Spending 4 Nights/5 Days in London.

Day One: No need to visit Piccadilly Circus as such, it's just a road interchange. If you want to see it, get the Piccadilly Line from Kings Cross, come up briefly, then go back down and take the Bakerloo to Waterloo or Embankment for the Eye. (I wouldn't make that trip by bus as you'll probably be travelling at a severely congested time.)

Day Two: From the question mark I assume you haven't booked your play yet. Either pick something and book it NOW or go to the TKTS kiosk in Leicester Square in the morning, but don't expect to be able to buy tickets there for any particular play.

Day Three: The vast majority of buses in central London are double-deck, no need to plan it specifically as you'll probably end up using one anyway. I would suggest, on Day Two, get one of the remaining old Routemaster buses on route 15 from the Tower to Trafalgar Square (no extra fare), and go on from there to Westminster on one of the various routes that go down Whitehall. Again, given the question mark, if you haven't booked your Regents Park Theatre ticket do so NOW.

Day Four: You may want to change your order as the theatre itself at Shakespeare's Globe can only be visited in the morning on Sundays, as on the afternoon and evening it's used for performances. If you are considering seeing a play there in the afternoon, BOOK NOW!!! I MEAN IT OPEN A NEW BROWSER WINDOW THIS SECOND AND GO TO THE WEBSITE!!! Sunday matinees sell out FAST in advance.

Day Five: Forget Harrods.

Thanks for the insights. I am traveling very cheaply--backpack, and self made lunches, etc, but if £50 is too low, would I be able to get away back packing on £55. I will be booking any passes for plays this week, just want to get some last minute advice on my schedule before I confirm.

A money saving suggestion...

Maybe book breakfast at the Aqua Shard, which is free (apart from the breakfast which could be simple a one from £9, and you'd be eating at least) and gives a 'similar' high up view of London as the London Eye... and no queues.

http://www.aquashard.co.uk/

Currency in the UK is abbreviated GBP, although it is often called British Pounds Sterling.

Why we couldn't make the words and the abbreviation match I have no idea.

Hi David,

Have a look at the hostel side of the Lancaster Hall Hotel and see if it works for you. It's near Lancaster Gate on the Central Line and is well located for Hyde Park and the West End.

Completely agree with the above poster who said to book your theatre tickets now, especially if you want to see Book of Mormon. It will sell out and there are no discounts on it. FWIW, my fav sears are in the £79 section in the middle of the circle....you get to see everything and you're paying about half of the top price tix.

You can get decent cheap breakfasts (and mains) at Weatherspoons pubs....the nearest is The Tyburn around the corner from Marble Arch.

When you say Double Decker Bus ride, do you mean a hop on/hop off tour? Were you planning to do Rick's combo of doing the tour and stopping for the Changing of the Guard? If no, stop reading and follow the previous advice regarding buses. If yes, be aware that the tours are 25-30 pounds, depending on when you buy the tickets. I like these tours for big cities, including London, to help me learn the city. And it is very easy transportation between sights. But if you are looking to save money, this would be a good thing to cross off the list. You can get see all of the same things using public transportation at a fraction of the cost.

Dorm rooms in hostels are 18-25 pounds per night. I considered staying at a few hostels but ultimately got a good hotel deal. So I know you have a lot of options, but I can't comment on them from personal experience.

Thanks tremendously for your comments--I hope to follow up on all your suggestions and finalize plans by the middle of this weekend.

No need to pay for Tower Bridge unless you must see the machinery. It can be seen pretty well from the outside, or from on it. Don't have to pay a farthing to walk across, just don't fall in when they open it.

And seeing it open is quite impressive, from various vantage points. The schedule is posted well in advance.

Not undoable but consider the following groupings:

Day 1
Arrive London
Parliament Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey.

You can see the Eye by walking across the Westminster Bridge and if you MUST splurge and ride it do so but advance tickets which cut the cost are time restrictive. Keep that in mind.

If you don't ride the Eye then walk up Whitehall toward Trafalgar Square. You will pass the Horse Guards and Number 10 Downing. Can't really see Number 10 downing easily. High fence with armed security these days. I believe sun will have set by know and crowds thinned at the National Gallery.

If you are a night person this is when you should stroll along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus. You'll have invested in an Oyster Card so you can then hop on the tube and head back to your hostel.

