3 days in London

United Kingdom

This is the free preview of the Wayfinder guide to London: a realistic three-day plan with a morning sight, a specific lunch spot, an afternoon walk or museum, dinner before drinks, plus hotels for every budget, how local tickets work and the best day trips nearby.

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Day-by-day plan

Day 1 — City Essentials

☀️ Morning · 09:00 – 12:00
British Museum
Free entry, head straight to the Assyrian rooms.
⭐ 4.5 · €€ · Free entry, head straight to the Assyrian rooms.
Getting there: Metro Central – Tottenham Court Rd from King's Cross · 7 min · £2.80
🍕 Lunch · 12:30 – 14:00
Borough Market
Padella, Kappacasein, Bread Ahead.
⭐ 4.6 · €€ · Market food · Padella, Kappacasein
Other great options nearby
St. John Bread and Wine · €€€ · British nose-to-tailMap
Dishoom Shoreditch · €€ · Bombay café · bacon naanMap
Getting there: Metro Jubilee/Northern – London Bridge from Waterloo · 5 min · £2.80
🏛️ Afternoon · 14:30 – 18:30
Monmouth Coffee
Classic filter coffee in Borough.
⭐ 4.6 · € · Filter coffee · single origin
Getting there: On foot 3 min from Borough Market from London Bridge · 3 min · £0
🍷 Dinner · 19:30 – 21:30
Dinner at Brat or Kiln
Live-fire grill or counter-seat Thai in Soho.
⭐ 4.7 · €€€ · Live-fire grill / counter Thai
Other great options nearby
Borough Market · €€ · Market food · Padella, KappacaseinMap
St. John Bread and Wine · €€€ · British nose-to-tailMap
Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80
🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+
Historic Pub: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Pints in cellars dating from 1667.
⭐ 4.4 · €€ · Historic pub · cask ale
Other great options nearby
Tayēr + Elementary · €€€ · World top-ranked cocktail barMap
West End Show · €€ · Day-seat tickets from £25 at the box office.Map
Getting there: Metro Circle – Blackfriars from Westminster · 6 min · £2.80

Day 2 — Neighborhoods & Local Flavor

☀️ Morning · 09:00 – 12:00
Columbia Road Flower Market
Sunday mornings, with coffee to go.
⭐ 4.5 · €€ · Sunday mornings, with coffee to go.
Getting there: Overground Hoxton from Liverpool Street · 8 min · £2.80
🍕 Lunch · 12:30 – 14:00
St. John Bread and Wine
British nose-to-tail cooking, near Spitalfields.
⭐ 4.5 · €€€ · British nose-to-tail
Other great options nearby
Dishoom Shoreditch · €€ · Bombay café · bacon naanMap
Brick Lane Beigel Bake · € · Salt beef beigels · 24hMap
Getting there: Metro Central – Liverpool Street from Bank · 4 min · £2.80
🏛️ Afternoon · 14:30 – 18:30
Sir John Soane's Museum
A labyrinthine house-museum, free entry.
⭐ 4.5 · €€ · A labyrinthine house-museum, free entry.
Getting there: Metro Central – Holborn from Oxford Circus · 5 min · £2.80
🍷 Dinner · 19:30 – 21:30
Dinner at Brat or Kiln
Live-fire grill or counter-seat Thai in Soho.
⭐ 4.7 · €€€ · Live-fire grill / counter Thai
Other great options nearby
St. John Bread and Wine · €€€ · British nose-to-tailMap
Dishoom Shoreditch · €€ · Bombay café · bacon naanMap
Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80
🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+
Tayēr + Elementary
World top-ranked cocktail bar, Old Street.
⭐ 4.7 · €€€ · World top-ranked cocktail bar
Other great options nearby
West End Show · €€ · Day-seat tickets from £25 at the box office.Map
Monmouth Coffee · € · Filter coffee · single originMap
Getting there: Metro Northern – Old Street from Bank · 4 min · £2.80

