8-Day London Itinerary

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Today I want to bring you my 8-day London itinerary. A week and a day is an ideal amount of time to see the best the UK capital has to offer and explore further afield. Wherever your interests lie, you can find plenty of ways to fill your time in London, see the best of the city, and experience places locals love.

One of the most exciting things about being a travel blogger is helping people plan trips. Whether it’s through my blog posts or my travel planning services, I always love helping others enjoy a fuller experience in London or abroad.

People often ask me how to spend 8 days in London, so I want to share the official A Lady in London itinerary for a week and a day in the UK capital with you today.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’ve shared many London itineraries on the blog in the past. I hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as you’ve liked the others.

You can also take a look at my 1-day, 36-hour, 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, 7-day, 1 week, and 10-day itinerary for more ideas.

The good thing about visiting London is that there’s no right or wrong way to spend your time in the city. There’s so much to do and see here that you could spend a lifetime exploring. There’s something for every taste and interest, too.

My 8-day London itinerary contains a combination of the big sights and the places local Londoners love.

Whether you want to see Big Ben and the Tower of London, graze your way through Borough Market, or delve into the city’s Harry Potter sites, there’s something for everyone.

You can tailor the itinerary to match your personal interests and style. Better yet, you can use my London travel guide to find things to do for your specific passions and fill in any gaps.

If you want additional inspiration, there’s a lot more about the city in Secret London – An Unusual Guide. If you’re in the UK, you can get it here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.

Where to Stay in London

There are plenty of good options for accommodation in London. Whether you want to book yourself a stay at a hotel or in an apartment, the city has an abundance of places to choose from.

Given the enormous size of London, I recommend basing yourself in or near the city center. You can see my blog posts about the best area to stay in London and the best hotels for your style to get ideas and recommendations.

If you’re looking for something fun and unusual, my guides to quirky hotels in London and themed London hotels have suggestions, too.

If you want to do a search, you can find deals and book accommodation in London here. With so many options, you’re bound to find a place that fits your travel style and budget.

Day 1 in London: Buckingham Palace & Westminster

Once you’ve arrived and settled into your hotel or apartment, there’s no better place to start a trip to the UK capital than Buckingham Palace.

You can time your visit so you’ll get to watch the famous Changing the Guard ceremony (it takes place several days a week), or just admire the monarch’s London residence from the big gates.

If you’re in town during the palace’s seasonal opening, you can also take a tour of Buckingham Palace. It’s a fun way to see the state rooms and gardens. You can book tickets here (you’ll need to book well in advance).

From Buckingham Palace you can stroll through St James’s Park to get to Horse Guards Parade and Westminster. The latter is home to some of the most recognizable London landmarks. It’s what many people think of when they hear the word “London”.

Westminster Abbey is inspiring to see, the Houses of Parliament are beautiful, and Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) is a must on any London itinerary. If you have time, you can tour the abbey and parliament. You can book tickets here.

If you want to see more of the area beyond the big attractions, you can also do my free self-guided Westminster walk. It will lead you to some of the side streets and hidden places locals love in the area.

When evening comes, I recommend having a casual dinner near where you’re staying. If you’re a bit jet lagged or you had to wake up really early to travel, you’re probably going to be exhausted.

You can see my recommendations for restaurants in London if you need help finding a place to eat. My interactive London neighborhoods map will also show you my area guides, which have restaurant recommendations.

If you’re running on adrenaline or you have energy left, I recommend taking an open-top bus tour to get an overview of the city. It’s an easy way to get a feel for what London has to offer at the start of your trip. You can book your tickets here.

Day 2 in London: South Bank & the City

On the second morning of your 8-day London itinerary, start by exploring the South Bank.

Right on the Thames, this area is just the spot to take in the views from the London Eye, check out the book market, or soak up the scene along the river. You can get London Eye tickets here (you’ll need to purchase them well in advance).

There are always pop-ups, street performers, food vendors, and other types of entertainment going on here. You can even take a river cruise from Westminster Pier if you want to see the city from the Thames. You can book tickets here.

As you work your way from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, you’ll go by Tate Modern and Borough Market, two more of the most famous places in the city.

