How to do London in 1 day

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London, England (Feb 2023)

I will say upfront – one day in London is simply not enough time to see all the attractions it has to offer.

Fortunately for me, I have been to London many times throughout my life so have seen most of its famous sights. On most occasions I visit for the day only; each time with a rough plan, leaving a degree of flexibility. Usually I pick a combination of new places I haven’t been before, along with my favourite things to do and/or places I haven’t visited for a long while. That is exactly what I did on my most recent day trip to London while in England, staying with family in Dorset.

In this post I will cover off:

• How to get to London
• What to wear
• What to do in London; and
• My London day trip itinerary (from my trip in Feb 2023)

: How to do London in 1 day

How to get to London 

It’s advisable not to drive into London due to parking costs and lack of parking places plus there is a congestion charge of £15 to enter the city. If you are staying elsewhere in England, I’d recommend travelling by coach or train. I was staying in Poole, Dorset which is a couple of hours away by train; a little longer by coach. There had been a series of industrial strike actions on the trains in early 2023, so I was a bit worried this would interfere with my plans. However I checked websites for the date I was planning to travel and it looked all clear that day, so I chose train as my method because it’s quicker. Plus, you can also see some nice scenery along the way, a bit more interesting than the views alongside the Motorway.

If you’re coming in from Heathrow, you will find train or coach is quite affordable into London. A private transfer, Uber or taxi will generally cost more but can be more convenient if you’re carrying luggage. There can be lots of stairs in the London underground which can be difficult with luggage. (See how to use the Tube in London here)

Train fares lately are quite expensive though, so I recommend booking in advance as you can often get discounted tickets, as low as £11 each way (Poole – Waterloo). Otherwise normal ticket prices for the same route can be excess of £50 each way. I use an app called Trainline to search and book. You can keep your purchased ticket on your phone app but do be careful not to let your phone battery run out during the day or you won’t be able to access your return ticket which you need to scan to get back on the train platform later. Once or twice I’ve been caught out with a low battery and ended up stopping by an Apple Store to recharge my phone. With limited time in London, that time lost was valuable! Next time I will take a portable charger.

In the past, I found that trains outside peak commute times and mid week could be cheaper. But post pandemic peak times have changed as more workers have flexibility on days and times in the office. In any case, if you can be flexible with times and days it might help minimise the cost of your train ticket. 

What to wear

Footwear – Good walking shoes are essential. Even though the tube system is great and gets you around faster and further, you will still clock up plenty of steps. (I did 19,500 last time and 21,100 steps on this day trip). Also some of the historic areas have cobbled stoned lanes and streets which could easily cause a twisted ankle so if you’re thinking of wearing higher or narrow heels you might want to reconsider this. 

Clothing – It’s always best to wear layers no matter what time of year you visit, but especially if you are travelling in winter as I generally do. It can get quite cold outside, particularly near the Thames or if you are walking through one of the many parks. Coming from summertime in Australia, I would be frozen solid without my hat, scarf and gloves. I also sometimes wear a layer of tights under my jeans. Indoors the heating is very good, in fact, sometimes too good. As you enter any building you generally get blasted by hot air. I often find myself stripping off layers when indoors for any extended period of time. Even in warmer months you need layers though. There seems to be a lack of effective air conditioning, particularly in older buildings and the tube trains can get stiflingly hot! Plus, even on hot days it can be much cooler at night.

What to do in London 

There are so many things to do and see in a vibrant and large city like London. If you haven’t been before, I’m sorry to say, fitting everything into one day is simply not possible. There are several historical landmarks (including museums, castles, palaces, bridges, cathedral/churches), lots of markets and shopping areas, not to mention a variety of pubs, theatre shows and other entertainment options. There are also some different ‘walks’ you can do, self guided or group walks led by a guide, ranging from Harry Potter or Jack the Ripper to royal themed walks. 

It’s obviously best to build your plan around your own interests. You can also choose from many organised tours advertised online.

I always prefer to build my own itinerary, focussed around my favourite pastimes which are: – admiring & photographing architecture and historic landmarks, eating different food, and shopping! If you have interests similar to me, then my itinerary below might give you some ideas on how to do London in one day.

