how many days in london

Ideal Itineraries For All Types Of Travellers

Are you planning a holiday in this beautiful city, but you do not know how many days in London you should spend? That is a question plenty of people ask, however, they never manage to find the right answer. In this guide, we aim to give you a taste of how much of the city can you fit in various holiday lengths.

How Many Days Should You Spend in London, England

This guide will not give you the exact number of days as there is no direct answer to this question, as it all depends on your purpose of stay, budget, and goals. You can spend, 1 day, 5 days or even 14 days. The choice is ultimately up to you.

When we travel to London we spend between 7 and 10 days, however, we always try to discover a new part of London every time we visit to explore more of the UK. This guide is perfect, especially for a first-time visitor planning their stay in London.

exploring london's top attractions

Before diving in, here are some landmarks where no matter the number of days you visit London, they must be visited at least once.

• The Tower of London: Formerly a palace and a fortress, it houses the Crown Jewels and Beefeaters, two iconic British symbols.
• Buckingham Palace: It is the official residence of the monarch of the United Kingdom. During your visit, check out the Changing of the Guards and explore the State Rooms.
• The London Eye: This is a giant Ferris wheel available for everyone to get a bird's eye view of London's skyline from the top.
• Tower Bridge London: It is famous for its twin towers and Victorian engineering, the iconic bascule and suspension bridge that spans the River Thames.
• Westminster Abbey London: In addition to being a magnificent Gothic cathedral and World Heritage site, it has been the site of royal coronations, weddings, and burials for centuries.
• The Big Ben London: London is home to one of the most famous clock towers in the world, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, which is located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.

Note: The guides written below are intended for full days, meaning that the arrival and departure dates do not count. Example 1-Day means a full 24 Hours in London.

One day in london

How Many Days For London - Iconic Red London Phone Boxes

A one day in London itinerary doesn't include much, as you only have 24 hours to visit as much as you can, and it can be exhausting. When summarising a London 1 day itinerary, your ideal goal is to see as many of the main attractions as possible.

Your short holiday can start by getting a glimpse of London from above with the London Eye. Take a walk across the Tower Bridge overlooking the River Thames. Go on a stroll around a couple of parks that lead to Buckingham Palace and to conclude your day a visit to Piccadilly Circus for a lovely dinner.

These types of short itineraries are usually for visitors passing through London for either a layover, a very short break or even a business conference. As a tourist coming on holiday, we do not suggest visiting for just one day as it is physically exhausting, and you will not allow enough time to witness the amazing beauty of London.

Check out London in 1 day itinerary

Two days in London Itinerary

London's historical Big Ben Tower And Houses Of Parliament

A 2 day London itinerary opens the doors to a much better opportunity to explore a little more of the city. On a short trip like this, you can balance between seeing the top attractions on one day, and cultural attractions on the other day. A mix of museums and markets can be incorporated into your itinerary.

Your 2 days in London could be summarised as follows; On day 1, a visit to both the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, then a walk around the Westminster Borough witnessing the London Eye, Big Ben and also Westminster Abbey. To finish off, a lovely dinner around the Soho area or else a show at one of the theatres. Day 2 can incorporate several museums such as the British Museum, Natural History Museum or London Transport Museum. Or else you might want to explore the markets like Borough Market, Camden Market or Covent Garden Market.

For a memorable night out, you might want to go see a show at one of London's theatres.

While two days seem better than the itinerary before, it still does not give you a good sense of what London is all about.

Explore our London in 2 days itinerary (coming soon)

3 day trip to london

How Many Days In London - The lively and colourful streets of London

A three day trip to London not only gives you more time to explore, but it also allows you to experience the city's unique atmosphere. For these three days a good well-rounded guide can give you a fantastic taste of London. Apart from visiting the popular landmarks, your trip can be split into different sections.

On day 1 you can explore the city's inner core by walking around the heart of London and bunny hop your way across one royal attraction at a time. Day 2 can be a mix of shopping and some cultural experiences like a museum, market, or even a tour of an adventure activity. On day 3, you can choose between staying in the city or exploring a city outside London. This can be done by taking a full day trip from London.