The museum is world-class, and the fact that it’s free means you can go in for as long or little as you want. Even if you’re not into art, there are sweeping views from the top of the Blavatnik Building.

Not far away, Borough Market is a fun place to channel your inner food lover and eat something delicious for lunch. It’s great to walk around and soak up the scents and colors of the stalls before deciding on something.

After Borough Market you can head across London Bridge to get into the City of London. If you walk on the east side, you can take in the views of Tower Bridge as you go.

From the historic dome of St Paul’s Cathedral to the arches of Leadenhall Market, the City of London always awes me with its rich architectural history. You can do my self-guided City of London walk if you want to see the best of the area.

If not, walk or take the tube to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. You can tour the tower and the bridge if you want to, or just admire them from the Thames. You can book Tower of London tickets here.

If you have time afterwards, you can explore St Katharine Docks. This marina is one of the most unique places in London, and it’s fun to walk around and take in the scene. There’s a great riverside pub here, too.

For dinner, I recommend walking across Tower Bridge and heading to Bermondsey Street. This is a favorite among locals, and there are lots of pubs and restaurants here. Whether you want tapas or fish and chips, you can find it.

Alternatively, Brick Lane isn’t far from St Katharine Docks and the Tower of London. This famous street in Spitalfields has lots of cool restaurants, pubs, and bars. It’s a fun place to spend a night out in the city.

Day 3 in London: Notting Hill & the West End

Start the third morning of your 8-day London itinerary in Notting Hill. This west London neighborhood is one of the most colorful places in the city. You’ll find everything from the shops to the mews streets to your liking.

If it’s a Saturday, you’ll be able to experience the famous Portobello Road Market in all its glory. Just try to arrive early to avoid the crowds, especially in the high season.

If it’s not a Saturday, you can still head to Portobello Road and check out the market stalls and shops that are open when you visit. There’s some form of market here almost every day of the week.

Beyond the stalls and vendors, my free self-guided Notting Hill walk is the perfect way to get an overview of the neighborhood. It will show you everything from the high streets to the hidden lanes.

Whether you take the walk or not, you can have lunch in Notting Hill before heading down into Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

There’s plenty to see and do here for an afternoon, from paddle boating on the Serpentine to visiting the art galleries (free entry) and touring Kensington Palace.

As evening approaches, take the tube or walk through Mayfair to get to the West End’s Soho and Covent Garden. They’re some of the most exciting places in central London in the evenings.

There’s no shortage of tempting options for food and drink around here, and Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Covent Garden Piazza, and Leicester Square are always fun places to go in London at night.

You can have dinner in the West End before going to a show. Whether you eat at a traditional restaurant like Rules or at one of the many new ones opening all the time, you can’t go wrong in this part of London.

There are always plenty of plays, musicals, and comedy shows on, and they’re entertaining ways to cap off a day of discovering London. From dramas to farces, you have loads of options.

If you want to go out after seeing a show, there’s any number of bars, pubs, and clubs in Covent Garden and Soho you can choose from. They’re great ways to get into central London’s nightlife scene.

My favorite is Cahoots, a London Underground-themed speakeasy just off Carnaby Street in Kingly Court. It’s one of my favorite travel-themed bars in the UK capital.

Day 4 in London: Belgravia, Chelsea, Knightsbridge & South Kensington

Kick off the fourth morning of your 8-day London itinerary in Belgravia. This luxurious area is full of cute cafes and sweet boutiques, particularly those on and around Elizabeth Street.

You can go on my free self-guided Belgravia walking tour to see the best of the neighborhood, or just stroll around the squares and mews. Highlights include Pimlico Road, Motcomb Street, and Belgrave Square.

From Belgravia, make your way to Sloane Square and the King’s Road in Chelsea. This is the perfect place to shop and eat, and you’ll find a range of restaurants to choose from for lunch here.

If it’s a Saturday, don’t miss the delicious food market in Duke of York Square. If it’s not, there’s still plenty to do here. The King’s Road is one of the best shopping streets in London, and it’s a great place to indulge in some retail therapy.

If you want to, you can go on my free self-guided Chelsea walk to see the side streets and riverfront area in this part of west London. You can even pop across the Thames to check out the shops and restaurants in Battersea Power Station.

