Old and new collide — royal palaces, world-class free museums, the Thames, West End theatre and centuries of history
✈ International🛂 Visa — UK Standard Visitor💱 £
£2,421
Est. total budget · 2 adults
5
Days
21
Attractions
13
Meals planned
💡 Recommended trip length for London: 5 days — Westminster & the Eye, the Tower & the City, the South Kensington museums, and a Windsor or Harry Potter day trip.
🗓 Prices & visa rules verified: August 2026
1
Arrival Day
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2
Day 2 — a free sample of your itinerary
Your unlocked preview day
🍳
08:00
🍳Breakfast
A full English, or coffee and a pastry near your hotel.
£5.47 /person (est.)
🎖
09:30
🎖Churchill War Rooms· Westminster, London
🕒 09:30–18:00 · Last entry 16:30 · Churchill's secret WWII bunker plus the Churchill Museum. Pre-book a timed entry; allow ~2 hrs.
£34.00⏱ 2 hoursculture
Churchill War Rooms → Westminster Abbey
🚶~5 min on foot · Westminster → Westminster
⛪
11:35
⛪Westminster Abbey· Westminster, London
🕒 09:30–15:30 · Last entry 14:30 · Closed Sun · To tourists (services only); Saturday hours vary. The coronation church since 1066 — book a timed ticket.
£31.00⏱ 2 hoursculture
🐟
13:35
🐟Lunch
A pub lunch, a market bite at Borough, or fish and chips.
£11.73 /person (est.)
Westminster Abbey → British Museum
🚇~15 min by Tube · Westminster → Holborn / Russell Sq
🏛
14:50
🏛British Museum· Bloomsbury, London
🕒 10:00–17:00 · Last entry 16:00 · Free entry (special exhibitions ticketed). Open late on Fridays. Reserve a free timed slot at busy times.
Free⏱ 3 hoursculture
British Museum → Covent Garden
🚶~15 min on foot · Holborn / Russell Sq → Covent Garden
🎭
18:05
🎭Covent Garden· West End, London
Part of your Day 2 — unlock to see the full description, how long to allow, opening hours and the ticket price.
🔒 Locked
🍽
19:45
🍽Dinner
Dinner out — a gastropub, an Indian curry house, or West End pre-theatre dining.
£18.76 /person (est.)
3
Day 3
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4
Day 4
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5
Departure Day
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🔒 You're viewing 1 of 5 days. Unlock to open the other 4 fully-planned days.
✈️Flights£970
Per person · return from India£485
Total · 2 adults£970
🏨Accommodation£344.02
3-Star hotel · per night (per room)£86.00
4 nights × 1 room£344.02
🎭Attractions & Activities£412.60
Tower of London£74.00
London Eye£66.00
Westminster Abbey£62.00
Tower Bridge£24.60
St Paul's Cathedral£54.00
The Shard£64.00
Churchill War Rooms£68.00
Total (all pax)£412.60
🍽️Food & Dining£311.18
🌅 Breakfast × 4d × 2 pax£43.78
☀ Lunch × 5d × 2 pax£117.28
🌙 Dinner × 4d × 2 pax£150.12
Total food & dining£311.18
🚇Airport Transfer£23.60
Piccadilly line · per person, one way (cheaper than a cab at £190.00 for this group)£5.90
Airport ⇄ hotel · 2 legs × 2 pax£23.60
🚇Local Transport£90.00
Per person · per day (public transit)£9.00
5 days × 2 pax£90.00
🛂Visa — UK Standard Visitor£270.01
Entry typeUK Standard Visitor visa (apply online)
Fee£135 for 6 months
ProcessOnline application + biometrics at a VFS centre
TipPassport valid for your whole stay. Carry hotel & return-ticket details.
Estimated Grand Total
London · 5 days · 2 adults
£2,421
Your dates, group & final plan set inside the full itinerary.
In your Itinerary
21 attractions
✓ All 21 attractions with descriptions, opening hours & ticket prices. Your personalised day-by-day plan unlocks with the full itinerary.
✓ Day 2
01 / 21
🏛 British Museum
Bloomsbury, London
culture
3 hours
🕒 10:00–17:00
A free treasure-house of world history — the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles, Egyptian mummies and the Sutton Hoo hoard, under Norman Foster's spectacular glass Great Court roof. Vast; pick a few galleries.
