3 Days in London Itinerary

In my previous career, I had 10 days of vacation and sick leave per year. After studying abroad, I had an insatiable wanderlust. Fortunately, in college, I was mentored by one of my friend’s parents who would regularly travel to London for extended weekends. Because of them, I learned how to be creative and maximize my vacation days. The first time I went to London was Memorial Day weekend. Utilizing holiday weekends, I could take a single day off, take a red-eye flight, and spend 3 days in London. This allowed me to see so many shows in the West End, visit museums, and wander the streets of London. I spent many long weekends in London (and one in Copenhagen!) throughout my early 20s.

In the past few years, Tom and I have traded London for long weekends in Paris or Tuscany. But the fact remains, if you’re determined, short on time, and looking for a new adventure, spending a couple days in London can be brilliant.

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links for tours and products I love at no additional cost to you.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Why We Spent 3 Days in London

In 2017, Tom and I made an impulsive trip to London for his birthday in July using airline miles and hotel points. It was right before school started, and it had been a really terrible summer for me mentally. We had a great time. The weather was far cooler than Dallas. Days were long. And, we had an incredible time in the city. We took Tom’s parents to London in March 2023, and while we had a nice trip, it was part of a whirlwind itinerary that left both us wanting a little bit more.

Fast forward to a couple days ago. Tom had been doing some research on wine and found out that there were several UK wine brokers that had various vintages in stock that we hadn’t been able to find in the US or Italy. Not only are shipping costs to the US exorbitant, but there are a lot of restrictions related to what can be commercially shipped to the US. We regularly ship wine to our hotels when we travel, so we knew that if we could pick our wine up in London, we could round out our collection while getting some very good deals.

We ended up purchasing several bottles from various wine brokers. I also found that one of my favorite small wine producers from Piedmont had a couple of bottles for sale at Barry Bros and Rudd, so we picked that up, too. The Barry Bros shop has been at its location longer than the US has been a country, and it’s worth a visit, too. Their staff was extremely kind and very excited to show us around!

Getting to London

We are fortunate to live in an American Airlines hub, which means we have several direct flights to London. To maximize your vacation time, I strongly recommend taking a direct flight. We have 2 afternoon flights that arrive in London early and 3 evening flights that arrive in London around noon. I prefer flights that arrive in the morning because it’s easier for me to fight jet lag.

Obviously, the earlier you arrive, the more time you have to sightsee. This is where you have to know yourself. The name of the game on day 1 is to stay awake until a reasonable bed time. If you won’t sleep on the flight and will be upset your hotel isn’t ready, don’t arrive at 7:00am. Choose a flight that arrives mid-morning.

Buy your ticket for the Heathrow Express in advance. It’s the fastest way to get into the city center. Once you arrive at Paddington Station, you can walk, take the tube, or grab a black taxi to your hotel. (We opted for the traditional black cab because we were toting our wine suitcases!)

Day One in London

The name of the game is to stay awake on your first day in London. The best way to do this is to stay outside and work to get on London time. This is one reason I love the location of the JW Marriott. I could easily walk to Hyde Park.

Changing of the Guard Tour

If your flight gets into London super early, I would book a tour to see the Changing of the Guard. Yes, you can see Changing of the Guard for free, but chances are, you won’t be in the right place and you probably won’t see much. This tour provides you the opportunity to see the Changing of the Guard up close and follow the same route. (Then, you’ll know where to stand when you come back!) We’ve done this tour twice and we’ve learned a lot about royal history and we’ve been able to see the changing of the guard from several different points around Buckingham Palace.

You might notice that my itinerary doesn’t include any tours of the palaces in London. This is because what’s open changes based on what season it is and sometimes who is in residence. You can only visit Buckingham Palace in the summer. (One of the coolest underrated royal things I’ve done is visit the Royal Mews to see the royal carriages.)

Take an Outdoor Tour or a Twilight Food Tour of London

The trap that most people fall into is that once their room is ready, they will head back and take a short nap. If you are only spending 3 days in London, you definitely don’t want to do that. To avoid that, I suggest booking an outdoor tour that will keep you moving. London Walks, the sister company of Paris Walks, offers a variety of tours with a wide range of topics and neighborhood. They offer morning, afternoon, and evening tours, so there is sure to be at least one that fits your schedule. Choose one that interests you and show up. The guides take credit cards or cash.

Another great option for your first afternoon is to book an evening food tour in London. This is an easy and interactive way to have a tasty dinner and get suggestions for later in your trip. I think that food tours in London are increasingly more important as I have noticed more “chain” restaurants popping up over the years. Further, London’s food scene is so diverse that you’ll want to try as many different cuisines as possible.

I love starting any trip with a walking tour and a food tour because it gives you an idea of things that are important to a place. Go to bed at a “normal” hour and sleep through the night.

