Photo by wirestock. London, the third largest city in Europe and the capital of the United Kingdom, is a city that attracts many tourists throughout the year . Its charm is timeless and, while it evolves becoming more and more modern and multicultural, it knows how to preserve its most ancient and intriguing identity, which makes it so unique.
With its numerous museums, the immense evergreen parks, the most particular markets and the tall modern buildings, it offers the tourist always new emotions and surprises . It is one of those cities that you never get tired of visiting!
Ready to go
Here is the 7 days itinerary in London !
SEE ALSO : What to see in London
Day 1: From Trafalgar Square to Big Ben
Photo by Morio. Start the tour starting from the famous Trafalgare Square, the symbolic square of the city and home to the most important museum in London, the National Gallery (open from 10:00 to 18:00). The visit is free and inside there are priceless works, including precious paintings by Botticelli, Michelangelo and Raphael, as well as the well-known prehistoric work of art, the Venus of Bilendorf.
For lunch, stop at the National Cafe, spending around € 22.00 per person.
Don’t miss the free visit to the National Portrait Gallery, open from 10:00 to 18:00 and located behind the National Gallery, here you can admire more than 1300 portraits, from the Renaissance to the contemporary era. Now continue along the White Wall, where you will be captured by some monuments such as that of the Cenotaph, dating back to 1919 and dedicated to the fallen of the British armed forces.
Now head to the left bank of the Thames, where the majestic Parliament Building stands, the oldest part of which still standing dates back to 1097. Take lots of photos and take advantage of the visit to the clock tower, known as Big Ben (cost guided tour £ 25.50, approximately € 30.00, available from 9:15 am to 5:30 pm).
For dinner you can buy a sandwich from Treats (average cost per person € 7.00), and then consume it while walking near the Thames.
In summary:
- Distance traveled : 1.5 km
- Places visited : Trafalgar Square (free), National Gallery (free), National Portrait Gallery (free), Cenotaph (free), Houses of Parliament (free), Big Ben (€ 30.00)
- Daily shopping : € 54.00
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: National Gallery and British Museum: guided tour
- Place to eat: Lunch at National Cafe (Get Directions), Dinner at Treats (Get Directions)
Day 2: Sea Life Aquarium, London Eye, Jubilee Gardens
Start the day with a visit to the Sea Life Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the capital , located on the South Bank (opening hours 11:00 to 16:00). Inside you will get to know more than 5,000 marine animals, including sharks, turtles, manta rays, seahorses and many others. Tickets booked online cost £ 19.50 (around € 23.00), and if you want to have special experiences, such as swimming with sharks or feeding them, you can purchase additional tickets.
After the tour, eat something fried at the Great British FIsch & Chips, spending around € 11.00 per person.
Then head to the London Eye, the Ferris wheel south of the River Thames. Early afternoon is the ideal time to have a magnificent view of the city. The ticket costs £ 28.00 (approximately € 33.00) and the wheel completes a complete revolution in 30 minutes (the structure is open in the winter from 11:00 to 18:00, while in the summer months from 10:30 to 20:30).
Now relax by strolling through the Jubilee Gardens, the gardens created in 1952 , with flower beds, paths, kiosks and play areas for children, at the foot of the London Eye. Outside the park you will find yourself in the London Wonderground area, a park with various attractions and rides (open from 10:00 to 22:00). Take the opportunity to take a ride on the colorful horses of the Carosello (ticket cost £ 2.50, approximately € 3.00).
Finally, relax by having an aperitif at the tables of the Tanquery Gin Bar, spending around € 18.83 per person.
In summary:
- Distance traveled : 800 m
- Places visited : Sea Life Acquarium (€ 23.00), London Eye (€ 30.00), Jubilee Gardens (free), London Wonderground (€ 3.00)
- Daily shopping : € 89.00
- Card, ticket e tour consigliati: London Eye
- Place to eat: Lunch at Great Vritish Fisch & Chips (Get directions), Dinner at Tanquery Gin Bar (Get directions)
Day 3: From Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace
Stroll through Trafalgare Square, admire the equestrian statue of King George IV and then make your way to Admiralty Arch , the building with three large arches that connect the square to the Mall. The Admiraty Arch was built by Edward VII in honor of Queen Victoria.
