London is one of those cities that never runs out of things to do — and we mean that literally. We have visited multiple times and still have a running list of things we have not gotten to yet. The things to do in London span world-class museums (most of them free), iconic landmarks, canal walks, incredible food from every corner of the globe, and experiences you genuinely cannot have anywhere else. We have a wedding there this August, which tells you everything about how we feel about the city. Whether it is your first visit or your fifth, this guide will give you everything you need.
HOW TO GET TO LONDON
London has six airports but the two you will most likely use are Heathrow (LHR) for transatlantic flights and Gatwick (LGW) for European budget carriers. From Heathrow, the Elizabeth line gets you into central London in about 40 minutes. From Gatwick, the Gatwick Express to Victoria takes 30 minutes. Both are fast and straightforward.
From within Europe, the Eurostar from Paris (2.5 hours) and Brussels (2 hours) arrives directly at St Pancras International in central London — one of the best train journeys in Europe. From Amsterdam it runs via Brussels and takes around 4 hours total.
Pro Tip: Get an eSIM before you travel so you have data the moment you land. Saily is our go-to — use code THEJETLAGJOURNEY25 for 25% off. Airalo is a great alternative (code JLJ10 for 10% off).
BEST TIME TO VISIT LONDON
London is a year-round destination. Summer (June through August) is the warmest and busiest with long days and all outdoor attractions fully operational. Spring (April and May) is our favourite time — mild weather, the parks in bloom, and slightly fewer tourists than peak summer. Autumn is underrated: comfortable temperatures and the city at its most atmospheric. Winter is cold and grey but London at Christmas is genuinely magical, and hotel prices drop significantly.
CURRENCY AND TIPPING IN LONDON
London uses the British Pound (GBP), not the Euro. Card payments are accepted almost universally — contactless is the norm and cash is rarely needed. At restaurants, 12.5 percent service charge is often added automatically to the bill, so check before adding an additional tip. At pubs, tipping is not expected though rounding up for table service is appreciated.
HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED IN LONDON?
A minimum of four to five days for a first visit — London is vast and the distances between neighborhoods are real. A week gives you enough time to cover the major sights, explore a few neighborhoods properly, and take a day trip. Three days is doable but you will feel rushed.
WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON
London is enormous and the neighborhood you stay in shapes your entire trip. For first-timers, South Kensington puts you close to three world-class free museums and easy Tube access everywhere. Shoreditch is the best base for nightlife and the East End food scene. Covent Garden and Soho are central and lively. For something quieter with serious charm, Angel in Islington is a local favorite — great canal walks along the Regent’s Canal, independent restaurants, and a genuinely neighbourhood feel that the tourist-heavy central areas lack.
Luxury: Claridge’s in Mayfair, The Ned in the City, or The Hoxton Shoreditch for a boutique alternative.
Mid-range: Look for hotels in South Kensington or Bloomsbury for the best balance of location and value.
Budget: Generator London near King’s Cross is one of the best budget options in the city.
WHERE TO EAT IN LONDON
London’s food scene is one of the best in the world — genuinely. The city’s multiculturalism means you can find outstanding food from virtually every cuisine imaginable, and the standard across the board has risen dramatically over the past decade. These are the places worth your time.
Borough Market — the best food market in London and one of the best in Europe. Near London Bridge, open Thursday through Saturday. Go hungry and plan to spend at least an hour. Exceptional for grazing and picking up picnic supplies.
Dishoom — London’s best-loved Indian restaurant, inspired by the old Irani cafes of Bombay. The bacon naniamo breakfast is legendary. Queues are long but move quickly, and it is worth every minute.
Bao Soho — exceptional Taiwanese small plates in a tiny room. The original bao bun remains one of the best things to eat in London. Arrive when it opens or expect a wait.
J.D. Wetherspoon — hear us out. Wetherspoons is a budget pub chain but it is genuinely one of our favourite things about the UK. It started as a joke but it has become an institution — cheap pints, decent food, and locations almost always in repurposed historic buildings. On a budget trip through the UK it kept us eating out and having a few drinks before moving on to the next pub. The one in Edinburgh is a converted Victorian theater and is by far the most spectacular. London has dozens of locations and they are consistently great value, especially for lunch.
WHERE TO DRINK IN LONDON
London’s pub culture is one of the great pleasures of visiting the city. A proper British pub — real ale, a fire in winter, locals who have been drinking at the same bar for thirty years — is an experience worth seeking out. Beyond the pubs, London has a world-class cocktail bar scene and a growing craft beer culture.
The Lamb and Flag — a 17th century pub in Covent Garden with a history that includes Charles Dickens as a regular. Tiny, atmospheric, and quintessentially London.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese — one of the oldest pubs in London, rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. Hidden down a narrow alley off Fleet Street, it feels like stepping back three centuries.
Nightjar — a pre-Prohibition-style speakeasy in Shoreditch with some of the best cocktails in London. Book ahead.
The Canal Walk, Angel — not a bar but worth mentioning here. Walking the Regent’s Canal from Angel through Islington on a warm evening, stopping at the canalside pubs along the way, is one of our favourite things to do in London. The towpath through Angel and towards Hackney has a completely different pace to the rest of the city.
BEST THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
The things to do in London are almost endless — this is a city that rewards slow exploration. These are the experiences we come back to and the ones we recommend to everyone.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour — The Making of Harry Potter — this is genuinely one of the best experiences we have had anywhere in Europe and our absolute favourite thing to do in London. The studio tour at Leavesden is where the majority of the Harry Potter films were shot, and walking through the actual sets — the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, Diagon Alley, Platform 9¾ — is extraordinary. The level of detail is unlike anything else. It is about 20 miles from central London (direct trains from Euston to Watford Junction, then a shuttle bus) and worth every bit of the journey. Book well in advance — it sells out weeks ahead and is worth every penny.
