ValentinaTWO-DAY TRIP LONDON ITINERARY
There is so much to see and do in London that you might feel a bit overwhelmed! I can still feel that way even though I have been living an hour away from London for the past 5 years! Every time I go, I discover a new corner or something interesting to do. But what if you only have a few days at your disposal? In this case, I will try to give an idea and make a limited selection of the most iconic and important monuments and sights of London. A 2-day trip itinerary for anyone and for any budget! Ok, let’s get started!
Below you will find the must-see attractions of London which should keep you busy for the first day or couple of days and should work for those who have limited time and budget.
DAY ONE
WESTMINSTER ABBEY+ BIG BEN+HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT
TUBE STATIONS: Westminster served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. You can start your tour of London here, at one of the most photographed attractions, the Big Ben. Both the House of Parliament and Westminister Abbey cathedral can be visited inside, however, they are a bit expensive. You need to book your visit in advance in case you wish to visit the Parliament which, I highly recommend if you have enough time.
DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that the “Big Ben” is not the name of the clock’s tower but it is the name of bell?
LONDON EYE
The Millennium Wheel on the South Bank of the river Thames, with a diameter of 120 metres and an overall height of 135 metres, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. The wheel has 32 ovoid “capsules,” which are the cabins that carry the passengers. Their number corresponds to the 32 boroughs that (together with the City of London) constitute Greater London. The London Eye is very close to the House of Parliament. You can walk there, by crossing the Westminster Bridge and have a nice walk along the Thames until the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridges that you can take to walk back to the other side and get to Trafalgar Square.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
TUBE STATIONS: the closest are Charing Cross and Leicester Square served respectively by the Bakerloo and Northern line. The most famous square in London, it was named after the victory of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic war, when Admiral Lord Nelson lost his life after defeating the Franco-Spanish fleet. In fact, you will find a commemorative column with his statue at the centre of the square, flanked by four lion statues. On the northern end of Trafalgar Square is located my favourite museum, the National Gallery.
I could spend entire days staring at those beautiful paintings of Oscar Claude Monet, William Turner, or Claude Lorraine. Here you can experience 700 years of painting for free. There is no fee, however, all donations are welcome. If you are passionate about art, I would recommend you take a whole day to visit the gallery, so that you can enjoy the entire history of painting at your own pace. You can have lunch at the café inside the gallery, there is also a souvenir shop and a cloakroom and some plug station where you can charge your phone or laptop.
Be sure to get a map of the building because it’s huge! Alongside the permanent exhibition, there are always temporary exhibitions for which you need to pay. There are also some regular workshops and guided tours that you usually need to book in advance. I suggest you check on the National Gallery website for more info. If you are not interested in art this museum is definitely not for you! : ). In case you need a coffee break there is a nice small Costa Coffee inside a library in Trafalgar Square, which I really like, or if you need to grab something to eat there is Leicester Square not too far from here, where you can find lots of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs.
Do you like pizza and I mean real Italian-style pizza? If so, there is a nice takeaway Italian pizzeria with a few tables inside, what we would call “pizza al taglio”! you can choose your slices of pizza: there are lots of different types and a good selection of pasta salads. It is called Pepe Italian Street Food, 57 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4EA.
From Trafalgar Square you have two choices, you can walk down to Buckingham Palace by taking The Mall from the Admiralty Arch or you can go for some shopping to Piccadilly Circus.
If you choose the first option, you could also walk along Horse Guards Road, and once you have seen the Horse Guards building, you turn into one of the paths in S. James Park to get to Bucking Palace. From here you can go across Green Park to see S. James Palace. If you have some spare time and if you aren’t tired already, from here, you could carry walking and get to Piccadilly Circus.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE & THE CHANGING OF GUARD
TUBE STATIONS: GREEN PARK and S. JAMES PARK. Lines: District and Circle line from S. James Park station and Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee line from Green Park.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837. Nowadays it is also used for the many official events and ceremonies held by The Queen. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to State banquets, lunches, dinners and receptions… I guess the 78 bathrooms located in the palace might actually be of some use!
