How I Spent 5 Days in London, Day by Day

I went to London with a packed list and a notebook, and somehow squeezed five days out of every corner. Five mornings, five evenings, twenty-eight stops, and a lot of tube swipes. This is the itinerary I’d recommend if you’ve never been, or even if you have.

Each day flows in a roughly walkable order, with timings for how long I stayed, what I ate, and how I got to the next place. I’ve kept it honest. Some spots earn the queue. Some don’t. Both are in here.

Pack comfy shoes, book the big stuff online, and let London do the rest.

Day 1, Markets and War Rooms

Day 1 swings across the city. Sunday flower stalls in the East End, breakfast at Dishoom, gilded gates in Westminster, then back to Shoreditch for street food before slowing down in St James’s Park. The day finishes underground in the War Rooms.

Columbia Road Flower Market

Morning one started early, well before the Sunday crowd swelled. I wove through stalls of hydrangeas, bunched sunflowers, and big leafy houseplants stacked on the pavement. The whole street smelled like cut stems and coffee. Sellers shouted offers, regulars haggled, and the back lanes filled with tiny shops selling soap, cards, and odd ceramics. A small coffee window run by a competition-winning barista poured me a properly good flat white. I picked up sunflowers for £6 because a reviewer swore they last three weeks. Honestly an hour and a half goes fast here. Wandered the side streets after, popping into vintage corners and bakeries. By mid-morning the crowd thickens, so the early start paid off. Next stop, fifteen minute walk over to Shoreditch for breakfast.

Dishoom Shoreditch

By late morning I was queuing outside Dishoom in Shoreditch with a paper cup of chai pressed into my hand. They bring drinks out to the waiting line, which is the warmest thing a restaurant has done for me in ages. Sat about 40 minutes in, sunk into a low armchair by a coffee table. Ordered the kheema pau, the lamb chops, and a masala chai. Service was warm without being chatty, the manager came round to check, and the room smelled of cardamom and frying onions. The garlic naan was excellent. Regulars swear by the lamb biryani and the chicken ruby too, file away for next time. Plan an hour and fifteen, more if you arrive at peak. Hopped on the tube to Westminster after, about 30 minutes.

Buckingham Palace

By midday I was at the gates of Buckingham Palace, jostling with a hundred phones. The Changing of the Guard happens late morning, so check the day before, it shifts on Sundays. I’d missed the full ceremony but caught a smaller march. Honestly the gilded gates and the long stretch of red gravel are the photo. Inside the gates is closed off most of the year, the State Rooms only open seasonally. There’s a little hut to the right selling decent hot chocolate which warmed my hands. Half an hour, tops, unless you’ve timed the ceremony. The fencing crops the view a bit, so look for angles by the Victoria Memorial. Next stop, back across town to Shoreditch for lunch and a wander, about 30 minutes on the tube.

BOXPARK Shoreditch

Early afternoon I rolled into BOXPARK in Shoreditch, hungry again. Stacked shipping containers, food stalls along the outside, a big open hall upstairs. I followed my nose to Mercy Burger because two reviewers raved about the fries, and they were right, crisp and salty and worth the queue. Sat at a communal bench under string lights with a pomegranate cocktail. The bar staff were quick, the music was loud in the good way, and the whole place hums even on a weekday. Pizza, jerk chicken, sushi, plenty to graze. An hour is enough if you’re just grabbing something. Toilets are off in a crate and a bit nightclub-feeling, fair warning. Tube back over to Westminster after, about 25 minutes.

St James’s Park

Mid-afternoon and I needed quiet. St James’s Park does that thing where it sits right between Buckingham Palace and Whitehall and somehow stays soft. I walked the Blue Bridge for the postcard view, the London Eye on one side, the palace on the other. Pelicans, swans, ducks that come closer than they should if you’re holding food. The light bouncing off the lake made everything look filtered. Deck chairs scatter the lawns in season. Benches everywhere. Half an hour minimum, 45 if you sit and people-watch. The whole park feels ceremonial and friendly at once. Walked on toward the War Rooms after, five minutes through the trees.

Churchill War Rooms

Late afternoon I ducked underground into the Churchill War Rooms and lost two hours. The entrance is tiny and easy to miss, then you drop into a labyrinth of timed entry, audio guides, and rooms left exactly as they were the day the war ended. Map Room, Churchill’s office, his little bedroom, all preserved. The lighting is deliberately dim, which felt right. I’d booked online, walked straight in. Audio guide is included. The Churchill museum half is genuinely fascinating, with paintings, letters and uniforms. Cafe halfway through is a nice breather. Plan two hours, more if you read everything. Tube back to the hotel with my brain full, dinner was something quick and comforting near where I was staying.

