I don’t profess to be an expert on London. And neither should anyone who hasn’t lived there for at least 10 years- there’s no way you can see and do everything on just one trip.
What I do know, however, is how to see lots of London in 1 day. Come along with me and see a castle, a palace, a park, a famous square, a museum, historic shopping, cute neighborhoods, a big river, sparkly jewels, and much more in only 1 day in London.
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How to See London in 1 Day
I used to make fun of those hop-on-hop-off buses circling around Washington DC and the tourists riding them. Where’s their sense of adventure, I wondered? Didn’t they want to see the real DC? (I know, I know, very judgy of me.)
But faced with a very limited amount of time to see London, I realized that they- like me- just want to pack in as much as they can.
So I bought a 1 day ticket for the Big Bus Tours London and off I went.
If you want to do more than just drive/wander past the sights like Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, you’ll need to get tickets. You can stand in line at the door or grab a Go City London pass. The Explorer Pass will get you into two sights or get the All-Inclusive Pass gets you into as many as you want.
Paddington
The Big Bus Tours basically just drives in a circle so as long as you’re staying somewhere along the line, you’re all good.
My hotel was in Paddington (hotel info below) so that’s where I started and headed south(ish). If you’re staying somewhere else along the route, just start reading in that order.
I’m highlighting the stops I think are worth getting out at rather than just catching a glimpse as you ride by.
The first bus at the Paddington stop picks up around 8:30 or so. Grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich before at Bonne Bouche ☕️ just around the corner before you hop on. If you download the Big Bus app, it will give you real-time locations of the buses so you can sip your latte until it’s nearby.
If you’re here later, you could get off at Baker Street to check out the Sherlock Holmes Museum once it’s open which I thought sounded interesting. It’s small but has all sorts of paraphernalia from the famous sleuth.
If you’re into shopping, the stop at Oxford Street will allow you to see the historic Selfridges and lots more upscale shopping like Burberry. And FYI, Marks and Spencer has a great food court 🍽️ if you’re hungry.
If you’re into history, the British Museum– the oldest public museum in the world- is nearby as well. It houses things like Egyptian mummies and Greek sculptures.
Trafalgar Square
I stopped at this iconic square to revel in the chaos of tourists, beautiful fountains, and statues. It’s the middle of it all.
This is where the National Gallery is located if you wanted to pop in there to check out tons of European art from the 13th to 19th century. 🖼️
Just down the road is Downing Street where England’s Prime Ministers have been living/working since 1732.
When I come back, I’m making sure I visit the underground bunker of Churchill’s War Rooms where he and his cabinet lived and worked during World War II. There’s even a café in the switchboard room where you can get something to eat.
This time, the weather was incredible so I chose to stroll around St. James Park where you can see Buckingham Palace in the distance. There’s a nice café on the grounds if you need a bite to eat. 🍴
>> On a nice day, you can walk across the parks from St James to Kensington Palace which takes about an hour.
If you want to check out some guards on horseback, the Horse Guards Parade is not a parade but rather the parade grounds where the Trooping of the Colour takes place every year. They also have a changing of the King’s Life Guard daily at 11:00 (10:00 on Sundays). 💂
Westminster Abbey
You can walk or take the bus a couple blocks south of St. James to check out Big Ben and Parliament. You can hear the chimes of Big Ben on BBC Radio if you don’t happen to catch them in person. The buildings and clock are absolutely jut as impressive in person as they are in the movies.
But to be honest, I just had “Look kids! Big Ben! Parliament!” from European Vacation running through my head the whole time. 🚗
Next to that you’ll find Westminster Abbey- London’s oldest church. You’ll recognize it as the place where all the coronations and royal weddings have taken place since the year 1066. 🤴
The Coronation Chair is there but my favorite part was the Henry the 7th Chapel. It’s lined with choir stalls and flags as well as knights’ helmets and swords and has a fabulous ceiling.
If you’re hungry after marveling at all that, you can get a bite to eat at the stand outside the entrance, or head over to Cellarium Café for good food and a fabulous view.
If you’re still raring to go and want to see some art, hop on the bus to Tate Britain which is known for its JMW Turner collection. 🎨
>> Are you a fan of Banksy? He has a bunch of art on the streets of London!
Now it’s time to head across the beautiful Thames River where you’ll get some gorgeous views of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge (which you’ll actually drive across in a bit).
>> You can even take a boat tour with your Go City London tickets! ⛴️
Sadly, St. Paul’s Cathedral wasn’t open when we were there due to them filming a movie but it’s on the route. Next time…
Tower of London
The Tower of London is not just a tower, but rather an entire castle that William the Conqueror started building in 1066 after his coronation (at Westminster).
