abbey’s floor is home to the tombs of hundreds of renowned individuals, including Sir Issac Newton and Charles Darwin. Entry is included in the London Pass. The admission ticket comes with an audio guide that offers information about the history of the Abbey.

• Head towards Whitehall for lunch in a good restaurant. The official residence of the Prime Minister of the UK, i.e., Number 10 Downing Street, is located near Whitehall. Armed guards protect the entrance which is behind a fence. The Horse Guards Parade can also be found near Whitehall. The parades are carried out in a big graveled area and there is changing of the guard every day at 11 in the morning.

• Walk to the Churchill War Rooms museum. Entry ticket is included in the London Pass. The museum is divided into two sections the Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum. The former is an underground bunker where Churchill ran the WWII operations along with his staff. The latter offers information about the legacy and life of the wartime Prime Minister. It is an interesting museum and all will enjoy a visit, not just history aficionados.

• Walk towards London’s iconic structure the Big Ben from the Churchill War Rooms. Along the way you will get to see the Parliament. You may use the Westminster Bridge to get across the Thames so as to get the perfect view of the Parliament alongside the banks of the river. Visits inside the Big Ben are not allowed till year 2021 as it is undergoing renovation.
  • If the Parliament is in session, then tourists can attend debates at the House of Lords or the House of Commons, or go for a tour of the building. Debates can be watched during weekdays after noon. When the Parliament is not in session, you can go for audio tours (with entry fee) on weekdays and Saturdays.
• Walk north to get to one of the most famous public squares in London, viz., the Trafalgar Square. This area is known for its New Year’s Eve partying, anti-war gatherings, victory parades, and lots more!
• There is a district called Covent Garden in the well-known dining and shopping destination of London called the West End. Covent Garden is home to a vibrant colorful alley named Neal’s Yard. It is a great place to take photos and eat delicious artisanal cheese. Covent Garden also has many shops and restaurants, especially at Apple Market. You may spend some time and explore this amazing neighborhood.
• Ben Franklin resided in a house in London from 1757 to 75. It has now been converted into a museum. Entry ticket is included in the London Pass. Visit it if you are interested.

 

3. Day Three

Some of the places that you can check out on day three of your London trip can include attractions like Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Tate Modern, Borough Market, Sky Garden, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, etc.

• The Tower Bridge over the River Thames is one of the most iconic symbols of London. You can walk onto the bridge and look down and across the wide expanse of the river. It is also a great place to take photos. Tourists can climb up the bridge’s tower to get to a raised glass floor. From there you can get a thrilling view of cars, pedestrians, buses, etc., barreling across the bridge. Entry to the bridge is free, but there is an admission fee into the tower and the glass walkway. The latter is free for holders of the London Pass.

 

• The Tower of London has been the symbol of English monarchy for almost 1000 years. It has served as a prison, a vault for riches, a royal palace, and as a site for executions. Entry ticket is included in the London Pass. Tourists can get down at the Tower Hill underground station and walk to the Tower.
  • A trip to the Tower of London offers a fabulous insight into the city’s rich history and is thus a must visit for all travelers. Go for the entertaining and educational Yeoman Warder tour to learn about different events that happened in the Tower and London’s history. You will also get to see The Crown Jewels, which consist of a wondrous display of scepters and crowns studded with the most magnificent diamonds. Tourists can also go to the museum in the tower that features the Royal Armory, the blocks of executioners, and other artifacts, take a tour of the White Tower, and explore the walls of the ancient monument.

• The Shard is a huge building located along the west of River Thames. It is one of the latest additions to the London skyline. The unusual appearance of the building and the ‘View from The Shard’ are the things that have made it a popular site to visit. The latter offers the highest and most spectacular views of the city, but the ticket is expensive. It is included in the London Pass.

• In case you do not want to spend money on the expensive ‘View from The Shard’ tickets, then you can go to the Sky Garden. It is said that the observation deck of the Sky Garden offers some of the best panoramic views of the Thames River and London. There is no entry fee, but you have to advance book your visit at their website. If you skip the Shard, then visit the Sky Garden later in the evening and enjoy a wonderful meal whilst having a fantastic view.

• Head over to the Borough Market for a delicious lunch. This market has an endless array of cuisines from all over the world. Sit down at a stall serving specialist dishes and enjoy it regale your taste buds while gazing across the River Thames.