Having 3-days on your itinerary gives you a little more extra time to wind down and get used to the surroundings. Apart from that, while exploring the city's landmarks, you can spend more time absorbing the history and culture. However, three days is still not enough to see a lot of the city and planning your stay in these amount of days might be exhausting and stressful.

Explore further our 3 days in London itinerary

4 days in london england

Cotswolds: England's Idyllic Countryside Gem

A four-day trip to London gives you the perfect balance to explore a bit of everything from iconic landmarks to world-class museums, their lively neighbourhoods and also a spectacular show.

Your first day should be concentrated on getting to know your surroundings and exploring the iconic landmarks that you have always dreamed of seeing. After having an eventful day, you might want to close it off with a theatrical show and watch a world-famous musical.

For the second day, you might want to explore a part of London in depth, for example staying on the side of the City of London where you can explore the landmarks that incorporate this area. Apart from the iconic landmarks, you can also focus on visiting the Millennium Bridge, Borough Market and Tate Modern. If heights aren't a worry for you, it will be worth visiting the Shard and getting a bird's eye view from the 72nd floor.

For the third day, you could focus on shopping, as there is so much you can dedicate an entire day. If this isn't something you want to do, you could always discover another side of London or also go outside the city or take a tour.

For your last day, you could either spend it in the city or you can go outside to another city and explore another part of England. There are ample day tours that leave from London.

This four-day London itinerary is only the tip of an iceberg about what to do in the city. Although it might seem a lot at first glance, it is still not enough to fit in all that you want, but little will you know it's still a start.

Read further about our London 4 day itinerary (coming soon)

best tours from london england

5 Days In London england

Explore the wonderful world of Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Studios in Watford, near London

A 5-day trip will provide quite a lot of time for a comprehensive exploration of London. More days will always allow for some leisure time and also some time to rest in between sightseeing. Your time in London can be split further, allowing you to explore further the attractions and also purchasing tickets to explore inside. To explore London as much as possible in five days, you might consider following this itinerary.

Day 1: As a start to your holiday, a highly recommended way of exploring a large part of the city in a short time is by taking the Hop On Hop Off tour. The two popular routes are the Red and Blue where each one explores a different part of London, however, both of them meet in the Westminster/South Bank area. The main advantage of taking such a tour is that you can explore a lot of the city and get off the bus whenever you like when you want to explore on foot. Then, you can get back on with the same ticket and continue your journey.

Day 2: On this day you can opt to do something slightly different and get out of the city since you did an entire day sightseeing. Harry Potter is one of the most famous excursions in all of London and if you are a fan or you would like to learn more about the films, then there is no better place than the Warner Bros. Studio in Watford, London. As another option, you can either travel to Windsor Castle by train or take an excursion to the castle.

Day 3: Getting back to sightseeing in London, you can opt for this day to explore the inner core, which is the City of London. In this tiny borough, you have multiple attractions such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the St. Paul’s Cathedral. There are also several other landmarks such as the famous Shard where you can see London from a bird's eye view.

Day 4: If you enjoy shopping, then you should dedicate an entire day to it. You can spend a day on Oxford Street, a 2 km stretch full of shops. If the weather is lousy and cold, you can go to one of the massive shopping malls around. If you are not keen on shopping, then you might want to take an adventurous tour, such as a skywalk experience or even climb the O2 Arena.

Day 5: To end your last full day in London, you can visit some popular museums around which are free such as the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. Afterwards, you could explore the area and also visit Harrods for some high-class shopping and finish off at Kensington Gardens.

On the whole, a 5-day experience in London is extremely worth it for those wanting to balance their budget, yet see a good amount of the city. Although your itinerary will be full, you will need to prioritise what you want to do to also allow enough time to relax.

Check out these 5 Days in London Itinerary (coming soon)

6 Days In London

A day trip to Windsor Castle from London, UK

If you are spending six days in London, then get ready for a long ride, as you can fill your entire holiday with so many things to do. Since you have quite a few days, you can either spend all your time in London, or you can dedicate a day or two exploring other parts of the UK.

Day 1: On arrival to London, your first full day should be dedicated to exploring your surroundings and getting familiar with where some landmarks are located. As an option, you can take the Hop-On Hop-Off tour to explore London easier. If you want, you can hand-pick a few landmarks, purchase tickets, and visit them individually.

