One Day in London: Itinerary, Video, Map, Free Download
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Experiencing one day in London can be a challenging endeavor. With its historical landmarks, bustling markets, and lively pub culture, it’s a city that you could spend weeks or even months exploring. But if your time is limited, you can still tick off a few world-famous sights and attractions to capture the spirit of what London is about.
However, choosing what to do and see can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never been here before! But don’t fret, because we’ve lived in London and hosted tons of visitors during our stay, so we know all the must-see sights you can reasonably do with one day in London.
More London planning resources at your fingertips:
Check out our FREE London Travel Guide for everything you need to know before your trip.
Should you rent a car? We think opting for the Tube is a wiser choice.
Avoid booking your trip during the worst time to visit London, and don’t leave without our packing list!
One Day in London: What to Do
If you only have one day in London, you must plan how to spend your limited time here. Ideally, you shouldn’t pack in too much. Choose one or two neighborhoods you want to visit and pick out a few attractions in those areas. London is big, and it’s easy to waste a lot of your time commuting from one place to another.
Here are our favorite one day in London things to do.
Take a Scenic Bus Ride
If you want to see a lot in just one day, consider taking a bus ride around London. There are tons of local buses (not the touristy hop-on hop-off buses) where you can get a feel for the city. Plus, they’re relatively cheap and can be paid for using an Oyster card or contactless payment (similar to the Tube).
The buses are those iconic red double-deckers, so try to grab a seat on the top for a panoramic view while you ride!
Here are a couple of local routes we recommend:
- Route 24 (Camden, British Museum, Trafalgar Square)
- Route 11 (St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben)
- Route 9 (Kensington Palace, Royal Albert Hall, National Gallery)
- Route 15 (Tower of London, London Bridge, Trafalgar Square)
Watch our 9 London Transport Mistakes for tips on taking London’s amazing public transport. While you have only one day in London, your fastest mode of transport will be the bus or tube.
Bike the Royal Parks
Did you know that the city of London is technically considered a forest? According to the United Nations, a forest is anywhere that is comprised of at least 20% trees. And considering that London has 21% trees, it’s classified as a forest (and the world’s largest urban forest at that).
Therefore, it’s worth spending part of your day exploring all the beautiful green spaces in the city. The easiest way is to hire a bike. There are lots of bike rentals dotted around the city that you can rent by the minute or day (Santander, Lime, and Tier are a few of the most popular).
One of our favorite routes starts at Kensington Gardens. From here, you can peddle through Hyde Park, Green Park, and St. James Park before ending at Buckingham Palace.
Hyde Park is our favorite park in London. See if Hyde Park is Worth Visiting for your one day in London!
Walk the Thames
Snaking through the middle of the city and separating north London from the south is the River Thames. On a nice day, there’s nothing better than to take a stroll along the river bank, admiring all the historic sites, skyscrapers, and bridges that make London so famous.
You can get a great view of the city on either side, so the route you choose primarily depends on what you want to see along the way. For example, you can walk along the Victoria Embankment on the north side of the river, which runs east from the Place of Westminster. Or you can stroll along the Southbank to visit Borough Market and the Tate Modern.
Keep in mind that the Thames is long (215 miles!) and travels to the outskirts of London. If you’re interested in a quieter or more rural walk, there are lots of river walks beyond the city you can choose from. But if you only have one day in London, then we recommend not straying too far and sticking to the central part of the city.
If you want to see more in less time, consider taking a speedboat tour on the Thames! You’ll get to take in many of London’s most favorite sites along the river in just an hour.
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Get a jumpstart on your planning with an overview of each city: when to go, where to stay, can’t miss activities, and how to get around.
Get a Pint and a Meal at a Pub
You can’t visit London without visiting a traditional English pub. Thankfully, there are thousands (yes, thousands!) of pubs in the city where you can grab a hearty meal. Try the fish and chips, beef and ale pie, bangers and mash, or if you’re hungry first thing in the morning, a Full English!
Check out our London Pub Guide for recommendations, etiquette, and what to order!
