Today I want to bring you my itinerary for a weekend in London. 2 days is a great amount of time to see the highlights of the UK capital and get a taste of what the city has to offer. Whatever you love to do, you can find lots of ways to fill your time and experience the best of London. Read on for my guide. I’ve included a map with all the details, too.

Weekend in London

Weekend in London

One of the best things about being a travel blogger is helping people plan their perfect trips. Whether it’s through my blog posts or my travel planning services, I love helping my readers enjoy a richer experience in London or further afield.

A lot of people ask me how to spend a weekend in London, and today I want to share the official A Lady in London itinerary for spending 2 days in the UK capital.

I’ve shared lots of London itineraries before, and I hope you’ll find this one as helpful as you’ve found the others. You can also take a look at my 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, 7-day, 10-day, 36-hour, and 1 week itineraries for more inspiration.

Tower Bridge Opening

Before I get into my itinerary for a weekend in London, it’s worth mentioning that there’s no right or wrong way to spend your time in the city. My guide has a mix of the big sightseeing highlights and the places local Londoners spend time in.

You can adjust the itinerary to fit your personal travel style and passions, but I hope it gives you a solid overview of what the UK capital has to offer.

You can use my larger London travel guide to find things that fit your specific interests and fill in any gaps as well. If you have a particular focus, my themed itineraries can be helpful, too.

Big Ben

Where to Stay in London

Before you travel to London for a weekend, you’ll need to decide where to base yourself. Thankfully there are plenty of options for accommodation in London. Whether you prefer a hotel or apartment, the city has a large selection to choose from.

That said, given the UK capital is enormous and 2 days is a short amount of time, staying in or near the center is always a good strategy.

You can take a look at my blog posts about the best area to stay in London and the best hotels for your style for my top picks. If you want something unique, my guides to quirky hotels in London and London themed hotels can help.

You can also find deals and book accommodation in London here. With so many places to pick from, you’re bound to find the perfect one for you.

Bloomsbury Hotel

Friday Night in London: Tour and Soho

If you arrive on Friday night, I recommend getting settled into your accommodation before taking an open-top bus tour or a Thames river cruise to get a feel for the city.

They’re great ways to get a high-level overview of what London has to offer so you know what you want to see while you’re visiting. You can book tickets for a bus tour here here and tickets for a river cruise here.

Afterwards I recommend going to Soho for dinner in the heart of the West End. This is one of the most exciting parts of the city, and it’s a great place to raise a glass to a weekend in London.

Soho, London

Whether you want cheap eats at Pizza Pilgrims, a romantic London dinner at Andrew Edmunds, a steak at Blacklock, or a press-for-champagne button at Bob Bob Ricard, there are plenty of options.

There are fun pubs, bars, and nightlife venues here, too. When you’ve finished dinner, Soho is the perfect place to see the best of London at night.

From live jazz at Ronnie Scott’s to cocktails at Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers and travel-themed bars like Cahoots near Regent Street and Carnaby Street, it’s hard to go wrong here.

Soho, London at night

Saturday in London: South Bank, the City, and the West End

The next morning, start the Saturday of your weekend in London by exploring the South Bank.

Situated right on the Thames, this is the ideal place to take in the views from the London Eye, browse the book market, or stroll along the river. You can reserve London Eye tickets here (you’ll want to do so well in advance).

There are always pop-ups, street performers, markets, food trucks, and other entertainment here, so it’s a treat to meander along the Thames and see what’s taking place the weekend you’re visiting London.

South Bank, London

As you walk east from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, you’ll pass highlights like Tate Modern and Borough Market. They’re two of the city’s most beloved landmarks, and they’re worth a special trip.

Tate Modern is known for world-class contemporary art. It’s one of the best museums in London. There’s free entry, so you can pop in for as long or little as you’d like to. There are excellent views of the city from the top of the Blavatnik Building as well.

Not far from the museum, Borough Market is just the spot to find culinary inspiration and get something delicious to eat for lunch.

Borough Market in London

Whether you go to a popular restaurant like Padella or wander around and choose something from one of the stalls, you’re bound to find something to tempt your taste buds.

After lunch at Borough Market you can cross London Bridge to get into the City of London. Make sure to look out for the views of Tower Bridge on your right as you go.