My London day trip itinerary – Feb 2023

As I have seen most of the tourist attractions before, when planning this journey I selected things I haven’t done for a while. For instance, I haven’t been to Buckingham Palace or seen the changing of guards since I was a little girl. I also had a couple of options factored in, just in case I felt a change of heart on the day. Plus I incorporated extra time to catch up with my uncle who lives in London. On this occasion, I was travelling on my own which meant my day was mostly flexible; the only set times I had to abide by was the train departure times, Buckingham Palace at 10.45am and meeting my Uncle at 4pm.

This was my loose plan in the order of things I wanted to do:

• South Bank, London Eye
• Parliament Square
• Buckingham Palace, Changing of Guards
• Trafalgar Square (optional visit to National Gallery)
• Covent Garden (with lunch nearby)
• Oxford Street or Camden Markets for some shopping
• Soho (Carnaby Street, Italian Bear Cafe)
• Dinner with Uncle somewhere in or near Soho

This is how my day actually went:

1. I started the day reasonably early catching a train from Poole scheduled to depart at 7.11am. It was -5 degrees C when I left! Although the train was a little late and the Station waiting room was freezing, the train carriage was lovely toasty and warm. I removed my coat, scarf, hat and gloves as soon as I found my seat, got comfy and watched the sunrise over white, frosty scenery along the journey for the next couple of hours.

2. Arriving at Waterloo Station at 9.30am, I got a little lost trying to find the right exit (I don’t know why but I seem to do this every time). Eventually I found a sign with directions to the Southbank exit and headed that way. Once outside, I recognised where I was and turned left, walking downhill to cross the road towards Southbank.

3. Southbank. The London Eye is where I was headed, as it’s a great spot to admire the views across the Thames and take some photos. I found a bench just near the Eye and ate my breakfast – a scotch egg I’d packed and decided not to eat on the train in case it smelt. Next I took some photos of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben across the Thames. I’ve not yet ridden the Eye, mainly because during winter when I usually visit, I’m usually there early and it doesn’t open until 11am. If you’re thinking of going on the Eye you can buy tickets online in advance slightly discounted or you can line up at the ticket office next to the Eye. In the past I’ve seen long lines of people queuing. There was hardly anyone around on this morning, maybe because it was so chilly.

4. Jubilee Bridge. The nearest place to walk across the Thames is the Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Only trains go over the Hungerford bridge; Golden Jubilee is the adjacent pedestrian bridge which opened in 2002 and was named in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 50th anniversary of being on the throne. More info about all the bridges in London is here:

5. Whitehall Place. Taking a left turn after I crossed the bridge, I walked down Whitehall Pl then turned onto Whitehall. I paused near the Horse Guards Arch, stopping for photos and dodging crowds of small French students on an excursion. It always amazes me how the guards and horses keep so still despite all the people around, some of which aren’t the best behaved. I took a quick detour to walk through the arch and view the parade area on the other side, then came back and kept walking down Whitehall / Parliament Street, past the turn off to 10 Downing St. You can’t see the door for Number 10 as the street is generally cordoned off by security and police. Sometimes you will see media waiting to catch a glimpse of someone coming in or leaving. When I was there this time, there were a few media about, but I didn’t see any politicians or faces I recognised.

6. Parliament Square. I intended to stop here to wander around taking pictures. This is where you’ll find Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and a little park/square in the middle with statues, including one of Winston Churchill. There are lots of photo opportunities here and if you have time you should visit the Abbey especially if you haven’t been before. However I was keen to get to Buckingham Palace by 10.45am for the changing of the guard and was a bit behind schedule.

7. Birdcage Walk. I turned right down Great George St, then onto Birdcage Walk heading down the long road, past St James’ Park gardens on the right and Wellington Barracks on the left towards Buckingham Palace. At the barracks there was a small crowd outside the fence peering inside, watching a marching band warming up.

8. Buckingham Palace. The Changing of the Guard at the Palace is due to start at 10.45am and lasts for about an hour. Get there early if you can, as there is usually quite a crowd. I arrived at around 10.40am and was so astonished by the number of people around, I thought there was something special on judging by the road closures with barriers set up. According to the policeman I asked, it’s always that busy though. I watched the troops march past and enter inside the palace gates, then couldn’t see anything so tried to get closer to the gates. It was very crowded and as I was about 5 people back I couldn’t see a thing with my 5 foot stature. Instead I settled for a better vantage point up by the Victoria Memorial in the middle. All I really saw still was the marching parades along the streets but it was definitely a better view from that higher point. Plus less crowded. Post pandemic I’m not very keen on being squashed in with crowds.

