THE BEST OF LONDON IN 5 DAYS - SUPER GUIDE

Here you can view others tours you can do:

• London Full Day Guided Tour: Discover the spirit of London on this full-day guided tour. Visit the city’s most famous landmarks like St Paul’s Cathedral and see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and finally relax and admire 360º panoramic views of London from the River Thames.
• Harry Potter Tour: Get lost in the world of Harry Potter, passing through the areas that inspired J.K. Rowling to create her famous literary saga and various filming locations!
• Historic London Pubs Tour: you'll visit places closely linked to the history and culture of the United Kingdom. It'll be a fun and interesting tour!
• London Christmas Tour Wooden huts, thousands of lights, Christmas trees and even a bit of literature. Join us on this free Christmas tour in London to experience all of this!
• London Bike Tour Book is the best optionif you want to experience a refreshing and entertaining way of exploring the heart of the city.
• East End Street Art Tour Experience some of the most talented, social, diverse, and imaginative street artists on the planet on this free walking tour through London's East End.

• Big Ben and Houses of ParliamentThis is a classic and a must, but until last year you could not enjoy its views, as it was under maintenance and they had it all covered up. In fact we went in 2019 and we couldn't enjoy Big Ben as it deserves. From here I am going to tell you that that you can visit the London Parliament inside. and it is a visit that I highly recommend if you have time, or if you like the British theme and its culture. It can only be visited on very specific days during the year, so I recommend that you travel in summer, specifically in August, which is when you can visit practically every day. To book this visit, I recommend that you book directly at their website or through Civitatis, but you will only find information in Spanish. It is not allowed to film inside, only in a room at the entrance. They are very strict with this rule, so please pay attention to the indications. Nobody speaks Spanish there, but you can still be fined or even thrown out. In another post, I will tell you about the best spots to take the best photos.

• Westminster Abbey: el lugar de las bodas reales, se sitúa en frente del parlamento, junto a un parque bastante grande. También se puede visitar por dentro, pero en fechas muy concretas, por lo que here so here is the website with the dates.
• London EyeIt is inevitable to pass by Big Ben and not see the big wheel next to it. But to be quite honest with you, it's not worth paying to 62 € go up for the sake of going up, and I'll explain why. The normal ticket is cheaper, sobre 40 €but even if you get it online in advance you still have to queue. If you want the skip-the-line ticket you have to pay the 62 € Also, the Big wheel takes an hour to go all the way around, so you'll spend a lot of time in there with a lot of other people, and the photos you'll get are pretty bad. My sincere recommendation is that you go up to St Paul's Cathedralwhich costs less than half the price and has views without glass. Of course, you have to walk up and it's more than 350 steps, por lo que hay que pensárselo, pero merece muchísimo la pena y las vistas son mil veces mejores. Aun así, si queréis coger las entradas, podéis hacerlo here.
• St James Park: one of the many parks in London, but it's on your way to Buckingham Palace. Remember how at the coronation of the new King, they passed through a huge avenue full of trees? Well, that's the park.
• Buckingham Palace: probablemente de mis favoritos. Tardé muchos años en visitarlo por dentro. De hecho, fue en 2022 cuando por fin hice la visita, supongo que me hago mayor y valoro más los planes culturales. Recordad que en 2011, que fue la primera vez que fui tenía 13 años, visitar un palacio no me hacía especial ilusión. Podéis coger las entradas here. My recommendation is to get your tickets well in advance, they sell out quickly and there is always a long queue. Arrive in good time because if you go over the hour they won't let you in, they are English, so punctuality is essential. You can't film inside either, only in the garden area. You have a video in our Patreon where we show us how Buckingham Palace is and our first impressions.

