WAYFINDER
London, United Kingdom

3 days in London

United Kingdom

Facts checked on 16 October 2026: places, local transport and prices.

History & Heritage

History and heritage of London

Founded by the Romans as Londinium around AD 43, London grew into one of the world's most influential commercial and cultural capitals. Roman remains, medieval institutions, Georgian terraces and Victorian engineering chart nearly two thousand years of urban history.

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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Borough Market

      Market food · Padella, Kappacasein

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      St. John Bread and Wine

      British nose-to-tail

    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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Borough Market

      Market food · Padella, Kappacasein

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      Dinner at Brat or Kiln

      Live-fire grill / counter Thai

    Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80

  • 🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+

    • Budget / Street Food

      Monmouth Coffee

      Filter coffee · single origin

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Historic Pub: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

      Historic pub · cask ale

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      Tayēr + Elementary

      World top-ranked cocktail bar

    Getting there: Metro Circle – Blackfriars from Westminster · 6 min · £2.80

Historic insight & vintage spot

British Museum

Free entry, head straight to the Assyrian rooms. Look for original details and ask locally how this place shaped London.

View on map

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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Borough Market

      Market food · Padella, Kappacasein

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      St. John Bread and Wine

      British nose-to-tail

    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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Borough Market

      Market food · Padella, Kappacasein

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      St. John Bread and Wine

      British nose-to-tail

    Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80

  • 🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+

    • Budget / Street Food

      Monmouth Coffee

      Filter coffee · single origin

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Historic Pub: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

      Historic pub · cask ale

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      Tayēr + Elementary

      World top-ranked cocktail bar

    Getting there: Metro Northern – Old Street from Bank · 4 min · £2.80

Historic insight & vintage spot

Columbia Road Flower Market

Sunday mornings, with coffee to go. Look for original details and ask locally how this place shaped London.

View on map

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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Dishoom Shoreditch

      Bombay café · bacon naan

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      St. John Bread and Wine

      British nose-to-tail

    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

    • Budget / Street Food

      Brick Lane Beigel Bake

      Salt beef beigels · 24h

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Dishoom Shoreditch

      Bombay café · bacon naan

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      St. John Bread and Wine

      British nose-to-tail

    Getting there: Metro Piccadilly – Piccadilly Circus from King's Cross · 8 min · £2.80

  • 🍸 Nightlife · 22:00+

    • Budget / Street Food

      Monmouth Coffee

      Filter coffee · single origin

    • Mid-Range / Traditional Trattoria

      Sir John Soane's Museum

      A labyrinthine house-museum, free entry.

    • High-End / Fine Dining

      Tayēr + Elementary

      World top-ranked cocktail bar

    Getting there: Metro Northern – Leicester Square from King's Cross · 6 min · £2.80

Historic insight & vintage spot

Hampstead Heath & Kenwood

The view from Parliament Hill. Look for original details and ask locally how this place shaped London.

View on map

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

Day trips from London

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