London in 5 days: the best tour of the city

This guide to London in 5 days will help you to visit most of the best-known and most charming places in one of the most multicultural cities in Europe.

During the first 4 days you will focus on getting to know most of the points on this list of places to visit in London, so during the fifth and last day you will take the opportunity to visit other must-see places in the city such as the Natural History Museum, Madame Tussauds, Shakespeare's Globe theatre, Borough Market, or go shopping in Oxford Street and the luxurious Harrods, to finish the day with a sunset cruise on the Thames.

To create this 5-day London highlights tour we have drawn on our experience from our last trip to London in 6 days and from another of our visits to the city during which we stayed for over a month in a Notting Hill flat. Let's get started!

Transfer to the hotel

To get to your hotel from any of the 4 main London airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, you have several means of transport such as train, bus, underground, taxi or this direct transfer to the hotel, the most comfortable and fastest option.

You can find more information about the transfer from the airport to London in these articles:

• How to get from Luton airport to London

• How to get from Heathrow airport to London

• How to get from Stansted Airport to London

• How to get from Gatwick Airport to London

If you are going to make several journeys on the tube or bus in London in 5 days, we advise you to pay with a contactless card such as the Revolut and the N26. With these cards you will pay a maximum amount per day of 6.50 pounds (valid for zones 1-2) and you can make as many journeys as you want, so with only 3 journeys per day you will already pay off the cost.
In addition, with these cards you can withdraw money from cash machines and pay in establishments without paying the commission, so you can save a lot of money. You can find more information in this article on the best cards for commission-free travel.

Where to stay in London in 5 days

A trip to London promises a delightful blend of history, culture, and cosmopolitan charm. Amidst the city's iconic landmarks and bustling streets lies the elegant Park Plaza Victoria London, a true gem that captures the essence of this vibrant metropolis. Join us as we delve into the captivating world of London and uncover the allure of a memorable stay at Park Plaza Victoria London on park-plaza-victoria-london.londonhotelsuk.net.

Hotels in London are quite expensive, so it is advisable to choose a hotel a little further away from the centre, but close enough to a tube stop to allow you to reach the most famous sights of the city without losing too much time.
Among our favourite hotels are the Garden Court Hotel, the Lancaster Gate Hotel and the NOX Notting Hill, located very close to Notting Hill and Hyde Park.
Two other good value-for-money options near Victoria Station are The Belgrave Hotel and the Victor Hotel.

A trip to London, UK is an adventure filled with history, culture, and unforgettable moments. To truly immerse yourself in the city's unique charm, consider staying at a bed and breakfast, where personalized hospitality and cozy accommodations await. Join us as we explore the world of London bed and breakfasts and discover the perfect blend of comfort, affordability, and local charm.

For more information you can check out this post on recommended neighbourhoods and hotels to stay in London.

Tips for London

This list of tips for London in 5 days will help you to have a good first contact with the city.

• If you are going to visit a lot of monuments, it is advisable to consider whether it is worth buying the London Pass, as you can save money on entrance fees and, above all, time by being able to skip the queues. Another good option is to book the London Explorer Pass, which allows you entry to 3, 5 or 7 of the city's main attractions, skipping the queues and saving up to 40%.

• To make sure you don't miss out on anything interesting and get to know the history of each point of interest in London, we recommend you book this free tour and this free tour of Old London, both of which are among the best free tours in London, or this guided tour in Spanish which includes entry to the different tourist attractions.

• If you are a Harry Potter fan or reader, we recommend you to take this tour of the places that inspired J.K. Rowling in London and above all, to book the impressive tour of Warner Studios, where most of the scenes of the 8 films of the young wizard were filmed.
  For more information about this tour you can consult this guide to visit the Harry Potter Studios in London.

• Another interesting tour for the more adventurous is the Jack the Ripper Trail which passes through some of the scenes of his murders.

For more recommendations you can check out this post with tips for travelling to London.