Day 2: If you are travelling in summer, then make sure to visit Buckingham Palace from the inside as it's only open a few months per year. Together with this, watch the Changing of the Guards outside the Palace and explore St. James’s Park, which is adjacent to the palace. From here you can walk down to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Day 3: For the next day, to continue your royal visit, take a train or full-day tour to Windsor Castle and explore the inside of the castle and the tour surrounding area.

Day 4: If you like exploring the history and culture of London, there are so many free museums you can go to. You can spend an entire day sifting through museums.

Day 5: Shopping is one of the main reasons why people visit London. Everywhere you go you will find shops. From markets and shopping streets to shopping malls.

Day 6: For your last day, you might find it interesting to explore another part of London. Camden Market is another famous market known for its eclectic mix of stalls selling unique clothing, jewellery, and crafts. Moving on, take the tube to see some fascinating street art in Shoreditch, then conclude your day at Brick Lane.

Are 6 days in London enough? The good side to spending that amount of day gives you enough time to explore a good part of London. Even though you think six days are enough, there will still be plenty of things that will need to be explored on another trip. However, take your time and do your research properly so that you can fit in as much as possible without overstressing yourself.

Check out our London itinerary for 6 days (coming soon)

free tours in london england

one week in london

How Many Days In London | London's Greenwich Park

A week in London is a way to go. 7 full days of packed fun stuff from the city's rich history to exploring museums, parks and iconic landmarks.

Day 1: Get ready to start exploring London with a view from on top of the London Eye. Once you are here, you can explore the other things to do such as the Sea Life London Aquarium, the London Dungeons and Shrek's Adventure London. Southbank centre is a short walk away where towards the afternoon and evening, you can walk towards Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus and enjoy a lovely dinner.

Day 2: Explore the City of London and the attractions that surround the borough. This borough is a piece of history as well as a financial district of London. From the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, you can spend your morning and afternoon here. You can end your day with dinner at Southwark with a panoramic view of the City of London.

Day 3: London is all about picking your budget, however, it's quite tough when there is so much to buy. If you enjoy shopping, then splurge your money here, as the shops are never-ending. A mix of markets, shopping streets and department stores, you find it all.

Day 4: To unwind, take the opportunity to visit some museums, where most of them are free. The top museums are the British Museum, Science Museum, and Natural History Museum amongst others. Later during the day, visit the National Gallery to view masterpieces by artists like Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Turner. For the evening, entertain yourself with a musical or play in London's famous West End Theatres.

Day 5: Greenwich is a stunning place where you can spend a day and explore the surroundings. Start your day with a visit to the Royal Observatory then head to the Cutty Stark, a famous 19th-century tea clipper ship and move on to the Greenwich Market for a bite to eat. Next head over to Greenwich Park and Queen's House and if you want, enter the National Maritime Museum. For a unique view across the Thames, take the Emirates Air Line cable car. End your day with a riverside dinner at one of the local restaurants along the Thames.

Day 6: Spending an entire week in London might seem too much, so a day outside the city is extremely worth it. There are plenty of day trips that leave London every single day. The most popular places people visit include the following; Cotswolds, Bath, Oxford, Windsor, Canterbury & Dover, Stonehenge, and Liverpool amongst others.

Day 7: To close off your holiday, you might want to explore some of London's most beautiful parks. There are eight Royal Parks to choose from amongst the other 3000 green spaces.

A seven-day itinerary to London allows for an in-depth exploration covering a large area of London including the several iconic landmarks and hidden gems. While you think there is ample time, it still doesn't justify how much there is to see in London. You will be able to pack your itinerary, however, you won't be able to see everything.

Keep exploring our 7 day travel itinerary in London (coming soon)

Ten days in London

How Many Days In London - The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

A recommended extended stay can be for 10 days or even more. The biggest advantage to spending at least 10 days in London, is that you have so much time to visit a large part of the city.

Being that there are so many days, planning your itinerary could be a challenge. Below is a very brief overview of what your ten days in London can look like, then you can see further in our 10 day itinerary in London guide.

Day 1: Explore the core of London while strolling through the Southbank and visiting some popular landmarks such as the London Eye and Big Ben.