All the proposed activities will take you the whole morning and if you want to visit everything inside it will take you almost the whole day, that's why the itinerary is designed to see everything in a general way. For the afternoon of the day 1, we have thought of the following itinerary:

• Trafalgar Square: the square has a lot of charm. It sometimes hosts various festivals, such as Canada Day, St. Patrick's Day or food markets. There is also one of the most famous museums in the city, the National Gallery. If you like art or want to learn more about it, you can book a guided tour here.
• Covent Garden: at Christmastime, this is probably the most beautiful place in London. But the rest of the year it's still a great place to see. It has shops and lots of places to eat, dine and drink. There are also several pubs where you can eat very well and at a good price.
• Neal’s Yard: a short stroll down the street will take you to this picturesque and little-known alley. There are many establishments and it is a very uncrowded area that is well worth photographing.
• Soho: Chinatown. It has a lot of tourists, but if you want to have a massage or a good duck, there are many places that offer these services. It's also a great place to eat, and in fact there is a Spanish restaurant here that we love "Lobos"". It's also a great place to party and has a street with LGTBIQ+ friendly bars, so there's no shortage of atmosphere.

• Carnaby Street: it is a pedestrian street in Soho where there are many clothes shops. It is said that Lady Gaga herself shops in one of them. You'll also find the Rolling Stone shop, so if you're a fan, this is a must if you're a fan.
• Liberty: it is a Tudor-style building that is now one of the few remaining department stores. It is very beautiful, both inside and out, and gives that classic touch to the city.
• Leicester Square: famosa porque alberga al Odeon, el teatro donde se hacen las premiere de cine. En 2012 tuve la suerte de ver a Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway y a Russell Crowe en esa misma plaza, ya que estaban con la premiere de Los Miserables.
• Picadilly: without a doubt my favourite place in London and the one that gives me the most peace of mind. The centre of the city, full of light signs and shops of all kinds: Lego shop, M&M's World, food shops, restaurants, etc. On this street, walking away from the square, you'll come to a shop that's worth a visit, just for its decoration and all the luxury it has to offer: Fortnum and Mason. If you like tea, it's a good option to buy it here, but be prepared with your wallet because it's expensive.
• Regent Street: junto con Oxford Street son las calles de las compras. De hecho, aquí está la juguetería más famosa de todas: Hamley’s. Son unas 6 plantas de juguetes de todo tipo y merece mucho la pena verla porque es hipnótica.
• Oxford Street: Following Regent Street, you'll come to Oxford Street, the shopping street par excellence. If you have time (and a lot of money) you can stop and buy things that are probably not available in Spain. We have a very funny anecdote about how we cycled along this street to get to a pet shop and buy Snow a raincoat.

• Tower of London: si es la primera vez que viajáis a Londres, no os recomiendo perder tanto tiempo en entrar para ver las joyas de la corona. En 2015 tuve la oportunidad de entrar y tengo que ser sincera: me da bastante igual ver joyas. Sí que es cierto que para futuras visitas podéis entrar si realmente os gusta, pero lo incluyo en este itinerario porque lo veis de camino a Tower Bridge.
• Tower Bridge: an amazing place. Did you know that it is possible to go up there? We are booking to go up with Snow, as it is one of the few places where you are allowed to enter with a dog. In another post, I will tell you where you can take the best photo with this spectacular monument.
• Leadenhall Market: un mercado ubicado en la zona de la City que merece la pena visitar. Mayoritariamente, hay bares, pero también encuentras algún comercio. Y si eres fan de Harry Potter ya no hace falta que te cuente en qué escena aparece.

🧙If you are one of those who wants to use revelio to see all the secrets of London, the Harry Potter is made for you.

• Viewpoints of the city: you have different viewpoints: The Shard, Sky garden and Garden at 120: several viewpoints, some free, some paid, but which one should I go to? The truth is that Sky Garden es gratis, sí, pero tienes que reservar con más de 2 meses de antelación porque los sitios literalmente vuelan. ¿Merece la pena? Sí, es un mirador precioso, pero para una escapada improvisada a última hora no es la mejor opción. The Shard nos recuerda a Nueva York, es el rascacielos más alto de la ciudad y uno de los más altos de Europa con 310 metros. Sí, hay que pagar entrada y no te vamos a mentir, cuesta unos 35 € por persona, pero las vistas merecen mucho la pena. Nosotros fuimos a la hora del aterceder y fue una experiencia increíble. También tenéis Garden at 120 que es gratis, no se necesita reserva, pero no es tan alto como los otros dos miradores. Es una buena opción low cost.
• Borough MarketThe perfect place to eat. A traditional market, with traditional stalls and a variety of dishes that will blow your mind. There is also the pub from the film Bridget Jones.
• London Bridge: not to be confused with Tower Bridge. This is the next bridge you see. It is not as spectacular (Tower Bridge is hard to beat) but you should know that it exists and it will also help you to find your way around.
• Shakespeare Globeif you continue walking, you'll come to Southwark Bridge, where you'll find the Shakespeare Globe, a replica of a theatre where Shakespeare performed his most famous plays. Again, if it's your first time here, I don't recommend you to go in because you have to prioritise things. But if you are really looking forward to seeing it, you can get your tickets here.
• Millenium BridgeThe best thing about this bridge is that it connects directly to St. Paul's Cathedral. It's the best place to take a photo with the cathedral in the background.
• St Paul's Cathedral: one of my favourite places. I'm not much for churches or religious tourism, but there's something about it that makes me love it. I don't know if it's because I've visited the inside or what, but it's wonderful. You can go inside and go up to the viewpoint which, as I said, is a thousand times better than going up to the Big wheel, and you can also go down to the crypt. You have the tickets here
• River cruise: after this great day, I don't think you'll feel like walking any further, so a boat trip on the River Thames can be a great way to see the sights and take a break. You can book here.