You’ll know this place as the home of the Crown Jewels– which you should ABSOLUTELY check out. There were, understandably, no photos allowed but trust me that you should go. 👑
This is also the place where Ann Boleyn, second of the 6 wives of King Henry VIII, was beheaded. If you haven’t read The Other Boleyn Sister (or seen the movie with Natalie Portman) you absolutely should. I love learning about history in ways that don’t involve textbooks.
While here, you should also be on the lookout for the famous ravens, guards stomping around and yelling guard-y things periodically, and the Beefeaters in their distinctive uniforms from Tudor times. Also check out the bloody tower (tiny stairs to a pretty view) and the torture exhibit if you’re feeling a bit morbid.
There are plenty of places to eat outside the entrance including a Pret a Manger where you can grab a sandwich or salad as well as a fish & chips stand (of course) and a multitude of other options.
Buckingham Palace
Now you’ll travel back along the river to Buckingham Palace which is on everyone’s list.
>> Is there a red, yellow, and blue flag flying above the palace? That means that the king is there- it’s called the Royal Standard.
If you’ll looking to catch the Changing of the Guard, you should know it only takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from 10:45-11:30. You can see it on the forecourt of Buckingham, St. James’s Palace, and at Wellington Barracks and it’s completely free. 💂
This is another chance for you to check out St. James’s Park as well as the Green Park which is lovely on a sunny day.
Head west of Buckingham Palace to find Hyde Park with its boating and horses. That leads into Kensington Gardens famous for Speakers Corner in the northeast corner where you can listen to people on their soapboxes.
And onwards to Kensington Palace which was the royal residence prior to Buckingham Palace- and still houses some royal apartments today.
While you’re there, get something to eat at the lovely Orangery Restaurant next to the palace. Afternoon tea perhaps? 🫖 🍰
Just south of Kensington Palace and the gardens, you can find lots of museums like the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum (a hodgepodge of art from all parts of the world and time periods). 🦖
Notting Hill
Anyone who’s seen the movie Notting Hill will insist on seeing this place in person and I promise you it’s just as lovely in real life as in the movie. Full of private little green spaces and serene row houses, it’s a delight to wander through.
And if you love to poke through a good market full of antiques, then you’ll also want to check out Portobello Road while you’re there. You can find everything from silver sets to handmade crafts to good (and not so good) art. Why not pick up a little something for a souvenir?
Or wander over to the Notting Hill Bookshop to pick up a book for your next trip and pretend that Hugh Grant is there manning the till.
And there’s no shortage of places to grab a bite to eat before you head back home. Maybe try a little Caribbean food at Cottons Notting Hill from the people who settled in this area in the 1950s.
I caught the last bus from here at 6:30 completely exhausted but satisfied I had seen so much of the city.
I would love to come back and dive a bit deeper into the places and spend time wandering around neighborhoods. But overall, I think this is a great way to see a lot of iconic landmarks in a very short amount of time.
I promise never to make fun of the hop-on bus riders again!
Tips for Using Big Bus Tours
- There are (free) earphones to listen to commentary on the bus- available in 5 languages
- Look at the stops head of time and figure out where you might want to get off
- There are 3 routes you can take in London and your ticket covers all of them
- The map kind goes in a circle but then not really- it’s sort of a figure 8 and goes back and forth across the Thames a lot (which is awesome)
- There isn’t a sign in the bus that tells you which stop is next so you have to keep track of where you are or listen to the audio guide
- If there are closings or changes, Big Bus Tours will let you know the morning of your tour
- Paper maps are available on the bus but you can also download the app to see real-time locations of the buses as well as the routes with all the stops
Hotels in London
I always tell people who come to DC that as long as you’re on the Metro line, you don’t need to stay right in the thick of it and I took that advice myself. I stayed in the Paddington area along the Big Bus Tours’ Blue Route to save a little bit of money and to get away from the tourists (haha- I know, I’m one too).
🏨 Check out Booking.com for more hotel options at all different price points
Paddington Station (Underground) is nearby, so I could easily catch a train to Gatwick Airport when it was time to fly home- might be something for you to consider too.
Here are some hotels at different places along the Big Bus Tours routes.
Paddington
A lively area with lots of restaurants- this is the area I stayed
Oxford Street
If you’re into shopping and upscale stays, you’ll want to be here
Trafalgar Square
This is a top area to stay because of the central location
Westminster/Buckingham Palace
Stay walking distance to many sights and parks
Tower of London/Tower Bridge
Great area for history lovers but a little removed from the rest
Kensington
Near Kensington Palace (of course) and several museums
Notting Hill
Adorable streets to wander and quirky shops to poke through
Eating in London
England gets a bad rap for its food and I get it. There’s a lot of meat and a lot of potatoes and a lot of fried fish. But some of it is really really good.
