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Tower Bridge over the Thames, London

London Classics

5 days · First-timer · classic sightsModerate pace

Trip cost

From £750–1,150 · budget tier, 2 people, 5 days

  • Hotel (per night)

    Budget chain in Zone 1–2, e.g. hub by Premier Inn or Travelodge around Southwark/King's Cross

    £90–140/night (₹9,500–15,000)

  • Food (per person, per day)

    Supermarket meal deals for lunch, market stalls (Borough, Camden), and pub or curry-house dinners

    £30–45/person/day (₹3,100–4,800)

  • Local transport

    Contactless Tube/bus with the Zone 1–2 daily cap doing the work

    £9–12/person/day (₹950–1,300)

£750–1,150 total for 2 people, 5 days (₹79,000–130,000)

Approximate, in local currency. Check current exchange rates.

₹ conversion is indicative · rates as of 26 Jul 2026

Where you're basedCentral London (Zone 1–2)

Nights 1–4: Central London (Zone 1–2). Every sight on this plan — Westminster, the Tower, Bloomsbury, Camden — is a direct Tube ride from anywhere in Zone 1–2, so the trip is built around transport links rather than one specific neighbourhood; the Budget/Standard/Premium hotels below (Southwark/King's Cross, Bloomsbury/County Hall, Paddington/County Hall) all sit inside it.

Arrival — Day 1: Westminster & the South BankTiming, transfer & tips

Most direct flights from India land at Heathrow in the afternoon or evening — plan to land the day before Day 1 begins.

Heathrow → central London: the Piccadilly line is the budget pick (~50–60 min to Zone 1, £5.60 contactless); the Heathrow Express is the fast pick (~15 min to Paddington, £26 bought on the day, from £10 booked 30+ days ahead).

Treat the landing day as its own slow day: check in, unpack, and keep it to an easy walk and dinner near the hotel. Day 1 below starts fresh the next morning — it isn't built to be squeezed onto the day you land.

Day 1: Westminster & the South Bank~9 hrs · 6 stops · A full day on foot — Westminster's sights back to back, then a long, easy riverside walk to close it out.

Westminster Abbey is closed Sunday

  1. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London

    Photo by Luke Tanis on Unsplash

    9:30am (2 hrs)
    Must visitClosed Sun

    Westminster Abbey

    Book the first entry slot online and take the included audio guide. Poets' Corner and the coronation chair are the highlights. Closed to tourists on Sundays; if that's your day 1, swap this day with day 4.

    Why this rating

    The coronation church of English monarchs for nearly a thousand years, dense with real history (Newton, Darwin, and Dickens are buried here). And it sits right on Parliament Square, so Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are the same stop. Closed to visitors on Sundays.

    Walk 2 minutes onto Parliament Square.

  2. Big Ben clock tower towering over Westminster, London

    Photo by Jacob Diehl on Unsplash

    11:45am (30 min)

    Parliament Square & Westminster Bridge

    Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the classic photo from the bridge. All free, all in one compact walk.

    Cross the bridge to the South Bank, 10 minutes on foot.

  3. 12:30pm (1 hr)

    Lunch: Southbank Centre Food Market

    Street-food stalls behind the Royal Festival Hall (best Friday–Sunday); on quieter days the chain restaurants along the river terrace are a reliable fallback.

    Stroll 5 minutes along the riverside to the London Eye.

  4. The London Eye beside County Hall on the South Bank

    Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

    2:00pm (45 min)
    Can visit

    London Eye

    Pre-booked timed slot. 30 minutes of slow rotation with the whole of Westminster laid out below. If it's grey, skip the ride and keep walking the river instead.

    Why this rating

    A 30-minute rotation with genuinely good views up and down the Thames. A nice first-day orientation if the weather is clear, but it's pricey and queues badly. Book a timed slot online; skip it entirely on a grey day.

    Continue the South Bank walk east past the Globe and Tate Modern, ~40 minutes at a stroll.

