How to Spend 2 Days in London: London’s Main Attractions

London is one of the best cities in the world, and I’m not saying this only because I live here. It’s a beautiful, fun and diverse place with millions of things to do, so you can never get bored here. But if this is your first time visiting and you only have 2 days in London, don’t worry I’ve got you covered!

Despite its size, the main attractions are relatively nearby and can easily be explored in a couple of days. We will split your 2 days in London on 2 different sides.

On your first day you will check the major attractions in the eastern city centre and your second day on the western side. The days will be busy, but in exchange you will get plenty of memories.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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📖 Check my A Local’s London 4 Days Itinerary: See the Best of London blog post for more.

How to Get to London

There are 2 options on how to get to London: by flight or train.

Most likely you will get to London by air because that’s the easiest and often the cheapest option. If you’re flying overseas, most likely you will land at London Heathrow, London’s biggest and busiest airport.

However, if you’re based out of Europe, North Africa and often The Middle East, you can also find the low-budget flights to London. Ryanair usually has the most competitive prices, but often that means you will land at Stansted Airport, which is actually outside of London, though it’s relatively easy to get to the city centre, but it takes longer than from Heathrow or Gatwick.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

You can also catch a EuroStar train to London St Pancras station.

Once you’re at the airport and depending at which one you land, you can get to the city centre either via tube (use contactless card for that), via train, National Express bus, private transfer or by Uber.

How to Get around London

Getting around London is pretty easy. While it is a big city, most sites are just a short walk from one to the other.

If you’re staying in Zone 1 (basically the city centre), which is my recommendation, then you may from time to time use either underground or a bus. You can pay for your journey with contactless card (my preferred way) or with Oyster Visitor or Travelcard if travelling as a family or in a large group.

Where to Stay in London

As mentioned above, the best is to stay in Zone 1, which is the city centre. That way a lot of sights will be within walking distance and you won’t be dependent on public transportation that much.

📖 For more, have a look at my hotel recommendation blog posts:

– Top 11 London Hotels with the Best Views (All Budgets!)
– 6 Best Hotels with Amazing Views of Tower Bridge in London
– 5 Best Hotels with Big Ben Views in London for Every Budget

When to Visit London

As a Londoner, my number one advice is DON’T visit during the winter months, from January to March. It is cold all the time, it’s very rainy, windy, almost not sunny at all, so avoid it if you can!

Your safest bet would be July and August, and if lucky, you can even experience some proper summer temperatures! May, June and September can be pleasant months to visit too.

I personally love London in December a lot because the Christmas vibes are the best! Yes, it’s cold, but it is still not rainy nor windy like in Jan-Mar, plus there’s mulled wine on every corner to keep you warm.

📖 Read my Best Festive Things to Do in London for Christmas blog post.

How Many Days in London is Ideal

The more, the better. But even with only 2 days in London, you can easily visit major attractions, which makes it perfect for a weekend getaway.

✅ If you plan on going inside London’s main attractions, then I highly recommend getting a London City Pass. The more attractions you cover, the more you save.

Day 1 in London

Even though most people love to start sightseeing with Big Ben, I personally love the Tower Bridge area more as it’s a perfect mix of old and new London, so I recommend starting from there.

✅ Consider taking this best rated Tower Bridge area walking tour.

Tower Bridge

For me, Tower Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world.

It was built between 1886 and 1894 and was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales on 30 June 1894.

It is often confused with London Bridge which is a short minute walk from Tower Bridge. Unlike Tower Bridge, London Bridge is nothing special, but it offers great views of Shard, Tower Bridge and the surrounding area.

What’s cool about Tower Bridge is that it opens approximately twice a day to let tall boats pass through, which is about 800 times a year. Perhaps you’d be lucky to see it (I got to see it two times).

Besides seeing the Tower Bridge from the Thames riverside and crossing it, you can also go up and walk the glass floor.

✅ You need to buy tickets for this activity as it’s not free of charge.

💡P. S. I recommend this cool pub that not many people know of, but it has amazing views of Tower Bridge! While I always sit outside, the inside of this pub is actually inside the bridge’s pillars!

📖 Read my 37 Best London Instagram Spots with Google Maps blog post.

Tower of London

The Tower of London is the most historic castle and landmark in London. It was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror after he had won at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The castle was also used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose. The tradition of housing the Crown Jewels, a collection of royal ceremonial objects, in the Tower of London probably dates from the reign of Henry III.

✅ While the Tower of London is pretty impressive from the outside and you can almost circle around it, if you’d like to go inside and to see the Crown Jewels, you need to buy your entrance ticket.

Street Food Market

Nearby Tower of London and Tower Bridge you will find Borough Market, London’s most famous street food market.

Honestly, as a local it is not my favourite because it’s a tourist favourite. And nothing wrong with that because I even brought my parents there, but just be prepared for crowds, especially if you’re visiting over the weekend.

✅ Consider joining this best rated Borough Market Foodie Walking Tour with Tastings.

If you want a more local experience with better food choices and much, much more seating space, I recommend Mercato Metropolitano which is just a 10 min walking distance from Borough Market!

