In this guide
Five days is the first length at which London stops being a race. Three days covers the essentials; the fourth and fifth days are what turn a sightseeing trip into a visit.
The structure here is deliberate: the central landmarks first while your energy is highest, the river on day four, and a whole day in one neighbourhood at the end, when you know enough about the city to choose which one.
💡 The Short Version: Days 1–3 are the three-day plan — Westminster, the Tower and South Bank, and one museum district. Day 4 is Greenwich, reached by river. Day 5 is one neighbourhood, chosen by market day.
Book these before you leave
| Book | How far ahead |
|---|---|
| Tower of London | 2–3 weeks in peak season, and take the first slot |
| Westminster Abbey | 1–2 weeks. Closed to sightseers on Sundays |
| A West End show | 2–4 weeks for anything popular |
| Horizon 22 | Weeks ahead. It is free and the highest free view in London |
| A destination restaurant | 2–4 weeks. See special occasion restaurants |
Days 1 to 3: the central essentials
These follow the three-day itinerary exactly, and that guide has the walking times and booking detail.
- Day 1 — Westminster and the West End. The Abbey, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Trafalgar Square, then Soho or a show.
- Day 2 — The Tower and the South Bank. The Tower first thing, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, then the continuous river walk past the Globe, Tate Modern and the Southbank Centre.
- Day 3 — One museum district. South Kensington or Bloomsbury. Both free, both enormous.
With five days you have one advantage the three-day version does not: you can move a day if the weather turns. Day 3 is entirely indoors. Swap it forward on the wet day and push the river walk back.
Day 4: Greenwich, and go by river
Half a day minimum, a full day comfortably.
Take the boat, not the train. The DLR is faster and the river is the point — the approach past Wapping and the Isle of Dogs, with Greenwich opening up ahead of you, is one of the best things you can do in London for the price of a fare.
Boats run from Westminster, Embankment and Tower piers and take around an hour from Westminster. Contactless works and Oyster gets a discount. Our river boats guide covers the services and which pier to use.
What to see
- Cutty Sark — the last tea clipper, and you can walk underneath the hull, which is the bit that surprises people.
- The Old Royal Naval College — Christopher Wren’s, and the Painted Hall inside is the reason to go. Ten years of ceiling painting, and the closest thing London has to the Sistine Chapel.
- National Maritime Museum — free, and much better than it needs to be.
- Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory — the climb is short and steep, and the view from the top is free. The Observatory itself, with the meridian line, is ticketed.
- Greenwich Market — covered, and good for lunch.
See our Greenwich guide for the detail.
The view from the Observatory hill. Worth the climb, and the reason to do Greenwich as a whole day rather than a morning.
Getting back
Walk under the river. The Greenwich Foot Tunnel beside the Cutty Sark is free, open at all hours, and comes up at Island Gardens with the best view back at Greenwich there is. From there the DLR runs north through the docks on a viaduct — sit at the front, there is no driver.
That also puts you at Canary Wharf, which is now worth an hour or two rather than the twenty minutes it used to be. If you would rather walk the whole thing rather than take the DLR back, we have it as a numbered route from Canary Wharf to Greenwich.
Day 5: one neighbourhood, properly
By day five the mistake everyone makes is going back to the middle. You have seen the middle. The fifth day is the one that turns a sightseeing trip into knowing a city slightly, and the way to spend it is to pick one neighbourhood and stay there — eat there, walk it, sit in its park, use its pubs.
Choose by the day of the week, because several of these only work on one:
The day people remember. Pick one and stay in it.
Choose by market day, not by reputation. Several of these are transformed by whether their market is running.
Notting Hill and west
Portobello Road Market is Saturday — that is the day it is at full stretch, and also the most crowded. Friday is a good compromise.
Add the pastel streets, Kensington Gardens, and either Little Venice’s canal or the Design Museum. See Notting Hill.
Shoreditch and Spitalfields
Sunday is the day — Brick Lane, Columbia Road Flower Market and Spitalfields all run together and the whole area is at its best.
Street art, the markets, a curry or a beigel on Brick Lane, and a destination dinner. See Shoreditch and our street art guide.
Bloomsbury and King’s Cross
The quiet option, and the best in bad weather. The British Library, the Regent’s Canal towpath, Coal Drops Yard, and the squares in between. See King’s Cross.
Camden and Regent’s Park
Camden Market runs daily. Combine it with the canal walk to Little Venice, or Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill for the skyline view. See Camden.
Hampstead
The furthest from central and the most unlike it. The Heath, the ponds, Kenwood House, and pubs that predate everything else on this list. See Hampstead.
Spread the evenings out
Five nights is enough to eat properly rather than incidentally, and it is the part of a long trip most people waste on whatever is nearest the hotel.
One night in a neighbourhood you are not staying in — Peckham, Hackney, Brixton — is worth more than another West End chain. Book one thing that needs booking, leave the rest loose.
Borough is a lunch, not a dinner — it closes early, and it is closed on Mondays.
Five nights is enough for variety, and the mistake is stacking the good ones at the end when you are too tired.
- A West End show — book before you fly.
- One proper dinner — see special occasion restaurants. Lunch at the same restaurant is dramatically cheaper for the same kitchen.
- A view at dusk — Horizon 22 or the Sky Garden, both free with booking. See the views guide.
- Live music — from the 100 Club to a jazz late set.
- A quiet pub — historic pubs has the genuinely old ones.
Do not schedule the big dinner after the longest walking day.
Should you take a day trip instead?
Windsor, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Brighton are all reachable, and on a five-day trip they cost you a London neighbourhood you have not seen yet.
Our view: on five days, don’t. Greenwich gives you the change of scene, the river journey and a completely different kind of London without leaving the fare zone. Save the day trips for a second visit or a longer one.
Common mistakes
- Taking the DLR to Greenwich because it is faster. The river is the experience. The DLR is the way back.
- Saving the neighbourhood day for last and then being too tired to walk it. Keep Day 4 light if you need to.
- Ignoring market days. Portobello on a Tuesday and Columbia Road on a Saturday are different places entirely.
- Booking a day trip out of London. On five days it is a poor trade.
- Stacking every special evening at the end.
- Doing both museum districts. Day 3 is one of them. The other keeps.
Continue planning your London trip
- 🗓️ Three Days in London
- 🎯 One-Day Plans by Interest
- ⛵ How to Use London’s River Boats
- 🏘️ Best London Areas to Visit
- 🎪 Free Things to Do in London
Check attraction availability, market days and transport status before travelling.
Common questions
Is five days enough to see London?
Five days is the point where London stops feeling rushed. It covers the central essentials, a full day in Greenwich by river, and a whole day in one neighbourhood — which is the day most people remember. It still will not cover everything, and that is the correct outcome.
What should I add on days four and five in London?
Greenwich on day four, reached by river boat rather than rail, because the approach is the point. Day five is best spent in a single neighbourhood: Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Spitalfields, or Bloomsbury and King's Cross. Choose by market day rather than by reputation.
Should I take a day trip from London on a five-day visit?
Probably not. Windsor, Oxford and Bath each take a day and cost you a London neighbourhood you have not seen. On five days, Greenwich gives you the change of scene without leaving the city or the Oyster zone.
How do I get to Greenwich from central London?
By river boat from Westminster, Embankment or Tower piers — around an hour, and the approach past the Isle of Dogs is the best part. The DLR from Bank is faster and less interesting. River services take contactless payment and Oyster gets a discount.
How much walking is a five-day London itinerary?
Four to six miles on the three central days, less on the Greenwich day, and whatever you choose on day five. Every day here has a bus or Tube alternative for the long stretches.
