This walk starts at Green Park, passes Buckingham Palace and Westminster, then follows the South Bank before finishing in Covent Garden. If seeing Changing the Guard matters to you, check the official ceremony calendar first: it does not happen every day and plans can change at short notice. The map below shows the route; choose one or two sights to enter rather than trying to visit them all.
You will find the map with the walking route at the end of the article. In this map you will also find restaurant suggestions and places of interest.
You can find this route on our FREE London Travel App.
Walking Route from Buckingham Palace to Covent Garden
Estimated time
Allow around 4–6 hours for the approximately 4.5-mile walk with a meal or short stops. Going inside Westminster Abbey, riding the London Eye or adding another paid attraction will extend the day.
Attractions
These are possible stops along or near the route, not a checklist for one day. Check each venue’s opening hours and ticket options before deciding what to visit inside.
- Buckingham Palace
- Churchill War Rooms
- Westminster Abbey
- London Eye
- Sea Life Aquarium
- London Dungeons
- Shrek´s Adventure
- London Transport Museum
- London´s top Musicals
Considering a London Pass or combination ticket? Check its current attraction list, reservation rules and total cost against buying only the tickets you will use.
Our favourite stops along this walk
Start at Green Park, leaving enough time for the Changing of the Guard if it is scheduled. Cross St James’s Park to Horse Guards and Whitehall; the Churchill War Rooms is an excellent indoor stop if wartime history interests you. Westminster Abbey and the London Eye are the two big-ticket options on this route, and each needs its own place in the day rather than a hurried photograph.
After the London Eye, I like walking along the South Bank for river views and then crossing at the Golden Jubilee Bridges towards Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is free to enter if you have time for a short art visit. From Piccadilly Circus, you can finish directly in Leicester Square and Covent Garden for dinner or a musical. If shopping and historic arcades appeal more, make a separate detour along Piccadilly to Fortnum & Mason and Burlington Arcade before returning to the West End.
From Buckingham Palace to Covent Garden Route in detail
- We start our walking route at Green Park Underground Station. From here, we walk through Green Park and we get to Buckingham Palace, the famous Palace located in central London. For the Changing of the Guard, check the official date and time before you go.
- From here, we walk through one of London´s most beautiful parks (in my opinion anyway!), St James´s Park. Keep an eye out for the famous Pelicans of the park. On the other side of the park you will find the Churchill War Rooms, a WWII bunker and museum which I would really encourage you to visit if you can. From here, we will get to Horse Guards Parade, where several annual celebrations take place. Once we get to Whitehall, we will turn right and walk towards Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.
- Whilst walking along Whitehall, we will walk past Downing Street. This is where the Prime Minister lives, but unfortunately, you won´t be able to take a photo of the famous black door as there is a gate to avoid people getting too close. If you keep walking, you´ll get to Westminster Abbey. This is an impressive church historically important in the United Kingdom, where coronations have taken place since 1066. It will take you approximately 1-2 hours to visit Westminster Abbey, but it is a visit that you should consider in your trip to London. Check the Abbey’s visitor information for current café access.
- From Westminster Abbey, we continue walking to the Houses of Parliament and the famous Big Ben. We then continue our route over Westminster Bridge to get to the London Eye. Before getting to the London Eye, you will walk past the Sea Life London Aquarium, the London Dungeons and Shrek´s Adventure, great places to visit, especially if you are travelling to London with kids.
- If you want to see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge as well, make that a separate, longer day. An Uber Boat by Thames Clippers from London Eye (Waterloo) Pier to Tower Pier is an optional paid journey; check the timetable and fare before adding this detour.
- Continue along the South Bank. This is a good part of the route for a lunch or tea break before crossing the river towards Trafalgar Square.
- From here, we recommend that you cross the River Thames and make your way to Trafalgar Square and continue walking towards Piccadilly Circus, the famous square with the giant screens and Eros’s Statue. From here, you can continue walking along Piccadilly Street until you reach Fortnum & Mason, one of London’s best shops, and Burlington Arcade, one of the world’s first shopping galleries.
- From Piccadilly Circus, we will continue our route along Regent Street, one of London´s most important commercial streets, where you will come across some of London´s largest stores. This is also where you will find Hamleys, London´s most famous toy shop.
- Continue walking along Regent Street until you reach Great Marlborough Street. Turn right onto Great Marlborough Street to find Liberty and Carnaby Street.
- After Carnaby Street we will explore London´s famous Soho, including Chinatown, and then we´ll come to Leicester Square and Covent Garden. This is where the vast majority of theatres are in London, so undoubtedly, one of the best ways to end this itinerary in London is by going to see one of London´s top musicals.
From Buckingham Palace to Covent Garden Map
Hi, we are Alberto and Amy, the London locals behind PlanTrip London. We’ve lived in London since 2010 and have spent every year since exploring the city, from its famous landmarks to the markets, pubs, parks and hidden corners most visitors never find. Over the years we became the go-to trip planners for friends and family visiting London, so we created this site to share the same first-hand, tried-and-tested advice with you. Every itinerary, tip and recommendation here comes from our own experience with our two children, so you can plan a London trip that’s easier, better value and far more memorable.