Churchill War Rooms
The underground rooms from which Churchill's government ran the Second World War, kept as they were, with a museum of his life alongside. Entry is by timed ticket; book ahead.
Itinerary · London, United Kingdom · 3 days
3 Days in London: Westminster, the Tower and the Great Free Museums
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London rewards a plan that keeps each day in one part of town, because the distances between its famous sights are bigger than the map suggests. This plan does Westminster and Trafalgar Square on the first day and ends on the London Eye. The second day starts at the Tower of London and follows the river west through two markets to Tate Modern. The last day starts in the British Museum and finishes in Kensington, with a palace and a long walk in Hyde Park. Four of the twelve stops are among the city's great free museums.
Updated October 2026
- Best forFirst-time visitors who want the royal and historic sights plus the big free museums, one part of town a day
- SeasonAny time of year; late spring to early autumn gives the longest days for the river walks and the parks
- PaceBalanced12 stops over 3 days
- Budget$$Seven of the twelve stops are free (the National Gallery, Leadenhall Market, Borough Market, Tate Modern, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and Hyde Park); the main costs are your hotel and five paid tickets
- Day 1Westminster, Whitehall and the South Bank
- Day 2The Tower of London, the City and Bankside
- Day 3Bloomsbury, South Kensington and Hyde Park
Solid line: on foot · Dotted line: a ride (train, bus, boat or taxi) · Each day's stops are numbered from 1.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Day 1Westminster to Trafalgar Square, and the Eye at dusk4 stops · Westminster, Whitehall and the South Bank
- Day 2The Tower, two markets and Bankside4 stops · The Tower of London, the City and Bankside
- Day 3The British Museum, then Kensington4 stops · Bloomsbury, South Kensington and Hyde Park
Day 1
Westminster to Trafalgar Square, and the Eye at dusk
Why this orderStart underground at the Churchill War Rooms on an early timed ticket. Westminster Abbey is a few minutes' walk away; book it too, because it closes to sightseers on some days for services. Walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square for the National Gallery, free, and choose a few rooms. Finish by crossing the river on the Golden Jubilee footbridges to the London Eye, booked for the end of the afternoon, with Westminster across the water.
Getting aroundOn foot all day. Westminster Abbey to Trafalgar Square along Whitehall is under 20 minutes on foot, and from there the footbridges bring you to the Eye in about a quarter of an hour.
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Sight
Westminster Abbey, London
The coronation church since 1066, with royal tombs and Poets' Corner. Sightseeing needs a ticket, and booking ahead is strongly advised.
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Museum
National Gallery, London
More than 2,300 paintings from the 13th century to about 1900, facing Trafalgar Square. The collection is free; pick a few rooms rather than the whole map.
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Sight
London Eye
The 135-metre observation wheel on the South Bank, looking straight across at Westminster. Book a timed ticket for late in the day.
If it rains: Trade the London Eye, whose views shrink in low cloud, for the National Portrait Gallery next door to the National Gallery, free and reopened after a long renovation.
Day 2
The Tower, two markets and Bankside
Why this orderBe at the Tower of London when it opens and go straight to the Crown Jewels, before the queue builds towards midday; join a Yeoman Warder tour afterwards. Walk up into the City to Leadenhall Market, a Victorian covered market, then cross London Bridge to Borough Market for lunch. Spend the afternoon at Tate Modern, free, and finish by walking out onto the Millennium Bridge, with St Paul's dome straight ahead.
Getting aroundOn foot all day. The Tower to Leadenhall Market is about a quarter of an hour on foot; Leadenhall to Borough Market, across London Bridge, is under 20; and Borough Market to Tate Modern along the river is under 20.
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Sight
Tower of London
William the Conqueror's fortress, with the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House and Yeoman Warder tours included in the ticket. See the Jewels first, then everything else.
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Leadenhall Market
A covered market whose trade goes back to the 14th century, under a painted iron-and-glass roof of 1881. Free to walk through on the way from the Tower to the river.
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Borough Market
One of London's oldest and largest food markets, under the railway arches by Southwark Cathedral; by its own account it goes back to 1014. Come hungry and eat as you go.
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Museum
Tate Modern, London
Modern and contemporary art in the former Bankside Power Station, entered through the vast Turbine Hall. The collection is free, and the café on Level 10 looks out over the city.
For the river view: Trade Leadenhall Market for Tower Bridge, next to the Tower: the Tower Bridge Exhibition takes you along the high-level walkways, with glass floors over the road and river. Then cross the bridge and follow the south bank west to Borough Market.
Day 3
The British Museum, then Kensington
Why this orderOpen the day at the British Museum with a free timed ticket, and see the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures first. Take the Piccadilly line west to South Kensington and walk through the old pedestrian subway to the Natural History Museum. Then walk north into Kensington Gardens for Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born, and end the trip with a long walk east along the lake into Hyde Park.
Getting aroundPiccadilly line from Russell Square or Holborn to South Kensington, then the pedestrian subway to the museums. The Natural History Museum to Kensington Palace is under half an hour on foot.
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Museum
British Museum, London
The world's first public national museum, founded in 1753, home of the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures. Free; booking a free time slot is advised but not required.
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Natural History Museum
Alfred Waterhouse's cathedral-like museum, where the skeleton of a blue whale hangs over the main hall. Free; a free ticket guarantees entry.
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Sight
Kensington Palace, London
The palace in Kensington Gardens where Queen Victoria was born and grew up, now open to visitors with a ticket.
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Hyde Park
One of London's Royal Parks, free and open, with the Serpentine lake running through it and Speakers' Corner at its north-east corner. A long, easy walk to end on.
If it rains: Trade Hyde Park for the V&A, next to the Natural History Museum: free, and the world's largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design.
Practical notes
Opening days and hours vary.
They change by place and season; Westminster Abbey also closes to sightseers on some days for services and state events. Check each place before you go, and book a time slot wherever one is offered.
What to book ahead.
Paid and timed: the Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the Tower of London and Kensington Palace. Free but worth a free time slot: the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Getting around.
Tap a contactless bank card or an Oyster card on the Tube and buses; both pay the same fares and are capped each day. Paper tickets cost more.
From Heathrow.
The Elizabeth line, the Piccadilly line and the Heathrow Express all link the airport with central London.
Where to stay.
A base around Covent Garden or Bloomsbury keeps Day 1 and the British Museum on foot, and puts you on the Piccadilly line for South Kensington.
Questions travellers ask
Is 3 days enough for London?
Enough for the main royal and historic sights and three of the great museums, as long as each day stays in one area. It is not enough to add Windsor or Greenwich without dropping a day here.
Which museums on this route are free?
The National Gallery, Tate Modern, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, plus the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A on the swaps. Special exhibitions may charge.
What do I need to book in advance?
The Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the Tower of London and Kensington Palace. For the free British Museum and Natural History Museum, a free time slot saves queuing.
Why go to the Crown Jewels first?
The queue for the Jewel House builds towards the middle of the day, so seeing them at opening frees the rest of your visit.
Can I see inside Buckingham Palace?
Only for a period in summer, when the State Rooms open to visitors. The Changing of the Guard follows a published schedule and can be cancelled at short notice, for example in wet weather, so check the official schedule before planning around it.
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Photo credits
- The north tower of Tower Bridge and its high-level walkways against a blue sky, daytime: rmac8oppo, CC0 · source
Place names from Google Maps.
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