I had a fabulous steak with peppercorn sauce, a chicken and cider pie that was perfection, and some really delicious desserts (or puddings as they call them).
And Afternoon Tea is something you shouldn’t miss. You can have tea in a restaurant, tea on a bus, tea in a palace, or tea on a boat (which sounds super cool), Indian tea, Harry Potter tea, etc etc. Tea’s a big deal here. And it’s not really about the tea but the tiny little foods to eat alongside that are important.
>> Yes, you can drink the tap water in England- it just doesn’t taste great so you might want to go with bottled. 💧
If you’re not wanting to limit yourself to English food, London has pretty much any type of cuisine you could want.
My favorite meal in London was at a nice Indian place near my hotel called The Mughal’s (is that a play on Harry Potter’s “muggles”? I wish I’d asked!). I can recommend the Pappadams, Chicken Tikka Balti and the Meat Thali (if you want to try a little of everything). The owner was really nice and the food was delish.
Transportation for London
Getting to London
✈️ Looking for flights? Check Booking.com for all your options!
Plane
International flights can land in one of two airports:
- Gatwick- 30 minutes south via train ($12). Fly into here if you’re heading down south at all.
- Heathrow- 15 minutes west via train ($5). Good if you’re heading to/from the Cotswolds or Bath.
Train
If you are coming from continental Europe via the Chunnel, you’ll arrive at St. Pancras Station which is near central London.
Bus
Buses arrive to the Victoria Station in central London.
Getting around London
The Big Bus Tour London will take you to pretty much all the most important sights and you do it on your own schedule. It’s especially great if you have trouble with mobility.
London is a huge city with a lot to see so walking isn’t really the best option if you want to see different areas. That’s usually my default- but not in this big city!
The cheapest way to get around is the Underground– also called the Tube. The only reason that’s not the way I went was that #1- I didn’t want to have to figure out lines and stops and times and #2- I wanted to be able to see stuff driving past even if I didn’t stop at it (Tower Bridge, Selfridge’s, etc).
You can either pay for each trip or get a daily travel card with unlimited trips so you don’t have to worry about topping up the amount.
Taking a black car taxi is fun but it will cost you. Just look for the yellow light to hail one from the street or use Uber to get one to come to you.
Staying Longer in London?
If you want to dive into London a bit more than the Big Bus Tours allows, there are unlimited options. Here are some ideas of things you can do in London:
>> If you’re traveling solo, tours are a great way to meet other travelers!
- Food Tours– like historic pubs and dinner cruises
- Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour– not technically IN London, but it’s nearby and super cool! (check out my article on visiting the studios where Harry Potter was filmed!)
- Museum Tours– whether you want to know more about art or about are interested in antiquities, there’s something for you
- Palace Tours– see how the royals live or have tea in one yourself
London is also a great place to do day trips from rather than packing and moving locations. Here are some ideas of the places you can easily visit from here by car/train/bus or with a tour:
- The Cotswolds– if you’re coming to England, you absolutely MUST visit these stunning villages
- Leeds Castle + White Cliffs of Dover– visit one of King Henry VII’s favorite places + a famous beach
- Rye– this adorable, quiet village south of London is a nice change of pace
- Oxford– check out the place that has been educating the English since 1096 (yes, seriously!)
- Stonehenge, Bath, & Windsor Castle– Jane Austen land, mystery stones, and a royal residence
Or you can rent a car or buy train tickets and the world is your oyster (well, England is anyway).
>> Check out my post about renting a car in England (but definitely don’t rent one in London- that’s insanity) for tips about what you need and how to drive on the wrong (👈left) side of the road.
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Questions about London
Is it really that rainy in London?
It does have an often overcast and rainy climate in general. But when I was in England for 2 weeks in March, we had only 1 day when it rained at all. So ya never know! 🌞
What should I pack for London?
You’ll need some good, waterproof walking shoes for sure. A rain jacket’s a good idea too and way better than wrestling with an umbrella. If you need help packing, check out my packing resources for ideas of how to travel with just a carry-on.
Is London expensive?
Well, it’s not exactly a budget destination. That’s one of the reasons I only spent two days there. But that’s pretty much the norm for big cities in my experience. Spend some time out of London if you want to save some money- the English countryside is absolutely beautiful!
Is London safe?
I found it to be safe. But just like any other big city, you should take precautions. I have some helpful Solo Travel Safety Tips for Women you might want to read to be prepared.
There is soooo much to see in London that it seems overwhelming, but I hope this has given you an overview of the highlights and the easiest way to see them. London is an amazing city and well worth checking out.
Happy travels… 💂 🇬🇧 🚌
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