First day in London

London in 5 days starts by arriving at the luminous Piccadilly Circus and having breakfast at The Breakfast Club or The Wolsele, and then walking down to the lively Trafalgar Square.
After seeing Nelson's Column you can continue strolling through St. James Park, London's most beautiful park, from where you'll arrive at Buckingham Palace to watch the popular changing of the guard in front of its façade at 11.30am.
A visit to Westminster Abbey is the next stop of the day, where there are often long queues, something you can avoid with the London Pass or this skip-the-line ticket.
Next to the abbey is Parliament Square, with the famous red telephone boxes on one side, where you can't miss taking a photo to immortalise the moment. From there to the end of Westminster Bridge, you can enjoy magnificent views of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Telephone boxes with Big Ben in the background

In this area you will find St. Stephen's Tavern and The Red Lion, two typical taverns where you can try traditional food and drink with a pint of beer, which at this time of the day, will surely do you good.
After lunch, on the other bank of the Thames is one of the best viewpoints in London, the London Ferris Wheel, which you can access by skipping the queue and buying this ticket.
If you're on a tight schedule, just a few metres from the Ferris wheel and Waterloo Station, you'll find the Leake Street Tunnel, an amazing tunnel full of street art and one of the best things to do in London for free.

Leake Street Tunnel

The first day of the 5 day London tour will end with a sunset walk along the banks of the Thames to Tower Bridge.
In the area around the Tower of London you can take the opportunity to have lunch at one of the recommended restaurants such as the MBER, The Ivy or the Coppa Club and then have a last drink or beer at the Sky Garden viewpoint with a fantastic panoramic view of the illuminated city.

For the most complete information on the first day you can consult this guide to London in 1 day.

Map of the first day in London in five days

This map of the first day of London in five days will help you to make the tour as easy as possible.

Day 2 in London

The morning of the second day of the London in 5 days starts by arriving by tube or walking to Little Venice and having breakfast at the pretty Clifton Nurseries cafe. From this beautiful area of canals reminiscent of Venice you can hop on a boat that will take you in less than an hour to the neighbourhood of Camden Town, one of our favourites in London, which stands out for its alternative atmosphere and its famous Camden Market, where you can't miss eating in one of its many street food stalls and locals such as The Cheese Wheel, Arepazo Bros or Haché Burgers Camden.

Camden Market in London

Close to Camden is Primrose Hill, a green area perfect for relaxing and looking out over the skyscrapers of financial London. The route continues across Regent's Park to Warren Mews, one of London's most charming spots.
From here you can walk down to the centre of the city, strolling through the beautiful Marylebone district and stopping at one of its iconic shops, such as Daunt Books, and then continue along the beautiful Regent Street.

Marylebone

Next up is another of our favourite London neighbourhoods, SoHo, where the Carnaby Street and Chinatown areas are perfect for strolling around, discovering charming shops such as House of Minalima and trying Indian food at Hankies Cafe or burgers at Honest Burgers, two unique places in the city.

And if you still have energy left, which we hope you do, at night you can take a guided tour of the city's best-lit spots or head to the lively Leiscester Square to enjoy one of the city's most famous musicals.

For full information on the second day, check out this guide to London in two days.

Map of the second day in London

This map of the second day of London in 5 days will help you not to miss anything important in the city.

Day 3 in London

The third day of the London in 5 days starts with a morning stroll through Hyde Park, London's green lung, and sampling the healthy food at Cherry on or Farm Girl Notting Hill. If it falls on a Saturday, you can head to the charming neighbourhood of Notting Hill, to see one of London's best markets, Portobello Market.
In this area, the Italian restaurant Portobello Garden Café and the English restaurant The Duke of Wellington are two of our favourite places to eat in London.

Portobello Market

After lunch you'll take the tube to the British Museum, where you can follow this list of the best things to see at the British Museum as you delve into some of the world's most fascinating history. Although museums in London are free, in this case, a good option is to book the guided tour in English or this free tour to understand the most important works and not have to queue.

Covent Garden

The London in 5 days route continues through the colourful Neal's Yard and then continues walking to Covent Garden, one of London's most popular neighbourhoods with its covered market and numerous pubs such as the photogenic The Churchill Arms and Crown & Anchor. Inside the market you can dine on Shake Shack's famous burgers, although we prefer the nearby Honest Burgers. Other recommended restaurants in this neighbourhood include The Oystermen, Flat Iron Covent Garden and Chez Antoinette.

For full information on this third day you can consult this guide to London in 3 days.

Map of the third day in London

This map of the third day of London in 5 days will help you not to miss anything important in the city.

