London in Two Days
by Chiara C
Last Update: 17 July 2023
London in two days can be an unforgettable experience.
Whether it’s a romantic weekend or a city break with friends, you’ll find that you can see a lot of London if you plan your 48 hours well. You’re also still guaranteed to leave London wanting to come back again!
Depending on how much time you have to spend you will be able to see pretty much all the must-sees of London in two days and even visit some top attractions or one of London’s fantastic museums.
If it’s your first time in London then you MUST see some of the most famous attractions in the city, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Soho. We would also recommend that you visit one of London’s famous markets; Camden Town or Portobello Road are full of personality. This way, you will leave London with the feeling of having seen the real city as well as the tourist hot spots.
To help you plan your 2 day trip to London, we have designed two different options for you to consider, so that you can make the most of your two days in London.
Why not consider the hop-on hop-off bus tour for either 24 or 48 hours? It is definitely the easiest way to get to the most important places in London, whilst enjoying the ride and the views. You also get a free river cruise which in our opinion is something that you need to do if it is your first time in London. You also get a free walking tour included in the ticket, so you do actually get a lot for your money.
We suggest that you do the famous river cruise from Westminster to the Tower of London. Alighting at the Tower of London leaves you time to explore the area and even visit the magnificent Tower of London, which will take you about two hours. Remember that you can access The Tower of London easily by using your Keetoo App. Then you can hop-on the bus tour right there and continue your open bus tour to explore more of London.
If you are visiting London in two days, as well as visiting the Tower of London you should also have time to visit the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
London in two days: Day 1 in London
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
We begin our first day in London with a route that starts at Green Park Tube Station. From here, you can walk across Green Park to get to Buckingham Palace, where you will get a chance to watch the famous Ceremony of the Changing of the Guard. This ceremony takes place at 11 am, but we recommend that you arrive at least 30 minutes in advance as it does get quite crowded. Make sure you check the dates too as it does not take place every day during the year. You can then walk through St James’s Park, one of London’s prettiest parks.
Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and London Eye
Once you have walked through St James’s Park and crossed Horse Guards Parade, you can walk along Whitehall, going past 10 Downing Street, and making our way towards Westminster Abbey. It really is a shame to visit London and not visit Westminster Abbey, so it’s something that we would recommend. If you buy your tickets in advance you’ll skip the queues and it will be cheaper than buying the entry ticket at the door. It will take you around 2 hours to visit Westminster Abbey.
From here you can walk past the Houses of Parliament and take a quick break to admire Big Ben, obviously one of London’s most famous landmarks. You can then cross Westminster Bridge and get the perfect photo of Big Ben and the London Eye, which is located on the other side of the river Thames.
Once you cross Westminster Bridge you’ll soon get to the famous London Eye and this is the perfect opportunity to go on what is arguably London’s most iconic attraction. If you know you definitely want to go on the London Eye, we highly recommend that you buy your tickets in advance using the Keetoo app and, if possible, get fast-track tickets to skip the queues as the queue for the London Eye can be quite long.
After this, you can continue walking along the South Bank until you get to the Royal Festival Hall. This is the perfect place to stop for a coffee or a bite if you’re feeling peckish as there are plenty of restaurants and cafes (Inside the Royal Festival Hall there are also free public loos!). Just behind the Royal Festival Hall there is also a food market during the weekends, so that’s worth a visit too if you fancy some street food.
Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and Carnaby Street
After exploring the South Bank, you will cross the Thames along the Golden Jubilee Bridge and head towards Trafalgar Square, the famous piazza with the four lions and Admiral Lord Nelson’s statue. This is where you will find one of London’s most famous galleries, The National Gallery, which is free to enter. From Trafalgar Square it’s only a short walk to another one of London’s famous landmarks, Piccadilly Circus.
From here we would recommend that you walk along Regent Street, where you will find Hamleys, London’s largest and best toy store. You will then go past Liberty, one of London’s most famous stores and discover Carnaby Street and London’s famous Soho. You’ll end your route through Soho exploring the infamous Chinatown of London.
