I’ve been to London four times now. Three times for work, and once purely for myself. The city has always been an interesting one for me because I’ve unintentionally explored it very differently from every other destination I visit. There’s no meticulously planned “Travel with a Pen” itinerary, no Excel sheets with daily activities, and definitely no list of 67 places I absolutely must see before leaving the city. I usually just walk. I wander. I see where the day takes me.
My last visit was supposed to be different. It was my first proper personal trip to London, and I had grand plans. Notting Hill, Chinatown, Sky Garden, Borough Market, Big Ben, all the touristy things I had somehow managed to avoid on my previous visits. I was ready to finally be a tourist.
Instead, I slept.
I spent my only completely free day doing a spectacularly good job of absolutely nothing! In my defence, I had spent the days before that working, travelling and generally running on fumes. I also prioritized trips to Bath and Cardiff, plus some much-needed family time instead of spending those few extra days exploring the city.
A Different London Trip…
No regrets, though, but this time around, I was determined to do things a bit differently.
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My original plan was actually to extend my work trip and spend a few days exploring the Cotswolds. That sounded much more like my kind of trip — picturesque villages, early mornings, pretty streets, and enough opportunities to take approximately 800 photos!
But between my work schedule, the logistics of getting around the Cotswolds without a car, and a very important event that needed my attention back in Nairobi, the Cotswolds had to wait.
That left me with one precious free day in London.
And I knew myself well enough to know that if I left the day completely unplanned, I would probably sleep through half of it again. So I did what any responsible adult with questionable self-discipline would do — I spent money.
One Day in London: My Full London Itinerary
I booked two activities in advance. Because apparently, my fear of wasting money is stronger than my desire to sleep — and I do love to sleep.
Between those bookings, I carved out time to explore London on foot, photograph some of the city’s most beautiful spots, eat, wander, and squeeze as much as possible into a single day. London is huge, and while you obviously can’t see everything in a day, you can cover a surprising number of the city’s most famous sights if you plan your route well. This is exactly how I spent my free day in London — with timestamps.
06:30: Breakfast at the Hotel (or So I Planned)
I started my day at the Wellington by Orchid Hotel in central London. After arriving the night before and getting a very welcome night’s sleep, I was up bright and early and ready to make the most of my only free day in London.
I planned to head downstairs for breakfast early, but to my surprise, it wasn’t served until 08:00am. I didn’t have the luxury to wait until then, so I headed out to grab a light bite elsewhere. If you’re trying to see London in one day, starting early really does make a difference. You get a head start on the crowds and have more time to explore before the city gets busy.
07:45: Walk to 2 Love Tea and Coffee
I stopped at 2 Love Tea and Coffee, a food truck with a seating area overlooking the Thames River, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Breakfast for me was a brownie and iced chocolate — both were quite good.
After my snack, I walked towards County Hall to meet with Debora, the photographer I had booked through GetYourGuide. Normally, I would happily pull out my phone and start taking photos everywhere, but I had become increasingly conscious about phone snatching in London. Since I had planned to spend the day taking photos anyway, hiring a photographer seemed like a good excuse to keep my phone safely tucked away.
08:30: County Hall & Big Ben Photoshoot
Debora and I spent the next hour exploring the area around Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, and the pier, stopping at some of the classic London photo spots along the way.
Starting this one-day London itinerary early also worked in my favour. The area around Big Ben and Westminster was noticeably quieter than it would be later in the morning, which made it much easier to take photos without fighting through crowds.
09:30: Self-Guided London Walking Tour Route
Once my photoshoot was over, I continued exploring London on foot. This was the part of the day where I really put my one-day London itinerary to the test. Rather than jumping on the Tube between every attraction, I mapped out a walking route that took me through some of London’s most photogenic and historic spots.
County Hall → Reflection Garden + St Dunstan in the East Church
I left the area of our shoot at around 09:30 and made my way across central London towards the Reflection Garden and St Dunstan in the East. This part was a bit of a stretch, but with such beautiful weather, it turned into a really enjoyable walk. I especially loved spending time among the ruins of St Dunstan in the East, while the Reflection Garden, with the stunning reflection of St Paul’s Cathedral in its small pond, was another beautiful little stop along the way.
Reflection Garden → Tower Bridge
Next, I continued on foot to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. This is an easy part of the route, taking roughly 10 minutes. I wasn’t going inside the Tower of London on this trip — and I couldn’t have even if I wanted to because by the time I arrived, there was a massive queue waiting to get in. I walked around the outside, took a few photos, and continued towards my next stop.
Tower Bridge → Afternoon Tea at Marriott County Hall
From the Tower Bridge, I planned to continue towards Borough Market and the London Bridge area, but this market would elude me again. By the time I made it to Tower Bridge, my appointment for the afternoon was drawing near. So I abandoned plans to visit Borough Market — perhaps a 5th trip to London is what I need to finally visit this place 🙂
At this point, I had been walking around London for nearly four hours, so I was more than ready to sit down for a while.
