London in 4 days: itinerary

This is a suggested itinerary to visit London in 4 or 5 days (if you have a little extra time).

London is a beautiful city that has a lot of things to offer. This is an itinerary for a short trip. Remember that you can do it in any order and at your own pace.

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Day 1

⇢ Start your adventure in London at Green Park: you can take the tube to the station of the same name.

⇢ No visit to London in 4 days is complete without the palace! Walk towards Buckingham palace. If you are interested in seeing the changing of the guard make sure to investigate dates and times as they do not enact the ceremony everyday. You may also visit Buckingham palace and the Royal Mews but they are only open on select dates so make sure to verify dates to avoid being disappointed. The entry is pricey and seeing the gates and palace from the outside is still quite a sight. Don’t forget to check out the commanding Victoria Memorial located in front of the palace’s gates.

⇢ Once you are all done, you are a 15 minute walk to Westminster Abbey, make sure to take in its impressive facade. If you are planning on entering make sure that you do not go during mass unless you intend to stay for it. If you don’t go inside, don’t fret, you can visit its beautiful courtyard and green space. You can even see part of its convent up into the delimited areas.

⇢ Once you’ve explored this lovely space, head over to the neighboring Westminster Palace. This is where parliament takes place, it’s worth noting that most of the parliaments around the world use a similar system since it was “exported” to commonwealth countries and adopted by others. It is recommended to walk around the Jewel Tower, the College Garden, the Victoria Tower Gardens until you make it to the Big Ben. Currently, the Big Ben is undergoing refurbishment but you can still see the clock. The works are expected to be finished at some point during 2021.

⇢ If you are planning on hopping on the London Eye, you can cross the river at Big Ben. We advise you to buy your tickets online as we are unsure if you can buy tickets on the spot.

⇢ If you are not going on the London Eye because you only have 4 days in London, venture to Trafalgar square which should take you 11 minutes. 5 minutes away you will see the imposing Chinatown gate which makes for a great photo! Walk 5 minutes over to Piccadilly Circus. Many people see it as a poor man’s Time’s Square although it does have a charming statue at the center and on the way to your next destination.

⇢ Carnaby street. Unofficially considered as one of London’s most eye-catching streets it is covered with boutiques, but even if you don’t want to go shopping the colors of the street will win your heart over.

Less than a minute away, you will find what some call the best curry in SoHo: Masala Zone. You can’t go wrong ordering a Palak Paneer or Tikka Masala, accompanied by a Garlic Naan and a Mango Lassi or a Kingfisher. If you wish to eat elsewhere, you can check out the super popular (and crowded) Covent Garden, which has something for everyone’s taste.

⇢ Regardless, whether you go to Covent Garden or Masala Zone head over to Neal’s Yard after which might be the most instagrammable place in all the city. Neal’s yard is a very colorful and inviting spot.

⇢ Only 8 minutes away, you’ll find the British Museum. You will probably spend half an hour waiting in line, but it is not too bad considering you get to see some of the world’s most famous artifacts for any donation of your choice. Among it’s most famous artifacts are: the rosetta stone, mummies (including cat mummies), the Easter Island Statue, artifacts from Athens’ Parthenon, the Aztec double-headed serpent god, Sutton Hoo helmets, Samurai’s armor and a plethora of exhibits from every corner of the earth.

Day 2

⇢ Start by taking the tube to Ladbroke Grove, where you can discover the colorful houses and mews of Notting Hill. This neighborhood has some of the most charming streets in London, so you can spend from 10 minutes to a whole hour exploring. Notting Hill’s claim to fame is it’s Saturday’s Portobello Road market, which is considered to be the world’s largest antique market. If you want to avoid the crowds, go another day that isn’t saturday, check their schedule.

⇢ Notting Hill is a bit far away, so we recommend you hop on one of London’s iconic double-decker red buses, which is a landmark itself (or so we think).

⇢ Get off at Kensington Palace and if you like you may enter. Now that you are in Kensington Gardens, you can’t miss the Albert Memorial, which is a treat in itself. Other places of interest are serpentine gallery (free), Peter Pan’s statue and Hyde Park.

⇢ 9 minutes south of the Albert Memorial, you will find the Natural History Museum, a must see during your visit to London in 4 days. The museum is open to the public for free. If you can go during the week, the line will be shorter for sure. You can see a collection of dinosaurs, a mammoth and its emblematic blue whale hanging from the roof. Although the exhibitions are among the most impressive in the world, it is worth coming to see the building itself. It has the exhaustively meticulous details of a cathedral. Once you are done, if you feel up to it, you can roam the streets of Kensington and Chealsea since you are already in the area.

Day 3

This is for sure the most challenging day for your visit to London in 4 days, so make sure to decide what is most important for you to see. If you aren’t going in any of the places, then you should be completely able to follow this path and knock everything out.

