The Ultimate London Itinerary | 3 Perfect Days in London
- Jan 2, 2022
- 5 min read
London is one of those magical cities that you can never get enough of, as well as never see enough of! There are so many places to go to, see and experience within the city, and so it can almost be overwhelming your first time. Because it would take you a long time to experience all of London (not to mention a lot of money), I have created the perfect itinerary that is budget friendly, time sensitive, and allows for you to cover and see the best parts of the British city.
This itinerary is totally customisable, but I have kind of constructed it in a way to simply show what can be seen and done as a traveller in London in only 3 days. However, if you are able to stay longer, then you can completely adjust and add to the itinerary as you please!
Some extra Notes and Details before we get into the Itinerary:
🚃The Best Way to Get Around
These days getting around the city is fairly easy, there are so many public transport options available it is almost impossible not to be able to get somewhere with ease! Most public transport in London has become contactless, meaning you can pay as you go using your bank card tap. If your bank card does not have the tap option, then I would suggest getting an Oyster card. These are cards that you can top-up with money as you go, and allow you access on to all modes of transport around London.
🏨Where to Stay
There are SO many great hotel options in London, and if you are planning to stay mostly in London city, I would suggest keeping your hotel search within the zones 1 and 2. We stayed in Victory House Hotel in Leceister Square, which was an amazing spot as it was close to a lot of important things we wanted to see and do! Here is a link to the Victory House Hotel.
Here are a few other hotels I saw that are good prices and in decent locations:
🗓Day One
🥐☕️Coffee and Croissants
The very first thing you'll want to do, is experience a good coffee and croissant in London. Within the city there are hundreds of amazing cafés with incredible pastries, so honestly, this is a must do! No matter where you are, you will find a good coffee shop. Here is a list of my favorites that have a few shops scattered around the city:
Pret a Manger
PAUL
El&N Café
📸Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster
For your first official day in London I would suggest getting out to see the biggest 'tourist sights,' and it is always best to hit the spots that are close together or in close range of one another. Luckily for you, Big Ben, London Eye, and a great view of the River Thames are all in the same area of Westminster
The best way to see Big Ben as well as the London Eye is to go to Westminster Bridge. From the bridge you can get a great view of the attractions as well as of the city from the River Thames. This spot is perfect to stand and look around - remember to bring your camera and take lots of pictures!
From here, I would recommend walking to Westminster Abbey, as it is just down the road.
📸Buckingham Palace
The next stop to make is Buckingham Palace. I would recommend walking through St. James Park before heading to the palace, as it is a beautiful park with great scenery.
Buckingham Palace is a beautiful scene, and it is generally quite busy at the gates. If you are lucky you can even catch the changing of the guards at the gates! To ensure you get to see the Changing of the Guard at the gates, you'd have to get to the palace at 10:45am.
🍝Lunch Time in Westminster
By the time you have viewed all these incredible sights, it will be around lunchtime. I would recommend staying where you are and having lunch in Westminster or the surrounding area as it has some great restaurants. Here are a few I recommend:
Fuller's Kitchen
Cellarium Cafe and Terrace
Colossea Restaurant
🛍Shopping
Once you have had a good lunch, make your way to Regent street to enjoy walking the city streets and do some shopping. The most famous shopping streets of London are Regent street, Oxford street, and Carnaby street. Here you can walk around for hours enjoying the amazing shops and really experience the London city life.
🎭Dinner and a Show
One of the things you have to experience whilst in London is a theatre show, and fortunately there are SO many around, and you'll notice there is an overwhelming amount of theatres on every street in London! One of the most iconic musicals I can recommend is Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. This show has been going since 2006, and is a well-known part of London's culture. You will need to book tickets for the musical, and it so worth a watch!
Once you're done with the show, I would recommend having some dinner in Soho, which has a great dining and nightlife feel to it. These are the restaurants I can recommend in Soho:
Korean Dinner Party in Carnaby street
Lina Stores in Greek street
Upstiars at La Bodega Negra
Kingly Court (lots of restaurants and cafes within this courtyard) in Carnaby street
🗓Day Two
🥞Another must do in London is enjoying a good brunch offered at one of their many great restaurants (even maybe have a cheeky mimosa or two!). Here are some spots I would recommend (all central):
The Breakfast Club Soho
El&N Café
Best Bottomless Brunch London
Balans Soho
📸Tower Bridge
Once you are done with brunch, make your way to Tower Bridge. Here you can also get a great view of the Tower of London.
📸Borough Market
For your next stop, I would recommend going to see Borough Market, which is another great London experience underneath the railway lines. The market is full of great homemade foods and artisanal baked goods.
🛍Harrods
After the Market make your way to Knightsbridge to check out Harrods. This is a massive shop that has everything from designer clothing to restaurants and souvenirs. This is also an amazing true-London experience that I would recommend, and it is a great place to pick up a few souvenirs!
🍜Dinner in Chinatown
Just off of Leicester Square is London's own Chinatown street, and here there are so many great Asian-fusion restaurants to try for dinner! I would recommend taking a walk down the street and taking your pick of the many restaurants.
🗓Day Three
For your third and final day in London I would highly recommend going to Notting Hill, this area is amazing and filled with beautiful British streets and townhouses that are picturesque!
📸Portobello Road Market
A great place to head to in this area first is Portobello Road Market, which is a long strip in the street that is full of vintage shops, antiques, souvenirs and clothing. This market is the perfect place to buy something unique and absolutely British, and I truly can't recommend it enough!
🍝Lunch in Notting Hill
There are so many great spots in Notting Hill to go for lunch, and even when you walk down Portobello Road you can choose one that interests you. My favourite place was Pepperon Café, which was on a small street off Portobello road.
📸Primrose Hill
The next stop you must make is Primrose Hill, which again is a beautiful, quaint area with amazing cafés and picturesque streets. I would highly recommend timing it so you get here around sunset, so you can watch the London sun go down on the hilltop! There are also many great restaurants around here for you to choose for dinner.
And there you have it! Your three perfect days in London have flown by! If you enjoyed this guide, have a look on my instagram for many more travel guides and tips and we can be internet friends 📱🖤.
Lots of love,
Britt xx
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