  5. The London Eye on the South Bank of the Thames, London

    Photo by Johen Redman on Unsplash

    3:30pm (1.5 hrs)

    South Bank riverside walk

    The best free walk in London: book stalls under Waterloo Bridge, skateboarders at the Undercroft, Shakespeare's Globe, and Tate Modern (pop in, it's free), ending at Borough.

    You end at London Bridge; dinner is right there.

  6. 6:30pm

    Dinner: Borough / London Bridge area

    The sit-down restaurants around Borough Market keep serving after the day stalls shut. Book ahead for the well-known ones or walk in at a pub.

Day 2: The Tower, Borough Market & the City~9.5 hrs · 4 stops · The Tower's long visit front-loads this one; the market and skyline stops after it are lighter on your feet.

Lunch: Borough Market is thin on Monday/Tuesday

  1. The Tower of London fortress walls

    Photo by Gavin Allanwood on Unsplash

    9:00am (3 hrs)
    Must visit

    Tower of London

    Arrive at opening and go straight to the Crown Jewels before the queue builds, then join the next Yeoman Warder tour (they leave every 30 minutes and are the best part).

    Why this rating

    A real 1,000-year-old fortress holding the Crown Jewels, with tours led by the resident Yeoman Warders that are genuinely funny and worth timing your visit around. Book online in advance. It's cheaper than the gate price and skips the ticket queue.

    Walk across Tower Bridge and along the river to Borough Market, ~25 minutes.

  2. Diners beside a food stall at Borough Market, London

    Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

    12:45pm (1.5 hrs)
    Must visitThin Mon/Tue

    Lunch: Borough Market

    Graze the stalls (a hot dish from one, cheese and a pastry from others) rather than committing to one sit-down spot.

    Why this rating

    London's oldest and best food market, under the railway arches by London Bridge. Come hungry and graze the stalls rather than sitting down anywhere. Fullest Wednesday–Saturday; check day-specific hours before planning a Monday or Tuesday around it.

    Walk or take one Tube stop back into the City, ~15 minutes.

  3. Plants filling the Sky Garden atrium at 20 Fenchurch Street, London

    Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

    3:00pm (1 hr)
    Can visitBook ahead

    Sky Garden

    Your pre-booked free slot. Ride up for the best skyline view in the City, with the Tower and Tower Bridge below you. Book this the moment slots release, three weeks out — they go fast.

    Why this rating

    A free indoor viewing gallery with plants and bars at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street ("the Walkie-Talkie"). Better value than any paid deck in the city. Free slots release every Monday, three weeks ahead of the date, and go fast; book the moment they open.

    Wander the City lanes (Leadenhall Market is 5 minutes away) before dinner.

  4. 6:30pm

    Dinner: Spitalfields / Brick Lane

    A 15-minute walk north: Old Spitalfields Market's food hall, or a curry on Brick Lane. Ignore the doorway hustlers promising discounts and pick a room that's actually full.

Day 3: Bloomsbury museums & the West End~8 hrs · 4 stops · The gentlest day of the trip until an evening show pushes the finish late — pace yourself accordingly.
  1. Glass roof of the Great Court at the British Museum, London

    Photo by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash

    10:00am (2.5 hrs)
    Must visit

    British Museum

    Free, but book the timed ticket anyway. Do a focused hit-list (Rosetta Stone, Parthenon galleries, the mummies) rather than trying to "finish" it. Two-plus hours is the honest attention span.

    Why this rating

    One of the world's great museums (the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, the Egyptian mummies) and completely free. Book a free timed ticket online for weekends and school holidays; weekday mornings are calmest.

    Walk 10 minutes south into Covent Garden.

  2. 1:00pm (1 hr)

    Lunch: Covent Garden

    The piazza's street performers are free entertainment with lunch. The food inside the market building is tourist-priced but pleasant; side streets (Neal's Yard) do better value.

    Walk 10 minutes to Trafalgar Square.

  3. The National Gallery and fountains in Trafalgar Square, London

    Photo by Ana Araújo on Unsplash

    2:30pm (1.5 hrs)

    Trafalgar Square & the National Gallery

    Free again. Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner, and Monet in an hour's unhurried loop, then the square itself.