Once in the City of London, you’ll be in the historic heart of the UK capital. There’s a lot to see here.

St Pauls Cathedral, London

From the landmark dome of Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral to the tucked-away lanes around Bank station, this part of London inspires with its abundance of architectural history.

You can walk around and explore at your own pace, or do my free self-guided City of London walk if you want directions to the area’s highlights.

When you’re done exploring, you can walk or take the tube to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. You can tour the tower and the bridge if you’d like to, or just admire them from the outside. You can book Tower of London tickets here.

Tower of London

In the evening, I recommend seeing a show in the West End. There are lots of plays and musicals on at any given time in London, and there’s bound to be one that suits your interests.

Depending on your timing, you can have dinner in Covent Garden before or after the show. There’s no shortage of good places to eat here, from casual stalls in Seven Dials Market to classic restaurants like Rules and The Ivy.

At the end of the evening you can either walk around to explore sights like the Covent Garden Piazza, Leicester Square, and Piccadilly Circus, or explore the nightlife scene in Covent Garden.

Piccadilly Circus Tube Station, London

With some of the city’s best bars, pubs, and clubs, there’s no shortage of fun to be had in this part of the city. From traditional British numbers like The Cross Keys to comedy clubs and fun spots like Blame Gloria and Mrs Riot, there’s something for every taste.

Sunday in London: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, and the East End

The next morning, start the Sunday of your weekend in London at Buckingham Palace. You can time your visit to watch the Changing the Guard ceremony, or just admire the monarch’s London residence from the gates.

If your trip coincides with the seasonal opening, you can also take a tour of Buckingham Palace. It’s a great way to see the state rooms and gardens while you’re visiting. You can book tickets here (you’ll need to book well in advance).

Buckingham Palace Guards

From Buckingham Palace you can walk over to have lunch in nearby Victoria. This area has a variety of places where you can get a casual meal.

There are lots of great options in the pedestrianized Sir Simon Milton Square, including burgers at Shake Shack, pizza at Franco Manca, and ramen at Bone Daddies. You can also find more eateries at Market Halls Victoria, which has a fun roof terrace.

From lunch you can walk through St James’s Park to Horse Guards Parade and Westminster. This area is home to some of the most iconic London landmarks. Westminster is what many people think of when they hear the word “London”.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben

Westminster Abbey is a highlight, Big Ben is a must on any weekend in London itinerary, and the Houses of Parliament are awe-inspiring. If want to, you can tour the abbey and parliament. You can book tickets here.

You can also do my free self-guided Westminster walk if you want to see the local area in addition to the big attractions. It will lead you around to see the side streets and hidden places residents love.

Afterwards I recommend walking up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. You can see Nelson’s Column and check out the sculpture on the Fourth Plinth, all while taking in the scene around the fountains.

Trafalgar Square

If you want to, you can pop into the National Gallery while you’re here. This place is home to world-class paintings from big names like Turner, Monet, and da Vinci. It offers free entry, so you can stay for as little or as long as you feel like.

If your weekend in London continues through the evening, I recommend taking the tube and/or Overground to east London to experience some of the hip restaurants and nightlife in Shoredtich or Hackney.

Shoreditch is one of the coolest neighborhoods in London, and places like Rivington Street, Redchurch Street, and Shoreditch High Street are packed with restaurants and bars.

Shoreditch Restaurant Tables in east London

From fun Bombay cafes like Dishoom to watering holes like Happiness Forgets, there are a lot of great places to eat and drink here.

Hackney and nearby Hackney Wick are also good choices. They’re some of the most hipster London neighborhoods.

From restaurants on Broadway Market in London Fields to clubs by the canal in Hackney Wick, there’s no shortage of places to choose from. They’re great spots to wrap up a weekend in London.

Hackney Wick Bar in East London

Weekend in London Map

As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places I wrote about in this blog post. You can see it here. If you click on the blue pins, you can find more information about each one.

Big Ben

Weekend in London

I hope you’ve enjoyed my itinerary for a weekend in London. 2 days is enough to see the highlights, but there’s a lot more to discover in the city.

I’m sure your experience here will make you want to come back for more. London will have plenty waiting for you when you do. If you want some ideas for your next visit, you can take a look at my guide to planning a weekend in London. Happy travels!

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Weekend in London

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