Seven Days in London A Practical Guide with Itinerary

Since February 25, 2026, US citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before traveling to the UK. This is not a visa — it's a pre-clearance authorization similar to the US ESTA, and the process takes minutes. Apply through the UK ETA app or the GOV.UK website before you fly. Cost: £20 (~$25). Valid for two years with unlimited trips. Most applications are approved the same day. Apply at least three days before departure to avoid any issues. Airlines, Eurostar, and ferries check ETA status before boarding.

May through June and September through October are the sweet spots. London's weather is unpredictable year-round but those windows offer the best ratio of decent weather, manageable crowds, and reasonable hotel rates. July and August are peak season: summer school holidays, higher prices, and the city at maximum tourist density.

Spring and fall hotel rates in a good central neighborhood run $180 to $280 per night for a solid mid-range room. Summer rates climb 20 to 40% above that.

London's Zones matter for where you stay. Zone 1 is central London giving you Westminster, the City, Covent Garden, South Bank and where you want to be for a first visit. Zone 2 is walkable or one Tube stop from Zone 1 and a reasonable compromise on cost.

The neighborhoods worth targeting: South Kensington is quiet, residential, and directly adjacent to the Natural History Museum, the V&A, and the Science Museum cluster. Well-suited for anyone who wants to spend significant time among those institutions. Covent Garden and Soho are central, lively, and within walking distance of the West End theaters and the National Gallery. Marylebone sits just north of Hyde Park with an excellent independent restaurant and shop scene along the High Street and is more residential feeling than the tourist core, while still well-connected by the Underground.

Avoid booking in the outer zones without checking actual Tube time to central attractions. A hotel that looks cheap in Zone 4 often costs the Tube time back.

The Oyster card is a reloadable transit card available at any Underground station for £7 (~$9, refundable on return). Tap in and out at every Tube and bus gate. A daily cap applies automatically: once your Oyster charges reach approximately £7.77 (~$10) for Zones 1-2, the rest of the day's travel is free. You don't need to track this yourself, the system applies it automatically.

Your contactless credit or debit card works identically to an Oyster card on the Tube and buses and applies the same daily cap. If your card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, and most travel cards don't, this is the simpler option.

The Heathrow Express connects Heathrow to Paddington Station in 15 minutes and runs approximately every 15 minutes. Cost: around £25 (~$33) one way, £37 (~$49) return. The Piccadilly Line Underground covers the same route in 50 minutes for about £6 (~$8) with the Oyster cars. The express is worth the premium if you're arriving and need to be somewhere quickly; the Tube is the right call for most journeys.

London's major national museums are free to enter and genuinely world-class. Each deserves more time than the average visitor gives them.

The British Museum in Bloomsbury is the largest collection of human history in the world composed of Egyptian mummies, the Elgin Marbles, Viking hoards, the Sutton Hoo helmet, and the Lewis Chessmen to name a few exhibits. Allocate half a day minimum and use the audio guide. Timed entry recommendations for popular galleries are advisable during peak hours.

The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square houses the national art collection from the 13th to 19th centuries: Van Eyck, Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, and Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Two to three hours covers it well.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington is the decorative arts museum where fashion, ceramics, metalwork, photography, furniture, Islamic art, and the largest collection of Raphael cartoons are on display. More eclectic than the National Gallery, often less crowded, and consistently underestimated.

Tate Modern on the South Bank converted a former power station into one of the world's great collections of modern and contemporary art. The building is extraordinary. Free entry, some temporary exhibitions charge.

Tower of London costs approximately £37 (~$49) per adult and is worth it. The Crown Jewels are genuinely dazzling, the ravens are still there, and the history of the fortress, from Anne Boleyn's execution to the custody of the Crown, makes for a more narratively satisfying visit than most museum experiences. Book online at the Historic Royal Palaces website in advance.

Westminster Abbey costs approximately £31 (~$40) per adult and requires advance booking. The home to coronations, royal burials, and Poets’ Corner, is worth the time and the price. Arrive early; groups fill the nave by midmorning. Note that Westminster Abbey is closed to tourists on Sundays.

Kew Gardens sits in Zone 4 but is worth the Tube ride. The Royal Botanic Gardens encompasses about 300 acres, and the largest living plant collection in the world and costs around £22 (~$29). Best in spring when the magnolias and cherry blossoms are in bloom, but genuinely worth a full day’s visit in any season

A London trip without a West End show is a missed opportunity. Prices range from £50 to £140 (~$65 to $185) for good seats at major productions. The TKTS booth at Leicester Square sells same-day and next-day tickets at significant discounts, typically 25 to 50% off, for many productions. Its worth checking before paying full price for anything, unless you have a specific show and specific date in mind.