British Museum — free entry to one of the greatest collections of human history ever assembled. The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the Egyptian mummies — plan at least three hours and focus on the highlights rather than trying to see everything. Crowds build through the morning so go when it opens.
National Gallery — free, world-class, and right on Trafalgar Square. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Monet’s water lilies, Da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks. One of the greatest art collections on earth and it costs nothing to walk in.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge — the medieval fortress on the Thames that served as a royal palace, prison, and execution site. The Crown Jewels are here. Tower Bridge next door is worth walking across for the views. Buy tickets in advance online.
Walk Along the Thames — the South Bank walk from Tower Bridge to the Tate Modern and beyond is one of the great urban walks in the world. Free, endlessly interesting, and gives you a different perspective on London’s scale and architecture.
Wimbledon — if you are visiting in late June or early July, queuing for Wimbledon is one of the most authentically British experiences you can have. We queued for Day 1 from 5:30am and finally got in at noon — six and a half hours in the queue. It was cold, it was slow, and it was completely worth it. The atmosphere inside is unlike any other sporting event we have been to. You can buy strawberries and cream on the hill, watch matches on the big screens for free, or queue for ground passes to get on the outer courts. If you want a guaranteed seat, ballot tickets open months in advance.
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens — the two parks run together to form over 600 acres of green space in the middle of the city. The Serpentine Gallery, the Diana Memorial, and the Albert Memorial are all here. On a warm afternoon, there is nowhere better in London.
Walk the Regent’s Canal, Angel — take the towpath from Angel station through Islington and along the canal toward Hackney. Narrowboats, canalside pubs, and a pace of life that feels completely removed from central London. One of our favourite walks in the city.
BEST DAY TRIPS FROM LONDON
Bath — 90 minutes by train, Roman baths, Georgian architecture, and a compact, beautiful city that is easy to do in a day.
Stonehenge and Salisbury — two hours by train plus a short bus. One of the most iconic prehistoric monuments in the world. Combine with Salisbury Cathedral for a full day.
Oxford or Cambridge — either university city makes a great day trip. Oxford is slightly closer (one hour by train) and has excellent college tours. Both are beautiful on a clear day.
Cotswolds — the picture-perfect English countryside villages are best reached by car or organised tour from London. Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, and Burford are the highlights. Combining London with a wider Europe trip? Read our 10 day Europe trip routes for inspiration.
GETTING AROUND LONDON
The London Underground (the Tube) is the fastest way across the city and runs frequently. Use a contactless card or Apple/Google Pay directly on the barriers — you do not need an Oyster card. The Elizabeth line has transformed east-west travel since opening in 2022. For shorter distances, walking or cycling with a Santander Cycle hire bike is often faster than the Tube.
SAFETY IN LONDON
London is a safe city overall. The main things to be aware of are phone snatching — keep your phone in your pocket on busy streets and do not hold it up in crowds — and pickpockets on busy Tube lines and tourist areas. Beyond that, London is extremely visitor-friendly and easy to navigate.
ETIAS — WHAT AMERICAN TRAVELERS NEED TO KNOW
ETIAS applies to EU Schengen Area countries, not the UK. However, the UK has its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for visa-free visitors — Americans now need to apply before travelling. It costs £10 and takes minutes to apply online. For trips that combine London with mainland Europe, read our complete ETIAS guide for the European requirements.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
Is London worth visiting?
Absolutely. London has more world-class free museums than almost any other city on earth, a food scene that rivals Paris and New York, incredible history at every turn, and a cultural life that is endlessly varied. It is expensive but many of the best things to do in London are completely free.
Is London expensive?
London is one of the more expensive European capitals but it is very manageable if you plan well. The major museums are free. Pubs offer affordable food and drinks. Markets like Borough and Broadway are great for budget eating. Accommodation is the biggest cost — book early and consider neighborhoods slightly outside the centre like Angel or Shoreditch for better value.
Do I need to book Harry Potter Studios in advance?
Yes — book as far ahead as possible. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour sells out weeks in advance, especially in summer and school holidays. It is one of the best things to do in London and worth planning your trip around.
Can you queue for Wimbledon without tickets?
Yes — The Queue is one of the most famous traditions in sport. Arrive early (we got there at 5:30am for Day 1) and queue for ground passes which get you access to the outer courts and the hill. It is a long wait but the atmosphere and experience are completely unique. Go prepared with food, layers, and something to read.
What is the best neighborhood to stay in London for first-timers?
South Kensington for the museums, Covent Garden for the buzz, or Angel for a more local feel with great canal walks and independent restaurants. Wherever you stay, the Tube makes everything accessible so the priority is finding a location that suits your interests and budget.
Is the London Eye worth it?
It is a good experience but expensive for what it is. If views are the priority, the Sky Garden and the Tate Modern’s viewing level are both free. The London Eye is worth it if you have a clear day and want the iconic slow rotation experience — book online in advance for better prices.
MORE FROM THE JET LAG JOURNEY
Planning a bigger UK and Europe trip? Our guide to how to plan a trip to Europe covers all the logistics from start to finish. For more budget travel tips, read our 40 ways to travel cheaper guide. Check our 50 Europe travel tips for everything we wish we had known on our first trip. And if you are planning an extended stay across Europe, our Nomad Planner has cost-of-living data for 78 cities and a Schengen tracker built for long-term travel.