Skydeck

While you’re in this part of London, I highly recommend visiting at least one skydeck .

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London, the seat of the Bishop of London. It is on Ludgate Hill, the highest point of the City of London. St Paul’s Cathedral was built on a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Diana.

The cathedral is beautiful inside, but my favourite part is its dome. You can climb it, but be aware that there are 528 steps.

For me, it was one of the most scary ascents, especially from the balcony to the very top because the stairs are spiral, tiny and you see everything down from there, so if you’re chronically afraid of heights, maybe this activity would not be a good fit for you.

But the views are well worth the climb! St Paul’s Cathedral offers 360 degree views of the city. I especially loved the views of Millennium Bridge and east centre.

You can only visit the inside of St Paul’s Cathedral for free on Sundays during the mass. But you can’t explore it freely, you can only attend its Sunday service.

✅ All the other days you need to buy the ticket to get inside. The ticket includes the crypt (you will find Nelson’s, Wellington’s and Fleming’s tombs), the cathedral and the dome. You can’t buy a ticket for the cathedral only as everything is immediately included within the ticket.

📖 Read my 11 Romantic Things to Do in London for Valentine’s Day blog post.

Millennium Bridge

Millennium Bridge opened in 2000 and it’s a pedestrian-only suspension bridge. It connects the St Paul’s Cathedral with Tate Modern, so it’s very easy to explore this area.

Harry Potter fans will recognise it from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

✅ If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then consider joining this best rated Harry Potter Walking Tour.

📖 Read my 10 Best Literary Towns in the UK to Add to Your Bucket List blog post.

Tate Modern

Tate Modern is a modern and contemporary art gallery in London with a collection from the 1900s onwards. Inside you will see Duchamp’s Fountain, Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych and Dali’s Lobster Telephone to name a few.

While you can visit it for free, check out if there are some interesting exhibitions happening. I loved the Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room that was going on in 2022.

✅ However, if you’d like to see the highlights of Tate Modern (because the museum is huge!), I recommend joining this guided tour.

Day 2 in London

On your second day in London, you will explore the Westminster and Southbank area.

✅ Consider taking this best rated Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Buckingham Palace Tour.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is a royal residence of the British Royal Family and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom.

💡If you plan on visiting the Buckingham Palace inside, you can only do it from June to October. Make sure to get your tickets before they get sold out.

If you’re interested in the Changing of the Guards, this is happening outside Buckingham Palace every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:45am and lasts around 45 minutes, with the actual change that takes place at 11am.

Westminster Abbey

If there is one church you absolutely have to visit both outside and inside it’s Westminster Abbey.

It’s the most historical sacred and royal building in London. The kings & queens have been crowned there since 1066! The last coronation was of King Charles III in May 2023. He was the 40th monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.

You can actually see THE coronation chair inside. The chair has been used since 1296 when King Edward I brought it to be crowned there!

Inside the Westminster Abbey you will find many royal tombs, with the oldest one that of Edward the Confessor, reinterred in a shrine behind the High Altar in 1163.

Apart from kings and queens, many famous scientists and writers have been buried there too, such as Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll.

✅ The Westminster Abbey entrance ticket is well worth the price.

📖 Read my Top 20 Things to do in London for History Lovers blog post.

Big Ben & Westminster Parliament

I’m sure when you think of London, the first thing that comes to mind is Big Ben, or as officially called The Elizabeth Tower.

Big Ben has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

It is part of the Westminster Parliament (former Westminster Palace, also UNESCO site). You can tour both Westminster Parliament and even climb Big Ben, but you have to buy your tickets months in advance (for example, in August they release tickets for November!).

💡INSIDER’S TIP: There’s a nice little cafe with great Westminster Palace & Big Ben views. It is called 2 Love.

📖 Check my 5 Best Hotels with Big Ben Views in London for Every Budget blog post.

London Eye

On the opposite side of Big Ben is London Eye, another epic landmark.

The London Eye is the highest observation wheel in Europe. The views are pretty amazing from it, especially of Westminster Parliament and Big Ben.

✅ You need to buy a timed ticket to avoid queuing for the tickets (the queue is long even with the pre-purchased tickets, but it goes faster!).

Southbank

Southbank is a pretty chilled area in London. I love coming here, especially in the summer months. There are many eating and drinking shops and restaurants with outside tables and benches.

My favourite part is the Southbank Street Food Market, where you can get some food (there are a lot of different choices), drinks and enjoy the views by the river. Highly recommending it to you.

Westminster to Greenwich River Thames Cruise

I would recommend you to end your 2 days in London with Westminster to Greenwich River Thames Cruise.

Is London worth Visiting

Around 20 million people visit London every year!

The city is full of history, culture, great food, it’s fun and lively! It is truly one of the best cities in the world.

London has something for everyone, whether you love fashion, culture, history, football, you name it! It is very accessible and great for any kind of traveller: solo, couples, friends, family, adultery.

I live here and it’s hard not to be biassed, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who didn’t like it here. Yes, the weather is often miserable, the city has its flaws, but overall, London is SO WORTH visiting.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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