Day Two in London

You may be tempted to sleep in on your second day in London, but don’t do it! Today is the day to get up and explore. Whether you’re interested in history, art, or culture, there’s something in London for you. I always book a morning tour so that I can force myself to get up and get moving.

At the suggestion of our hotel, we took a mid-afternoon break at The Wine Place at Covent Garden. We were treated to an opera performance alongside a delicious charcuterie plate and a couple glasses of wine.

While there are countless sights to see in London, here are a few museums and things to do that I’ve really enjoyed. You can fit together as many or as few as you like, though for a short trip, I recommend one morning activity and one late afternoon activity. That will give you time to rest during the heat of the day and allow you to be out and about for the evening.

Tour of the British Museum

If you’ve studied any type of world history, your textbooks were likely filled with artifacts from the British Museum. While the British Museum is free, I find it completely daunting and overwhelming. It’s always crowded, so I suggest going as early in the day as possible. I think you need a tour to navigate it, at least the first couple times. We’ve taken several tours of the British Museum, and they have always been reflective of the guide’s personal interests, which makes it more interesting to me.

There is an impressive number of antiquities in the British Museum, so you’ll want to figure out what’s important to you. I recommend the DK Top 10 London book to get a sense of the must-see sights in the museum if you aren’t going to book a tour.

The British Library

One of my favorite free things to do in London is visit the British Library, and more specifically the rare manuscript library. There are original notebooks from Da Vinci, some of the first reprints of Shakespeare’s folio, the Emancipation Proclamation, and lyrics from the Beatles. There are also a number of East Asian manuscripts, as well as a Gutenberg Bible, and other religious texts. While busy, it doesn’t even begin to compare to the crowds at the British Museum. I really loved seeing all the different books and the evolution of illustration and printing. I’d love visit with a guide in the future.

Tour the National Gallery with London Walks

The National Gallery is another free museum in London. I think it’s best seen with a guide, and we enjoyed our tour with London Walks the most. Our guide zigzagged us through the museum on a chronological tour of art history, starting with the pre-Renaissance art and ending with post-Impressionist art and Vincent Van Gogh. The National Gallery houses an impressive collection of European art. I was taken aback by how large the museum is; it doesn’t look like that large from the outside.

The London Walks tour is about 2 hours, and it barely scratches the surface of what’s in the museum. You could spend an entire day at the National Gallery. I recommend the visiting at the start or the end of the day, as it does get quite crowded.

Visit the Churchill War Rooms

I think the Churchill War Rooms is one of the coolest World War II museums I’ve visited. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a history nerd and I spend most of my reading-for-pleasure reading historical fiction. Housed in the actual center of the British War efforts, the Churchill War Rooms truly capture the atmosphere of what it must have been like to be in London throughout World War II.  You’ll see where Churchill worked, slept, and strategized his war efforts through a series of interactive exhibits.

At times, I felt a little claustrophobic given that it is an actual bunker, so I think that’s something to be aware of. We visited on a weekday morning so that we weren’t overwhelmed by crowds. The Imperial War Rooms is between Big Ben and Parliament and St. James’s Park.

Day Three in London

Again, with only such a short stay in London, you’ll want to make sure you get up and get moving. I love seeing a show on my second or third night in London because my body is more acclimated to the time change. If you don’t buy theater tickets in advance, I recommend visiting the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. I love that they have their inventory online now, so you can get a sense of what you might be able to snag a discount on.

I think my favorite classic show in London is still The Phantom of the Opera… because Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber himself is British. Every POTO cast I’ve seen in London has been exceptional… and you can’t see it in New York anymore.

Take an Audio Tour of Westminster Abbey

St. Paul’s is one of my favorite churches in London, so it took me several trips to actually visit Westminster Abbey. I always felt like it was so expensive, but when we finally decided to go, it was definitely worth it. I’m sad that there is no photography allowed simply because the fanvaulting in the Henry VII chapel is incredible… but it would also be impossible to navigate with so many people. I definitely recommend taking advantage of the audioguide. It truly makes the visit! Don’t skip it. If audioguides aren’t your thing, London Walks offers tours of the abbey twice a week.

I highly recommend purchasing your ticket to Westminster Abbey in advance.

Tower of London Beefeater Tour

Speaking of expensive things to do in London that are worth it. We love the Tower of London. And, if you’re going to visit the Tower of London, you should also do the tour with a Beefeater or a Yeoman Warder. The tours are lead by former military that have a knack for storytelling. They do a great job of leading you through the complex and making it come to life. If you’re going to spend the money to visit the Tower, at least enjoy the free tour!

Every time we’ve taken the tour, it ends near the Crown Jewels, and we’ve never had too much of a wait. (It’s usually less than 20 minutes.) No photography is allowed of the Crown Jewels and they do a good job of keeping folks moving through the exhibit.