Day 2: Visit the classic part of London also known as the City of London where you find the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the Shard. Spend your day exploring this iconic borough. In the evening, you can watch a show or musical.

Day 3: Experience the royalty that plenty of people boast about in London. During the summer period, you can enter the magnificent Buckingham Palace. The Changing of the Guards ceremony is all year round. Continue your day to Westminster Abbey and end your day at Covent Garden.

Day 4: Take the opportunity to explore the different museums London has to offer. Start your day at the British Museum then move on to both the Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Later on, visit the Trafalgar Square and enter the National Gallery to see the masterpieces by world-famous artists.

Day 5: Hoping that it is a lovely day, you can spend the majority of this day visiting the royal parks including the Kensington Palace then enjoy your late afternoon to evening at the neighbourhood of Notting Hill.

Day 6: Want to enjoy a wizarding experience? Dedicate this entire day at the Harry Potter Studios in Watford. It is up to you whether you go on a tour including transport or you visit on your own.

Day 7: Explore Camden Town for the morning and also visit the Camden market and the surroundings. Proceed to Shoreditch for the afternoon, then to Brick Lane for dinner at the famous Indian restaurants.

Day 8: The Windsor Castle is another official residence of the British Monarch. Located on the outskirts of London, you can explore the charming town of Windsor and also enter the castle at a fee. After exploring, you can go back to London and have a lovely dinner at Soho for some delicious Asian cuisine.

Day 9: As we are approaching the end of the itinerary, we haven't yet mentioned a full-day trip outside London. There are plenty to choose from, and we recommend the following places that are within a reasonable distance from London; Cotswolds, Bath, Oxford, Windsor, Canterbury & Dover and Stonehenge.

Day 10: Shopping! Yes, shopping is one of the main things people do in London. You do not have to spend an entire day shopping or even leave it to the last day. You can scatter it throughout the entire holiday. However, in our itinerary, we always leave an entire day to shop. This can be going around the markets, streets, or even department stores.

As a final note, 10 days in London do seem a lot, however, they will pass with flying colours, so do not assume that you still could fit everything in that time. If you feel you would like to see more of London, you could add an extra few days.

Read our extended 10 days in London itinerary (coming soon)

Travelling For The First Time in London

As a first-time visitor planning their trip, you might be overwhelmed with how many things there are in London and how you will get familiar. Below are the main things you must concentrate on as a start to planning your trip to London.

• Public Transport: The easiest way to get around London. Get an Oyster card for convenient and budget travelling.
• Currency: The local currency used is the British Pound (GBP) also known as the Sterling (£).
• What To Pack: Pack weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable walking shoes and all essential stuff.
• Language: The main language spoken in London is English.
• Budgeting: When planning how much you are going to spend, a large portion of your budget goes to travel, accommodation, food, and attractions. Always try to find the best deals to save as much money as you can.
• Accessibility: London's public transport system is largely accessible, with step-free access on buses, black cabs, and parts of the underground and DLR. Museums, attractions, parks, and many West End theatres have accessible facilities. While some older buildings and crowded areas may pose challenges, TfL provides detailed maps and assistance.
• Best Time To Visit: London is a year-round destination, with each season offering its perks, from warm weather and blooming parks to festive Christmas markets. No matter the season, London always showcases its best.
• Safety: Stay safe in London by being aware of pickpockets in crowded areas, using reputable transport such as licensed taxis and public transport, and dialling 999 in emergencies.
• Events: During the year, London hosts some spectacular events. Before coming, do some research to check what is in store while you are here.
• Weather: You can never get a grip on what the weather will be like in the next 60 minutes. However, you can always get a glimpse of what to expect with our monthly guide to the weather in London.

In this guide, we have covered a variety of holiday lengths to suit different tourists heading to London. We hope these itineraries help you plan what to see and do based on your available days.

Remember, London is a massive city that changes and evolves constantly, so it might be overwhelming to decide how many days to visit London.

Don't stay back to visit places you have never been because you might come upon something amazing.

Frequently asked questions - How Many days in London

Photo sources - how many days in London

• Windsor Castle - Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash
• Greenwich Park - Photo from Pixabay

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