London Travel Itinerary: How to Spend 4 Days in London

I’ve been living in London since 2018, so I know the city pretty well! I can’t even count how many times I’ve been to Big Ben, London Eye and the Tower Bridge. In this London Travel Itinerary I will share with you how you can spend 4 full days in London. While 4 days in London are nowhere near enough to explore everything this city has to offer, it will be just enough time to see the best of London. Don’t worry, a local got you covered! 😉

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How to get to London

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

Flight: 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. But don’t worry, I will explain how to reach the city centre from each airport. I always use Skyscanner for flights.

Train: If you’re in/from Paris, Amsterdam and/or Brussels, you can also catch a EuroStar train to London St Pancras station. I went from London to Paris that way and it was awesome. Definitely the most convenient option. Tickets can be more expensive than the flight, but often you can find some pretty good deals!

Getting from London Heathrow Airport to London

By underground: It’s become never easier to get to the London city centre from London Heathrow with the newest Elizabeth line. The whole journey will take you about 30 minutes. My preferred way of getting around London is with the contactless card, but if you’re travelling with kids or in a large group, it is highly recommended to get the Oyster or London Travelcard to save significant money.

✅ I use Wise whenever travelling abroad. They have very competitive conversion rates which will save you a lot of money when travelling abroad.

By train: Heathrow Express is another great way to reach the city centre as fast as possible. It costs twice as much as the Elizabeth line, but it will also take you twice as fast, so if you’re in a rush or too tired from the long flight, this is a highly recommended option.

By bus: National Express is widely used. It is not my favourite option, though it can be the most affordable one, especially if for some reason the Elizabeth line doesn’t run (it can happen!). The total journey will take about 1h.

By private transfer: You can pre-order your private car transfer from the airport to the hotel for hustle-free travel. It will oftentimes cost you as much as Uber/Bolt, but you won’t need to search for the driver once you get out. Also, they won’t be able to increase the price if they figure out more people are looking for a car, or there’s a train strike happening and they can take advantage of it (happened to me a lot of times with Uber/Bolt/black cab drivers!).

By taxi: And of course, you can always order an Uber/Bolt or get a black cab (which is usually the more expensive option, so if you’re thinking between the two, I would go with Uber or Bolt).

Getting from London Gatwick Airport to London

There’s no underground from London Gatwick to London.

By train: You can buy a Gatwick Express train service if you’d like to reach the city centre as fast as possible. The total journey will take about 30 min. Otherwise, you can get a Southern or Thameslink service, both about 40 min long. While you can buy the tickets in advance or travel with your Oyster or Travelcard, you can also go contactless with this route.

By bus: You can take a National Express coach, but while this is the least expensive option, it is also the longest one. The total journey to reach the city centre is about 2.5 hours.

By private transfer: As explained above.

By taxi: As explained above.

Getting from London Stansted Airport to London

There’s no underground from London Stansted to London.

By train: This is my first choice. The trains go very often, they are comfortable and you’ll get to London Liverpool Street Station from Stansted in 45 minutes. This is the fastest option because Stansted Airport is actually not in London, it is far away.

By bus: I would recommend this option only if you’re travelling on a budget or for some reason, you don’t like trains. Depending on the traffic, the total ride can take up to 2h.

By private transfer: As explained above.

By taxi: As explained above.

Getting from London Luton Airport to London

There’s no underground from London Luton to London.

By train: There are no fast direct trains to Luton Airport. While you can buy the tickets in advance or travel with your Oyster or Travelcard, you can also go contactless with this route. It will take you about 45 min to reach the city centre.

By bus: The cheapest option is the bus. The total journey will take about 1h.

By private transfer: You can pre-order your private car transfer from the airport to the hotel for hustle-free travel. It will oftentimes cost you as much as Uber/Bolt, but you won’t need to search for the driver once you get out. Also, they won’t be able to increase the price if they figure out more people are looking for a car, or there’s a train strike happening and they can take advantage of it (happened to me a lot of times with Uber/Bolt/black cab drivers!).