✓ Day 2
02 / 21
⛪ Westminster Abbey
Westminster, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 09:30–15:30
The coronation church of English monarchs since 1066 and resting place of kings, poets and scientists — the Gothic nave, Poets' Corner, the Royal Chapels and the Coronation Chair. Closed Sundays to tourists; book a timed ticket.
✓ Day 2
03 / 21
🎖 Churchill War Rooms
Westminster, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 09:30–18:00
The secret underground bunker where Churchill and his War Cabinet directed the Second World War, preserved as it was, plus the immersive Churchill Museum. Pre-book a timed entry; allow around two hours.
✓ Day 2
04 / 21
🎭 Covent Garden
West End, London
shopping
1.5 hours
🕒 10:00–20:00
A lively cobbled piazza of street performers, the covered Apple Market, boutiques and cafés, with the Royal Opera House alongside and pretty Neal's Yard nearby. Free to wander; a great spot for lunch or a pre-theatre stroll.
05 / 21
🏰 Tower of London
The City, London
culture
3 hours
🕒 09:00–17:30
Nearly 1,000 years of history beside the Thames — the Crown Jewels, the medieval White Tower, the Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tours and the ravens. One of the world's great castles. Allow a half-day.
06 / 21
🕰 Westminster & Big Ben
Westminster, London
culture
1.5 hours
The postcard heart of London — the Houses of Parliament, the newly restored Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), Westminster Bridge and Parliament Square with its statues. Free to admire; Parliament tours are bookable.
07 / 21
👑 Buckingham Palace & Changing the Guard
Westminster, London
culture
1.5 hours
🕒 09:00–17:00
The Queen's — now the King's — London residence. Watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony (most days in summer, alternate days in winter) at the railings, then walk through St James's and Green Park.
08 / 21
🖼 National Gallery & Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 10:00–18:00
One of the world's great free art collections on Trafalgar Square — Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner, Monet, Caravaggio and Constable. Step out to the fountains, Nelson's Column and the National Portrait Gallery next door.
09 / 21
🎡 London Eye
South Bank, London
adventure
1 hour
🕒 11:00–20:30
The 135 m cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank — a gentle 30-minute rotation in a glass capsule with sweeping views over the Thames to Westminster. Timed-entry tickets; sunset slots are the prettiest.
10 / 21
🌉 Tower Bridge
The City, London
adventure
1.5 hours
🕒 09:30–18:00
The Victorian bascule bridge often mistaken for London Bridge — walk the high-level glass-floor walkways between the towers and visit the Victorian engine rooms. Free to cross; the exhibition is ticketed.
11 / 21
⛪ St Paul's Cathedral
The City, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 08:30–16:30
Wren's masterpiece — the great dome, the Whispering Gallery and 528 steps up to the Golden Gallery for City views. Closed to sightseeing on Sundays (services only).
12 / 21
🦕 Natural History Museum
South Kensington, London
culture
2.5 hours
🕒 10:00–17:50
A free, cathedral-like museum of the natural world — the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall, dinosaurs, the gem vault and an earthquake simulator. Next to the V&A and the Science Museum in South Kensington.
13 / 21
🏺 Victoria & Albert Museum
South Kensington, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 10:00–17:45
The world's leading museum of art, design and decorative arts — fashion, sculpture, jewellery, the cast courts and a serene garden café. Free entry (special exhibitions ticketed); next to the Natural History and Science museums.
14 / 21
🌆 The Shard
London Bridge, London
adventure
1 hour
🕒 11:00–22:00
The View from The Shard — Western Europe's highest viewing gallery at 244 m, with 360° views across London from levels 68–72. Book a timed slot; sunset and dusk are spectacular. Winter hours are shorter.
15 / 21
🎨 Tate Modern
Bankside, London
culture
2 hours
🕒 10:00–18:00
A free modern-art powerhouse in a former power station on the South Bank — Picasso, Rothko, Warhol and huge Turbine Hall installations, with a top-floor viewing terrace over the Thames to St Paul's.
16 / 21
🧀 Borough Market & Southwark
Southwark, London
leisure
1.5 hours
🕒 10:00–17:00
London's most famous food market under the railway arches near London Bridge — artisan cheese, fresh oysters, street food and produce, plus the historic Southwark Cathedral next door. Best on a weekday lunchtime.