• Tate Modern is a modern art museum. The art on display can invoke feelings of love or hate. You may visit it or skip it. Entry is free.
• The first Globe Theater was constructed in the late 1500s and it hosted many Shakespeare plays. It was rebuilt with modern construction in 1997. It is located next to the Tate Modern museum. You can catch a performance in the open air theater or take a tour of it. The tour tickets are included in the London Pass.
• The famous Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian bridge across the River Thames. It was constructed in 2000. It was featured in varied movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Harry Potter. You may take the bridge and walk across towards other London hot spots.
• The Monument of the Great Fire of London is a monument dedicated as a reminder to the tragic Great Fire of London of 1666 which decimated the city. If you are not too weary, you may climb more than 300 steps to the rooftop for a fabulous view of the city.

• Paul’s Cathedral is a late seventeenth century church that is famous for being the site where many famous events took place, including the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles, Winston Churchill’s funeral, and the Queen’s Diamond jubilee celebrations. Entry ticket is included in the London Pass. Tourists should take the steps and climb to the Whispering Gallery and then to the rooftop from where you can again see amazing views of London.

4. Day Four

Day four of your London trip can consist of trips to the Greenwich, National Gallery, Up at the O2, and Prime Meridian, etc.

• The Piccadilly Circus is an area which is similar to New York City’s Times Square. It is the place where many major roads intersect. The area can be extremely busy as streams of cars and red double-decker buses keep rolling by. It also features gigantic neon signs in varied colors. Go to the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, find a seat in its steps, sit down, and watch the hectic ambiance unfold before your eyes.
• The National Gallery is located at Trafalgar Square and is the most renowned art gallery in the city. There is no admission fee. The gallery is home to British artworks dating from the 13^th century till the early 1900s. Full exploration of the gallery can take an entire day. In case you want to see more paintings, you may visit the National Portrait Gallery located nearby.

• Regent Street is one of the main shopping streets in the city. It is close to another popular junction in London, the Oxford Circus. One of the biggest toy stores on the planet, viz., Hamley’s, is also located nearby. Families with kids should definitely go there.

• The O2 district is an entertainment hub with a music club, an arena, restaurants, and cinema. Up at the O2 is a spectacular 90-minute entertaining session that features a climb to the rooftop and majestic views of London. The session can be experienced at sunset, daytime, or at twilight. Visit the website for booking a session, ticket costs, etc.
• Greenwich is located on the outskirts of London. You may go there to see attractions like the Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark, and the Royal Observatory.
  • The Royal Observatory is the place where you can place one leg in the western hemisphere and one leg in the eastern hemisphere and stand over the “0” degree longitude. The place also has a planetarium museum. The observatory is located atop a hill and thus offers great views of the Thames River and Greenwich landscape. Tickets can be bought online.
  • The Old Royal Naval College is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It previously used to be a naval college and a naval hospital. It now gets used for shooting varied films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Patriot Games, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Avengers.
    • The Cutty Sark once used to be the fastest ship in the world. It is the only remaining tea clipper ship in the world. Tickets are available online.

5. Day Five

You can end day five of your London trip with visits to the Portobello Road Market, British Museum, Harrod’s, and Victoria and Albert Museum, etc.

• The Portobello Road Market is home to the biggest antique market in the world. Apparels, books, music, and other things are also sold here. It also has eateries where you can grab a breakfast or lunch.

• The British Museum is huge and you can spend an entire day exploring it. The museum is home to an enormous collection of historical objects gathered by the Imperial British Empire from around the world over centuries. You will get to see artifacts like Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, hieroglyphics, and a section of the Parthenon, etc. There is no admission ticket.

• The Victoria and Albert Museum is home to decoration design and arts. It is the biggest museum of its kind. You will get to see sculptu Notting Hill res, paintings, medieval relics, photographs, jewelry, and costumes, etc. from different places around the planet. Entry is free.
• The Natural History Museum, also located in Kensington, has many geological and wildlife exhibits. It is a great place for family fun. Entry is free.

• In case you have time, you can go for a relaxed time at Hyde Park and visit the charming neighborhood of Notting Hill

• Finish off the last day of your visit to London by going to Harrods departmental store. It is one of the most popular stores in not just London, but also on the planet. Its over 300 departments sell just about everything, including electronics, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and stationary, etc. It is also home to more than 30 restaurants where you can enjoy a delectable dinner.