Two days in London

Morning:

There are a zillion different places where you could kick off your two days in London. But we’re going to start at London Victoria, as it’s easy to reach from just about anywhere in town, and it’s well placed for a wander into historic Westminster.

Grab breakfast at the station and mosey up and along Buckingham Palace Road, which is where – as the name makes abundantly clear – you’ll find Buckingham Palace, official residence of the British monarch. First things first though: walk straight on past it and into St James’s Park, a bucolic oasis in the urban heart of the city, with plenty of benches and lawns on which to finally get involved with all those cronuts, fruit pots and granola bowls you’ve been juggling since you left Victoria. Do note, however, that you may be required to share them with the resident squirrels, ducks and pelicans, like something out of a Disney movie. Sort of.

Suitably fortified, seek out the best fairytale views of the palace where it peeps through the foliage and is reflected in the lake below, before joining a tour in time for the 11AM Changing of the Guard (daily in summer; four times a week in winter). Combining pomp and tradition with stirring music and first-rate horsemanship, it’s a slice of British pageantry that’s just too irresistible to miss.

Afterwards, battle the crowds along Birdcage Walk and onto Parliament Square, for some of London’s finest architectural eye candy, including Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament). And yes, that’s Big Ben chiming the hour right in front of you. Blimey, it’s nearly lunchtime already!

Afternoon:

Make a left along the grand thoroughfare that is Whitehall, pausing at the easy-to-miss gates to Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister, before continuing up to The Strand, Charing Cross Station and their veritable smorgasbord of takeout lunch options. Rumbling belly quietened (for now), double back to Trafalgar Square, whose fearsome bronze lions have stood guard at the base of Nelson’s column since 1868. On the square’s north side stands the National Gallery. Spanning centuries of western art, collection highlights include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer and one of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, as well as providing an encyclopedic introduction to British artists that’s sure to keep you busy for the rest of the afternoon.

Afterwards, stop by Covent Garden – home of the city’s most popular piazza and the excellent London Transport Museum. Dawdle here a while to watch the street performers doing their thang, and perhaps to reward yourself with a cocktail on one of the Apple Market’s elevated terraces.

Get the full lowdown on things to do in Covent Garden here.

Evening:

Cross the Thames via the Hungerford or Golden Jubilee Bridges to reach the South Bank, a cultural riverside hub that’s packed with attractions. Time it right and you’ll be able to sail above the London skyline inside one of the London Eye’s air-conditioned glass pods just as the sun begins to set over the capital. 

Follow it up with a snap-happy stroll through the Leake Street Arches (aka the Banksy Tunnel) beneath Waterloo Station, with 300 meters of cutting-edge graffiti to ogle. There are plenty of places to dine around here, too, especially around the Southbank Centre, a love-it-or-loathe-it slab of brutalist 1950s architecture, of which Royal Festival Hall is where it’s at for live shows and terrace drinks with ace nighttime Thames views. Meanwhile, the nearby BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX cinemas have all your arthouse, indie and blockbuster movie-going needs covered.

Morning:

With half your two-day trip to London already gone there’s no time to lose, so shake off any fuzzy heads you might have and start the morning with the Tower of London’s famous Beefeaters and their resident raven pals. Expect wild tales of murder, mystery, passion and intrigue, many centered around gouty serial monogamist Henry VIII and his tragic, doomed wives. You can also gaze goggle-eyed into the heavily guarded display cases that house the Crown Jewels. They include the largest clear-cut diamond in the world, known as Cullinan I, as well as the ceremonial St Edward’s Crown. Worn at the coronation of every British monarch since Charles II in 1661, it’s anything but old hat.

Read our complete guide to visiting the Tower of London here.

Afterwards, head west towards London Bridge, pausing for a breather en route amid the pretty gardens and ruins of the church of St Dunstan-in-the-East. Once on London Bridge, stop to enjoy views back downriver to the (much grander) Tower Bridge, with its iconic neo-gothic turrets.

Afternoon:

Hark, is that the thundering of trains overhead, or the sound of your stomach complaining that it’s been running on empty since breakfast? Well, good news: you’ve just arrived at Borough Market, where some of the city’s best street food stalls – think super-gooey potato raclette, slow-roasted pork sandwiches, spicy Indian dals and jam donuts the size of your face – will almost certainly persuade you to come back for second (or maybe even third) helpings.

Grab a fresh brew to go from the legendary Monmouth Coffee Company (or a quick pint at the old-school Market Porter alehouse), before hitting up one of the hottest tickets in town: The Shard. You can’t really miss this one: it’s only the tallest building in the UK. Yes, that great big glass thing that’s been lurking within your line of vision for pretty much the whole day so far. Whiz 72 floors up to The View from the Shard, to see London and all its many landmarks spread out far beneath your feet. Look: there’s St Paul’s Cathedral over there. And the Tower of London. And Wembley Stadium. Keen-eyed visitors may also be able to pick out the distant turrets of Windsor Castle, some 25 miles west of The Shard.

Next, it’s choose-your-own-adventure time. There’s a glut of world-class attractions just a short way from The Shard. Take your pick from the iconic dome and celeb-filled crypt and of St Paul’s Cathedral, get another eye-popping art fix at the Tate Modern, or go time traveling back to the Elizabethan era at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Afterwards, hop on the bus or Tube for the short ride to Oxford Circus from where, if you have time, you can indulge your inner shopaholic – you’re just a short walk to Selfridges department store, seven stories of fun at Hamleys’ flagship Regent Street toy emporium, and the credit card-melting boutiques of Bond Street.

Evening:

You’re in the West End, baby, so at the very least you should be looking to take in a show. This, after all, is the world’s best theater district this side of Broadway, with perennial musical favorites including Wicked, Les Miserables, Matilda, The Lion King and The Mousetrap to choose from, as well as dramas, comedies and other such grandiose productions.

You can grab a quick dinner in Chinatown beforehand – just follow your nose to the heady scents of spicy noodles and roast duck on and around Gerrard Street, just off the main theatrical drag of Shaftesbury Avenue.

There’s no need to call it a night after screaming your lungs out to Defying Gravity or Don’t Cry for Me Argentina either. For night owls, the intoxicating nightlife of Soho awaits, all subterranean speakeasies, bustling bars and high-energy clubs. You won’t have to walk far along Frith, Greek or Old Compton Street to find a buzzy venue that’s right for you. Just don’t stay up too late, you’ve got a flight to catch in the morning.