Day 3 — Art, Coffee & Hidden Gems

☀️ Morning · 09:00 – 12:00
Hampstead Heath & Kenwood
The view from Parliament Hill.
⭐ 4.5 · €€ · The view from Parliament Hill.
Getting there: Metro Northern – Hampstead from Euston · 16 min · £2.90
🍕 Lunch · 12:30 – 14:00
Dishoom Shoreditch
Bombay café, bacon naan any time of day.
⭐ 4.7 · €€ · Bombay café · bacon naan
Other great options nearby
Brick Lane Beigel Bake · € · Salt beef beigels · 24hMap
Borough Market · €€ · Market food · Padella, KappacaseinMap
Getting there: Overground Shoreditch High Street from Liverpool Street · 5 min · £2.80
🏛️ Afternoon · 14:30 – 18:30
Daily Goods / Prufrock
Specialty coffee on Leather Lane.
⭐ 4.6 · € · Specialty coffee · Leather Lane
Getting there: Metro Central – Chancery Lane from Holborn · 3 min · £2.80
🍷 Dinner · 19:30 – 21:30
Dinner at Brat or Kiln
Live-fire grill or counter-seat Thai in Soho.
⭐ 4.7 · €€€ · Live-fire grill / counter Thai
Other great options nearby
Dishoom Shoreditch · €€ · Bombay café · bacon naanMap
Brick Lane Beigel Bake · € · Salt beef beigels · 24hMap
Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80
🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+
West End Show
Day-seat tickets from £25 at the box office.
⭐ 4.5 · €€ · Day-seat tickets from £25 at the box office.
Other great options nearby
Monmouth Coffee · € · Filter coffee · single originMap
Sir John Soane's Museum · €€ · A labyrinthine house-museum, free entry.Map
Getting there: Metro Northern – Leicester Square from King's Cross · 6 min · £2.80

Day trip idea: Oxford · 1h by train from London Paddington → Oxford · ≈ £15 / one-way

Where to stay in London

Budget / boutique

citizenM Tower of London

London · City of London · ⭐ 8.8 · €€ · ≈ £120–160 / night

Check availability

Mid-range

The Hoxton Shoreditch

London · Shoreditch · ⭐ 8.7 · €€€ · ≈ £190–250 / night

Check availability

Luxury

The Savoy

London · Strand · ⭐ 9.2 · €€€€ · £650+ / night

Check availability

Flying in from overseas

What travelers from the US, Canada, Australia and Asia need to sort out before a long-haul trip to London.

Flight time & jet lag: Most long-haul flights land in Europe early morning. Plan a light first day — a walk and an outdoor lunch beat a museum. This 3-day plan keeps day 1 gentle so you can push through to a local bedtime.
Entry requirements: US, Canadian and Australian visitors need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for the UK — apply online before you fly. Passport must be valid for the whole stay.
Phone & data (eSIM): Skip roaming charges: install a Europe-wide eSIM (Airalo, Holafly or your carrier's international day pass) before you leave home. One eSIM covers the whole trip, including day trips across borders.
Power adapters: Type G outlets — a US/Canada or Australia plug will not fit. Pack a Type G adapter.
Money & cards: Tap-to-pay works nearly everywhere in London. Use a card with no foreign transaction fee, always choose to be charged in the local currency, and carry about 20 in small bills for markets and restrooms.
Airport to city: Book nothing in advance for the airport run — London has a train or express bus that beats a taxi on both price and time. The transport section below has the official operator and ticket app.

Full long-haul planning guide

Practical tips for United Kingdom

Transport & tickets: National Rail for trains · TfL Go app in London · Tap & Go with card or phone, daily cap applies automatically
Tipping & payments: 10-12.5% in restaurants if no service charge · nothing in pubs · Tap & Go contactless / Apple Pay directly at TfL readers – automatic daily capping.
Emergency numbers: 999 or 112 · non-emergency 101
Power sockets: Type G · 230V (adapter needed)

When to go: events in London

Winter Wonderland Hyde Park
Nov – Jan · Christmas market
Europe's biggest winter park, with an ice rink and Bavarian Village.
Notting Hill Carnival
last weekend of August · Carnival
Europe's biggest Caribbean carnival.
Borough Market Christmas
December · Market & fair
Local producers, mulled cider and mince pies.
Wimbledon
July · Sporting event
Grass courts, strawberries and cream.

Day trips from London

Oxford
1h by train · from London Paddington → Oxford · ≈ £15 / one-way
Bodleian Library · Christ Church · Covered Market
Brighton
1h 05m by train · from London Victoria → Brighton · ≈ £18 / one-way
Royal Pavilion · The Lanes · Fish & chips on the seafront
Windsor & Eton
55 min with a change at Slough · from Paddington → Windsor & Eton Central · ≈ £12 / one-way
Windsor Castle · Long Walk · Eton High Street

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3 days in London, United Kingdom — an hour-by-hour plan with real restaurants, hotels at every budget and local transit tickets. Built for travelers flying in from the US, Canada, Australia and Asia.

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