5 day London itinerary

If you have 5 days in the city, this is how I would recommend spending them.

Day 1

Begin the day at the Tower of London (take the tube to Tower Hill) – it takes a good few hours to look around here. Start with the Crown Jewels before it gets too busy, then explore the many different areas of the Tower.

Once you’ve seen everything, there are some good lunch options nearby – St Katherine’s Docks marina is a short 5-10 min walk away and a lovely setting with pubs, restaurants and cafes overlooking the water. Alternatively, you could grab some takeway food from a café in the Tower Hill area and have a picnic in St Dunstan in the East Church Garden – also a 5-10 min walk away. Another option would be holding on a bit longer until you reach Borough Market – see below!

After lunch, cross over Tower Bridge, then walk west along the riverside path, passing HMS Belfast and Hays Galleria which are both worth a photo stop. Then, as the path comes away from the river temporarily, stop by Borough Market (note the market is closed on Monday) and grab something to eat (I recommend Bread Ahead for a pastry or donut), and pop into lovely Southwark Cathedral which is free to visit and will only take a short amount of time to view. Continue along Click Street past the Golden Hinde replica ship and the remains of Winchester Palace, and then resume the walk along the riverside path. You’ll pass Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, and see St Paul’s Cathedral on the other side of the river. Keep walking, and you’ll get to the National Theatre and the Southbank Centre.

This whole walk will take 1hr15 – 1hr30 mins depending on walking speed and how long you spend taking photos. If you’re not comfortable walking, you can take an uber boat along this stretch of the river instead.

Cross over the Golden Jubilee Bridge and walk up Villiers Street (stopping off at the pretty Victoria Embankment Gardens if you need a sit down and/or cup of coffee). Walk up the Strand to Trafalgar Square where this walk ends. If you still have enough energy, and depending on how you’re doing for time, pop into the National Portrait Gallery or National Gallery which are nearby – both are free to visit, but it’s worth getting tickets for the latter in advance so you can skip the queue.

Day 2

Start the day at the Houses of Parliament (nearest tube Westminster) where you can take in the iconic Big Ben Tower from the outside.  From here, it’s a short walk to Westminster Abbey. It’s worth spending some time looking round this beautiful historic church.

When you’re done, walk up to St James’ Park which is about 5 minutes away, and is one of the city’s loveliest parks with a lake and resident pelicans. Walk all the way through the park and come out onto the Mall to see Buckingham Palace.

Once you’ve taken in Buckingham Palace, walk through nearby Green Park to Piccadilly – a busy street that has the fabulous historic Fortnum and Mason department store. This is a great place to pick up some lovely souvenirs. Opposite Fortum and Mason is Burlington Arcade – a classic historic shopping arcade which is worth a look. From Burlington Arcade, walk up Saville Row and head to Liberty – about a 15 minutes walk away, and another excellent shop where you can find some great souvenirs.

For lunch, head into the Soho area. You could get some food for a picnic in Soho Square Gardens, or find a café on Carnaby Street or Berwick Street.

After lunch, walk back down to Piccadilly Circus. Pass through Chinatown (Gerrard Street), and Leicester Square, then cross over Charing Cross Road and walk into the Covent Garden area – don’t miss the streets around the Seven Dials junction and the Seven Dials Market where you may want to grab a snack. Then, spend some time exploring the historic Covent Garden market building which has a craft market, shops and entertainers.

Day 3

Begin the day at the British Museum (nearest station Russell Square). The museum is huge and it's a good idea to check the website beforehand and familiarise yourself with what's there so you can prioritise the areas that are most of interest. 

After you've had a good look round, it's worth taking a break in one of the nearby squares. Russell Square is lovely, and there's also Tavistock Square and Gordon Square. I’d recommend having a picnic in one of these. The surrounding streets are really pretty too - in particular Bedford Square which is often used for filming historic dramas.

When you've explored the area, go to nearby Tottenham Court Road tube and take the central line to St Paul's where you can visit the beautiful St Paul's Cathedral. If you didn’t get lunch near the British Museum, this is another opportunity to grab something, as there are lots of cafes round here.

When you've finished looking round the cathedral, have a walk round the surrounding area as this is the oldest part of London and there are many interesting historic buildings. These include the Guildhall (a 15th century town hall), and the Monument (a monument built to commemorate the Great Fire of London which you can climb). Not too far from here is Leadenhall Market - an ornate building used for filming scenes in Harry Potter, and Postman's Park which has a memorial for people who gave up their lives to save others. In this area you will also find free viewpoints like Sky Garden and Horizon 22 - book in advance to get tickets for those. 

While you’re in the area, I’d recommend going to Spitalfields Market or Brick Lane for dinner where there are lots of places to eat.

Day 4

Begin the day at South Kensington tube. There are 3 excellent museums here, so visit whichever one interests you most. If you have kids then the Science Museum or Natural History Museum might be best. If not, then the Victoria and Albert Museum is wonderful, and my personal favourite - it has fashion, furniture, photography, art and design, as well as a lovely outdoor courtyard and a beautiful cafe. If you don’t have lunch in the cafe, there are plenty of other lunch options around South Kensington station.

After lunch, make your way to South Kensington tube station and go a few stops on the district or circle line to Notting Hill. Explore the shops and market stalls on Portobello Road, the surrounding side streets which have colourful houses, and the historic mews streets which were once home to stables for the nearby grand houses. Don’t miss St Luke’s Mews, Lancaster Road and Colville Terrace.

When you’ve explored Notting Hill, walk to nearby Holland Park which is about 15 minutes away. The park has a lovely Japanese garden called Kyoto Garden, as well as a Dutch garden with tulips in spring, and woodland areas.

Day 5

Start the day at Kensington Gardens (nearest tube Lancaster Gate). The Italian gardens near the entrance by Lancaster Gate tube are a great place to take photos. It’s also worth walking round the lake, and seeing Kensington Palace from the outside. When you’ve explored the gardens, return to the entrance where you came in and walk up to Paddington Basin (about 15 minutes walk), where you can join the canalside path.

As you walk along the canal, there are many places to eat including The Cheese Barge where you can enjoy cheese and wine by the water. After about 15 minutes walk from Paddington you’ll reach Little Venice - the point at which the Grand Union Canal meets the Regents Canal. There are more riverside cafes and restaurants here, and it’s a really peaceful and scenic spot.

From Little Venice, walk east along the Regents Canal in the direction of Camden. Soon, you’ll pass alongside Regents Park where you might spot some of the animals in London Zoo. Eventually, after about an hour’s walk you’ll reach Camden Lock. If this is too far for you to walk, you could take the London Waterbus canal boat instead from Little Venice direct to Camden.

Camden is a perfect place to get some lunch – there are many food stalls by the water in the West Yard. If you want to see more of Camden, walk up onto the main road (Chalk Farm Road) and enter the Stables Market which is a maze of food stalls and small shops. There’s a statue of Amy Winehouse here, who often visited the area.

When you’ve explored Camden, retrace your steps to the canal and continue walking east. After about 25 minutes of walking, you’ll reach King’s Cross – an area that has been extensively redeveloped in recent years. Coal Drops Yard is a new shopping area which has recently opened, with shops and restaurants and two markets, and Granary Square is a great place to have a break and relax, with fountains (a great place for kids to cool off on a hot day) and cafes, bars and restaurants.