9.The Mall. Once the ceremony was finished I walked down the Mall, admiring the buildings along the left side, like the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth memorial; and the park grounds along the right. It’s not a long walk but being so picturesque, it could easily take longer if you keep stopping for photos like I did.

10. Trafalgar Square. At the end of the Mall, I went through Admiralty Arch, towards Equestrian Statue of Charles 1, crossed the road and found myself at Trafalgar Square. Nelson’s column stands proudly in the centre at over 50 m high, guarded by 4 lion statues. It commemorates Lord Nelson and the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 where Nelson was fatally wounded aboard HMS Victory. There’s only a handful of pigeons at the fountains these days. I have memories of visiting here as a small child in the 1970’s, feeding pigeons and being covered in them. At that time tourists could buy bird feed (at tourist prices). In 2003 feeding pigeons was banned after they decided to get rid of them as their droppings were causing too much damage, not to mention the health hazard posed. Other strategies they used to discourage pigeons included bringing in birds of prey. I usually don’t spend too long here, just enough time to soak in the atmosphere, rest on one of the bench seats and take some photos.

The nearby National Gallery was covered in scaffolding on this day which was a shame as it’s a beautiful example of London’s old architecture. I was tempted to go inside but being short of time I changed my mind and kept walking.

Just across the road from the National Gallery is St Martin in the Fields, a cute Georgian church. It’s worth a quick detour for a look.

The Chandos pub is a couple of doors up on the corner of St Martins lane and William IV St. I had thought I might have lunch there as I’ve eaten there before and the food was good. However I wasn’t hungry yet so kept walking past the pub, down William IV St, then turned down Chandos Place towards Covent Garden.

11. Covent Garden is always good for a browse, especially since the Jubilee markets re-opened. Sadly some of the stores in the centre had closed down while I was there. I read they are about to do some more refurbishments in the centre area. It’s still enjoyable walking around the cobbled streets, trying to imagine the flower markets from decades ago. There is usually a good display of flowers set up in a cart, and generally some buskers entertaining a crowd with their comedy antics or musical skills.

There are lots of eating options around Covent Garden including some good pubs. I’ve had lunch in the White Lion on James Street a couple of times and it’s never disappointed.

Conveniently at Covent Garden there’s also an Apple Store if you need to recharge your iphone. I ended up stopping for almost an hour to recharge mine and enjoyed a nice conversation with a lady visiting from Canada who was doing the same.

12. Shopping! If you are a shopaholic like me, there is no better place for some retail therapy than London. The only negatives are (i) exchange rate fluctuations and charges; and (ii) fitting your purchases in your luggage to get it back home. In recent years I have found the AUD-GBP exchange rate working in my favour, and I’ve learnt to always bring an empty suitcase when I come to England. No matter how much I say I won’t go overboard, I always do. The fact is, the shopping in England is awesome! There is such good variety, from low budget to high end brands, plus London is famous for being ahead of the world in fashion. I always visit my favourite stores like Marks & Spencer, Next and TK Maxx when I’m in England and generally find more selection in their London stores. Also, in London there are some really good markets and stores where you can stumble across some quirky and interesting items you wouldn’t necessarily find if you were looking online. Sadly, a lot of the high street retail chains have been closing in recent years as the trend in online sales has grown. While, I concede shopping online is effective and time saving (unless you get caught down a rabbit hole browsing and comparing items), personally, I prefer to see items in real life, and to touch and try on things before I buy.

Normally I catch a tube to Camden Town to browse (and get lost in) the Camden Lock markets, where the historic stables used to be. I love the Modfather and CyberDog stores the most, but there are also some great vintage clothing markets and arty stalls in there, as well as lots of different food and drink stalls. Along the main street before you get to the markets there’s also some amazing street art above the stores; and you will find lots of touristy outlets selling all types of London souvenirs. You could actually spend a couple of days in Camden as they also have some good bars and clubs.

