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The perfect 48 hour London itinerary

I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to London, but boy am I glad I spent a couple of days there this past summer. London is an incredibly old and beautiful city, blending amazing art and theater with architectural wonders, incredible parks, and delicious and diverse food options. Below you will find a (somewhat aggressive) 48-hour itinerary of the top London sites. There is a lot of walking involved in this itinerary (the best way to quickly get to know a city in my opinion) so if you aren’t a fan of that type of travel, consider booking a Hop-on-Hop-off bus when you arrive.

Day 1: North and West London

Consider staying in Paddington, a very convenient spot to base yourself for a quick trip to London. This is because there is an express train that runs from London Heathrow to Paddington Tube station and it only takes 15 minutes!

A decorated bear statue with a suitcase and hat stands in a garden, surrounded by flowers and large chess pieces.
Paddington bear statue in the Paddington neighborhood.

Start the morning in Notting Hill, a beautiful residential area of west London. Wander the streets early in the morning to enjoy the pastel hues of the town homes and people heading off to work. Enjoy just strolling around this neighborhood, grabbing a cup of coffee or window shopping. You can also enjoy the Portobello Road Market, a large antique market in the vicinity.

Three adjoining Victorian-style townhouses in pastel shades, featuring ornate windows, chimneys, and a gated front garden.
Beautiful homes of the Notting Hill neighborhood, London.

Next, head over to the Baker Street Tube stop and check out all the Sherlock Holmes fanfare (if you are into the books or the television series!). At the tube stop there is a statue of Sherlock and you can wander over to 221B Baker Street and enjoy the Sherlock Holmes museum (you do need tickets and there can often be a line!). The museum is located in the building that the book and show are based on for Sherlock’s house.

Bronze statue of a man in a cape and hat, standing on a plinth near a street, with brick buildings and cloudy sky in the background.
A narrow building entrance with plants above, flanked by lanterns and a black gate, with people standing outside.

After this, continue south (either walking, jumping on a bus or taking the tube) to walk through Piccadilly Circus, London’s version of Time Square. Continue on to Trafalgar Square, where from here you can do a number of activities depending on your energy levels:

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Piccadilly Circus in London with electronic billboards, a construction crane, red double-decker buses, and light pedestrian traffic.
A stone column with a statue and a fountain in a large city square under a partly cloudy sky.

Piccadilly Circus on the left, Trafalgar Square on the right.

  • National Gallery: I only spent about an hour here, but you could spend a whole day! The museum is pretty manageable and has great maps and help navigating the highlights if you don’t have a lot of time. Admission is free though there can be long lines. Some of the highlight attractions are:
    1. Georges Seurat’s ‘Bathers at Asnieres’
    2. Peter Paul Rubens ‘Samson and Delilah’
    3. Rembrandt’s ‘Self Portrait’
    4. Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’
    5. Hans Holbien the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors’
    6. Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’
People relax on a grassy riverbank near the water under a sunny sky, with boats and buildings visible in the background.
A woman in a red dress cuts the hair of a sleeping man as two others look on in a richly decorated interior.
A man in a dark hat and fur-trimmed coat faces forward, painted in a classical portrait style with a neutral background.
Two men in Renaissance clothing stand beside a table with scientific instruments, books, and a distorted object on the floor.
A painting of a vase holding a bouquet of sunflowers with yellow petals against a pale yellow background.
A woman in blue robes sits with two children and an angel in a rocky landscape with mountains and water in the background.

Some art highlights in the order listed above. All photos from nationalgallery.org.

Front view of Buckingham Palace with a blue sky and some clouds in the background.
Buckingham Palace, where the Queen of England resides when in London.

In the evening, grab dinner at Dishoom, an amazing Indian restaurant (there are a few around the city) and consider grabbing a show in Covent Garden, London’s theater district. You can often find last minute tickets in person or online!

Day 2: Central/Downtown, South and East London

Pick up where you left off and take the Tube down to Westminister Abbey. The Abbey requires tickets to get a tour inside (and usually there is quite a long line) but if you are jet-lagged, I recommend getting up early and attending religious services. They are only 30 minutes and it is a great way to visit the church when it’s quiet and not full of tourists, plus you get to see it in actual use!

Gothic-style cathedral with tall spires and arched windows, adjacent to a green lawn and a small statue in the foreground.
Inside Westminister Abbey.

Wander from the Abbey towards the river and cross over Westminister Bridge, looking behind you and to your right at the buildings that make up the British government, including the House of Parliament, House of Lords, and the Palace of Westminister, with the striking Big Ben clocktower overhead.

View of the River Thames with the Palace of Westminster on the right under a partly cloudy sky in London.
Views from Westminister Bridge. Not pictued: Big Ben, which is under construction as of August 2019.

Walk along the water (there is a great walking path) and enjoy the views of the other bridges that cross the Thames. Make your way over to Borough Market for a bite to eat (preferably fish and chips, a British staple). In this vicinity points of interest include the Globe Theater, which puts on Shakespeare plays year-round, as well as the Shard, a large and very pointy modern high-rise that dominates the cityscape behind Borough Market.

People gather outside Borough Market in London, with the Shard skyscraper visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Borough Market with the Shard rising above.

After you are nice and full, backtrack a bit over the Millennium Bridge towards St. Paul’s, one of London’s iconic and oldest churches (with one of the largest domes in the world). Now you are in what is known as the city of London, and you will notice that the flags and street signs all change a bit, having the symbol of the Lion on them. The city of London is actually quite small and represents the oldest part of the city. The rest of the city (pretty much everywhere I mentioned before this), is technically part of either the ‘City of Westminister’ or ‘Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’. Get lost in the twisted and more narrow streets! Another highlight while you are in this area is the Monument, which is a memorial to the the big fire that burned old London to the ground in 1666.

People walk on a city street with St. Pauls Cathedral in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Heading off Millennium Bridge into old London, with St. Paul’s Cathedral rising high.

Last but not least, end your day at the world famous British Museum. There is a very well done free audio tour by Rick Steves that you should download before walking around. He will take you to all the major highlights, but just a brief overview they include:

  • The Rosetta Stone
  • The mummies of Egypt (including Cleotaptra)
  • The Sphinx and other works from Egypt
  • Hoa Hakananai’a from Easter Island
A large stone bust of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh is displayed indoors, showing visible cracks and damage.
Side view of a large stone statue displayed in a museum, with visitors seated nearby and exhibit cases in the background.

Part of a Pharaoh statue on the left, Easter Island statue on the right.

For dinner, consider heading over to Brick Lane in East London for delicious Indian and Pakistani food.

A city street with cars parked on both sides, people walking, and decorative arch overhead on a partly cloudy day.
Entering Brick Lane.

This is a quick trip itinerary and doesn’t really allow for in-depth study or time in the museums, churches, or Buckingham Palace, but it is a nice way to get an overview and vibe for the city while covering a lot of ground. Hopefully it will leave you wanting more for your next trip to this magical place!

The London Eye and River Thames under a cloudy sky with city buildings visible in the background.

Rebecca runs The Adventure Beckons, a travel and outdoor adventure blog based in Vancouver, British Columbia. As an experienced traveler to over 40 countries and counting, she provides her readers with practical travel itineraries from day trips to multi-week adventures. She strives to balance nature and hiking with the must-see tourist highlights that are genuinely worth your time and money.

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