If you are going to visit London in one day , it is very important to plan the day well to make the most of it, and see as much as possible.
If it’s your first time in London, there are certain things you can’t miss, you definitely have to see Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Buckingham Palace… All these places they are relatively close and can be seen on foot from one to the other, but others such as the famous London Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral are a bit far away, and to get to these you will surely have to take public transport.
Do not forget that you can find a map of London with the points of interest indicated and all our routes in our free mobile App that works offline .
What will you find in this article?
What to see in London in one day
We are going to give you two possibilities to see London in one day, take advantage of the day by getting on the tourist bus and taking a cruise on the Thames, or walking from one place to another.
Option 1: Take the tourist bus and take a cruise on the Thames
I really think that the best way to take advantage of a day visit to London is without a doubt taking the tourist bus , which also includes a free Thames cruise. In this way you will be able to see the most important parts of the city: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Hyde Park, etc., including those places that are a bit far from the Big Ben area: St Pauls , Tower Bridge, Tower of London… and it would even give you time to visit some of these attractions, such as getting on the London Eye, entering St Paul’s or Westminster Abbey…
The river cruise is one of the experiences that I personally liked the most when I came to visit London in one day almost 10 years ago, and I recommend it without any doubt. From the river you get great views of Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe, St Paul’s…
Option 2: London in a day without the tourist bus
If you don’t want to use the tourist bus, it is possible to walk around the center of London to see some of the most important things in the British capital, and for that we would recommend you to take a look at our Itinerary 1 . This route starts at Buckingham Palace, with the idea of seeing the Changing of the Guard , which takes place at 11.30 am, and continues to Westminster Abbey, the famous Big Ben, the London Eye, and passing through Charing Cross to reach the Piccadilly Circus area. Although our route ends here, it is possible to walk to Leicester Square and Covent Garden from here, and I really recommend it if you have time.
Recommended transport card to visit London in one day
If you are going to visit London in one day, if you follow our itinerary or use the tourist bus, surely you will hardly need to use public transport in London. But maybe you will need to get to the center and to go to the train or bus station that you need.
For this, I usually recommend an oyster card , since if you buy single tickets it will be much more expensive. Another option, perhaps even better than the oyster card, is to use a contactless card, such as the revolut.