3 Days in London, Itinerary Suggestions?

Posted by britawaterhouse on 04/30/25 09:34 PM

I will have 3 full days in London in early September and can't settle on how to plan out my time so that it makes the most sense logistically. I will be staying at the Premier Inn County Hall (if that makes any difference). We'll be taking a train from Edinburgh to London the day before, so we'll have at least an afternoon in addition.

Must see/must do items:
- Westminster Abbey
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Buckingham Palace
- Big Ben/Houses of Parlament
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Afternoon tea (considering Fortnum & Mason, The Wolseley, Brown’s Hotel, or Orangery at Kensington)

Optional - would like to fit in some of these if/where possible:
- Churchill War Rooms
- Shakespeare's Globe
- Borough Market
- Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
- Hampton Court
- West End show (very optional)

Any suggestions on how you'd organize this would be greatly appreciated!

Posted by Simon

Singapore

04/30/25 10:35 PM

807 posts

It's best to group things together geographically. And don't try to do too much - allow space to deviate from the itinerary when you see something interesting that's not on your list

Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace work well together. Are you planning to visit the state rooms? If so, I'd recommend max two big things in one day, so you could do the Abbey and Buckingham Palace one day, and then also walk past the Houses of Parliament, and then walk through St James' Park to Piccadilly and visit Fortnum & Mason. Probably skip the Churchill War Rooms unless you are particularly interested in WWII history.

The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and St Paul's work well together for a different day. And you can visit Borough Market that day as well.

And just a reminder that Westminster Abbey and St Paul's are only open for worship on Sundays.

That leaves you one more day. While Hampton Court Palace is a great site, there's so much to do in London (depending on your interests). The major museums and galleries for a start, such as the V&A, British Museum, National Gallery etc.

Posted by MaryPat

Irving

04/30/25 11:07 PM

3403 posts

Day one – Houses of Parliament > Westminster Abbey (be sure you rent the headset unless you know British history) > Churchill War Rooms > West End.
Day two – Tower Bridge > Tower of London > St Paul’s Cathedral.
Day three – Buckingham Palace > afternoon tea.

Posted by ponygirl813

Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome

05/01/25 12:37 AM

661 posts

I just returned from a trip to London last week and stayed at this hotel. It's in a great location for Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament. Also the Embankment area nearby has a lovely park and many restaurants. Churchill's War Rooms were a must-see for me and just a short walk away. We bought timed tickets in advance for a 10 am opening slot. We had coffee and pastries from a small cafe in a nearby park before lining up for admission. There is also a larger, free war museum within a short walk of the hotel and on the same side of the river if you are interested in both world wars. I found it worthwhile and that one you can just walk into.

We used the Tube and "Uber Boat" to get to everything else from this central location.