Windsor Castle is 40 minutes by train from London Paddington and houses one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world, still a principal royal residence. Entry approximately £34 for adults. Book in advance.

Bath is 90 minutes by train from London Paddington and contains the best-preserved Roman bath complex in Northern Europe, plus some of the most elegant Georgian architecture in Britain. The Roman Baths require advance booking in summer. Budget a full day.

Cambridge is 50 minutes from London King's Cross. The university city — 31 colleges, the Backs along the river, punting, the Fitzwilliam Museum (free) — is a satisfying day trip without requiring specific planning beyond the train ticket.

Seven days lets you move at a comfortable pace through central London without cutting anything essential. If you have fewer, Days 1 through 5 stand alone as a solid first visit but the day trip and final day are genuinely worth adding if the schedule allows.

Day 1: Arrive, South Bank. Get your Oyster card or activate contactless at the Tube station, check in, and keep Day 1 light. A 30-minute walk along the South Bank from Waterloo Bridge toward Borough Market costs nothing and covers the city's best free riverfront. Tate Modern is right on that route and worth a first look even if you plan to return later in the week.

Day 2: British Museum. Book your free timed entry before leaving home. Arrive at 10am when it opens and plan on half a day at minimum. Friday evening hours run until 8:30pm if an off-peak slot suits your schedule better. Afterward, walk south through Bloomsbury toward Covent Garden, roughly 15 minutes on foot. Check the TKTS booth at Leicester Square for same-day or next-day discounted theater tickets before committing to full price.

Day 3: South Kensington. Three world-class free museums within a 10-minute walk of South Kensington Underground. The Natural History Museum earns the morning — book your timed entry slot in advance and arrive at 10am before the school groups reach the Dinosaur Gallery. Allow two to three hours. Lunch on Exhibition Road. The V&A earns the afternoon: the Cast Courts, the Raphael Cartoons, the fashion and jewelry galleries. On Fridays it stays open until 10pm for visitors who want more time.

Day 4: Tower of London and Borough Market. Book Tower of London tickets in advance at the Historic Royal Palaces website. The one timing note most visitors miss: last entry closes at 3:30pm, so an early arrival matters. Aim for 9am, Tuesday through Saturday. The Yeoman Warder guided tour is included with admission and runs every 30 to 45 minutes from the entrance. Borough Market is a 10-minute walk from Tower Hill station and open Tuesday through Sunday. A weekday visit avoids the Saturday crowds. Cross Tower Bridge on foot for the view. Dinner in Shoreditch, accessible in under 20 minutes east by Tube.

Day 5: Westminster and the National Gallery. Westminster Abbey is closed to tourists on Sundays, so plan this day accordingly. Tickets are £31 per adult and must be booked in advance; arrive at 9:30am when it opens. The surrounding area of Parliament Square, Victoria Embankment, and St. James's Park deserves the hour after you exit. The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square stays open until 9pm on Fridays. 2026 is its bicentenary year, with additional free programming through spring 2027; check the website for what's on during your visit.

Day 6: Day Trip. Three options depending on priorities. Bath is 90 minutes from London Paddington and rewards a full day. The Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent, lunch along Milsom Street. Book Roman Baths tickets in advance in summer. Windsor Castle is 40 minutes from Paddington and covers an outsized amount of royal history in a shorter window, around £34 per adult. Cambridge is 50 minutes from King's Cross and needs nothing beyond the train ticket.

Day 7: Tate Modern, then East. The Tate Modern permanent collection is free and the converted power station building is worth the visit on architecture alone. Two to three hours there in the morning. Shoreditch to the east is London's best concentration of street art, independent restaurants, and covered food markets, accessible in under 20 minutes by Tube. If your trip falls in spring or early summer and a full day outdoors fits the mood better, swap this for Kew Gardens instead.

London's food has improved dramatically over the past decade and continues to. The South Bank, Borough Market area, and the Shoreditch neighborhood east of the City are three of the better concentrations of good food at non-trophy prices.

Borough Market near London Bridge is one of the best food markets in Europe. Open Tuesday through Sunday, most vendor stalls run £5 to £12 for a proper lunch. Go on a weekday; Saturday crowds make it more experience than meal.

The service charge question: London restaurants typically add a 12 to 15% service charge to the bill. Check before adding more. If no service is included, 10 to 15% is appropriate for good service.