One day is not enough for London, but it is enough for the London most people come to see, as long as you stop trying to walk between the sights. The distances are longer than they look on the map.
The plan
This is the eight-hour version of our private Central London tour, starting at 07:00 from your hotel. The times are counted from when we collect you.
Buckingham Palace, after about 40 minutes
The forecourt and the Victoria Memorial. If the Changing of the Guard is on that day, your guide times the morning around it.
Westminster Abbey and Parliament, after about 1 h 45
Where every English coronation since 1066 has taken place, with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament across the road.
The Tower of London, after about 3 hours
Nine hundred years of fortress, palace and prison on the Thames, with Tower Bridge beside it.
Lunch, after about 4 hours
A pub or a café your guide actually rates, not the one with the queue outside.
The British Museum, after about 5 hours
The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Great Court. It is free to enter, and the extra hours are what make it possible.
Covent Garden and Hyde Park, after about 6 h 30
Street performers under the market roof, then the park on the way back if the weather holds.
What to pay for and what to see from outside
Entry tickets are not included, and you do not need all of them. Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London both charge; the British Museum does not. Your guide will tell you which are worth the money on the day and which are better from the outside, depending on how long the queues are.
Only have four hours?
The four-hour version covers Buckingham Palace, Westminster and the Tower, and starts at 07:00 or 13:00. It is the right choice if you have a flight in the afternoon or want the rest of the day for yourself.
Every tour is customisable. Swap a stop, add a museum or skip one. Tell us when you book.