By taxi: As explained above.

Getting from London City Airport to London

London City Airport is the easiest one, but unfortunately as it is too small (and in the city centre), there are only few flight options, mainly operated by British Airways.

By underground: Depending on where you’re staying, you can reach the city centre in under 30 minutes! My preferred way of getting around London is with the contactless card, but if you’re travelling with kids or in a large group, it is highly recommended to get the Oyster or London Travelcard to save significant money.

By bus: There is no National Express service like with other airports, but you can hop on a red London bus if you’d like to! Payment options are the same as with the underground. You can be in the city centre within 30 minutes.

By private transfer: You can pre-order your private car transfer from the airport to the hotel for hustle-free travel. Same tips as above. You can reach the city centre in under 30 minutes!

By taxi: As explained above.

Getting from London Southend Airport to London

There’s no underground from London Southend to London.

There’s no bus either.

By train: The best way is to get on the train to reach the city centre. Similar to Stansted, London Southend is actually not in London, so the total journey to reach the city centre will be around 50 min.

By private transfer: You can pre-order your private car transfer from the airport to the hotel for hustle-free travel. Same tips as above. You can reach the city centre in under 30 minutes!

By taxi: As explained above.

How to get around London

Getting around London is pretty easy. While it is a big city, as you will see in this London Travel Itinerary, most things are just a short walk from one to the other. This 4 days itinerary is designed in a way to have you use public transport as little as possible because not only is it the best to experience London by walking, but also the public transport is expensive!

If you’re staying in Zone 1 (city centre) which is my recommendation, then you may from time to time use either underground or bus. As said above, you can pay contactless (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 transport that much.

📖 If you’re all for the good views from your hotel room, check my Top 11 London Hotels with the Best Views (All Budgets!) and 6 Best Hotels with Amazing Views of Tower Bridge in London blog posts.

When (not) to visit London

It’s a million dollar question. 😅 Good weather is NEVER guaranteed in London, even if you come during the summer months. At the time of writing this blog post (July 2024), the weather is at 17 degrees C (64 F), it’s cold, rainy and grey.

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, barely any sun, so avoid at all costs!

Your safest bet would be July and August, if lucky, you can even experience some proper summer temperatures, though don’t get your hopes up! May, June and September can be pleasant too.

I personally love London in December too because the Christmas vibes are the best! Yes, it’s cold, but it is still not rainy and windy like in Jan-Mar, and there’s mulled wine on every corner to keep you warm.

🎅🏻 Would love to visit London during Christmas? Check my Most Instagrammable Christmas Spots in London (+Google Maps) blog post.

How many days in London is ideal

The more, the better. 😊 I’d say 7 full days are the best, but even with 4 days in London, you will be able to cover its main sights and really get to experience the best the city has to offer.

London 4 Days Travel Itinerary

Let’s see now in this London Travel Itinerary how you can spend your 4 days in the city.

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Day 1 in London

On your first day in London, you will focus on the Westminster and the Southbank area.

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, know that this is happening outside Buckingham Palace every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 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 there. And you know what’s cool? You can see the coronation chair inside the Abbey. The one you see now 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, Lewis Carroll to name a few.

The Westminster Abbey entrance ticket is well worth the price.

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.

When I moved to London in 2018, they just started renovating it. This took 4 full years, so I was finally able to see the Big Ben without scaffolding in 2022. I still remember it as if it were yesterday, honestly, this is one of the attractions you can just watch for minutes.

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 will 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.

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 were 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 FYI!).

Southbank

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

My favourite thing is to get to Southbank Street Food Market, get some food, 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 day with Westminster to Greenwich River Thames Cruise. Honestly, there’s no more perfect way to see all the sights from your day 1 from the river.