• Notting Hill and Portobello Market: A totally different area to the City of London is Notting Hill. With colourful little houses and famous for being featured in the film Notting Hill by Hugh Grand and Julia Roberts, this neighbour has become very popular. In fact, you can find bookshop of the film, where you can buy merchandising from the film. It's free to get in (FOR NOW), so if you're a film buff, you can't miss this place. A few metres away you have the door where Hugh Grant lived in the film, but the reality is that it is now full of graffiti and rubbish. It's a shame, really. If you keep walking through the neighbourhood, you'll come to Portobello Road, where every Saturday se celebra un mercadillo de artesanía muy conocido. Venden artilugios vintage, pósteres, productos hechos a mano. Es bastante bonito de ver porque el barrio es precioso. Si queréis aprender más sobre el barrio podéis hacer este free tour, but no, the guide is not Hugh Grant.

• Holland Park: a park very close to this neighbourhood, perfect to rest for a while before continuing.
• *Westfield London: if you have time, and you feel like it, you can go into this huge shopping centre, one of the biggest in Europe and with brands that are only there, such as Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, House of CB, River Island, Boots, etc.
• Kensington neighbourhood: the route continues through this neighbourhood to Kensignton Palace.
• Hyde Park: another park, but the most famous in London, where you also have the original Hard Rock Café, the first one in the world and where it all started. If you like music like me, it's a good place to eat, it's not cheap, but it's not exorbitantly expensive either. We always go to the Hard Rock in each country and cross off the list.
• Harrods: once you leave Kensington, you can stop off at this luxurious place. It is very beautiful and on the ground floor there is Lady Di's engagement ring, as a tribute to her. Remember that the son of the owner of Harrods got engaged to Lady Di once she divorced King Charles III. They both died in that fateful accident, but the memory and legacy lives on in Harrods. The shop windows at Christmas are beautiful, so at Christmas it is a must. This is going to sound very geeky now, but a few years ago Harrods had as a mascot a westie (what a coincidence) and my grandmother had brought us a Harrods bag from London that came with the dog's stuffed animal because she had a westie, that's why I'm obsessed with this breed, it runs in my family. So, about 5 years ago, they changed the precious westie for a bear (a bear that can be the image of many brands). So I'm a bit angry with them. There is still some westie merchandising on the web and at Heathrow Airport too.

For this day we have another possible route that can be done and that we loved:

• Once we have seen the Notting Hillneighbourhood, you can take a bike a go through the Paddington neighbourhood until you get to Abbey Road. It is an area that is far from the centre, in fact by metro you have to take several lines to get to the grey line and the stop St John’s WoodThat's why I tell you to take advantage of Notting Hill area it is very close, 10 minutes by bike. From the city centre it's 35 minutes on the tube with the changes. The bike route through that residential neighbourhood was possibly one of our favourite moments in London because you get right into the houses where people live, and it's like you get into the London atmosphere. Also, because we love music, and The Beatles is a reference group in music, so taking your photo there seems like a great plan to us.

