London 7-Day Itinerary

Settle in and start slow. Walk to Westminster Bridge for your first view of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye across the river. Westminster Abbey is worth booking for later in the trip if you want to go inside without rushing on arrival day.

Walk through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace, then back towards Trafalgar Square in the late afternoon. Dinner near Covent Garden or Soho — the first evening is for orientation, walking, and getting your bearings among the crowds.

Morning: walk the South Bank from the London Eye east to Tate Modern (free, worth an hour) and Shakespeare's Globe. Lunch at Borough Market — Kappacasein's raclette and Bread Ahead's doughnuts are the two things not to skip.

Afternoon: the Tower of London. Book ahead and give it two hours minimum for the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, and a Yeoman Warder tour. Walk across Tower Bridge afterwards and look back at the Tower from the south side.

Evening: dinner and drinks in Bermondsey, which has developed one of the city's best clusters of independent breweries and bars along its arch-lined streets.

St Paul's Cathedral in the morning — Christopher Wren's dome is one of London's defining landmarks, and the climb to the Whispering Gallery and the top of the dome is worth the effort on a clear day. The surrounding Square Mile, the City of London, is worth a slow walk: Leadenhall Market's Victorian arcade, the Guildhall, and the contrast between medieval street patterns and glass skyscrapers.

Afternoon and evening: Shoreditch and Spitalfields. Brick Lane for curry houses and bagels, the street art around Shoreditch High Street and Redchurch Street, and independent shops that turn over constantly. This is London's fastest-changing neighbourhood — go in with no fixed expectations.

Evening: a proper pub crawl through Shoreditch's bars, which range from converted Victorian pubs to genuinely inventive cocktail spots.

A museum-heavy day. The British Museum in the morning — free, and worth two to three hours minimum for the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles, and the Egyptian galleries. If you have energy left, the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square (also free) has an outstanding collection from Van Eyck to Van Gogh.

Lunch in Bloomsbury or Fitzrovia, both quieter than the West End and full of good independent cafés.

Afternoon: the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) in South Kensington, the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, also free. The Natural History Museum next door is worth a look even just for the building itself and the blue whale skeleton in the entrance hall.

Evening: West End theatre. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells same-day discounted tickets, and London's theatre scene is genuinely world-class and more affordable than Broadway.

Morning: Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, best before 10am. Antiques, vintage clothing, and the pastel-coloured houses on the surrounding residential streets. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are a short walk east if you want to slow down afterwards.

Afternoon: take a Thames Clipper boat down to Greenwich — the ride itself is scenic and worth doing for the river views alone. In Greenwich: the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian line, the Cutty Sark, and the view over the Old Royal Naval College from the top of Greenwich Park. Greenwich Market is a good spot for a late lunch.

Return by boat in the evening, timed for a good view of Tower Bridge and the City skyline from the water.

Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and still an official royal residence, is about 40–50 minutes from London Paddington (via Slough) or roughly an hour direct from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside.

Spend the morning inside the castle grounds: the State Apartments, St George's Chapel (burial place of several English monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II), and the Changing of the Guard ceremony, held on a set schedule inside the castle.

The town of Windsor is small and easy to cover on foot — a walk along the Thames, a look across the river at Eton College, and lunch at one of the pubs near the castle walls. Return to London by early evening.

Oxford is about an hour from London Paddington by direct train. Spend the day exploring the university city: Christ Church College (whose dining hall partly inspired the Hogwarts hall in the Harry Potter films), the Bodleian Library and its Radcliffe Camera, and the Bridge of Sighs on New College Lane. Walking the city is free; individual college entry runs a few pounds each.

Lunch at the Covered Market in the city centre, a Victorian arcade of independent food stalls and cafés. If time allows, punting on the River Cherwell is a classic (if slightly chaotic) Oxford activity.

Return to London by early evening for a final dinner. Book somewhere that reflects whatever part of the city you've connected with most — a Soho institution, a Borough Market restaurant, or a quiet Bermondsey spot. London rewards ending on a neighbourhood rather than a checklist.