From Chelsea, you can either head up to Knightsbridge to shop at iconic London department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols, or make your way to South Kensington to see the museums.

The Natural History Museum, V&A, and Science Museum are right next to each other on and around Cromwell Road. They all offer free entry, so you can spend as much or as little time seeing their collections and exhibitions as you’d like to.

Whether you go to the shops or the museums, in the evening you can have dinner at one of the restaurants outside the South Kensington tube station. There are plenty of different cuisines to choose from, and the area has great atmosphere.

If you want to continue your day in style, there’s fun nightlife around Walton Street and the King’s Road. From bars to pubs and clubs, you have a lot of options.

Day 5 in London: Day Trip

On the fifth of your 8 days in the UK capital, I recommend taking a day trip from London. While there’s plenty to keep you busy in the city, there are a lot of amazing places to discover around it.

If you love the English countryside, my top pick is a day trip to the Cotswolds. You can travel independently with or without a car, or take a day tour. You can book my favorite tour here.

There are lots of pretty towns and villages to choose from in the Cotswolds. My top picks are Painswick, Bibury, Burford, Kingham, and Upper Slaughter.

If history is your cup of tea, Winchester, Canterbury and Dover, Bath, Lewes, and Amersham are great. Amersham is so close you can take the tube from central London to get there.

If university cities are your thing, Oxford and Cambridge are classics. They’re some of my favorite short jaunts from the UK capital, and I’ve been to both countless times.

If you’re a fan of castles, you can take a day trip to Windsor Castle, Hever Castle, Scotney Castle, Leeds Castle, Warwick Castle, Sissinghurst Castle, or any number of other historic fortresses near London.

If you love the seaside, there are more great day trips you can take. Brighton, Deal, and Hastings are my favorites. Each one has great beaches and loads of shops and restaurants to enjoy.

If you want to explore another country, you can even take a day trip to Paris from London. There are other day trips from London to Europe that make for fun days out as well.

If you’re looking for the best trips to take at a particular time of year, my seasonal guides to spring, summer, autumn, and winter day trips from London can help.

When you get back to the city, I recommend going to drinks or dinner (or both) at The Shard. This famous skyscraper has some of the best views of the UK capital, and taking them in from a table by a window is a fun way to end an evening.

Day 6 in London: Hampstead, Camden & King’s Cross

Begin the sixth morning of your 8-day London itinerary in Hampstead. This north London neighborhood is one of my favorite places in the city, mostly owing to the fact that it feels like a charming country village.

With pretty streets, great pubs, and one of the city’s biggest parks, it’s the perfect place to explore. I lived here for years and I still go back any chance I get.

You can walk around this London village on your own, or go on my free self-guided Hampstead walk or one of my Hampstead Heath walks to see best of the area.

When you get hungry, you can have lunch at one of the local pubs or a restaurant on Hampstead High Street. My favorites are the Holly Bush, Jin Kichi, and Villa Bianca. The crepe stands are fun, too, but the lines can move very slowly.

After lunch, you can walk or take the tube past Belsize Park and Primrose Hill to get to Camden Town. It’s home to the famous Camden High Street and markets like Camden Market, Buck Street Market, and Hawley Wharf.

You can spend time taking in the colorful facades and browsing the stalls while you’re here. They’re ideal spots to pick up gifts and fun finds to take home as souvenirs.

You can stay in Camden until the sun goes down. The market has lots of food stalls where you can find dinner, and the area has great nightlife. It’s particularly well-known for its live music scene.

From KOKO to the Roundhouse, there’s always a gig on. Famous pubs like The World’s End have basement bars with live performances, too.

Alternatively, after exploring Camden you can stroll along the Regent’s Canal towpath to get to King’s Cross. The area around Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard is packed with shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes. It’s a good place to get dinner.

Before or after you eat, you can walk down to the area’s train stations. King’s Cross is famous for its stunning interior architecture and Harry Potter connections.

While you’re here, you can take a picture at the Platform 9 3/4 sign and pick up a souvenir from the Harry Potter shop next to it.