Around the palace takes place the Changing of the Guard, a traditional, free and popular event. It takes place in three locations, Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Wellington Barracks. Normal timings are usually the following:
- 10:43 Old Guard leaves St James’s Palace
- 10:57 New Guard leaves Wellington Barrack
- 11:00 Official Start Time
- 11:10 St James’s Palace relief leaves Buckingham Palace
- 11:25 Relieved sentries leave St James’s Palace
- 11:40 Old Guard leaves Buckingham Palace
- 11:45 St James’s Palace Guard leaves Buckingham Palace
These timings might change, therefore it is always better to check in advance. The Changing of the Guard doesn’t take place every day – it is usually every other day but is subject to change. You can check on this website: https://www.householddivision.org.uk/index.php?action=changing-the-guard-calendar
PICCADILLY CIRCUS AND OXFORD CIRCUS (for shopping)
TUBE STATIONS: PICCADILLY CIRCUS, LEICESTER SQUARE, OXFORD CIRCUS. Lines: Piccadilly and Bakerloo line. Northern and Piccadilly from Leicester Square. Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines from Oxford Circus station.
This is time to make your wife or fiancée happy! Piccadilly is one not only a popular touristic attraction but also the starting point for your London shopping experience. From here, you can take Regents Street which is packed with famous brand shops and boutiques and will lead you to Oxford Circus, the other famous shopping street.
While you are here, check the popular Carnaby Street as well. But what is Piccadilly Circus and why is it called like that? “Piccadilly” refers to the piccadils, stiff elaborate collars that used to be worn in the 17th century. During this period there was a tailor who lived in the area, who was famous for selling these piccadils and people started to call his house Piccadil Hall which then became Piccadilly.
About the Circus word, this comes from the Latin which means circle or ring and was usually used by the Romans to indicate circular public areas, as in the past the square used to be circular. The most iconic features of Piccadilly Circus are the famous light-up advertising boards. The first illuminated advertisement dates back to 1908. If you take a photo of the famous fountain, don’t write on Facebook that you took a picture of Eros as the statue does not represent Eros. It represents the Greek god Anteros and it was created in 1893 to commemorate the philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury from which one of the streets takes the name.
Very near to Piccadilly Circus there are Soho, London’s most vibrant and thrilling area, especially at night, and China Town. There is plenty of restaurants to choose from where you can have your dinner and bars and clubs to spend the rest of the night.
DAY 2
BRITISH MUSEUM
TUBE STATIONS: Tottenham Court Road, Russel Square, Holborn, Goodge Street. Tube lines: Central, Northern and Piccadilly line. Today is time to travel through history! Two million years of human history awaits you… for free. The British Museum if one of the most visited museums with lots of remarkable pieces ad artifacts like the Rosetta Stone or Egyptian mummies. As mentioned the entry is free however, since the spread of COVID, you are required to book your free ticket in advance. You can grab something to eat at the museum café or if you got bored of mummies : ) you can catch the tube and go to the Tower Bridge.
TOWER BRIDGE & TOWER OF LONDON
TUBE STATIONS: TOWER HILL. Lines: Circle and District lines. Close to the famous bridge, there is a very nice, romantic corner which is not very well know, where you can have lunch. This is one of my favourite places in London, hidden from the crowd and the noise of school trips teenagers, but strategically close to the Tower of London and the Tower bridge This small little island of peace is called S. Kathrine Docks.
After your lunch, you can go straight to the Tower Bridges for some photos. Both the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London can be visited but not for free, and the Tower of London is quite expensive…there are Queen’s jewels after all! Now that you took 100 pictures of Tower Bridge you are ready to go to S. Paul Cathedral.
S. PAUL CATHEDRAL
TUBE STATION: S. Paul. Lines: central line. S Paul Cathedral is probably the second most famous church after Westminster Abbey. Its dome has long dominated the London skyline and is still one of the most recognisable buildings in the urban landscape, despite the numerous skyscrapers.
The cross on the top of the dome stands nearly 112 metres above ground level. The entry is 17£ but even if don’t want to enter the cathedral is still worth a visit as you would be able to enjoy the nice view over the cathedral from the Millennium Bridge, which is perfectly aligned to the south facade of St Paul’s Cathedral. If it is sunset time even better! Cross the bridge to get to the other bank of the river. You are just two minutes away from William Shakespeare’s theatre, the Globe. From here you can walk back, along the Thames and take Blackfriars bridge to get to the tube station.