An alternative to Camden (or as well if you have time) is to head from Covent Garden to Oxford Street for some retail therapy at the high street stores between Tottenham Court tube station and Oxford Circus. You can walk from Covent Garden using a phone GPS to navigate. If you don’t stop at Seven Dials market along the way it’s about a 10 minute walk. A tube from Covent Garden is an option if you are getting tired but it’s not that much quicker and is less scenic. On this trip I took the Oxford Street shopping option. I didn’t have time to get over to Camden, after spending too long in Covent Garden at the Apple store and having lunch. I would have preferred Camden though, if I hadn’t arranged to meet my Uncle in Soho at 4pm. There was a cafe there I’d read about which I really wanted to visit. I ended up spending an hour or so browsing stores along Oxford Street, very restrained, only buying a few things. When I stumbled across Flying Tiger Copenhagen, a store which sells all sorts of interesting stuff, I had to get some gifts to take back home for the children.

13. Soho’s Italian Bear Chocolate and Carnaby Street. After my shopping along Oxford Street, I walked out the back exit of M&S, down Poland Street through to Soho. I was looking for the Italian Bear Chocolate cafe on Broadwick and stumbled upon it much quicker than I expected. I was meeting my Uncle here as I wanted to try one of their famous hot chocolates I’d seen on Instagram. As I was early, I took a quick detour down Carnaby Street nearby. I used to love coming here in the 1980’s and 90’s because you could always find unique, independent stores and boutiques selling quirky items and the people watching could be fantastic. It’s famous for its role as being the birthplace of Swinging London in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, every time I have visited over the years gone by, I have found it has become more commercialised. It’s still a pleasant looking pedestrianised shopping street and generally has some nice lighting themes but the only people you will see here now are tourists and the stores are nothing special, mostly your everyday global brands. Each time I come to London I say I’m not going to bother going to back Carnaby street next time. I didn’t spend long here this time, as I was really just killing time, and interested to see if it had changed for the better since my last visit.

As luck would have it, my arrival time at 4pm was perfect. There were tables available inside and outside. I was shown to a table inside and gratefully sat down to rest my feet, waiting for my Uncle. When he arrived we ordered a regular hot chocolate with the triple chocolate optional extra for me; my Uncle is dairy intolerant so he ordered a slice of vegan chocolate cake.

It definitely was popular, with a steady stream of people coming and going, and a short queue had formed outside by the time we were leaving. The only negative about this place was the waiting staff -not your friendliest of people. I asked for some water (the chocolate was very rich) – it never came and I ended up getting it myself when I spotted a tray with some glasses and bottles of water near the counter.

Soho has lots more to offer in terms of dining, shopping and nightlife. There is Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, a famous live music venue; Liberty London, a high end department store; and I’ve been to a couple of really good curry houses for dinner in the area before. Not enough time on this day but I’m sure I will get back there again on another trip.

After my triple hot chocolate experience, I spent the next couple of hours with my Uncle in Soho, catching up in a pub over a couple of pints, followed by a quick dinner in a nearby restaurant. There are so many pubs in London – we chose The Blue Post in Berwick Street, as it was recommended by my Uncle and only a 2 minute walk from Italian Bear Chocolate. For dinner we were going to go to a lebanese restaurant in Soho which my Uncle had been to before but it was full, as were many others we walked past, which was surprising for a Wednesday night. We ended up at The Real Greek in Soho, which was also full but only a 10 minute wait for a table. It’s a chain restaurant, but the food was very nice and service was quick.

London has so many more things to do, as I said at the start. At Christmas time you absolutely must build in a detour from Soho after dark, to visit Regent Street’s beautiful lights and decorations hanging across the road.

If you have another day, I’d recommend the city of London for a few hours, with its historic Monument marking the great fire of London, St Paul’s cathedral, Leadenhall market food & bars (Harry Potter inspiration for Diagon Alley), and its quirky architecture like Lloyds of London, the Gherkin building, and Fenchurch building (the walkie talky) which has a skygarden great for views. You could spend at least half a day there and then if you are keen on history, walk further up the Thames to find the Tower of London near Tower bridge and spend the rest of the day there.

For entertainment there are way too many options to list here but you really should try to experience a theatre show in London’s West End. You could potentially swap this in for the shopping part of my day in the afternoon and catch a matinee.

Sadly, my day in London had to end at around 8.45pm after dinner. I walked up to Oxford Circus to catch a tube back to Waterloo station in time for my 9:35pm train back to Poole. Quick tip -set an alarm on your phone on your train journey out of London so you don’t miss your stop. After all that walking I generally find myself dosing on the journey back.