The walk will be particularly relaxing as you will be walking close to St James Park.
Have a quick brunch at 67 Pall Mall, for around £ 12.00 (around € 14.12) and then stop to take some photos at the Saint James Palace, the 16th century palace that is still a royal residence today. If you happen to be in August, you can take advantage of a guided tour of nearby Clarence House, the current residence of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, at a cost of £ 10.00 (approximately € 12.00, open from 10:00 to 16:30).
Now enter Green Park (open from 05:00 to midnight), you will notice at the end of the Mall the splendid Victoria Memorial, a sign that you are within walking distance of the majestic Buckingham Palace. The West Wing is open to the public only from August 1st to September 27th , and by paying a ticket of £ 21.50 (approximately € 25.30), it is possible to visit some rooms and the royal stables (open from 9:15 to 19 : 45, with some variations, therefore it is always better to check the exact days).
For dinner you can take advantage of the proximity of the Phoenix, a typical vintage-style English restaurant, where you can eat excellent sandwiches and drink beer for about € 13.00 per person.
In summary:
- Distance covered : 2 km
- Places visited : Admiralty Arch (free), Saint James Palace (free), Clarence House (€ 12.00), Green Park (free), Victoria Memorial (free), Buckingham Palace (€ 25.30)
- Daily shopping: € 64.50
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Buckingham Palace: walking tour and afternoon tea Buckingham Palace: entrance to the State Rooms
- Place to eat: Lunch at 67 Pall Mall (Get directions), Dinner at The Phoenix (Get directions)
Day 4: From St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Museum of London
Today, dedicate yourself to a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Anglican church with an ancient charm and an imposing appearance . By purchasing a ticket of £ 20.00 (around € 23.50), you can see the inside of the building, the part below, the dome and get to its top, from where you can enjoy a truly enchanting view of London ( the visit is possible from 8:30 to 16:30). The church is in Baroque style, with a typically English bell tower, full of spiers and naves. Winston Churchill’s funeral was celebrated here, as well as the marriage between Charles and Lady Diana.
Outside the church stop for brunch at PAUL St Pauls, spending around € 16.00 per person.
You can do onewalk and rest for a while in Paternoster Square , a square of medieval origin, whose many shops were destroyed by the fire in London in 1656.
Now stroll to Postman’s Park (open from 8:00 to 17:30), a garden in which stands the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, a monument in memory of the common people who died to save the lives of others. A few steps from the park is the Museum of London , which you can visit for free (opening hours from 10:00 to 18:00). Inside you will find original artifacts, models, and a series of finds that tell the evolution of the city from prehistoric times to the contemporary age.
For dinner, eat meat and salad at the tables of the London Wall Bar & Kitchen, located in front of the museum (average cost per person € 25.00).
In summary:
- Distance traveled : 950 m
- Places visited : St. Paul’s Cathedral (€ 23.50), Paternoster Square (free), Postman’s Park (free), Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice (free), Museum of London (free)
- Daily shopping : € 64.00
- Place to eat: Lunch at Paul St. Paul (Get directions), Dinner at London Wall Bar & Kitchen (Get directions)
Day 5: Globe Theater, Tate Modern, British Museum
Near Blackfriars Bridge, on the banks of the Thames, stands a reconstruction of Shakespeare’s theater, the Globe Theater . You can take advantage of a guided tour inside the building, paying a ticket of £ 17.00 (approximately € 20.00, open from 9:00 to 17:00).
A few minutes from the theater, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit the Tate Modern for free , the museum built inside a power plant and which houses works by the greatest artists of the twentieth century, such as Picasso, Warhol, Dali (open from 10 : 00 to 18:00).