Fourth day in London

The route of the fourth day of the London in 5 days starts in the Shoreditch neighbourhood, where the Brick Lane market is held every Sunday, one of the most fashionable markets in the city.
After breakfast at one of the stalls, bargain hunting at one of the many stalls and some Bansky graffiti, you can head to the Tower of London.
A visit to the Tower of London is included in the London Pass or you can book a skip-the-line ticket and inside the fortress you'll see several buildings including the one that houses the Crown Jewels.

The Tower of London

Just a few metres from the Tower of London is the iconic Tower Bridge which you can visit inside by booking a ticket from this page and we are sure you will be amazed.
On the way down from the Tower you can walk down to the remains of St. Dunstan in the East Church, a haven of peace where you can have a little picnic on one of the benches. If the weather is not good you can opt for lunch at Murger Han City, L'Antipasto City or AL DENTE Monument.

The tour of the City of London continues in the afternoon, passing in front of the Great Fire of London Monument and arriving at St Paul's Cathedral, the most important church in the city, with its enormous dome. Note that it closes very early, so it may be advisable to buy a skip-the-line ticket.

After this visit you will cross the Thames over the Millennium Bridge, a modern bridge designed by Norman Foster, to go up to the incredible viewing platform of the Tate Modern, London's modern art museum.

Tate Modern

To finish the day of the best of London in 5 days we recommend a stroll through the beautiful Leadenhall Market, a beautiful Victorian-style covered market, where there are several places to dine such as the Cheese at Leadenhall, Viandas and the Leadenhall Omelette, and then go up to The Shard, our favourite viewpoint in the city.

For full information on day four you can check out this guide to London in 4 days.

Map of the fourth day in London

This map of the fourth day of London in 5 days will help you not to miss anything important in the city.

What to see in London in 5 days

On the last day of the What to see in London in 5 days you will take advantage of the city's extensive and efficient underground network to visit several interesting places that are further away from the city centre.
The first stop will be at St. John's Wood station, to see the world's most famous pedestrian crossing, Abbey Road, and have breakfast at the Abbey Cafe. The Beatles used this pedestrian crossing for the cover of one of their most famous albums and quite a few tourists try to copy the photo, sometimes even endangering their safety or disrupting traffic. Remember this before trying to take the photo ????
This street is also home to the studios where the famous Abbey Road album was recorded, which was the title of the group's last joint album.

Abbey Road

With your photo taken carefully, you will take the tube again to get to the Natural History Museum, another of London' s best museums and one of our favourites, which features reproductions of dinosaurs, fossils and a huge blue whale skeleton. Another important museum nearby is the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest art and design museum, which you can also visit if you have more time.
However, if you don't have the time, we recommend only visiting the Natural History Museum.

Natural History Museum

The route continues up Brompton Road until you reach the emblematic and luxurious Harrods shopping centre. The prices are prohibitively expensive, although it's worth popping in to see the interior decor and to browse for souvenirs in the souvenir shop on the ground floor, where prices are much more affordable.
On the way out you'll take the tube again to Borough Market, London's best food market, full of shops for quality fresh produce and food outlets from around the world such as the Fish Kitchen, La Tua Pasta, Porteña and Turnips Restaurant Borough Market.

Borough Market

As a tip, we always use Google Maps to find out which tube station and line you should take to get to each point of interest. Just enter your origin and destination, select public transport and the application will show you the complete tube route.

After lunch you can take a last stroll along the banks of the Thames, stopping at places like the beautiful Hay's Galleria or Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, a replica of the theatre where Shakespeare performed his best-known plays. Another charming spot near the river for a pint of beer is Gabriel's Wharf.

Gabriel's Wharf

You can say goodbye to London in 5 days by taking a sunset cruise along the Thames and see the city from a different perspective.
An alternative plan for shopping lovers is to spend the afternoon on Oxford Street, London's most popular shopping street, and also visit Madame Tussauds, our favourite wax museum in the world, where the figures are almost identical to their real-life counterparts.
For dinner in the area there is the Kitchen at Holmes, Bill's Baker Street Restaurant and Mielo Restaurant.

Madame Tussauds

London 5-day sightseeing map

This map will help you get around the last day of London in 5 days.

If you have more time you can do some of the best tours from London:

• Stonehenge tour

• Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford tour

• Excursion to Oxford and Stratford

• Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath Tour

• Leeds Castle, Canterbury and Cliffs of Dover tour