One Day in London: A Self-Guided, Car-Free, Budget Itinerary

PLEASE NOTE: I have not yet had time to add descriptions to each place, but am hoping to do so in the near future :) If there's any you'd like me to prioritize, please message me on TikTok or Instagram!

If you have more than two or three days in London, I highly recommend taking a day trip by train to Bath. There’s a lot of history in the city, and you’ll get more of the quintessential British experience that you won’t find in London.

I traveled to London by train, which I recommend due to the main stations' convenient locations. 

As always, I highly recommend dropping off your bags at your accommodation before doing the majority of sightseeing to avoid overexertion. If you aren't spending the night in London, there are luggage lockers at many of the train stations. Alternatively, you can use an online luggage storage service, like Bounce, to stow your items for the day.

Now you have dropped off your luggage, it's time to begin exploring!

London Public Transport

tfl.gov.uk

Using a combination of public transport and walking, you'll be able to see:

The British Museum

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Make sure you make a FREE reservation ahead of time to avoid the lines! Here are the top things to see in the museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/14-things-not-miss-british-museum

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The National Gallery

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Make sure you make a FREE reservation ahead of time to avoid the lines. Here are their most famous pieces: https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/14-things-not-miss-british-museum

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Trafalgar Square

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Buckingham Palace

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The palace is usually only open for visitors in July, but it’s still worth visiting!

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St James's Park

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A nice park next to Buckingham Palace. If you’re there at the right time of year, you may be able to see some pelicans too!!

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Westminster Abbey

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Big Ben

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Note: Technically this could all be done in one day, but if you have multiple days in London, I recommend splitting these activities into a second day.

Thames River Sightseeing

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I always get the Westminster to Greenwich ride and love the commentary! And you get to see a lot of the major London sights on the route, works great! Please note that this is usually taken as a one-way journey, so it works great for spending a day in Greenwich!

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Cutty Sark

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Painted Hall

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National Maritime Museum

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Royal Observatory Greenwich

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You can stand on the Prime Meridian at this observatory! The river cruise will drop you off at Greenwich.

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If I had more time in London...

Natural History Museum

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Make sure to make your FREE reservation ahead of time to avoid waiting in line.

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Victoria and Albert Museum

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Free entry, no reservations possible

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Imperial War Museum

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Make sure to make your FREE reservations ahead of time to avoid the lines.

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The Courtauld Gallery

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Tate Modern

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Highgate Cemetery

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A bit of a journey near the outskirts of London, but interesting to see if you have the time!

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