On the ninth floor of the building you can have lunch with a panoramic view, sitting at the tables of Level 9. The dishes often have ingredients at 0 km, so the costs could be a bit high (around € 40.00 per person).
Now you can take a walk of just over 30 minutes, crossing the Thames, to arrive at the British Museum, one of the most famous museums in all of London . This museum is also free, and is open from 10:00 to 17:30, and here you will be able to discover more than 8 million objects that tell the story of man, from stone engravings to 20th-century finds. An experience that will take you back in time, through relics from all over the world.
End the day with a dinner at the Olivelli restaurant, where you can eat something Italian, where you will spend an average of € 30.00 per person.
In summary:
- Distance covered : 3.9 km
- Places visited : Globe Theater (€ 20.00), Tate Modern (free), British Museum (free)
- Daily shopping : € 90.00
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: British Museum Tour: Our World Ideas London: British Museum Guided Tour London: Shakespeare’s Globe Theater Guided Tour
- Where to eat: Lunch at Level 9 (Get directions), Dinner at RIsotrante Olivelli (Get directions)
Day 6: Tower Bridge and Excursion to Sounthend on Sea
Today go to the discovery of the most famous drawbridge in London: the Tower Brigde , built in the late nineteenth century.
To understand the functioning of the bridge, to know its history and to look out of the windows overlooking the Thames, it is necessary to access the Tower Birdge Exhibition, paying a ticket of £ 8.00 (approximately € 9.50, open from 9:30 to 17: 00). From here the view over the city is remarkable.
After crossing the bridge admire the immense Tower of London, the castle with the white tower , located on the north banks of the Thames.
Stop for some fried food at Josef Fish & Chips (average cost per person € 8.00) and go to Fenchurch Street station, and get on the c2c Shoeburyness train, paying a ticket of around £ 12.93 (around € 15.30).
In less than an hour you will be in the city of Sounthend on Sea, a city that has the longest pier in the world , with 2,158 meters of extension in the Thames estuary. You can reach it from the station within a few minutes. You can also take advantage of this by visiting the Pontoon Museum, entrance cost £ 1.50 (approximately € 1.80, open from 10:15 to 21:00).
Now stroll towards the Sounthend Cliff Gardens, and to end the day, go down to the beach, where you can eat something Italian at Roberto’s Beachside, spending about € 30.00 per person.
In summary:
- Distance traveled : 73.9 km
- Luoghi visitati: Tower Bridge (gratuito), Tower Bridge Exhibition (€9,50), Sounthend on Sea (gratuito), Sounthend Pier Museum (€1,80), Sounthend Cliff Gardens (gratuito)
- Daily shopping : € 64.00
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: London: Crown Jewels Tour with Cruise
- Place to eat: Lunch at Josef Fish & Chips (Get directions), Dinner at Roberto’s Beachside (Get directions)
Day 7: Hyde Park and Excursion to Bath
Start this day by taking a stroll in Hyde Park, one of London’s Royal Parks (open from 5:00 am to midnight). Snap photos of the park’s many historic monuments and then walk to Paddington Station. Take the GWR Bristol Temple Meads train and after just over an hour you will be in the lovely and elegant Bath (cost of the train ticket from € 30.00).
Within 10 minutes you can reach the famous Roman Baths of Bath , here by paying the entrance from £ 16.00, (about € 19.00 with audio guide) you can visit a museum that was born in this ancient thermal plant, truly fascinating (the thermal baths they are open from 9:30 to 17:00).
For lunch, sit at the tables of the sophisticated Pump Room (cost of lunch per person € 20.00).
Now stroll through Bath, arrive at Queen Square, the square with the beautiful Georgian-style houses and then enter the Jane Austen Center , or the museum dedicated to the writer who stays in that street, Gay Street, at number 25 (open from 10 : 00 to 16:00). Admission costs £ 12.00 (around € 14.20) and the costumed guide will show you Jane Austen curiosities, objects and portraits.
For dinner, stop in the characteristic pub near the museum, the Hall & Woodhouse (on average around € 20.00), then return to London.