12:00: Afternoon Tea at County Hall
This afternoon tea felt like a very appropriate reward. I settled in at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall, which gave me a chance to sit down, eat properly, and recharge before heading back out into the city — all with a beautiful view of the River Thames and Big Ben. I can finally say I’ve had afternoon tea in the country where it all began. One more thing I can officially tick off the list.
13:20: St James’s Park
With plenty more of London still to see, I refuelled and set off towards St James’s Park. It’s an easy addition to any central London itinerary, especially since it’s within walking distance of several major attractions, including Buckingham Palace. As it turned out, I passed through the park several times during my stay, so you’ll probably find yourself doing the same.
13:40: Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards
From St James’s Park, I walked to Buckingham Palace and caught the mounted sentry change at Horse Guards, where the soldiers are relieved every hour. That was fun to watch, since this was not planned.
By this point, my legs were crying out for a break, so I made my way back to the hotel. The weather had also started to turn, with the skies looking increasingly like rain was on the way. Thankfully, it never came, so after a quick refresh, I headed back out.
Now, if you’re in London for more than a day, this would be a perfectly good place to call it a day and head out for dinner later. But I wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet. I summoned every last atom of strength I had left and hit the streets of London again, on foot, because apparently I hadn’t learnt my lesson.
16:30: Chinatown, Trafalgar Square, Carnaby Street & Oxford Street
My next stop was Chinatown, and on the way there, I passed through Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square before finally arriving. Chinatown was more of a quick stop than a proper food stop, as I still had plenty of London to cover.
From Chinatown, I continued towards Carnaby Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Oxford Street, because, well, they were right there. Again, these were quick stops rather than places I spent much time exploring. I did attempt a bit of shopping on Carnaby Street, but quickly found myself overwhelmed.
I think this is probably where I should admit that I’m not particularly fond of the shopping and browsing experience. I’m very much the person who researches what I want beforehand, walks into a shop looking for that specific thing, finds it, and leaves. Wandering around shops without knowing exactly what I’m looking for just isn’t that stimulating for me. Is it just me?
19:00: Covent Market, Mamma Mia!
Anyway, I decided, quite spontaneously, to see a play or musical because, well, when in London! To my delight, there were several fabulous shows running, and I eventually settled on Mamma Mia! It was absolutely delightful.
While waiting for showtime, I wandered around the area in search of a light bite and stumbled upon Covent Market, which more than made up for my disappointment at missing Borough Market. Yes, I know they’re not the same thing, but I was genuinely pleased with the find.
The musical ran for around two and a half hours, including an intermission. By the time the interval came around, the exhaustion had properly set in. I wasn’t just tired of being on my feet anymore, I was sleepy, and even sitting down felt exhausting. But there was no way I was letting my £50 ticket go to waste, so I pushed through and made it to the end. By the time the curtain came down, I was so glad I’d gone.
I walked back to my hotel, although “walked” might be a generous description. By then, I was practically limping, with blisters on both feet and absolutely nothing left in the tank. Still, I was oddly content. I had somehow pulled off the ridiculous challenge of seeing this much of London in a single day!
And just to put this into perspective, I wasn’t doing full tours of each attraction. This was a self-guided walking route designed to see as many sights as possible in a short amount of time. If you want to actually tour the Tower of London, spend more time at Borough Market, stop for meals, or linger at the various sights along the way, you’ll need considerably more time. So use this as a starting point, not a race against the clock like I apparently did!
What I Saw in London in One Day
So, what can you actually see in London in one day? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In roughly 15 hours, I managed to visit or pass through:
- Big Ben and Westminster
- Westminster Abbey
- Westminster Bridge
- The Reflection Garden
- St Dunstan in the East
- The Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- County Hall
- St James’s Park
- Buckingham Palace
- Chinatown
- Piccadilly Circus
- Carnaby Street
- Oxford Street
- Covent Market
- And a Musical!
I also squeezed in a professional photoshoot and afternoon tea. Was it a lot? Absolutely. Would I recommend trying to see all of London in one day? Probably not. But if you’re visiting London for a short trip, this shows that you can cover many of the city’s iconic sights in a day if you start early, group attractions by location, and are happy to explore mostly on foot.
Is One Day in London Enough?
One day in London isn’t enough to see everything, but it can be enough to get a really good introduction to the city. For a first visit, I’d focus on a few areas rather than trying to visit every major attraction. Westminster, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Chinatown, Borough Market and the Tower of London can all be incorporated into a busy day, particularly if you’re comfortable walking.
I’d also recommend booking any must-do experiences in advance. In my case, having a photoshoot and afternoon tea already booked gave my day some structure and stopped me from doing what I apparently love to do in London: going back to the hotel and sleeping.
If you have two or three days in London, even better. You’ll have more time for museums, markets, neighbourhoods and some of the city’s less touristy corners. But if one day is all you have, don’t let that stop you. Start early, wear comfortable shoes, plan your route around the areas you want to see, and leave a little room for the unexpected. You might be surprised by how much of London you can experience in a single day.