🎵 If All you need is Love you can't miss Book of The Beatles

• Once you've seen this, you can head down Baker Street to see the house of Sherlock Holmes. There is even a museum you can visit, you can get the tickets here. By the way, you can watch the Sherlock series on Netflix, very good.
• A little further on you have Madame Tussauds, the wax museum. I've been there twice, but I'm not too keen on it because it's very expensive. If you're travelling with children it's a good option, because they're sure to enjoy having their photos taken with celebrities, even if they are waxworks. The figures are very well crafted (some are not) so the photo is very realistic. You can buy tickets here.

• British Museum: si no tienes mucho tiempo te recomendamos que elijas este museo. Es uno de los museos más famosos del mundo y si realmente quieres viajar a Egipto, te recomendamos que pases primero por aquí. El museo bien vale un día, pero con una mañana es más que suficiente para que te hagas una idea. Ten cuidado en verano porque hace mucho calor y evitad visitarlo de tarde porque hay muchas visitas guiadas y gente por todas partes, lo que resulta muy agobiante. Si te gusta mucho la historia y la arqueología, puedes reservar este free tour por el museo.
• Natural History Museum: this museum is like a film and it is my favourite museum. I've been there 4 times and can only say that it's well worth seeing. It is ideal to go alone, as a couple, with friends or with the family. It is free, but you will always see some urns for you to donate something to the museum. A donation of 5 pounds will be enough. There are exhibits on Darwin's theory of species, stuffed animals, dinosaur fossils and extinct creatures.
• Science Museum: the museum where they show you about cloning and Dolly the sheep, about the industrial revolution, about the progress of technology and transport and a lot of science. They even have a replica of a particle accelerator.

• Camden Town: another of my favourite places in the city. It is a neighbourhood that has become one of the most iconic places in London and is famous for its alternative atmosphere and rich cultural scene. The Camden Market is a standout here, where there are many vintage clothing and souvenir stalls. Try to bargain where you can, and you'll get some great value souvenirs of the city. There are also plenty of music stalls, with boxes and boxes of vinyls at great prices. I picked up a Bruce Springsteen record for 10 pounds (which I saw in Spain for €35). It's a perfect place to eat, as there are lots of little stalls with food from all over the world and the prices are very affordable. In the food post, we'll show you photos of the stalls and tell you which are our favourite places. If you prefer to take a guided tour, you can book a free tour around Camden. There are so many street markets that DON'T accept card payments, so it is always a good idea to bring some cash with you. If you want to get the BEST exchange rate we recommend that you do so here.
• King’s Cross: ya que estáis por esa zona, podéis hacer una paradita en la estación de King’s Cross. Es una de las más importantes de Londres y ya no solo eso, sino que es de ladrillo rojo superbonito y además se ha hecho famosa por Harry Potter también, ya que es donde está el andén 9 ¾ de la película. Hay una representación allí del andén y puedes hacerte una foto, pero la hora y media de cola no te la quita nadie, así que vete con tiempo o si eres muy fan de la saga, te recomendamos que vayas a los estudios de Harry Potter, que lo vas a disfrutar mucho más y no hay esas colas para las fotos. 

We have not included much more for this day, as it may be the day you have to catch a plane, or because you want to repeat a place in the city, or just relax more in London. You can mix and match the itinerary, add or delete as you like, and even repeat locations. For example, we wanted to Picadilly todos los días, porque nos gustaba tanto que siempre cenábamos por allí. Mi padre también tiene una obsesión con esa zona, por lo que con él también iba todos los días allí, aunque fuese a mirar la plaza. Obviamente, hay MUCHOS lugares y planes que no he incluido, pero es imposible verlo todo en 5 o 7 días. A mí todavía me faltan muchos rincones, así que espero volver pronto para actualizar esta SUPERGUÍA about things to see in London in 5 days.

Until recently, before the famous Brexit, you could travel to the UK with your European Health Insurance Card. However, since then that card is NO LONGER es válida aquí en muchos aspectos que antes sí cubría. Y no es nada barato quedar ingresado. Atender te atienden, sí, pero nadie te va a regalar la estancia. Por esta misma razón es VERY IMPORTANT that you hire travel insurance. We recommend you IATI, as it is one of the few insurances that not only offers a very competitive price, but also covers practically everything, including your pet. Remember, you have a 5% of discount if you book using our link, just for being our reader.