Day 2, Abbey to Globe

Day 2 is the postcard greatest hits. Westminster Abbey first thing, Big Ben round the corner, lunch in a Mayfair pub, then the Tower of London for an afternoon. Up to Sky Garden at golden hour and over the river for a play at the Globe.

Westminster Abbey

Day 2 began at the doors of Westminster Abbey before the queue thickened. The Gothic vaults soared up and the place quietly hummed with the weight of a thousand years. They hand you a phone-style audio guide on entry, and it walks you through the nave, Poets’ Corner, the royal tombs. Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, still entombed together, behind iron bars. Mary Queen of Scots. Darwin. It’s a working church, so prayers happen during opening hours, which adds something. The extra £5 for the galleries is worth it for the views down into the nave. Two hours minimum if you take the audio guide seriously. Staff are warm and full of stories if you ask. Walked round the corner to Big Ben after, four minutes.

Big Ben

By late morning I was standing under Big Ben, neck craned, listening for the chime. Up close it’s massive, all gold detail and pale stone, and the architecture is way more intricate than photos make it look. The bell tolling on the hour was the small moment I’d been waiting for. Westminster Bridge is the classic photo spot, just walk over to the south side. Queues for the red phone box shot can run an hour, skip them and frame your photo from elsewhere instead. Half an hour, tops. Inside tours are bookable separately and well in advance. By evening the tower lights up. Tube up to Green Park after for lunch in Mayfair, about fifteen minutes.

The Clarence

Lunchtime landed me at The Clarence in Mayfair, all dark wood, low lamps, and the smell of gravy. The steak and ale pie is what every regular orders and that’s what I went for. Pastry holding its shape, gravy doing the heavy lifting, a pint of ale beside it. Service was warm in that proper-British-pub way, attentive without hovering. I sat by the bar end and watched the room fill up with after-work types and a couple of tourists. The fish and chips at the next table looked enormous. Plan an hour and a bit. They take walk-ins but a quick booking saves you on busy nights. Hopped on the tube over to Tower Hill after, twenty minutes.

Tower of London

Early afternoon at the Tower of London, where centuries of beheadings, ravens and crown jewels live behind ancient walls. I’d booked online which got me past the queue in seconds. The Crown Jewels are the loop everyone makes for first, and they earn it, the scale and the glitter are honestly stunning. I joined a Yeoman Warder tour because every reviewer told me to, and it was funny, sharp, and full of the kind of grim stories that come with a thousand years of dungeon. The ravens hopped around like they owned the place. Spirally staircases, armoury, the White Tower. Three hours felt right, more if you read every plaque. Walked along the river toward Sky Garden after, fifteen minutes through the City.

Sky Garden, where I timed the light right

Late afternoon I rode the lift up to Sky Garden, free to enter but you absolutely have to book weeks ahead. Up at the 35th floor the room opens into a glassy two-level conservatory of giant plants and a panoramic terrace. I timed it for golden hour. The Thames bending below, the Shard catching light, Tower Bridge on one side, St Paul’s dome on the other. Bar staff up there are friendly, drinks are pricey but I treated myself. The plants are part of the appeal, leaves brushing the glass while the city spreads out beneath you. An hour is enough. Walked back across the river toward Bankside after, fifteen minutes over Southwark Bridge.

Shakespeare’s Globe

By the time the light was going I was queuing at Shakespeare’s Globe with a standing-yard ticket clutched in my hand. Open-air, no roof over the centre, exactly how it would have been. I’d grabbed a cushion for hire and a blanket because reviews warned me about the chill. The play was Twelfth Night, the cast vibrant and funny, the audience close enough to feel involved. Actors mingle in the standing crowd. Standing tickets are cheap and you’re right by the stage. The architecture alone is worth the visit even outside show time, and tours are well-reviewed. Plan two and a half hours for the play, more with the tour. Walked back across the river to the tube at peace, a fitting end to day two.

Day 3, South Bank and Museums

Day 3 is south-bank energy with a museum finale. I started high on Tower Bridge with the glass floor, grazed through Borough Market, drifted into the Tate Modern, then crossed town for the Natural History Museum and the V&A. Bring snacks and good socks.

Tower Bridge

Day 3 opened at Tower Bridge, fresh coffee in hand, light hitting the blue paint just right. I booked the bridge experience the night before and walked straight in. Up the lift to the high-level walkway, then the glass-floored bit, which is dizzying in the best way. You look straight down at the road and the river. The engine rooms downstairs are quietly fascinating if you like Victorian machinery, all polished brass and explanations. The exterior walk is free, the interior tour is the paid bit and worth it. Plan an hour and a half if you want both halves. Best photo is from the south bank, looking back. Walked along the river toward Borough Market after, fifteen minutes.