Recommended Tours for you Day 1 in London

While you can explore all of this on your own, if you would like to learn more about each place or do something different, these are my top choices:

Day 2 in London

Your 2nd day of this London 4 days travel itinerary is focused on the central east area. This is my favourite part of London because I just love the views of Tower Bridge and this contrast of old and modern.

Tower Bridge

For me, it is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Tower Bridge 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 only witnessed it twice in 6 years; once I was on the bus and the other time I was walking when they stopped us. The experience is pretty interesting.

Another cool experience at Tower Bridge is actually going up and walking its glass floor. You need to purchase tickets for this activity, it is not free of charge.

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! 🤩

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 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.

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 (viewing platform).

These 3 are best options:

• Horizon 22

It is one of the newest skydecks in London and my personal favourite. The best thing? It’s completely FREE, but you need to reserve your tickets in advance. Also, this is the highest free viewing platform in London!

• Skygarden

Before Horizon 22 opened, Skygarden was the most popular free viewing platform. I love the public garden inside, which is London’s highest free public garden. However, some views are limited, there’s no nice 360 degree view like you’d have at Horizon 22. This would be my 2nd choice, but either way, if you’d like to visit, you need to reserve your tickets in advance.

• Shard

And lastly, you can always visit The Shard for the highest views in London. The only minus: you can’t actually see The Shard. Similar to if you go to the Empire State Building and you don’t get to see the ESB, if you know what I mean. 😅 However, the views would still be pretty spectacular.

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 there are 528 steps. For me, it was one of the most difficult ascents, especially from the balcony to the very top because the stairs are spiral, tiny and you see everything down from the. 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 purchase the ticket to get inside. This ticket will include you to visit the crypt (you will find Nelson’s, Wellington’s and Fleming’s tombs), the cathedral and the dome. You can’t buy a ticket only for the cathedral, everything is immediately included and you can decide if you’d like to see the crypt and climb the dome.

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:

🧙‍♂️ There are some great Harry Potter Walking Tours you can take in London:

Tate Modern

Tate Modern is a modern and contemporary art gallery (museum) 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!) and learn more in depth about each, I recommend a guided tour.

Recommended Tours for your Day 2 in London

Day 3 in London

Day 3 in London of this 4 days London travel itinerary is focused on the Kensington and Knightsbridge area.

Hyde Park

You can’t come to London and not take a walk through Hyde Park. It’s my favourite weekend activity: take a coffee and walk. Therefore, I’m suggesting you to do the same.

Hyde Park is a Royal Park that was established by King Henry VIII after he took the land from Westminster Abbey to use it as a hunting space. Today you can’t hunt, but you can enjoy its wildlife (many, many cute little squirrels out there 😍).

Kensington Palace & Gardens

Next to Hyde Park you will find Kensington Palace & Gardens where Queen Victoria was born and raised.

While the palace is not pretty from the outside, especially compared to others, it is still an important and culturally significant landmark in London.

Did you know that you can experience the royal afternoon tea there?

Albert Memorial

Queen Victoria erected this memorial after her beloved husband Albert passed away. What I particularly like is that on each corner of the memorial, you will see sculptures representing 4 different continents: Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe.

Royal Albert Hall

Across the street from Albert Memorial, you will find the Royal Albert Hall. There are many interesting concerts and shows happening there. My favourite is a film in concert. Practically, they play the movie on the large screen while the philharmonic orchestra plays the movie music. I watched all 3 Lord of The Rings movies and honestly, this is still my favourite experience in London.

I definitely recommend you to check what’s going on there during your visit.

You can also take a guided tour to see where The Beatles have graced the stage, and if lucky enough, you can even see a rehearsal. 🙂

Museums in Kensington

I definitely recommend you to choose to visit at least one museum in Kensington.

But I can imagine you must be hungry by now, so I would recommend a really nice pizza place, Fireaway.