As with most cities, we think the best places are away from the main streets and tourist areas. The food is generally better, and the experience is much more authentic! However, you don’t have to go far from the main sites to find a good pub. Try the Horse & Groom in Belgravia, the Queen’s Arms in Kensington, Ye Old Mitre in Holborn, or the Marquis Cornwallis in Bloomsbury.
If pubs are your proverbial cup of tea, consider a pub walking tour to check out several pubs paired with fascinating local history.
Visit a Market
London has an impressive array of markets where you can find practically anything you could ever imagine. Fresh produce, antiques, clothing – you name it, London probably has a market that sells it.
One of the most famous markets in the city is Borough Market. As one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, it’s a popular place to shop for wholesalers, locals, and tourists alike. The market has a street food area and is surrounded by a handful of pubs and restaurants, so you can also come here for a hot meal. But we’ll talk more about what to do at Borough Market a bit later.
Camden Market is another popular choice (it’s a combination of several different markets). Although it has a bit more of a grungy and alternative vibe, it’s still a good place to come for handicrafts, clothing, and street food.
Yes, we have a video on our favorite London Markets! Pick one in your neighborhood during your one day in London.
More to do in the city:
12 Best London Museums Actually Worth Visiting
25 of London’s Hidden Gems You Won’t Want to Miss (+ a map!)
Is Hyde Park Worth Visiting? 5 Reasons to Go & Why to Skip
One Day in London: A Great Itinerary
You can’t go wrong with any of the activities we listed above. But if you want a more structured itinerary of things to do, we have you covered there too!
We lived in London for three years, and every time we had a friend or family member come to visit us, we would give them this exact itinerary to follow! It ticks off so many of London’s big sights. And while this is a full-day itinerary, feel free to shorten it if you’re short on time or prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace.
You can download this FREE one-page itinerary here!
If you want to check out these sights in action, we have a video to show you around!
Make Your Way to Tower Hill
One of the best things about this itinerary is that you can do it no matter where you’re staying in London. We are starting at the Tower Hill Underground Station. If you’re not within walking distance, you can hop on the Tube to make your way here.
Visit the Tower of London
From the Tower Hill Underground Station, it’s just a short 5-minute walk towards the Thames to the Tower of London. We chose this as our first stop because it can get pretty crowded as the day goes on. If you’re here first thing in the morning (they open at 9 AM), make a beeline for the Crown Jewels to see the crowns, swords, and other monarchy memorabilia before the line gets too long.
After seeing the Crown Jewels, you can go to the White Tower, a 1,000-year-old fortress that’s now a museum filled with armor, treasures, and other century-old artifacts.
During your visit, you can do an audio tour or a guided tour led by a Yeomen Warders (otherwise known as a beefeater), ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. They’re free and such a great way to learn more about the castle and its role in English history.
Walk Across Tower Bridge
Now it’s time to head to one of London’s most iconic bridges – the Tower Bridge – a 7-minute walk from the Tower of London. You can walk across the lower section of the bridge for free, although it’s well worth the small admission price to go up inside the bridge to the high-level walkways.
The walkways have glass floors, so you can look at the cars and boats passing by below. And of course, you’ll have an incredible view of the city and skyline including the Tower of London, the Shard, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Your ticket also includes access to the engine rooms. Before the bridge switched to electricity in the ’70s, more than 80 people worked with these steam engines to raise and lower the bridge.
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CHEAT SHEETS: LONDON, PARIS, LISBON, & ROME
Use one or use them all! Sign up & we’ll send you our cheat sheets for all 4 cities.
Get a jumpstart on your planning with an overview of each city: when to go, where to stay, can’t miss activities, and how to get around.
Wander through Borough Market
After you cross the Tower Bridge, you’ll be on the South Bank of London. This is where you’ll find your 3rd stop – Borough Market! It’s been around since the year 1014, making it one of the oldest food markets in the entire city.
In addition to meat, fish, and fresh produce vendors, many of the booths also sell packaged items like wine, spices, jams, etc. But even if you’re not in the mood for shopping, Borough Market is still a fun place to come to eat, as there are lots of pubs, restaurants, and street food stalls. It’s also where you’ll find the Market Porter, a pub that starts serving beer at 6 AM!