Don’t miss taking photos of Tower Bridge before leaving. Tower Bridge is the iconic bridge you alway see photos of; it’s not the London Bridge. (The bridges of London are so interesting because there are so many different architectural styles. You could make an entire tour of just visiting the bridges!)

Where to Stay in London

Generally, I find London hotels to be pretty expensive. There are a lot of chain hotels, so it can be a great place to use hotel points to keep the costs down. The London Tube is incredibly efficient and well-designed, but I generally find that where I stay is where I spend my time. London is huge and there is a lot to explore. I think it takes a lot of time to get beyond the surface of the city, and perhaps even more so now.

The Great Scotland Yard Hotel near Trafalgar Square

On our most recent trip to London, we stayed at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel. It’s part of the Hyatt Unbound collection, similar to Hotel du Louvre in Paris. It doesn’t feel like another big box hotel in a big city. And, it participates in the Hyatt Prive program, which offers additional perks for booking with a travel advisor (like me!). Due to our last minute planning, we weren’t able to use our suite night upgrade. However, we were upgraded to a premium king room. Our room (212) had large windows and a lot of light.

The Great Scotland Yard hotel feels like a boutique hotel and is the middle of touristy London. I loved the design of the rooms; they used the space very effectively. London hotel rooms aren’t overly large, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character. The walk-in shower offered great water pressure. The bed was so comfortable with luxurious and soft linens. We found the staff to be very kind and accommodating as possible. Our arrival gift included macarons and chocolates, which was the perfect sweet treat.

Great Scotland Yard Hotel Prive Perks

• Full breakfast for 2 daily
• $100 USD hotel credit
• Room upgrade, as available
• Early check in/late check out, as available

JW Marriott Grosvenor House

I love, love, love the JW Marriott Grosvenor House. I stayed here a lot as a solo female traveler, and I always felt very safe and supported. Grosvenor House is between the Marble Arch and Green Park tube stops, and there are buses that run across London nearby. It’s right across the street from Hyde Park, and it’s easy to get to and from Paddington Station. (I’ve walked it before.)

The rooms are large. Beds are comfortable. The marble bathrooms are large and offer great soaking tubs. (Your body will thank you after walking so many miles around London.) They have renovated the rooms since the last time I was there, so the palate is a little more soft and modern. If you are looking for a comfortable, luxurious stay without the typical London luxury hotel prices, the JW Marriott delivers. It is a big hotel, but it’s lovely and has character. I did miss the location on our most recent trip!

As Titanium/Lifetime Platinum members, not only do we receive free breakfast, but we’ve also been given access to the Executive Lounge as part of our stay. This was a nice perk and helped save on food costs. If you don’t have status with Marriott, booking Grosvenor House with a travel agent can add a few perks to your stay in London.

Marriott Luminous Perks for JW Marriott London

• Complimentary upgrade, as available
• Free breakfast for two
• Early check-in/late check out, as available
• Welcome amenity

The Churchill Hyatt Regency

Last year, we took my husband’s parents to London and stayed at The Churchill. We wanted to book a hotel that would be comfortable and would have the benefit of breakfast and the club lounge. As a Hyatt Globalist, I used two club upgrade certificates to ensure that we all had access. We had two basic king rooms overlooking Portman Square. The hotel is huge and it doesn’t feel too personal. It could be any Hyatt anywhere. It’s perfectly fine for sightseeing. Due to mobility challenges, we largely took cabs and they were readily available from the The Churchill.

The rooms were comfortable. We had a desk and a small sitting area. The bathroom vanity was large and offered a walk-in shower. It was relatively quiet and non-descript. We enjoyed the club lounge and used it as a replacement for dinner most nights because we had a lot of work to do. Once they shut down food service, it empties out. Tom and I both used it to get a lot of work done because it was better lit and more comfortable than our room.

Hyatt Regency Churchill Prive Benefits

• Daily Breakfast for 2
• $100USD Property Credit
• Room upgrade, as available
• 4th night free
• Welcome Amenity

The Three Tuns: One of Our Favorite Pubs in London

Figuring out where to eat in London has been exceedingly difficult for us. While London is known for its international cuisine, the sheer amount of choice feels daunting. Restaurants in London also feel pretty expensive, especially compared to some of our favorite restaurants in Paris. We started bumming around the pub scene when we were in London last March, and we ended up at The Three Tuns. This has quickly become one of our favorite pubs in London because of the atmosphere.

The staff is exceedingly kind and the clientele feels local, especially after work on a Friday evening. It’s not anything fancy, which is exactly what we were hoping to find in London. The food is always made fresh and is far better than some of the other pub fare we’ve had. Tom loves their beers, and I’m a fan of their spritz menu. It’s changed a little over the last year, but they still make some very tasty cocktails. It’s cozy and comfortable.

Strangely, it appears to be operated be a group that has several pubs throughout London, but we found the food, drinks, and atmosphere to be way better at The Three Tuns than at some of the other similarly operated pubs.