    You're in the heart of theatreland. Dinner nearby.

  4. 6:00pm

    Evening: West End show

    If you want a musical, book weeks ahead or try the TKTS booth on Leicester Square for same-day seats. The booth is the one legitimate discount outlet among the touts.

Day 4: Royal London & Camden~8.3 hrs · 5 stops · More strolling than sightseeing stamina — a ceremony, two parks, and a market, none of it rushed.
  1. A Royal Guard on duty at Buckingham Palace, London

    Photo by Kutan Ural on Unsplash

    10:15am (1.5 hrs)
    Can visit

    Changing of the Guard

    Check the official schedule the night before (it doesn't run daily) and claim a railing spot by ~10:15 for the 11am ceremony. If it's not running, watch the Horse Guards change on Whitehall instead.

    Why this rating

    Free, properly ceremonial, and very London. But it doesn't run every day (check the official schedule), and you need to claim a spot by the palace railings ~45 minutes early. Skip it if your days are tight; the guards at Horse Guards are a lower-effort alternative.

    Walk through St James's Park to the Tube, ~20 minutes.

  2. A large waterbird on the lake at St James's Park, London

    Photo by Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on Unsplash

    12:00pm (45 min)

    St James's Park walk

    The prettiest of the royal parks. Pelicans on the lake and the Buckingham Palace view from the bridge.

    Tube from St James's Park to Camden Town, ~25 minutes.

  3. Camden Lock signage at Camden Market, London

    Photo by Zouukk on Unsplash

    1:30pm (2.5 hrs)
    Can visit

    Camden Market

    Lunch from the food stalls by the lock, then browse the vintage and craft yards. It's a maze, and that's the point.

    Why this rating

    Canalside food stalls, vintage shops, and alternative-London people-watching. A fun half-day paired with a Regent's Canal walk. Weekends are heaving; a weekday visit is far more pleasant.

    Optional: walk the Regent's Canal towpath toward Little Venice or King's Cross.

  4. Narrowboats moored along Regent's Canal, London

    Photo by Daniil Korbut on Unsplash

    4:30pm (1 hr)

    Regent's Canal towpath walk

    The canalside walk from Camden to King's Cross is quiet, pretty, and ends at Coal Drops Yard's shops and fountains.

    Dinner around King's Cross / Granary Square.

  5. 6:30pm

    Dinner: King's Cross

    Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard have a dense cluster of good mid-range rooms. Book the popular ones a day or two ahead.

Day 5: Last morning and departure~2.5 hrs · 2 stops · A short, deliberately light morning — nothing here should be booked so tightly it has to be abandoned.
  1. Shoppers browsing stalls at Portobello Road Market, London

    Photo by Mieke Campbell on Unsplash

    9:30am (1.5 hrs)

    Portobello Road or a last museum

    On a Saturday, Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is worth the morning; any other day, mop up whichever free museum you missed. The V&A's cast courts take under an hour.

    Head back for checkout and the airport.

  2. 12:00pm

    Departure

    The Elizabeth line to Heathrow is the value pick (contactless, ~35 minutes from central London); leave hotel-to-terminal buffer of 3 hours for a long-haul departure.

Departure — Day 5: Last morning and departureTiming, transfer & tips

Checkout is typically around 11am; Day 5 below leaves the rest of the morning free before the airport run.

The Elizabeth line to Heathrow is the value pick (contactless, ~35 minutes from central London); leave a hotel-to-terminal buffer of 3 hours for a long-haul departure.

Realistically fits: breakfast plus one nearby, low-key thing — Portobello Road on a Saturday, or a quick museum, per Day 5's stop below. On an early-afternoon flight, skip the extra stop and treat the morning as packing and breakfast only.

Book before you fly1 thing to book ahead
  • Sky Garden (Day 2: The Tower, Borough Market & the City) — about 3 weeks ahead (slots release every Monday)

That's your trip.

5 days in London, First-timer · classic sights. Every stop above is hand-checked and ready to go.