London in 3 days: the perfect itinerary 🇬🇧

Do you want to know the best of London in 3 days? You have come to the right place!

You could spend months in London and not get to know it in depth, but making a getaway to the British capital is always a good idea. For this reason, today we want to tell you everything you can do in London in 3 days, an ideal period of time to enjoy it. We will give you suggestions for tours day by day so that you can get to know the best of London, maximizing transfers. Pack good shoes, since we will take the opportunity to walk a lot and soak up the atmosphere of the city.

Keep reading and discover what to see and what to do in London in 3 days.

Cheap flights to London

Tips to prepare a good route through London in 3 days

London is an almost unfathomable city. In addition to being huge, the list of places to see is huge. For this reason, it is essential to do a little research beforehand and have a list of the places you want to visit in London in 3 days. Added to this task is checking the opening and closing times of the points of interest and taking a look at the events that will take place the days you are in London. It is particularly important to know when the famous Changing of the Guard will take place in front of Buckingham Palace. It is common that from May to July it is a daily event, but during the rest of the year it is celebrated on alternate days. So the best thing is that you make sure when it is going to be in advance on the official page.

The same happens if you are, like us, a lover of markets. London is home to some of the best in Europe, so it would be a shame if you missed them. For example, the markets on Portobello Road (Notting Hill) or Old Spitalfields are set up every day, but have much more atmosphere on weekends. Take a look at our guide to shopping in London to make your London route in 3 days taking into account the visit to these and other markets.

On the other hand, the distances in London are enormous, so it is worth having a well-located accommodation and not wasting so much time with transport. Discover these 10 central and cheap hotels in London.

Ready to discover everything you can do in London in 3 days?

Click on the image of the map and you will be able to see in a very visual way this itinerary of London in 3 days

London in 3 days: the perfect itinerary

Day 1 in London: the insignia of the UK capital

Today it's time to get up early! After a energizing breakfast, we recommend starting early (before 9:00) at the MarbleArch tube stop. We are going to take a great tour of some of the most characteristic corners of central London and visit such emblematic places as Buckingham Palace or Big Ben. Prepared?

Hyde Park

We begin this route of London in 3 days through one of its lungs and one of the so-called Royal Parks of London. We left the tube through Marble Arch, where one of the entrance arches to the old city of London is located, and entered Hyde Park. As soon as you arrive you will find its most famous corner: the Speaker's Corner. For more than 150 years, people of all kinds have come here to tell about anything that worries them, so it will not be strange that, even if it is very soon, you find a speaker .

Keep walking through the park towards Kensington Palace and you will pass two memorials: one in honor of Princess Diana and one to Albert of Saxony, husband of Queen Victoria. You can enjoy the Serpentine Lake and the Kensington Gardens, which were the former private gardens of the palace of the same name. The latter is the residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. If you are curious, you can visit it and buy tickets online.

Harrod's

Not far from Hyde Park is Harrods, the best-known shopping center in the city and an essential thing to see in London in 3 days. Even if you are not a lover of shopping and this is essential for shopping in the British capital, you will love a visit to this lavish building. Note that it does not open its doors until 10:00.

Arch of Wellington

Once you've done enough browsing, head in the direction of Wellington Arch. This is an arch commemorating the English victories over Napoleon and separates Hyde Park from Buckingham Palace.

Royal Stables

Although we do not advise you, due to time, to enter to see its enormous collection of historical carriages and carriages, it is worth stopping for a moment to admire the architecture of the Royal Stables building. If it suits you right, you'll be able to witness the Changing of the Mounted Guard, which takes place at 11am from Monday to Saturday and at 10am on Sundays. Even so, keep in mind that the best known is that of the Queen, in front of Buckingham Palace, which is already waiting for you!

Buckingham Palace

Londres en 3 días: el itinerario perfecto 🇬🇧

Buckingham Palace is one of those emblematic points of this tour of London in 3 days. This is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II and, although it is only possible to visit it inside at certain times during the summer, around 11:00 in the morning it brings together hundreds of people who want to see the changing of the Guard of the Queen, responsible for the security of this palace and that of St. James. Do not be late if you do not want to stay without seeing anything. The ceremony lasts about 30-45 minutes and, as we indicated above, it does not take place every day, so you must inform yourself in advance.

