3-Day London Itinerary

Three days is tight but very doable for a satisfying first London visit, if you plan the routing well and don't try to see everything. Here's a structure built around minimising transport time and maximising actual experience.

Day 1: Royal London & South Bank

Morning: Westminster Bridge for the skyline view, Westminster Abbey (book ahead) or the Houses of Parliament exterior. Walk the South Bank — past the London Eye to Tate Modern (free, open straight in). Cross Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral (exterior, or pay to go in). Evening: Covent Garden for dinner or head to Soho — the area is dense with good restaurants at every price point and no booking needed on weekdays.

Day 2: East London & History

Morning: Tower of London (book ahead, arrive at opening). Walk across Tower Bridge (pay for the glass walkway, or just cross it for free on foot). Afternoon: Borough Market for lunch if it's a Wednesday–Saturday. Walk along the South Bank back toward London Bridge or head to Shoreditch for the afternoon — street art, coffee, Brick Lane. Evening: stay in Shoreditch or Hackney for dinner.

Day 3: Museums & a Neighbourhood

Morning: British Museum (free, walk straight in) — two hours covers the highlights. Afternoon: walk to Bloomsbury, then pick a neighbourhood: Islington (Upper Street, Camden Passage), Marylebone (Wallace Collection free, Marylebone High Street) or head south to Brixton (Brixton Village for lunch and a wander). Evening: the neighbourhood you chose will have good dinner options.

Tips

• Book Tower of London and Westminster Abbey before you leave home — both can sell specific slots out on busy days.
• Pay for transport contactlessly — your bank card works directly.
• The free museums (British Museum, Tate Modern) need no booking on most days — walk straight in.
• Don't overplan — the best parts of London often come from wandering a street you didn't intend to.