Photo: Contiki
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London is a big, glorious city, with plenty of cute pockets and boroughs that make it the thriving metropolitan city we all know and love. And the best news is it’s all completely walkable by foot… as long as you know where you’re going. Well, we do! So, if you’re in London for a short layover, or a day before your Contiki departure, then here’s everything you need to know about making the most of your 24 hours in London.
Note: this itinerary is designed with central London as a starting point.
Morning
No better way to start your 24 hours in London than with a walk! Start in Clapham or Battersea for a cosy breakfast in one of the many cafés, and then walk along the Thames by the newly redeveloped Battersea Power Station. From here, you can cross over the Albert Bridge and make your way to Central.
On the path, you’ll walk past The Tate Britain, which you can pop into for a permanent collection of romantic, impressionist and modern art including Turner, Blake, and Warhol. Keep walking down the Thames, and you’ll soon find yourself in Westminster, strolling along the impressive Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and iconic Big Ben.
Across the river you’ll spot the London Eye (and you can cross Westminster bridge over to it if you want to take a spin). Down Great George St. and Birdcage Walk, you’ll find yourself in lush St. James’ Park which boasts some gorgeous ponds and green parrots in residency. Walk long enough, and you’ll find yourself face to face with Buckingham Palace. Wow!
How’s that for seeing all the most famous London landmarks in one morning?
You’ll be in the Belgravia area now, and there’s plenty of places to stop for a quick bite if you need. And Hyde Park is nearby, sprawling with greenery and paths to walk and mini gardens and memorials to discover, including Princess Diana’s.
Image source:Contiki
Image source:Contiki
Image source:Miguel Sousa / unsplash
Image source:Kevin Grieve / unsplash
Afternoon
While London is known for landmarks and monuments dotted around the city, it’s also known for fashion and luxury and shopping! So, why not indulge?
For those inclined to drop a lot of cash, head towards Knightsbridge where you can visit a true British institution: Harrods. The department store is high luxury and even if you’re not planning to buy anything you can walk around and drool a little. If you want to visit one of London’s prettiest book shops, you should walk north of Hyde Park towards charming Marylebone and find Daunt Books – it’s a local favourite.
If you want your shopping a little more lowkey, walk to Piccadilly Street from Buckingham Palace. Here you can walk past the Royal Academy of Arts and dip in, or you can head to Shaftesbury Avenue which is sort of like London’s mini Times Square. Walk up Regent Street from here for plenty of shops, and join Oxford Street for even more. This is London’s central shopping area and you’re bound to find something worth a purchase.
Savile Row is nearby if you’re looking for something tailored and tweed, and Liberty is nearby – another department store filled with unique goods. Walk down Oxford Street to find Selfridges if you want to add yet another famous department store to your itinerary, or you can walk towards quaint and charming Marylebone.
Next, we’ll head to Trafalgar Square where you can gawk at the very tall Nelson’s Column, and pay a visit to the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery for even more art and culture.
Image source:Charlie Fabre
Image source:Malgorzata Bujalska / unsplash
Image source:Tânia Mousinho / unsplash
Image source:Contiki
Evening
We’re in the heart of Central London right now, and though you might be tired from the walking, there’s plenty more excitement to be had! A quick 5-minute walk from Trafalgar Square will bring you to London’s Chinatown where you can have some amazing food. Equally, you can head towards pretty Covent Garden.
London’s nightlife really is unmatched. Between trendy rooftop bars, cool restaurants that have perfected the art of the ‘small plate’, and local hole-in-the-wall favourites, you can eat and drink for days. Covent Garden and Soho are the most vibrant areas for dinner and an expensive cocktail.
And here, in the West End, you can prepare for a show! There’s always something on in London, and though many plays and musicals and shows sell out, you can usually snag spare tickets at the door. The National Theatre is just across the Thames from Covent Garden, or you can see what’s on at the Duke of York’s.
Double back towards Leicester Square for the Prince of Wales Theatre or the Sondheim Theatre, or towards Soho for the London Palladium. Honestly, we’ve only named a few theatres here, but they’re basically at every corner!
And this is how you make the most of 24 hours in London!
Image source:Samuel Regan-Asante / unsplash
Image source:Laura Chouette / unsplash
Image source:Samuel Regan-Asante / unsplash
Image source:Contiki
Other notable activities
The above itinerary is based on walking, but if you’re happy to try out London’s fabulous public transport, namely the Tube, then there’s a lot more you can see from Central London.
Head east towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, the Barbican Centre, Borough Market, the Tower of London, and the Shard, one of London’s prettiest skyscrapers.
Head West instead from Hyde Park to discover Kensington and the Natural History Museum and the Design Museum. Or you can go to Notting Hill and browse Portobello Road Market on a Sunday morning.
Head North of Marylebone to discover Regent’s Park which houses the London Zoo and Queen Mary’s Rose Garden. Nearby is also Madame Tussauds wax museum, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and iconic Baker Street, as well as Primrose Hill which you may recognise from many films and TV shows (namely One Day and Bridget Jones).
Is 24 hours in London enough?
24 hours in London isn’t enough if you want to see everything the city has to offer like all the attractions and museums and foodie spots, but it is enough to do a good chunk if you manage your time well. The above is an example of that, though any activities can be swapped out for others you may be more interested in!
Is the tube in London 24 hours?
The tube does not run for 24 hours. The standard operating hours are between 5am and 12am (this is a ballpark estimation as the exact times vary per line).
Certain lines run a ‘Night Tube’ service on Fridays and Saturdays, which runs until 5am. The lines that run this service are the following:
- Central Line
- Jubilee Line
- Piccadilly Line
- Victoria Line
- Northern Line
Are buses 24 hours in London?
Unlike the tube, many bus services across London run a 24 hour service all day and all night. Certain buses only run at night and they can be spotted from the letter ‘N’ at the front of them.
