Ready-made trips · United Kingdom
London in 4 days
The Natural History Museum and the V&A, Greenwich's Cutty Sark and the Meridian, and an evening on the South Bank.
- Length
- 4 days
- Best time
- April to September, December
- Pace
- Relaxed
- Day trips
- None, all in the city
Four days in London: Greenwich: Ships and the Meridian; South Kensington’s Museums. Each full day is one of our own checked days, planned to be walked in order, with opening hours checked and lunch and dinner suggestions close to the stops.
Day by day
1First Evening in LondonArrival
- When you arriveSouth BankThe riverside walk from the London Eye to Tower Bridge, past theatres, book stalls and street performers.Tip: The second-hand book market under Waterloo Bridge runs every day.
Lunch nearby: Gordon's Wine Bar or Spring at Somerset House
Dinner: Four Seasons Chinatown or The Two Chairmen
2Greenwich: Ships and the Meridian
- MorningCutty SarkThe fastest tea clipper of her day, raised in dry dock so you can walk beneath her hull.Tip: A combined ticket with the Royal Observatory saves money.
- AfternoonNational Maritime MuseumBritain at sea, from Nelson’s coat to polar exploration, free, in Greenwich.Tip: Nelson’s coat, with the bullet hole from Trafalgar, is on the upper floor.
Lunch nearby: The Gipsy Moth or The Trafalgar Tavern
Dinner: The Trafalgar Tavern or The Gipsy Moth
3South Kensington’s Museums
- MorningNatural History MuseumDinosaur fossils and science exhibits.Tip: Free entry, with the genuinely striking main hall's blue whale skeleton as a highlight — book a free timed slot online in peak season to manage crowds.
- AfternoonVictoria & Albert MuseumWorld-leading art and design museum.Tip: Free entry and genuinely vast — the fashion and jewelry galleries are particular highlights, and it's noticeably less crowded than the British Museum despite comparable quality.
Lunch nearby: Daquise or V&A Café
Dinner: Daquise or V&A Café
4A Last Morning in the West EndLast morning
- Before you leaveNational GalleryWestern painting from Giotto to Van Gogh, free, on Trafalgar Square.Tip: Go straight to Room 43 for Van Gogh’s Sunflowers before the crowds, then work back.
Lunch nearby: Four Seasons Chinatown or Gordon's Wine Bar
Dinner: Dishoom Carnaby or Bar Italia
Where to stay
Covent Garden & Soho
The heart of the West End: theatres, restaurants and the piazza, with most sights a walk away.
Covent Garden and Leicester Square tube (Piccadilly and Northern lines); walk to Westminster, Soho and the South Bank.
South Kensington
Elegant white-stucco streets by the great museums and Hyde Park.
South Kensington tube, with a tunnel straight to the museums; the Piccadilly line runs direct to Heathrow.
South Bank & Southwark
The riverside from the London Eye to Borough Market: views, galleries and the best food market in town.
Waterloo and London Bridge stations; the Jubilee line is step-free; walk along the river to Westminster and the Tower.
Everything in the plan is ready to book
The full plan has a map of each day, directions between stops, opening hours, restaurant choices, hotels in these areas and tickets, tours and trains linked to book with the provider you choose.
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