17 / 21
🪴 Sky Garden
The City, London
leisure
1 hour
🕒 10:00–18:00
London's highest public garden atop the "Walkie-Talkie" at 20 Fenchurch Street — three storeys of landscaped terraces with open-air views over the Thames and the City. Free, but reserve a timed slot online well ahead.
18 / 21
🌳 Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Central London
leisure
1.5 hours
🕒 05:00–24:00
London's great royal green lung — the Serpentine lake, rowing boats, Speakers' Corner, the Diana Memorial Fountain and Kensington Palace in the gardens. Free and open dawn to midnight; perfect for a stroll or picnic.
19 / 21
🔭 Greenwich (Royal Observatory & Maritime)
Greenwich, London
culture
3.5 hours
🕒 10:00–17:00
Maritime Greenwich — stand astride the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory (ticketed), then the free National Maritime Museum, the tea clipper Cutty Sark and the views from Greenwich Park. About 30 min by DLR or a scenic river boat.
20 / 21
🏰 Windsor Castle
Windsor (day trip)
culture
5 hours
🕒 10:00–16:00
The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, ~40 min by train from London — the lavish State Apartments, St George's Chapel and the Changing of the Guard. A relaxed half-day out with the riverside town.
21 / 21
🪄 Harry Potter Studio Tour
Leavesden / Watford (day trip)
adventure
6 hours
🕒 09:00–18:00
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London — the real sets, costumes and props from the Harry Potter films: the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express and the castle model. A magical full half-day for fans.
✓ All 4 stops on your Day 2 route. Unlock to see all 21 attractions mapped across your full itinerary.
✓ All 11 tips — visa, airport transfer & ways to spend less.
🛬
Airport → your hotel
London Heathrow (LHR) is about 24 km from the city centre. The Elizabeth line reaches central London for a flat £15.50 (Paddington ~35 min, then straight across the centre); the Piccadilly line is cheapest at ~£5.90 (~50–60 min); Heathrow Express is fastest at 15 min (£25, less booked ahead). A black cab is roughly £75–130 plus a £7 drop-off charge; Uber £55–90. Add your hotel on the Day-by-Day tab for an exact distance and fare. Verified Jul 2026.
🆘
Emergencies
999 or 112 — police, ambulance, fire and coastguard. Free, 24/7.
📱
SIM & data
Carriers: EE, O2, Vodafone, Three. Prepaid SIMs everywhere; or an eSIM. Check whether your plan covers UK roaming.
🌦
Best time to visit
May–Sep has the warmest, longest days (and crowds). Spring and autumn are mild and quieter. Winter is cold, grey and wet but festive in December. Pack a compact umbrella any time of year.
🚇
Oyster / contactless
Tap a contactless card or phone on the Tube, buses and trains — fares cap daily automatically, so you never overpay. The Tube is fast; buses are scenic. Walking between central sights is often quickest. Pay-as-you-go is capped daily (~£8.90 in zones 1–2), so contactless almost always beats a paper <strong>Travelcard</strong>, and bus fares cap at ~£5.25/day; hop-on-hop-off (<strong>Big Bus</strong>/<strong>Original Tour</strong>) runs ~£40–45 (24h).
🚌
Hop-on-hop-off buses
<strong>Big Bus</strong> and <strong>The Original Tour</strong> run open-top hop-on-hop-off loops past Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, St Paul's and Westminster — about ~£40–45 for a 24h adult ticket, often with a river cruise included. Pricey next to a normal red bus, but the open-top commentary suits a first day.
💷
Tipping & free museums
Tipping is modest — 10–12.5% at restaurants (often already added as a service charge), not expected in pubs ordering at the bar. Most national museums (British Museum, Tate, Natural History) are free.
🛂
Visa for Indians
Indian passport holders need a UK Standard Visitor visa — apply online and give biometrics at a VFS centre. Fee ~£135 for six months; processing about three weeks. Apply a few weeks ahead.
🎭
West End & timed tickets
Book West End shows ahead or try the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for same-day deals. The London Eye, Tower of London and Westminster Abbey use timed tickets — reserve to skip queues.
☕
Food to try
A proper afternoon tea, a Sunday roast, fish and chips, a Borough Market lunch, and London's superb curry houses (Brick Lane, Tooting) are all essential.
🚂
Easy day trips
Windsor Castle (~40 min by train), the Harry Potter Studio Tour (Watford), Oxford, Bath and Stonehenge are all doable as day trips from central London.