One Day in London - 24-hour Itinerary for London
London. One of the busiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The capital and the largest city in the United Kingdom, London, dates back to Roman times.
From incredible museums, attractions you will hardly find anywhere else, to being one of the world's main business hubs, London has something for everyone.
But what are the must-see attractions if you only have 24 hours? In this article, we created an itinerary ideal for a one-day visit to London.
To see all the main sights, let's start early. It's 8 am, and our first stop is Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames and was built at the end of the 19th century. Over 50 designs were submitted when the decision was made to build a bridge. Join more than 40,000 people that cross the bridge every day. You can even take a boat ride that goes under Tower Bridge for a full experience.
Don't miss the two famous attractions nearby: the historic castle Tower of London from the 11th century and the ruins of the Roman Wall which was probably built in the 3rd century.
It's 10 am. Let's take a metro or the tube as the Londoners call it - to Big Ben & Palace of Westminster.
Big Ben, a British cultural icon, was completed in 1859. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed to Elizabeth Tower in 2012.
Big Ben lays at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, which is the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The palace was largely rebuilt, but it still contains some medieval parts. Don’t miss Westminster Abbey located right next to the palace.
If you have time, ride The London Eye just across the Thames and enjoy stunning views of London or just admire it from below.
At noon let's take a walk to the Buckingham Palace.
If you are hungry on the way, stop and grab something to eat at Covent Garden, an area filled with luxury designer boutiques, craft shops, and markets or just grab a coffee or a quick bite somewhere around Trafalgar Square.
Okay, we're now in front of the Buckingham Palace, which is considered the most important royal building in the UK. The London residence of Her Majesty, the Queen, Buckingham Palace, is one of the world's few remaining working royal palaces still in use. It has been the official residence and administrative headquarters for UK monarchs.
If you are there in time, don't miss the iconic ceremony changing the Guard, also known as Guard Mounting, carried out by soldiers on active duty from the Foot Guards. A beautiful St James's Park with a lake is also located nearby.
At 2 pm let's explore Hyde Park.
Hyde Park is London's main park created in 1536 by Henry VIII as a royal hunting ground. Now it offers both world-class events and concerts together with plenty of quiet places to relax. It even features an artificial lake named The Serpentine. The park stretches to Kensington Gardens, home to Kensington Palace. In 2004 the fountains in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales was opened.
It's 4 pm and let's visit at least one of the many incredible London museums.
London is full of incredible museums, and most of them are free. From an amazing dinosaur collection to mummies, airplanes, and more, there is something for everyone.
There are two museums located in Kensington: Science Museum, a great place to see, touch, and experience science first-hand and Natural History Museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. Or you can even visit the Victoria and Albert Museum located across the street.
It's 7 pm, and what better way to wrap up our London experience than by visiting Camden Town.
This former industrial economic base has been replaced by amazing bars, food stalls, and interesting shops. The area hosts street markets and music venues, which are strongly associated with alternative culture.
Visit one of a kind Camden's Stables Market, that got its name from what it used to be a horse stable and hospital. It features over 1,000 shops and stalls, and Cyber dog store with futuristic fashion, clubwear, rave clothes and live dancers inside the shop.
And now, let's look at some of the tips that might come in handy on your day trip to London:
You'll have to walk a lot, so bring comfortable shoes.
Feel free to skip any of the attractions, depending on how tired you are, how early in the day you want to start, if you're going out in the evening, if some attractions are too crowded, etc.
Depending on where the location of your accommodation is, you can even change your plan and visit some attractions in a different order.
Or even change your plan and add new attractions to the list.
During the winter, days are shorter, so if you want to experience more attractions in daylight, you can visit London between April and September.
There is a lot of rain in each season, so bring an umbrella.
There are tons of other amazing things to do in London, from exciting museums, fabulous neighborhoods, and much more. Check out our travel guide for more suggestions.
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Our travel guide is a mobile-friendly .pdf document that you can store on your phone for offline use. It covers the top 10 things to do in London, plus 10 additional attractions, maps, links, opening hours, and other information that will help make your trip to London stress-free.
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