There are 3 museums almost one next to the other: Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum and Science Museum. This is also exactly the order of how I like them, so if you have only time or will for one museum, I would choose the Natural History Museum, especially if you’re with kids. However, V&A Museum has the best exhibitions, so I’d recommend checking out what’s going on there. Also, V&A Museum has an amazing cafe, highly recommending it! 😍

While the museums are free to visit, apart from exhibitions that cost extra, you can also join a guided tour to really get in depth, see the highlights and learn more about them:

• Natural History Museum Tour
• Private Guided Tour of The Victoria and Albert Museum – 3 Hour

Harrods

If there’s one luxury shop you have to visit in London, that must be Harrods. It is one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world, but also the most beautiful if you ask me.

Inside you will find a memorial of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, Mohamed Al-Fayed’s son. You probably know that Princess Diana had an affair with Dodi and they died together in an accident in Paris. Obviously, there’s a lot of controversy going on around it, but we won’t go into that. The memorial is really beautiful and it is next to the Egyptian Hall, so if you want to experience a little bit of Ancient Egypt while in London, this is a place to go.

Harrods gets especially beautiful for Christmas.

Elan Cafe

Nearby you will find Elan Cafe (EL&N) which is the ultimate girls’ dream (50 shades of pink). 😍 BUT, their cakes are seriously SO GOOD, so I highly recommend you to go.

Recommended Tours for your Day 3 in London

Day 4 in London

Our final day of this 4 days travel itinerary in London is focused on the West London area. It’s a mix of sightseeing, shopping and cultural activities.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a large beautiful square in London that commemorates General Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon.

It’s a really beautiful square, but it is always busy, especially as the National Gallery is just there.

National Gallery

One of my favourite museums in London. Not only do they have my favourite collection of art (Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci), but the whole building is a piece of art for itself. Architecture is gorgeous and inside it looks like you stepped into a palace.

I still remember the excitement when I first saw Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. I highly recommend entering, even if you’re short on time, just pick a few art pieces you’d like to see and go inside because the entrance is free!

However, if you have more time and would love to learn more in depth about the collection highlights, I definitely recommend a private exclusive guided tour that is suited to your interests also.

West End

Honestly, you can’t come to London and not see a West End Show. Even Taylor Swift sings about it in her London Boy song.

Covent Garden

Close to the West End is Covent Garden. This part of London reminds me of Italy a little bit. The square is so beautiful with many shops and restaurants.

It is especially beautiful for Christmas here.

If you’d like to learn more about London transport, see some old trains and buses, I recommend you visit the London Transport Museum.

Leicester Square & Chinatown

A few minutes walk from Covent Garden, you will get to Leicester Square which is also full of shops, restaurants and theatres.

You will also find Chinatown here.

Piccadilly Circus

Aka London’s Time Square (but not to that extent like in NYC). The junction is connecting West End with Regent Street. It’s always lively here with lots of street performers, live music, plenty of shops, restaurants and theatres.

Regent Street

The most beautiful shopping street. Here you will find many luxury shops from Michael Kors and Armani to Prada and Saint Laurent.

The street gets even more beautiful for Christmas when they display angels all over it. Magical. 😍

Oxford Street

Intersecting with Regent St is Oxford Street. Another shopping street with high-street shops, from Zara to Primark.

Oxford Street is gorgeous for Christmas too, though Regent St is still my favourite.

British Museum

The best museum in London, 💯!

Inside you will find collections of different historical periods: from Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian, to medieval Europe and highlights of Middle East, Africa and Asia to the very least!

While the entrance is free, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for or you’re unfamiliar with some historical events or periods, I highly recommend you to take a 2h guided tour or a completely private and exclusive tour tailored to your interests!

Recommended Tours for your Day 4 in London

These are some additional tours you can take on your day 4 based on your personal preferences:

Is London worth visiting?

Around 20 MILLION people (sometimes even more!) visit London EVERY YEAR! The city is full of history, culture, great food, it’s fun, it’s lively! It is 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, it has its flaws, but overall, London is SO WORTH visiting.

If London is calling you, make sure to pin this post for later!