Leicester Square and Covent Garden
Then it’s onto Leicester Square, where you will come across another two incredibly famous shops – M&M’s and LEGO Stores. Leicester Square is where London’s film premieres take place so you might bump into a famous actor if you are lucky (we once saw Will Smith!). From Leicester Square it is only a short walk to Covent Garden, one of London’s most beautiful places, perfect to end the first busy day of your trip to London. You will find lots of restaurants in this area so it’s the perfect place to have something to eat or drink before heading back to your hotel.
This is also the area where most theatres in London are and what better way to end your first day in London than by going to see one of the city’s world famous West End musicals.
Day 2 in London
If you are visiting London in two days, then we would recommend that you spend your second day in London visiting the famous Tower of London and admiring Tower Bridge. You’ll also be able to take a lovely walk along the South Bank of the Thames, not forgetting to see or even visit St Paul’s Cathedral.
Monument and North Bank of the river
Our route starts at Monument’s Tube Station, from where you will start walking towards London Bridge. You will see The Monument to the Great Fire of London on your left-hand side which has a viewing platform reached by a narrow winding staircase of a whopping 311 steps! As you continue walking, you will reach London Bridge and you are then able to walk along the South Bank of the River Thames. From here you will get some awesome views of Tower Bridge and The Shard, London’s tallest building; a perfect selfie spot!
Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Walking along the North Bank of the River Thames you will reach a point where you can no longer. Continue along the Bank of the river, and you can follow the road until you see one of London’s most important landmarks: The Tower of London. We highly recommend that you visit the Tower of London, as no one should visit London and miss the opportunity to see the Crown Jewels.
It will take you about 2 hours to visit the Tower of London and it’s much better if you book the tickets in advance with your Keetoo App. Inside the Tower of London there is a wonderful cafe / restaurant where we would recommend you try an authentic British Pie and Mash or stop for some well earned tea and cake.
Our next stop will be Tower Bridge and, not only do you get to see it, but you can also cross Tower Bridge on foot. Before you go up the steps to get to Tower Bridge though, we recommend that you have a wander around St Katharine’s Dock as it is one of London’s best kept secrets. There are numerous restaurants in this area so it is the ideal place if you are looking to have lunch somewhere. In St Katharine’s Dock is where you can find The Dickens Inn, a unique pub housed in a beautiful 18th century warehouse, serving pub food as well as fine grill and pizzeria.
Then, continue to walk across Tower Bridge, admiring its beauty. The Tower Bridge Exhibition has a viewing platform that you can also visit, just remember to add your kredits to your Keetoo App for easy access!
South Bank
Once you cross Tower Bridge, you can walk along the South Bank of the River Thames, a very enjoyable walk that will allow you to get a proper feeling of what it means to visit London. You’ll first walk past London’s City Hall (Greater London Authority’s headquarters) and the HMS Belfast; Europe’s only surviving second world war cruiser, a historic warship and a museum where you will get the opportunity to explore what life was like at war at sea.
As you continue walking along the South Bank, you will get to Hay’s Galleria, one of my favourite places in London. Here you will find a selection of restaurants and cafes as well as a few shops and stalls. Our next stop will be Borough Market, one of the most spectacular markets in London.
Continue walking along the South Bank, passing Shakespeare’s Globe and Butler’s Wharf, until you reach the Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge. Here you’ll find a perfect view of St Paul’s Cathedral on the other side of the river. You can then cross the Millennium Bridge to go and see St Paul’s Cathedral or continue walking along the South Bank as you can walk all the way to the London Eye, something that we would highly recommend if you have time.
Best Travel Options when visiting London in two days.
If you are visiting London in two days, the best way to get around the city is by using an oyster card, a visitor oyster card or contactless debit or credit card. This is the cheapest way to get around London in two days and you can use any of those cards to go on public buses, tube, Docklands Light Railway trains or trains within London’s Travel Zones.
Welcome to our Blog!
Hello! I’m Chiara, an Italian who’s called London home for 8 wonderful years. As a travel enthusiast and the founder of Hidden Gem, I’m on a mission to uncover the city’s best-kept secrets and share them with you. Join me on this exciting journey to explore the hidden treasures of London and beyond!
Join us for more tips on London and UK travel
Explore London like a local
with our insider’s mini guide
Download for FREE now
Explore London like a local
with our insider’s mini guide.
Download for FREE now