But since you’ll likely be here around lunch, it’s important to keep in mind that it will be busy! Yes, the lines will be long and the crowds will be chaotic, but it’s one of those quintessential London experiences that you simply have to experience during your trip! But if this is too much of a hassle, there are lots of restaurants along to way to your next stop on the itinerary.
Visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
After lunch, head west along the South Bank until you reach Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. The building you see is a reconstruction of the original playhouse, which was demolished in the 1600s during the First English Civil War.
The Globe is open for tours, but if you plan, you can snag tickets to one of the theatrical performances that are held in this open-aired theater. They’re relatively affordable and you’ll get to experience the shows as they were performed back in the day!
Cross the Millennium Bridge
When you come out of the theater, you’ll be just a few steps away from the Millennium Bridge. We’ll be crossing this bridge to reach the North Bank, but if you’d like, you can hang out in this area a bit more beforehand. There are lots of cool sights in the area, including the Tate Modern and the Anchor Pub.
You might hear people refer to the Millennium Bridge as the Wobbly Bridge. That’s because, on opening day (June 2000), people crossing the bridge felt a huge swaying motion while they walked. It was only open one day before closing for a two-year refurbishment to fix it.
It’s perfectly safe now, so don’t worry while you’re crossing the Thames! Plus, the bridge was designed to have a terminating vista of St. Paul’s Cathedral on the other side, so you’ll have an amazing view along the way.
Admire St. Paul’s Cathedral
Once you cross the bridge, you’ll be just 5 minutes from the entrance to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century, this architectural wonder is one of the tallest in the world (it stands over 365 feet high).
St. Paul’s has been the site of royal weddings, state funerals, and national celebrations. If you’d like to see the inside of the cathedral yourself, you can get tickets. The entrance allows you to visit the main cathedral floor, the crypt, and the galleries at the top of the dome. Just keep in mind that it’s 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery, 376 steps up to the Stone Gallery, and 528 steps to the Golden Gallery, so be prepared to climb!
If Paris is the home base for your trip, we have you covered:
Check out our Paris Travel Guide and build your budget by reading our Paris cost analysis. We also have a list of our favorite restaurants in the Latin Quarter to help you find a great place for classic French cuisine.
One Day in London FAQs
Is one day enough in London?
No way! London is one of the largest and most bustling cities in the world. Even if you live here for three years like we did, you’ll barely be able to scratch the surface of what London has to offer. There are so many neighborhoods, museums, and historical sites that are worth exploring here.
But if you only have a limited time in the city, don’t worry. You can still make the most of your visit by ticking off some of the big attractions that we included in this itinerary.
In case this has you itching for a longer trip, check out how much a 7-day trip to London costs.
How many days do you need in London for the first time?
If it’s your first time in London, we recommend spending three to five days in the city. That’s a sufficient amount of time to see the big sites and to explore a couple of neighborhoods. But if you have more time, then you can do things at a more leisurely pace. Or you can take a day trip outside of the city to see some more of what England has to offer.
Have enough time to plan a day trip out of the city?
Decide if a day trip from London to Paris is worth it, or pick between the Cotswolds or Bath.
Our Paris Travel Guide and 1-Day Itinerary will help you out, or check out our Cotswolds Guide to get started!
Is it worth it to have one day in London?
I would say yes, London is worth seeing even if you only have one day to spare. When I came to London for the first time, it was also only for a day. But it was a magical experience, and I loved it so much that I ended up moving there (of course, I did visit a few more times in between).
But don’t just take my word for it. You’ll have to visit for yourself to truly understand what a magnificent city London is. And who knows, you may have a similar experience as I did and come back many more times in the future to see everything else there is here!
Just make sure to do some planning beforehand. Our free downloadable one-day itinerary can help you create the perfect day in London to make the most of the time you have in town!
Free Download!
CHEAT SHEETS: LONDON, PARIS, LISBON, & ROME
Use one or use them all! Sign up & we’ll send you our cheat sheets for all 4 cities.
Get a jumpstart on your planning with an overview of each city: when to go, where to stay, can’t miss activities, and how to get around.