Borough Market

Late morning I was standing in Borough Market, overwhelmed in the right way. The Spanish lobster rice stall pulled me in first, then the chocolate-covered strawberries with warm chocolate still soft. A truffle fries stand had a queue and was worth it. Cheese, fresh fish, paella spinning in giant pans, fudge, and a turkish coffee guy with a great patter. Everyone samples, sellers chat, it’s loud and crowded and the food is mostly excellent. Yes, prices have crept up. You’re paying for hype, partly. But the produce is real and the energy is real. An hour to graze is the sweet spot. Walked along the south bank toward Tate Modern after, fifteen minutes by the river.

Tate Modern

Early afternoon I crossed into the Tate Modern, that converted power station with the chimney. Walked straight into the Turbine Hall, which is so cavernous it puts you in a weird mood, in a good way. The free permanent collection sprawls across multiple floors, contemporary and modern art with rooms that change every visit. I rode the lift up to the tenth-floor viewing terrace, where St Paul’s sits perfectly framed across the river. Coffee up there with the view. Ticketed shows rotate, the rest is free, donations welcome. Plan two hours, easily more if you’re a contemporary art person. The shop is genuinely good for prints and books. Tube over to South Kensington after, about twenty minutes.

Natural History Museum

Mid-afternoon I walked into Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum and stopped under Hope, the blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. Bigger in person. The dinosaur gallery is the kids-loud zone and the animated T-rex is properly fun. The mammals hall with the giant elephants and giraffes is the calm wing. Earthquakes, volcanoes, a vibrating room that simulates a quake. The building itself is Gothic-revival gorgeous. Free, but book a timed slot online or expect to queue. Bag drop is around £5, fair warning. Two hours flies, three is realistic if you take it slowly. Walked five minutes round the corner to the V&A after, basically through one museum’s gates and into another.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Late afternoon at the V&A, my favourite of the South Kensington trio. The building unfolds room after room of jewellery, ceramics, Roman pillars, eighteenth-century dresses, Islamic art, and a Cast Court holding a full-size replica of Michelangelo’s David that makes you laugh and stare at once. I caught the Marie Antoinette Style show and lost the rest of the afternoon to powdered wigs and silk shoes. The cafe inside is a small marvel, three jewel-toned rooms with tea and cake. The ceramic staircase is a quiet showstopper. Free, with paid temporary exhibitions. Plan two hours if you focus, all day if you let it spread. Walked back to the tube as the sky went pink, dinner near the hotel and a foot-aching kind of happy.

Day 4, Palaces and Wandering

Day 4 is the wandering day. Kensington Palace and its gardens, a slow stroll through Harrods, a long picnic in Hyde Park, Covent Garden street performers, the British Museum’s marble halls, and a final coffee in painted little Neal’s Yard.

Kensington Palace

Day 4 began at Kensington Palace, light filtering through the Gardens and a flat white in my hand. The State Apartments are smaller than Buckingham and feel more like a home, which I liked. Queen Victoria grew up here. Princess Diana lived here. The King’s Staircase is gorgeous, the Cupola Room ornate without being overwhelming, and the rotating exhibitions tend to be excellent. I caught Dress Codes, costume nerds will be in heaven. Audio guide included with entry. Around an hour and a half is enough. Gift shop is genuinely lovely if you’re hunting for tea towels and small souvenirs. Walked through Kensington Gardens after, twenty minutes south through the trees toward Knightsbridge.

Harrods

By late morning I was inside Harrods and slightly dazed. The food halls are the actual destination here, even if you don’t buy anything. Tiled walls, the chocolate counters, fresh pastries, the cheese room, and an absurd selection of teas. The Egyptian staircase is gloriously tacky. Designer floors are designer floors, you know what to expect. I treated myself to an afternoon tea pastry to take away and a tiny tin of biscuits because the packaging alone is collectible. Toilets are surprisingly fancy. Weekdays are calmer, weekends are packed solid. An hour to wander unless you’re properly shopping. Walked five minutes back into Hyde Park after, the easiest transition of the trip.

Hyde Park

Lunchtime called for grass, so I drifted into Hyde Park with a sandwich from a corner shop. 350 acres of green right in the middle of London. I walked toward the Serpentine, ducks and swans and the kind of light that makes you slow down. Speakers’ Corner draws a crowd if you’re around on a Sunday. The Diana memorial fountain is a lovely loop. Loads of benches, kiosks for coffee, plenty of joggers and dog walkers. Cycling only on certain paths. An hour is enough to feel reset, longer if you want to nap on the grass. The park’s calm balances out the city pace. Hopped on the tube to Covent Garden after, about fifteen minutes.

Covent Garden

Early afternoon I emerged into Covent Garden and got swept up in it. The covered piazza is full of stalls, the apple market, brass bands, the occasional opera singer drawing a crowd. Street performers in the central courtyard juggle and balance and do the things they do. Cafes spill out under arches. I grabbed a coffee and watched a magician work a circle. Boutiques and big-name shops fan out around the streets, with proper London charm in the side lanes. An hour is enough to wander, two if you sit and watch the buskers. Walked up through Seven Dials toward the British Museum after, fifteen minutes through narrow streets and bookshop windows.

