London 2-Day Mini Sightseeing Itinerary
With only two days in London, it’s best to start with a plan of what you want to see. This city is huge with so many different places to see and things to experience. If you would like to see the main London tourist sights in only 48 hours this guide by Gwen Debaun will help.
Day 1 - Where to Start
If you’re like me and aren’t too sure on what you want to do take the tube to Westminster, it’s a great central location. Starting at Westminster you can see the Abbey and Parliament and who could forget about Big Ben? Traveling across the bridge towards the Eye, you can catch one of the hop-on hop-off buses and travel around their two lines that go everywhere. When you see a spot you like, hop-off and explore. You have about 30 minutes between rotations of buses. If you get through both lines, hop on one of the tour boats and experience everything from the Thames, it’s fun and beautiful as the sunsets over the city.
Doing the tour bus on day one is a wonderful way to see what you really want to spend more time on the ground doing during your second day.
Day 2
As day two rolls around, grab your walking shoes and water as you hit the ground running. Just like day one, I started at Westminster and saw Big Ben once more and then took off towards Buckingham Palace. One of the great things about walking around the city, is there are signs pointing towards every major landmark you would want to check out. After the first day of seeing everything from the bus, now you get to see it all are ground level. If you want to see the changing of the guards at the Palace, it usually happens in the morning, but check online just to be sure before you head over there.
After seeing Buckingham Palace and wave to the queen, there are three lovely parks nestled around the Palace that you can walk through: Green Park, Hyde Park, and St. James Park.
If you take Green or St. James, you can get back on the main roads and hit up Piccadilly. Around Piccadilly, there is endless shopping and loads of street performances in the area to keep you entertained and ensure a leisurely pace while you walk around. After seeing Piccadilly, make your way towards Liecester Square, you can stop off at the National Portrait Gallery or the National Gallery. Once you’ve had enough of the photos, keep heading towards Liecester Square where there was an abundance of adorable shops you can pop into and get any classic souvenir shopping or more elegant gifts. If you’re looking for a bite to eat, stop in at Bar 1, they have a wonderful light selection that will keep you full while you continue your journey. If you’re in the mood for some more authentic food, check out the Chinatown Market, there’s loads of choices and street food.
If you keep walking, you’ll hit Covent Garden, which has one of the largest markets I have ever seen. There’s enough street food to keep your taste buds alive and little trinkets that are simply charming to look at.
Continuing North, you can check out the British Museum incase you’re in desperate need of aircon or are a history buff. Once you’re done at the museum, head back toward Covent Garden for a delicious dinner and a show at the Royal Opera House, or take up a spot at one of the many bars in the area for a nightcap.
Happy Adventuring!
By Gwen Debaun
Related Pages
