2 Day London Itinerary
Two full days, split so you’re not backtracking, with the icons on day one and the museums and markets on day two.
Two days in London is enough to properly cover the Tower, Westminster and the West End, and still get out to the museums and Notting Hill. Here’s how I’d split it, day by day.
The Tower & Westminster
Start at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, then Borough Market for lunch and Tate Modern along the South Bank. Cross Westminster Bridge for Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, then walk to Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park.
Finish the day in Covent Garden, dinner and a West End show close out a full day of the city’s biggest icons.
Afternoon Borough Market, Tate Modern, Westminster
Evening Covent Garden, dinner and a West End show
Museums & Notting Hill
Spend the morning in South Kensington, the V&A Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum all free and within a short walk of each other. Pick one or two rather than trying all three, each easily fills a couple of hours on its own.
In the afternoon, head to Notting Hill for Portobello Road Market, colourful houses and a proper change of pace from central London’s crowds. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens sit right nearby too if you’d rather end the day with a slow walk through green space.
Afternoon Notting Hill, Portobello Road Market
Evening Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens
Getting around across both days
The Tube covers London efficiently, an Oyster card or contactless payment is genuinely the cheapest way to pay rather than single paper tickets. Walking works well for central areas too, particularly along the South Bank where the river gives you a natural route.
If you only have time for one thing each day
Day one, make it the Tower of London, genuinely one of the best historical sites in the country and worth the entry price alone. Day two, make it the V&A Museum, a properly world-class collection that costs nothing to walk around.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
