By Matt, co-founder and planning specialist
October 30, 2026
Three days is enough to see London without rushing it, if you group the city by neighborhood. This plan starts in the City, where the old bank vaults are, spends a day in Bloomsbury and the West End, and finishes with a long walk from Hyde Park to Westminster.
Where to stay: The Ned
Edwin Lutyens designed this building as the head office of the Midland Bank. Today it's a hotel, and restaurants fill the old banking hall where the tellers once worked. There's a pool on the roof. It sits right by Bank station, so most of this plan is a short Tube ride or a walk away.
Day 1: The City and the river
Check in, drop your bags and walk down to the river. Tower Bridge opened in 1894, and the exhibition inside takes you up to the high walkways between its towers, where glass floors look straight down at the traffic and the Thames. Afterward, go down to the Victorian engine rooms that once raised the bridge by steam.
The Tower of London is right next door if you have the energy. Otherwise, cross the bridge and walk west along the south bank as the lights come on. It's one of the best free views in the city.
Day 2: Bloomsbury and Covent Garden
Start early at the British Museum. It's free to walk in, and two million years of human history are under one roof. Begin in the glass-roofed Great Court, then pick two or three things rather than trying to see it all. The Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures are the classics. Get there near opening time and you'll have them mostly to yourself.
From there it's about a 15-minute walk south to Covent Garden. The 1830s market hall is now shops and cafés, and the Apple Market inside has craft stalls. Out on the cobbled piazza, street performers draw a crowd most of the day. You're in the heart of the West End here, so if you want a show, this is the night for it.
Day 3: Hyde Park to Westminster
Hyde Park is 350 acres of royal park in the middle of the city. In warmer months you can take a pedalo out on the Serpentine. Find the Diana Memorial Fountain on the south side of the lake, then head to Speakers' Corner in the northeast, where people have stood up to speak their minds for over a century.
From Hyde Park Corner, walk through Green Park to Buckingham Palace, then along St James's Park to Westminster. End where the trip's first photo was taken, under Big Ben, and cross Westminster Bridge for the classic view back.
Good to know
- Getting around: tap a contactless card or your phone on the Tube and buses. There's no need to buy a travel card, and daily spending is capped.
- From Heathrow: the Elizabeth line runs straight into central London.
- Weekends: some Tube lines close for engineering work. Check Transport for London before you set out.
- Book ahead: Tower Bridge tickets and West End shows are easier booked before you go.
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Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Elizabeth Tower by Pedu0303, Tower Bridge by Susan Yin, British Museum by Andy Li, Covent Garden by Alex Liivet and the Long Water by NoTalkMan (all CC0); The Ned by Boubloub (CC BY-SA 4.0).