⇢ Start at borough market. You will find an open-air “farmer’s market” with stands offering samples of their olive oil, bread and vegan cheese. This place has a really authentic feel, you will probably find fellow tourists infiltrated in the market, but for the most part it’s only locals. Also, for central London standards many of the food joints have pretty good prices. Feel free to wander into the cheese shops and smell the massive cheese wheels (just don’t touch them).

⇢ Once you’ve had your fill, walk over to Shakespeare’s globe. On the way there you will see some street art (more on that later) but keep going. Shakespeare’s globe is a replica of the country’s most famous theater, which unfortunately was burnt by puritans with parliament’s approval. Many years later, realizing the grave error, they erected a replica 100 meters away from where the original once stood. It’s up to you whether you’d like to watch a play or do a tour to see the insides of the theater. If you do, naturally this will take more time so you will probably not have time to do everything on the day’s itinerary, which is totally fine.

⇢ Once you are done, cross the millenium bridge. You will be able to see Saint Paul’s from the bridge. It’s a lovely sight but don’t be disappointed when you see the swathes of people crossing the bridge.

If you fancy a drink, you are next to Blackfriars station, where there is a pub donning the same name. It has a great ambiance and you can try some of the local pub food or simply have a lager or cider. This is also a good refuge if for any reason it begins to rain as you explore London.

⇢ If you rather go to Saint Paul’s directly, then follow the Millenium Bridge and try and snap a photo– granted it will be a challenge with all the pedestrians. Make sure to walk around Saint Paul’s and enjoy every angle from the outside. If you want to head in, it’s worth knowing there is a steep fee of 20 pounds. If like many you are put off by the price, there is a prayer room that anyone can enter free of cost. You can barely see any of the cathedral from here, but it makes a nice place to pray or meditate.

Also, for those gossip queens out there, this was the church that lady D got married in. This was “scandalous” for many as it broke the tradition that all royals got married in Westminster Abbey.

⇢ A 15 minute walk away, you will find Leadenhall market, which had a cameo appearance in Harry Potter. If you’d like to visit when the stores are open, make sure to go during the week and if you’d like to enjoy the market with much less people go during the weekend when the commerces are closed.

⇢ If you are getting hungry around this time and craving a view without breaking the bank, the shard or the London eye is where you should head to. Oh boy do we have good news for you! Just next door, you will find Sky Garden on 20 Fenchurch street. Make sure to book your free reservation online. This gives you the best free view of London. Here you can have afternoon tea, some food or a drink while surrounded by a charming “garden”.

⇢ A 4 minute walk away you will stumble upon one of London’s best kept secrets: St Dunstan in the East. After vicious bombardments during World War two, what once was a church in the heart of London, has now been converted into a surreal green haven. Also very close by you will find the Monument to the great fire of London of 1666. The view from upstairs is impressive, but perhaps a bit redundant if you go to Sky Garden. Regardless, the monument is pretty awe-inspiring if you want to check it out from the bottom.

⇢ If you’re still determined to see some more, walk 13 minutes on the bank on the river towards the tower of London and the tower bridge. These need no introduction as they are some of the most popular sights in the city. Keep in mind you can also do this itinerary backwards depending on what your most pressing interests are.

Day 4

⇢ Take the tube to Shoreditch High Street for arguably some of the world’s most famous street art. You can go on a tour if you like, but it’s easy to maneuver yourself since there is so much street art.

If you want to avoid a tube ride you can also see some street art in Camden town which is very close to the next suggested destination: King’s cross.

⇢ King’s Kross. The station itself is a work of art, but as you know, the real reason why people come here is platform 9 ¾. Be warned that there is a long line to have your picture taken and it’s not cheap either. Next to the “platform” there is a Harry Potter souvenir shop if you are a fan.

⇢ A couple minutes outside King’s Cross, next to St Pancras Basin, you will find an interesting green space/permanent art installation of sorts, it is called Gasholder Park. You will have a unique view of the stations and you can have something to eat if you get hungry. If you are already in Kings Cross, you shouldn’t miss it, it’s also a pretty good place for a photoshoot!

⇢ If you are a true street art enthusiast, you are very close to Camden Town. A place where you can find other murals. If you visit during the weekend, Camden town is known for its food trucks. Here you will be able to try some fish and chips. A visit to England would not be complete without trying their most famous dish!

⇢ If you like beautiful bookstores, walk to 84 Marylebone High Street. Here you will find Daunt Books Marylebone, one of London’s most charming bookstores. Also a great place to hide from the rain.

⇢ To end your tip on a high note your visit to London in 4 days, walk to Primrose hill. This is an ideal place to watch the sunset and the London skyline. Right next to it, you will find Regent’s Park. It is among the city’s best locations, you can also see Queen Mary’s Rose Garden here.

Hope this helps you plan your London visit! Let us know if you have any questions and how your tip went!

You can also check our instagram highlights to see what else we got up to in London.

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