Day 2
Up early and be in line to enter the Tower of London when it opens. Head straight for the Crown Jewels then explore the rest of the fascinating prison. Leave there walk to tower bridge. Then back track to the glass covered Leadenhall Market. From there check out The Gherkin then walk up Bishopsgate to the Old Spitafield's Market, and Brick Lane. Cheap lunch there. You could then tube or bus or walk to the Museum of London, which is a great Musuem that explains the city you are visiting. From there evensong at St. Paul's. yes you'll stand in line but its free and you'll get to see St. Paul's interior because of it.

Day 3
Leicester Square and the half price ticket booth first thing so you can get theatre tickets for that night. It's not going to be BOM, too popular and SRO each evening. Plenty of great theatre options though. Access their website to see what tickets will be offered. www.tkts.co.uk. From Leicester Square its a 20 minute walk to the British Museum. It's huge so best to know what in advance you truly want to see.
2 hours and you'll barely begin to see all that is there. If its another interesting enclosed space you wish to explore then the British Library and the Treasure Room is another 20 minute walk. Or go the opposite way to see The Royal Opera House and Covent Garden. Remember you have theatre that night so plan you time accordingly especially if you want to return to the hostel to freshen up.

Day 4
Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Buckingham Palace, St James Park. Then either tube or walk along the Southbank to Tate Modern, The Globe ( which as noted will have a performance going on because its Sunday) cross the Millennium Bridge then experience a double decker bus ride(s) enroute to Camden Lock Market. Try to get a front seat on the upper level with the nearly floor to ceiling windows to see the cityscape. Cheap late lunch and souvenir shopping at Camden Lock which will be jammed because its Sunday. From there a walk to Regents park where u can relax, people watch, and enjoy Peter Pan in the open air theatre. That ticket should be pre booked.

Day 5
See what you missed.

Google's satellite map birds eye view is you friend as you plan your days. See what's close to one another and set your daily itineraries. Have fun. GREAT city. Expensive but with advance planning doable on a back packer's budget!!!

Thanks for all the advice. I feel in absolute love with the city and its parks especially. I hit everything on my list and more (borough market, Museum of London, royal observatory...). I definitely will be traveling through London again within the next year!

I saved money by not going into the Tower of London, West Minster Abbey or up the Tower Bridge, or The London Eye, so I have an excuse to come back for sure. I'm interested in doing the whole London-Stonehenge-Bath trip.

I'm going to be extending my time abroad next year, so I would welcome any advice or suggestions as far as where else to visit in the U.K. and Ireland. I want to finalize a basic itinerary early so I can book at the best rates.

Thanks Again!
David

David, so glad you had a great trip. Consider going to "Trip Reports" Category here and writing a detailed report of your London segment. We would all enjoy hearing where you stayed (hostel? hotel?) and about any favorite restaurants or pubs, also.

Glad to hear you will be branching out on your next trip and seeing Stonehenge, Bath, and more. As far as advice for your trip next year......The ancient town of Salisbury is near Stonehenge, and would make an interesting place for you to stay while exploring. Salisbury Cathedral is very interesting. Not far from Salisbury is the ancient town of Winchester, also with an amazing cathedral.

Hotels and B&B's are tremendously cheaper out in the countryside, once you get away from London, unless you choose a luxury hotel.

You may want to visit Oxford, with its university, pubs, and a really great museum, the Ashmolean. From there you could go to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's home. Also not too far away is Warwick Castle. Not far from Oxford are the Cotswolds, peaceful and serene little villages.

Go north from Bath, Oxford, and the Cotswolds, and you can go to Wales, with its hundreds of castles. Go north from there to the Lake District. Great for hiking. North of there is Hadrian's Wall, the great Roman Wall that stretches from one side of England to the other. Great for hiking the path alongside it. Lots of inexpensive hostels and B&B's along the way to stay the night.

You could go on up to Scotland and explore a bit. Train over to Edinburgh. Lots to see there. Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Mile.

Then train south to York. See the ancient city walls (Roman originally) and York Minster Cathedral. Then train south back to London.

There are some ideas to get you started. Remember that on the west coast of England, Scotland and Wales there are many places you can catch a boat across to Ireland if you want a short visit there.

Glad you are going back to the UK next year to see more!