London In A Day: Ultimate Guide 2024

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If you only have 24 hours or less in London, you may wonder how much of the city it’s possible to see.

After taking a day trip to London, I feel confident to provide a complete guide to seeing the capital of England.

Can you see London in a day? You sure can!

And this is how…

Is It Possible To Do London In A Day

Of course, it’s impossible to see ALL of London in a day. It’s a huge city with hundreds of things to see and do.

But you are able to see the main tourist attractions.

Most of London’s tourist hotspots are relatively close together so it’s possible to see all of them in one day’s work.

There are 3 options to see London in a day. In order of my recommendation:

• Take a London in a day tour
• Use the hop-on hop-off buses
• Do it yourself

To be honest, there are quite a lot of things to see and fit in, so making your own itinerary can be quite difficult. But I will now go into detail about each of the 3 options, including providing an itinerary to follow if you choose to do it yourself.

London In A Day: Tour

In my opinion, the best way to see London in a day is by taking the London in a day tour. Not only do you get to see all of the main tourist attractions in a perfect itinerary, but you get a guide to take you around the city. It’s a great way to learn about London and its attractions.

Taking the tour allows you to see ALL of the following:

• Westminster Abbey
• Changing of the Guard
• Tower of London (Crown Jewels)
• Tower Bridge
• Buckingham Palace
• St James Palace
• Trafalgar Square
• Houses of Parliament
• Big Ben
• London Eye
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• The Shard
• The Gherkin

Imagine fitting all of that into one tour, wow! Not to mention that you get a tour of the INSIDE of Westminster Abbey, as well as the Tower of London, where you get to see the Crown Jewels. Oh- and you also get skip-the-line tickets, so don’t worry about waiting in the queue.

Also included is a boat trip along the River Thames. And who could forget seeing the infamous changing of the guards? It’s one of the best things you can see and do in London.

So I recommend the London in a day tour to anyone. It’s the best way without a doubt. Getting to see all of the main attractions is impressive enough, but getting an expert guide, entry to some attractions, a boat tour and getting to see the changing of the guards, you simply can’t beat it.

💂🏼‍♂️Book your London in a day tour now. You won’t regret it!

London In A Day: Hop-on Hop-off Buses

Another option for seeing London in a day is the Hop-on Hop-off buses. They allow you to see quite literally every single tourist attraction in London.

There are over 50 stops where you can get on and off, and it passes by all of the main attractions.

You could choose to stay on the bus and do a full cycle on each of the routes, which will mean you’ve got to see everything London has in terms of tourist spots.

Oh- and also included is a free tour along the River Thames. Another great way to see London’s attractions from a unique perspective.

If you are really really tight on time, this is how you can see as much of London as you can in a short period of time.

🚍Book your Hop-on Hop-off bus pass now to see ALL the attractions.

London In A Day: Itinerary

Making your own route and doing it yourself is the best way if you are visiting London on a budget, as it is completely free.

To make the most of your time with a day in London, you should follow the most efficient route possible which takes you from attraction to attraction. The most efficient route beings at Westminster Abbey, meaning you can also tick off the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and see the London Eye.

From Westminster Abbey, head through St. James’s Park and towards Buckingham Palace. Then go back through St. James’s Park and head towards Trafalgar Square.

Trafalgar Square is a good place to get food if you are hungry, there are lots of nice restaurants and cafes nearby.

Next stop is Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus where you can see the iconic advertising screens.

Then head to the east of the city and visit the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. This means you have ticked off most of the main attractions in London.

To summarise the itinerary, follow this list in order:

• Westminster Abbey
• Big Ben
• Houses of Parliament
• London Eye
• St. James’s Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Trafalgar Square
• Leicester Square
• Piccadilly Circus
• Tower Bridge
• Tower of London

Following this order means you are making the most of your time and following a clear route to see as much of London as possible in the short time you have.

Where To Stay For One Night In London

If you are spending one night in London, you want to stay in the heart of the city. In my opinion and from my experience, the best place to stay is as close to Westminster (Big Ben area) as possible.

One of the best hotels in this area is the London Marriott Hotel Country Hall. You’ll be as close as you can get to the attractions, with a view of Big Ben and the London Eye. It’s an extremely high-rated hotel at 8.3/10 on Booking.com as well as being a world-renowned luxury hotel chain.

As the Marriott is quite expensive (though so are most places in London) you may wish to find a budget option in the same area. I recommend Hope House Residences by Q Apartments. You get a full apartment for half the price of a room in the Marriott and again, have a beautiful view of Big Ben, which is only a 5-minute walk away!

🏨Best hotel: London Marriott Hotel Country Hall
🏨Best budget hotel: Hope House Residences by Q Apartments

London In A Day: FAQ

Below are a few questions related to spending a day in London along with my answers.

Things to do in London in a day?

By following an efficient route and itinerary, you can see all of the following in the space of one day in London: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, St. James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London.

Can London be done in a day?

Although it’s impossible to see all of London in 24 hours, it is possible to see most of the main tourist attractions. The best way to do this is by taking a London in a day tour which visits the most popular attractions as well as the Changing of the Guards and it also includes a free Thames tour.

How do I spend a perfect day in London?

To spend the perfect day in London, you should take a tour which encompasses all of the main tourist attractions. This means you get to see the most popular tourist spots, as well as have an expert guide educate you on London

How to do London in a day?

To do London in one day, you need to follow a strict itinerary. Alternatively, you can take a tour which follows the most efficient route, including a river tour and entry to some attractions. It’s more than worth it to make the most out of your time.

London In A Day: Conclusion

And there you have it, a complete guide to seeing as much of London as possible.

It can be tricky to see London in a day and that’s why I suggest taking the tour.

But whichever of the 3 options you choose, you are guaranteed to have a great time.

The thrill of seeing as much as possible in one day is hard to beat!

Enjoy your trip 🙂