St Pancras International is known for its exterior architecture and fun shops and restaurants. Designed by designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, it’s one of the most eye-catching historic buildings in London.

Coincidentally, it was also used as a filming location for one of the Harry Potter movies. You can find out which one in my blog post about a Harry Potter walking tour.

If you want to go out afterwards, there are plenty of bars and pubs in the area. From the ones on Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross to local spots in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia, you’re spoiled for choice.

Day 7 in London: Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Hackney

Spend the seventh of your 8 days in London exploring a few more fun places in the city center and the East End.

You can start in Bloomsbury, where you’ll be able to visit the British Museum (free entry) or just wander around to take in the area’s many leafy squares. My free self-guided Bloomsbury walk will show you the local highlights.

Afterwards it’s an easy walk to Clerkenwell. Here you can discover London’s design district and explore places like St John Street or Exmouth Market. Both are good spots to have lunch at one of the neighborhood’s beloved restaurants.

St John restaurant is a favorite of mine, as is the Fox & Anchor pub, which is right around the corner by Charterhouse Square.

You can do my free self-guided Clerkenwell walking tour if you want, too. It will take you around the area and to places like Holborn and Smithfield.

Clerkenwell is an easy walk from Old Street, where you’ll find yourself in hip Shoreditch. This area is famous for its nightlife scene, so if you can time your arrival for the onset of the evening, you’ll get to see the neighborhood in its element.

If you have time or inclination, you can go on one of my free self-guided Shoreditch walks or stroll around to see the street art this east London neighborhood is known for. My favorite place to see it here is New Inn Yard.

You can have dinner in Shoreditch before heading to Hackney. This is one of the coolest neighborhoods in London, and it has a great nightlife scene. The same goes for nearby Hackney Wick, which is one of the most hipster places in the city.

Day 8 in London: St James’s, Mayfair & Marylebone

Start the last morning of your 8-day London itinerary in St James’s. This traditional part of the UK capital is famous for its royal palace, men’s shops, luxury hotels, and members’ clubs.

When you arrive, you can walk down roads like Jermyn Street and Piccadilly, and shop at iconic department stores like Fortnum & Mason.

When you’re done discovering St James’s, cross Piccadilly to get to Mayfair. This chi chi area is home to luxury goods shops, fine-dining restaurants, and the beautiful curving stretch of Regent Street.

You can go on my free Mayfair walk if you want to see the highlights. It will take you around to hidden mews, pretty gardens, and beautiful side streets locals love.

Mayfair is an ideal place to stop for a meal or afternoon tea, too. Whether you eat at a casual cafe on Heddon Street, dine at a tucked-away place in Shepherd Market, or go all-out on a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant, you can’t go wrong for lunch in this area.

When it comes to tea, I love Brown’s Hotel afternoon tea and the jaw-dropping yellow room at Sketch. The former is all British tradition, while the latter is contemporary and stylish.

After lunch or tea, cross Oxford Street to get to Marylebone. This is another of my favorite London neighborhoods, not least because it has one of the best high streets in London.

There are plenty of boutiques, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and shops on Marylebone High Street. They’re great places to get into London’s culinary and retail therapy scenes.

From chic boutiques to recognizable high street names, there’s something for everyone here. My favorite place to shop in Marylebone is Daunt Books. It’s one of the top (and most impressive) independent bookshops in London.

If you want to, you can go on my free self-guided Marylebone walk to explore the neighborhood. It will take you around to some pretty mews and local gardens.

When you’re done in Marylebone, head over to Regent’s Park. This is one of the grandest green spaces in London, and it’s a fun place for a stroll. If it’s summer, make sure to check out the stunning rose gardens.

When the day starts to fade, head back to Marylebone High Street for dinner or leave via one of the other exits of the park and eat in pretty Primrose Hill, fun Camden (if you didn’t spend an evening here before), or classic Fitzrovia.

If you have extra time on your last day in London, I recommend doing any last-minute shopping you didn’t have time to do or filling in any gaps in your itinerary.

Chances are you’ll have heard about some additional places while you’re in town, and this is a good opportunity to visit them. Whether it’s a museum or a local market, there’s plenty to keep you busy before your departure.