The British Museum

Mid-afternoon I walked into the Great Court of the British Museum and pretended I had any chance of seeing it all. Free, vast, slightly overwhelming. The Rosetta Stone draws the biggest huddle. The Egyptian galleries are the obvious magnet, mummies and sarcophagi and the room you’ll have to elbow through. Assyrian reliefs, Greek sculptures, the Parthenon marbles, the long debates that go with them. I picked two galleries, did them properly, and ignored the rest. Plan two hours, all day if you can. Cafes inside and a decent shop. Bags get checked at security so travel light. Walked back toward Seven Dials to Neal’s Yard after, ten minutes through Bloomsbury and Covent Garden.

Neal’s Yard, that painted little corner

Late afternoon I ducked through a tiny alley off Monmouth Street and found Neal’s Yard, a courtyard splashed in painted pinks, oranges, and yellows. It’s the kind of corner that exists on every Instagram London post, but real and small and lovely in person. Tiny cafes, a vegan spot, herbal apothecaries, a juice bar. I sat on a step with a coffee and watched people find the corner the same way I did. Half an hour, tops, unless you’re settling in for a long lunch. The whole area around Seven Dials and Monmouth Street is great for a slow wander after. Walked back to the hotel as the streetlights came on and dinner happened somewhere with candles.

Day 5, Hilltops and Brick Lane

Day 5 ends the trip the way I’d want every London trip to end. A morning view from Primrose Hill, a loop through Regent’s Park, lunch in Camden, an afternoon in Spitalfields, and dinner on Brick Lane under the murals.

Primrose Hill

Day 5 started at the top of Primrose Hill, breath visible, the city spreading out below me. The view sweeps right across central London, the Shard, the BT Tower, the dome of St Paul’s. Morning is the move, fewer people, better light. The walk up is short and easy if you take it at a steady pace. There’s a bench at the top with a skyline-marker for orientation. Bring a coffee, sit, watch the joggers and dog walkers do their loop. Half an hour to forty-five minutes is plenty. Walked straight down into Regent’s Park after, five minutes through the gate.

The Regent’s Park

By mid-morning I was strolling through Regent’s Park, which is the more formal sibling of Hyde Park. Wide paths, the Inner Circle, manicured Queen Mary’s rose garden, a lake with rowing boats and so many birds. The Open Air Theatre tucks into one corner. Cafes scattered, ice cream kiosks too. Squirrels barrel about. London Zoo sits on the north edge if you’ve got kids. I walked the rose garden loop and circled the lake, just under an hour. It feels calm and ordered without feeling stuffy. Plenty of benches if your feet are protesting. Walked along the canal toward Camden after, fifteen minutes following the towpath.

Camden Town

By lunch I was deep in Camden Town, all music shops, tattoo parlours and the great clatter of Camden Market. The Stables Market sprawls into a maze, food stalls running every cuisine you can think of, vintage clothing, leather, vinyl. The Regent’s Canal slips through the middle and gives the whole thing a postcard feel. Touristy, absolutely, but the energy is properly Camden, punk roots and street-art bones. I grabbed noodles and ate them on the canal-side steps. An hour and a half is plenty, longer if you shop. Tube down to Liverpool Street after, twenty minutes.

Old Spitalfields Market

Mid-afternoon I wandered into Old Spitalfields Market, covered hall under a Victorian roof. Independent stalls, vintage racks, ceramicists, hat-makers, and a serious lineup of food vendors. Dumpling Shack is the one everyone points you toward, soup dumplings worth queueing for. I also grabbed a humble crumble in a paper cup which lived up to its hype. Designers rotate days, so check the schedule if you’re after specific stalls. The covered roof keeps you dry on grim London afternoons. An hour to graze and rummage. Walked five minutes east to Brick Lane after, through a side street that smelled of bread and bagels.

Brick Lane

Late afternoon turned into evening on Brick Lane, the whole street alive with curry houses, vintage shops, record stores, and the best concentration of street art in London. Murals on every wall, characters peering out of brick, neon spray-paint dragons. The curry mile lives up to its name, plenty of restaurants tout you in. Vintage racks and record shops in every doorway. The side streets are where the gold lives, so wander them. Brick Lane lights up after dark and the energy shifts again. Plan at least an hour and a half, easily more with dinner. Hopped on the tube back to the hotel with a full belly, a head full of murals, and the strange satisfying feeling that five days never feels enough in London.

Five days in London is just enough to feel the rhythm and not enough to feel done. I came home with sore feet, a full camera roll, and a list of places I didn’t get to that I’m already plotting around.

Tell me which corners you’d swap in or out, I love hearing how other people stitch together their London days.

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