St. James's Park

We continue our walking route through London through St. James's Park, the oldest of the Royal Parks. Stop to enjoy the views of the lake and its characteristic swans before continuing to our next point of interest.

DowningStreet

Make your way to one of the most important streets on this 3-day London itinerary: Downing Street. This houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister (number 10) and the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom (number 11).

Westminster Abbey

Not far away is one of the most visited sites in London and one of the essentials on this tour: Westminster Abbey. This religious building dates back to the 11th century and, in addition to being a beautiful example of medieval London architecture, houses some of the tombs and mausoleums of great British personalities such as Darwin, Newton or Shakespeare. Although the entrance is not particularly cheap, we strongly recommend that you visit its interior.

Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge

After a brief stop to eat something, you will arrive at the place that you had imagined so many times on your route through London in 3 days: Big Ben. The Gothic-style clock of the Houses of Parliament is the emblem of London and one of the best points to contemplate it is from the Bridge of Westminster, which crosses the River Thames.

By the way, if you're curious, you can also visit the Palace of Westminster (where the Houses of Parliament are located) if you book in advance on their website.

TheLondon Eye

TheLondon Eye will catch your attention quickly. This huge 135 meter high Ferris wheel with 32 glass cabins gives you one of the best views of London, with a direct shot of Big Ben. If you want to make the most of this day of your route through London in 3 days, we recommend you get one of the passes with priority entrance, since the queues are usually quite slow.

TrafalgarSquare

Now cross the Hungerford Bridge to reach the most famous square in London: Trafalgar Square. Built in 1830 to commemorate the victory of the British army against the Spanish and French in the Battle of Trafalgar, in it you will find a granite column almost 50 meters high. height on which the statue of Admiral Nelson rests. In addition, to the north of the square is the National Gallery, the most important art museum in London. If you have time, do not miss the opportunity to visit it because, in addition, the entrance is free.

Chinatown

By now, your feet are surely complaining… It's normal! So we recommend you put the finishing touch to your first day of the visit to London in 3 days in Chinatown. London's Chinatown dates back to the early 20th century and, as well as admiring its distinctive arches and buildings, it's a great place to eat (authentic) Chinese food at great prices.

Find hotels in London

Day2 in London: museums, markets and history along the Thames

On this day of your London tour in 3 days you will explore the South East of the City of London. You will discover a very important part of the history of the city in the Tower of London, but also the new trends in art and architecture south of the River Thames.

TateModern

Estaruta begins at 10:00 at the doors of the TateModern, the most visited art museum in the world. The British National Museum of Modern Art not only has an important collection of the most prestigious artists of the 20th century (Picasso, Andy Warhol, Dalí…), but it is located in a very special building: the refurbished Bankside Power Station. Admission is free, so you have no excuse to have a good time admiring his works.

By the way, don't leave the area without checking out the Millennium Bridge, a spectacular suspension bridge built to commemorate the turn of the millennium.

Shakespeare's Globe

A few minutes walk from the museum you will find Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of an old theater from the 16th century. There is a permanent exhibition on the life of Shakespeare, but it is more interesting if you combine your visit with one of the plays that are performed. Take a look at the program on their website.

BoroughMarket

If hunger has begun to make its appearance, don't worry, we have taken care of putting you on this route through London in 3 days, a great place to have a quick snack. Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest in London and has managed to adapt to the times by offering local products to the thousands of tourists who pass through it every day. Do you accept us a recommendation? Try one of the rich shepherd's pie, a very tasty traditional British dish.

Tower of London

Cross the London Bridge to reach another of the essentials: the Tower of London. This monumental fortification built under the reign of William I was, for more than 900 years, a prison and a place of torture for those who were considered traitors to the Crown. Here you can enjoy the precious collection of the Crown Jewels up close, greet the famous Beefeaters and learn a little more about the chilling methods of torture of the time.

Tower's bridge

As soon as you leave, you will be overcome with emotion to finally contemplate the fabulous Tower Bridge. This bridge built in Victorian neo-Gothic style and opened in 1894 is the most famous of those that cross the River Thames. You can see it from below, but if you feel like it, you could also visit the upper walkway and see the permanent exhibition, which includes a look at the engine room.

