Two nights and one day in London - Itinerary Help Please

We will use taxi/Uber for transportation if that helps move things along faster than public transport

Not with London Traffic. You'll be better off using the Underground.

As for a hotel, check out the Resident Victoria. Excellent hotel and service. It's a 15 minute walk to Westminster Abbey and near numerous pubs and restaurants. Join the "member " program, it's free, and save 15% on rates. Easy underground access to the Tower of London. It's also five minutes to Buckingham Palace.

I've stayed a few times and will be back next month.

Solid plan, totally doable. Very easy to use the tube for these places, including to/from Heathrow.

I always enjoy getting pints at The Red Lion in Westminster which is near the Abbey, Parliament, 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, etc. It does get busy, so if you will want to eat, I highly suggest reservations for their upstairs dining room. Maybe a 10-15 minute walk from Westminster tube is Gordon's Wine Bar - I know it is not a pub, but it is a lovely and cozy space. Have been twice and love it there.

For transit between the Abbey and Tower, definitely use the Tube. It's not far and will be easier than a taxi/Uber. Just be warned, you can spend a lot of time at the Tower and the Abbey, so just figure out how you want to structure the day if going to both sites in the same day.

Frequent traveler to London.

Use the tube..MUCH Better transport than Uber or a Black cab. Also cheaper.

Just tap in and out with your debit card.

Your plan is good.

Royal Horse Guards Hotel is 4+

Favorite pubs in and about the Westminster neighborhood:

The Two Chairman was my favorite but I see it’s temporarily closed. Worth seeing if Google Maps is outdated though.

Others are:
Westminster Arms
If you stroll across St James Park you will find the
Red Lion down the Crown Passage.

By the Tower of London; a pleasant stroll will take you to The Princess of Prussia pub.

If you visit the Tower of London consider taking a circle or district line train from the Tower Hill station ( across the road from the Tower ) directly to Blackfriars Station. It’s a 10 minute ride. Exit and cross the road and enjoy a pint in the art deco beauty of the Blackfriar pub.

Other enjoyable pubs in different London non touristy neighborhoods;

If not allergic to cats go meet The General at the Seven Stars pub by the Royal Courts. You can also enjoy some great pasta there. This pub has been there since the 1600’s.
https://www.thesevenstars1602.co.uk/

Or

The Mitre Hyde Park or the Victoria Paddington. My accommodation when in London is near both of these places and as I travel solo I enjoy the comfort and food at both of these places.
https://www.themitrehydepark.com/
https://www.victoriapaddington.co.uk/

London is great city. Been enjoying visiting and staying there since Nixon was in office.

Have a great trip!

My niece and I did the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey on the same day this past December. You already have had great suggestions. I would recommend that you start with the Tower of London in the a.m. and then take the tube to Westminster Abbey.

The one caveat is to check to see the schedule for Westminster. On the day we went (a Wednesday), they were not open in the morning and we could not even buy tickets online in advance, so like everyone we had to wait in line to buy tickets and then because it wasn’t open in the morning it was so crowded. The only benefit of this scheduling is that I opted to eat lunch at the Cellarium Cafe & Terrace right at the Abbey in Dean’s Yard. The restaurant is part of the 14th century fabric of the Abbey and it is where monks kept their stores of food and drink. It is a stunning place with excellent service and the best afternoon tea that we had on our trip and was the least expensive. I had to have 3 afternoon teas in the course of 10 days because my niece is in love with afternoon tea. The rest of the food looked really good.

I think that sounds like a very good plan, with the exception of taking a taxi- as others have mentioned, the tube will be a lot faster (and less expensive).

For Westminster Abbey, you may want to look at taking a verger tour- you can only book that once you get there (book tickets for entrance in advance, and for the verger tour once you arrive). We did one last year and it was very good, and you get to go to one part of the abbey you can't visit otherwise.

For pubs, my favourite chain is Fuller's, they have them all over London: https://www.fullers.co.uk/pubs

What is your idea of a 4* hotel. In Europe, it just means more amenities that you may not use for such a short stay. It is not an indication of luxury.

Take a look at the 3* Sanctuary House Hotel. Only a 3 minute walk to Westminster Abbey and a 4 minute walk to the tube for the Tower of London. Beautiful St. James Park is nearby along with several historic pubs including The Two Chairman and the Buckingham Arms. Bonus is the pub at the hotel.

Wow! Thanks for all the fantastic advice. I've never been to London, consequently I've never used the Tube. Where can I find a simple explanation on how to use it? Also, when does the ticketing window open for a Westminster Abbey tour in October? Finally,
is there anything else we should try to do/see/eat during this very brief stay? Thanks again for all the great replies.

Here's a link that will probably give you more information than you need.

The London Underground explained

In a nutshell, use your contactless credit/debit card or iPhone/Google wallet to tap the yellow card reader at the gate when going in and out for the tube. On buses, tap only when getting on. Just watch others before you try and it will make sense.

It is important to use the same card or phone wallet all day long. And each person must use a different card or phone wallet. This will track your fares properly and keep you from being overcharged.

Add an app to your phone for routing and directions. I like the Citymapper app. It covers many cities around the world that have public transportation. It gives detailed information for tube and bus travel, for example which entrance and exit to use at the station, which cars to sit, gives alerts that your stop is coming up and more. It also gives walking directions and taxi/Uber info.

If the weather cooperates a walk along the South Bank of the Thames from Westminster Bridge to the Tower of London gives you great views of the city including Westminster Palace and St Paul's Cathedral. The walk takes you past the Globe Theatre, Southwark Cathedral, the ruins of Winchester Palace and more. There are several pubs along the way including The Anchor from the 1600s.

The tube is so easy to use. It’s all in English too!😉 No need to fear it.

Note that Westminster Abbey will be closed to general visiting on Saturday 17 October due to the National Pilgrimage to the shrine of St Edward the Confessor- only Pilgrims will be allowed access that day except for the services at 0730 Morning Prayer, 0800 Eucharist, 1115 Eucharist and 1500 First Evensong of the feast of the Dedication of the Abbey in 1269.

For other days, probably late August/early September.

I purchased a Westminster Abbey membership - I did the associate (2 people) - for our trip in late September. The price isn’t much more than two adult admissions, but it gives you some great benefits such as no need to pick a day/time, bypass the lines, etc.: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/support-us/join-the-abbey-association/membership-faqs

You tube is your friend. Look up “how to ride the tube” and find many , many how to videos. One word of caution, always stand on the right side of an escalator in the UK, particularly at the tube. The left side is for people in a hurry and are climbing the steps. If you block the left you will not be appreciated and probably told off a bit.

If you decide to the Tower of London in the morning, I would head to the Crown Jewels fairly promptly. A decent line can form quickly and you would spend time waiting. The White Tower at the Tower of London is well worth it as well. Being mid-October, it looks like you'll be there ahead of the half term holidays (mid-term school break, which looks to be the last week of October in London), which means big sights be quite busy with families.

Definitely agree on using the Tube/public transport if you are pressed for time as London traffic can slow things down. Getting out and moving on the day you arrive is a good way to get over jet lag and orient yourself to the area.

Visit London has put together a guide on how to use the Tube:
https://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/london-tube

Transport for London (TfL) staff can help as well. When tapping in and out of the Tube, make sure you tap the card reader on your right side (hold your card in your right hand).

Thanks again for all the great advice!

You should also seriously consider using busses. When I visit cities on vacation I always prioritize them as they let you actually see the city en route rather than tunneling underground and missing everything. I was in London early last month and only used the tube once to go across town when i had an appointment that I needed to get to quickly. For everywhere else in the city I either used a bus or walked.