If you have one day here, it helps to choose a route that suits your pace rather than trying to fit in every sight. Below are two ways to spend it: a sightseeing bus and river option, or a walking route through central London. Allow extra time for any attraction you want to visit inside.
How we would plan one day in London
If this is your first visit, start by deciding whether you want to see many landmarks from outside or spend a substantial part of the day inside one attraction. Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Covent Garden are close enough to link on foot. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral sit farther east; a boat, bus or Tube journey is more enjoyable than trying to walk every sight into a single day.
Our favourite bus and river version starts with Westminster in the morning, a Thames cruise towards Tower Bridge around lunchtime, and a London Eye rotation or West End walk later in the day. A Big Bus Essential ticket currently includes a Thames cruise and 48 hours of bus access; a one-day visitor can still use it, but compare it with a separate boat ticket if you only need a few hours. The river view of Tower Bridge and St Paul’s dome is still the part of our first one-day trip that stands out most.
On the walking version, arrive near Green Park early for Buckingham Palace. If the Changing of the Guard takes place on your date and you want a good view, allow time to arrive ahead of its usual 11 am start. If your priority is going inside Westminster Abbey or the Tower, skip the ceremony and use that morning for your timed ticket. Cross Westminster Bridge for views of both Big Ben and the London Eye; in the afternoon return via the riverside and Trafalgar Square to Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden for dinner.
One realistic plan is one major paid attraction plus the river, or two paid attractions if they are close together and you start early. The London Eye and Westminster Abbey fit better on the same west London day than Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. If you do take Uber Boat by Thames Clippers to the Tower and back, check its timetable and buy the boat fare separately from your TfL travel budget.
One Day in London: Option 1 – Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour + River Cruise + London Eye
If you are only visiting for a day and want to see as much as possible, I highly recommend that you go on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, do a Thames River Cruise and go on the London Eye.
Our Experience
The first time we visited London, we travelled from Norfolk, where my mum lives and only had one day in London, and this is precisely what we did.
On that first one-day visit, our bus ticket also included a river cruise. The view from the water was the part we enjoyed most, and the London Eye rounded out the day. Check what your own bus ticket includes before making the same plan, as packages change.
Sightseeing bus tour and river cruise
The open-top bus tour takes you to all the important places, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Oxford Street, Regent Street… And you can stay on the bus or get off at any stop and then get back on the bus whenever you want to. It´s an easy way to explore London, and not have to worry about public transport.
A river cruise is a lovely way to see the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe and several of the Thames bridges. We especially enjoyed the view of Tower Bridge from the water. Check the route and boarding pier for the cruise you choose.
If you are arriving at King´s Cross St Pancras Station, then the open-top bus tour would be ideal, as there is a bus stop to hop on the bus as you exit the station.
London Eye
We recommend that you get fast-track tickets for the London Eye online beforehand, so you avoid the long queues and go directly to the prepaid tickets queue; this way, you’ll make sure you make the most of your day in London.
One Day in London: Option 2 – Walking Route + London Eye
We have designed a walking route enabling you to discover London in a day if you would rather walk to see the city’s sights. With our walking route, you will see some of the most important landmarks, and you will probably have time to see the Changing of the Guard, visit Westminster Abbey and go on the London Eye.
Walking route to visit London in a day step-by-step
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Our walking route starts at Green Park Underground Station. From here, we will walk towards Buckingham Palace, where the famous changing of the guard ceremony takes place at 11.00 am on certain days. Make sure you check the exact dates of the changing of the guard to avoid disappointment.
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and London Eye
After seeing Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, we will walk across St James´s Park and head towards Westminster Abbey and Big Ben along Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street. We can then cross Westminster Bridge, admiring the views from this bridge, and make our way towards the London Eye.
Tower of London and River Cruise
At this point, one option is to go to the Tower of London by boat. We can jump on an Uber boat at London Eye Pier and go to Tower Pier. This is a riverboat service (like a river bus), so just a convenient way to travel along the Thames and take in the views; check the current fare before you travel. As it isn´t a touristic cruise, there is no live commentary. Still, it´s a perfect way to go from one part of London to another. On the way, you can spot Shakespeare´s Globe, the Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, Hay´s Galleria… Get off at Tower Pier to see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Afterwards, jump back on the Uber boat and return to London Eye. If you are feeling a bit hungry, you could go to St Katharine´s Dock to grab a bite, as there are several restaurants in the area.
Southbank
Once we return to the London Eye, we can continue our walking route. Explore London´s beautiful Southbank for a bit. This is where the Sea Life Aquarium, London Dungeons, Shrek´s Adventure and Southbank Centre are. You will find many restaurants here.
Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Covent Garden
We´ll cross the Thames over Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges and make our way towards Trafalgar Square. This is where the National Gallery (free entry) is. From Trafalgar Square, we can easily walk towards Piccadilly Circus.
From Piccadilly Circus, we will walk along Regent Street and explore Carnaby Street. After walking through London´s Soho, we will reach Leicester Square and Covent Garden.
Covent Garden is a great place to grab a bite. There are many restaurants in the area. Seven Dials Market is also just around the corner from Covent Garden, another great option if you´re hungry. This is also where we can find several theatres and London´s best musicals.
Itinerary to visit London in a day
Transport suggestions
If you are going to spend just one day in London, it may be tempting to buy single fares if you’re going to use public transport, such as the underground or the bus. We encourage you to buy an oyster card for the day or use contactless payment if possible.
You will pay less for each journey this way than buying single fares or even a day travelcard, as the oyster card´s daily capping makes it cheaper to use than a day travelcard.
You can also use Oyster or contactless on the riverboat service mentioned above, but the River Bus fare is separate and does not count towards TfL’s daily Tube and bus fare cap. Each traveller needs their own payment card or eligible travel card.
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.