London City Council

Crossing the bridge, we will arrive again at the south bank of the river, where the modern building that houses the London City Council is located. This was designed by the architect Norman Foster with the intention of creating an extravagant building, but also one that saves energy, using different systems such as the recycling of heat from computers.

HMS Belfast

Keep walking along the river and your attention will be drawn to this huge warship, a participant in World War II and the Korean War. If you are very interested, you can visit the interior of HMSBelfast, converted into a museum.

TheShard

We end another marathon day of your tour of London in 3 days watching the sunset in the tallest skyscraper in the European Union. The Shard has a gazebo, The View, spread over 3 floors, one of them with an open terrace, from which you get a 360º view of London. If you want to throw the house out the window, you can have a gin and tonic in the highest bar in the City, watching how the night is made with the heart of London.

Cheap flights to London

Day 3 in London: the essential British Museum, shopping and strolling through London

It would be a sin to leave London without visiting its flagship museum, the British Museum, but also some of its most iconic markets and streets. For this day we recommend you get a London Underground TravelCard from zones 1-2. Follow us on this London route in 3 days.

British museum

Start your day in London with British punctuality, at 10:00 at the gates of the British Museum. The museum with one of the oldest and most important collections in the world has free admission and, although you could spend a whole day, we recommend dedicating at least 3 hours to it.

camdentown

We radically change the third and take the subway to Camden Town, one of the most alternative neighborhoods in London. Discover its bizarre facades, discover the most trendy in the market and dare to try the street food in one of the stalls that you will find in the central square.

Regent's Park

A few steps from Camden Town is Regent's Park, a green oasis that was the hunting ground of King Henry VIII. If the day is sunny, take the opportunity to rest your food for a bit and watch how Londoners play sports.

AbbeyRoad

If you cross Regent's Park in a northwesterly direction, you will reach the area where the famous Abbey Road is located, where the EMI studios were located, where the group The Beatles recorded their last album. Surely you can't resist the urge to take a picture of yourself emulating the cover of their album at the same zebra crossing.

Oxford Street and Regent Street

We return to the heart of London by subway to say goodbye to her walking through its main streets: Oxford Street and Regent Street. The first was an ancient Roman road and the main entrance to London, so it has been one of the busiest in the city for centuries.

CoventGarden

We finished our tour of London in 3 days in one of its most important markets. Convet Garden is a covered market perfect for doing some shopping, but in its surroundings you will also find plenty of restaurants and pubs where you can celebrate a trip to London that you will remember for years.

By the way, as a bonus track, escape to see Neil's Yard! This small square surrounded by colorful facades is one of the most charming corners of the neighborhood. In it you will find some shops and terraces where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere

Find hotels in London

Ideas for those who have more than 3 days in London

Do you have more than 3 days in London? Then take the opportunity to wander around a bit more and discover places like these:

King's Cross

If you are in love with the Harry Potter saga, this place cannot be missing from your London itinerary. This station is where the author placed platform 9 and ¾ and now you can find a corner that emulates it, where you can take your picture with your cart on the way to Hogwarts. In addition, there is a huge store with merchandising from the work.

San Pablo's cathedral

The Anglican Cathedral in London is the second largest cathedral in the world, after Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The most interesting part of your visit is the dome, which offers beautiful views of London.

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Located in the Victorian house on Baker Street where the novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle placed the home of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, the Sherlock Holmes Museum will make you fall in love if you grew up reading his novels.

Portobello Road Market

This market is one of the most interesting in London. Located in the NottingHill neighborhood, you will find, above all, antiques and second-hand clothes. The best time to visit is Saturday morning, although you'll find stalls all week.

Madame Tussauds of London

The first of the prestigious wax figure museums will make you have a fun time. If you are going to travel to London with children, it is a perfect activity to enjoy with the family.

Day trips from London

Did you think this was it? If you have more than 3 days in London, you can take the opportunity to visit places like Brighton, Stonehenge, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, Windsor Castle or charming towns like Stratford-upon-Avon.

Find cheap flights to London now

Ready to take advantage of your 3 days in London? Become an expert by reading the advice we give you in these articles:

Skyscanner is the meta-search engine that compares more than 1,000 airlines and flight search engines. We help you save on flights, hotels and rental cars.

Have you seen these articles?