In summary:
- Distance traveled : 186 km
- Places visited : Hyde Park (free), Bath (free), Roman Baths of Bath (€ 18.94), Queen Square (free), Jane Austen Center (€ 14.20)
- Daily shopping: € 127.00
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: Stonehenge & Bath Full-Day Tour from London Bath: Roman Baths and City Walking Tour
- Place to eat: Lunch at Pump Room (Get directions), Dinner at Hall & Woodhouse (Get directions)
How much does a week cost in London
Trip type Sleeping Eating Transport Attractions Total cost per week Average cost per day Low cost € 210.00 € 280.00 € 23.00 € 188.00 € 700.00 € 100.00
Average € 490.00 € 420.00 € 45.00 € 188.00 € 1,143.00 € 163.00
Luxury € 1,015.00 € 560.00 € 125.00 € 188.00 € 1,888.00 € 270.00
NB : Prices expressed in the table above they are to be understood “per person”.
London is a city frequented by tourists from all over the world. In the city there are 6 airports, so it is not impossible to find low cost flights, especially if you book well in advance. Hotels can be very expensive, so in addition to choosing more peripheral areas, it is advisable to book hostels, where you can significantly save on accommodation.
The means of transport are quite expensive and it is difficult to estimate the costs, as the price of individual tickets changes according to the area and the time of day in which it is used. One way to tackle the problem is the purchase of the Oyster Card, a prepaid card with an initial value of £ 3.00 (approximately € 3.55) which grants discounts on rides. Or the London Pass, which allows free visits to many attractionsand which can be purchased with the addition of the TravelCard, useful for free travel on public transport (total cost 6 days £ 164.00, approximately € 194.00)
- Low cost flights: starting from € 60.00 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 30.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: London: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Including Transfers London: Open Top Bus Tour London: Old Town Walking Tour
- Total cost of a week, including flight : from € 760.00 per person
Before leaving: useful tips
- When to visit London : the hottest period is the one that goes from May to August, however you must always carry a sweatshirt and an umbrella in your suitcase, as it can suddenly rain. Even during the winter London is very fascinating, but you have to endure the low temperatures, which hardly drop below 0 ° – find out more
- How to get there: in London there are 6 airports. The one that is served by the largest number of low cost airline flights is Stansted Airport, 60km north of the city. To reach the center you need to take the direct Stansted Express train, which takes 45 minutes, paying a ticket of £ 16.00 (about € 18.80), or take the coach, the National Express, which takes one hour. hour and 45 minutes, ticket cost £ 10.00 (approximately € 11.70)
- Where to sleep: West End is the most central area, where there are 4-star hotels, therefore quite expensive. Bloomsbury, very close to the West End, offers the possibility of finding cheaper prices, while Victoria is the district with accommodations for all budgets and is also the most strategic for the connection to the airports, given the presence of Victoria Station – find out more
- Getting around : the cost of individual London public transport tickets varies depending on the time and area, tourists are advised to purchase some cards, such as the Visitor Oyster Card, with an initial value of £ 3.00 (approx. € 3.50), a prepaid card valid on the bus, metro, tram, train and which allows you to pay a maximum ticket £ 6.40 (approximately € 8.00), beyond the zones – find out more
- Documents : Italian citizens and citizens of EU countries do not have to apply for an entry visa, but it will be enough to have an identity card valid for expatriation or a passport. Check that the identity card in paper format does not show any signs of deterioration, as this could cause inconvenience
- Safety of the country : being a big city, very busy, it is always important to pay attention, to keep the bags close to you with the zippers closed. As regards the terrorist risk, the British authorities have intensified checks in the places deemed sensitive, as reported on the Farnesina website in the United Kingdom section.
- Recommended cards and passes : The London Pass is a useful way to visit more than 80 attractions in the city with discounts. The cost varies according to the duration (from 1 to 10 days), for example the 3 day one costs £ 89.00 (approximately € 105.00), the 6 day one costs £ 121.00 (approximately € 143.00) – buy your pass online
