3-Day Self-Guided London Walking Tour Through All Major Attractions
Wanting to tour London at your own pace but not sure how to? Here is a self-guided London walking tour to help you see all of the popular, and even some unique, London sites!
Going to London for your first (or even second or third time) is such an exciting time! But it also may be a little bit overwhelming! There is so much history in this beautiful city and whether you have a day or a week, there are some things that you simply can’t miss! They are iconic London and the bonus is that they are super easy to get to!
Having been to London three times so far, I get how hard it can be to get perspective when people give you a list, and then it’s up to you to determine your route or how to get there. I can’t tell you how many times I have back-tracked while on vacations because I missed something I really wanted to see that was near the place we were JUST AT. I’m sad to say that sometimes I’ve just had to call it and leave it for my next trip.
I’m here to help with that! In this post, I’m sharing a self-guided London walking tour with a complete route through all of the major attractions to see in London! Along with that is a list of nearby attractions that you can hit up while you’re there so you don’t miss anything!
RELATED POST
How to Travel Like a Minimalist and Pack Light
Self-Guided London Walking Tour
Let’s do this! As you can see from the map above, this tour will take you all over the main part of London. It’s also a walking tour, but that doesn’t mean we don’t cheat and take the Underground sometimes. The London Underground runs EVERYWHERE and it’s a shame not to take advantage of it and travel like a local.
If you’re thinking that the tour buses would be great if you just want someone to drive you around, then I’ve got you covered! You can do those hop-on hop-off buses if you want, or you can have your afternoon tea on a double-decker bus. I would personally recommend the afternoon tea! It’s super cute and a really unique way to see London. You can get more information on that in the Trafalgar Square section on day 1.
Getting Around on this Self-Guided London Walking Tour
Although this is a walking tour, you’re not going to have to walk everywhere! London is so good about public transportation and it’s SO good about making it easy for tourists. This tour will take you around three days to complete and having the London Pass will make it so convenient. With the London Pass, you can get into many of the attractions outlined on here (I will put * next to the ones not included). You can also purchase a preloaded Oyster Card (an underground card) with your London Pass. So worth it!
Here is the link to get your 3-Day London Pass today!
Will This Really Take 3 Days?
I asked myself the same question! Google Maps says you can make the loop in 4 hours. That of course doesn’t account for stopping at different locations and admiring the sites. For me to do this self-guided London walking tour and not feel rushed, 3 days was just right! 3 days was a perfect amount of time where I didn’t feel rushed and was able to explore a lot of the “Nearby Attractions” that I’ve included near each major landmark.
I have included day “breaks” for you where I think you may want a break. However, this is one big loop so if you want to start on stuff for the next day, go for it! Let’s do this!
Self-Guided London Walking Tour // Day 1
London Eye*
We are starting the tour at the London Eye! If you’ve never been before, the London Eye is a slow-moving carousel-like observation wheel. You just walk on and go slowly around to get unique views of the city. It’s super cool! Definitely buy your tickets ahead of time though! They are cheaper. You can also bundle them with other attractions like Madame Tussauds and the Sea Life London Aquarium right next door.
Length
30-minute ride
Cost
£32.50 – £51
Nearest Tube Station
Waterloo on Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, Waterloo & City Line
Nearby Attractions
London Eye River Cruise – 1-minute walk
- What a great way to experience London! I have always loved doing river cruises in cities that offer them because it gives you such a unique view of the city.
Sea Life Centre London Aquarium* – 2-minute walk
The Graffiti Tunnel – 5-minute walk
Southbank Center* – 6-minute walk
Imperial War Museum – 17-minute walk
Cross Westminster Bridge
Once you are done exploring the London Eye and the Nearby Attractions, cross the bridge and head over to the City of Westminster. This is the inner city of London that houses all of the government buildings including many of the ones you will be exploring the rest of Day 1!
Photo Tip – If you want to get some cool pictures of the Elizabeth Tower (with Big Ben inside) behind you, cross the bridge on the left side.
15-minute walk
Westminster Abbey
The main attraction, as you come into Westminster from Westminster Bridge, is Westminster Abbey! If you see any church in London, this is the one to see. There is so much history here! Many royal weddings happened here and many of London’s famous people have been buried here from Sir Isaac Newton to Charles Dickens.
Cost
Without London Pass, £25 for adults and £11 for children
Nearest Tube Station
Westminster on Jubilee, District, and Circle Lines
Nearby Attractions
Sir Winston Churchill Statue – 3-minute walk
Parliament Square Garden – 3-minute walk
Palace of Westminster* – 3-minute walk
Photo Op: Telephone Box with the Elizabeth Tower behind you (Big Ben) – 3-minute walk
Walk to Trafalgar Square through Whitehall
Next up on the self-guided London walking tour is Trafalgar Square! Although there are many ways to get there, the most scenic route between Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square is through Whitehall. This is where all of the government buildings are, including the home of the Prime Minister. There are also several monuments here that are just so amazing.
14-minute walk
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a bustling city square that sits between Whitehall, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. It is the home of the Nelson Column with the 4 lion statues that guard it along with several fountains, statues, and even a rotating piece of art on the Fourth Plinth. It is a great place to visit, even if you are just passing through one of the many different activities near. For example, just around the corner, you can catch the B Bus for your afternoon tea! Reservations are required though, so don’t forget to plan ahead for that one!
Cost
Free
Nearest Tube Station
Charring Cross on the Bakerloo and Northern Lines
Nearby Attractions
The National Gallery – 1-minute walk
Benjamin Franklin House – 4-minute walk
Afternoon Tea on a Double-Decker Bus – 3-minute walk
- Upgrade your hop-on hop-off bus tour to this! Afternoon tea is one of the quintessential things to do while in England. So is riding a double-decker. Do both at the same time! This bus will take you on a round-trip tour throughout London. Have some tea and see London on the bus!
Leicester Square – 4-minute walk
Piccadilly Circus – 8-minute walk or 3-8 minute train ride from Charring Cross to Piccadilly Circus
Somerset House – 11-minute walk
Walk to Buckingham Palace Down The Mall
Again, of all the paths from Trafalgar Square, walking down The Mall Road is highly recommended. It starts by walking through Admiralty Arch. If you’re lucky, you will get to see all of the Union Jacks flying as you head to the home of the Queen. It truly is amazing and such a great photo opportunity!
On your walk to Buckingham Palace, there are several different sites to see as well!
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial
Spencer House* – slight detour from The Mall
20-minute walk
Buckingham Palace*
The home of the queen has more than just palace guards to see. During the summer months, you can take tours of Buckingham Palace! You can also take tours of the Royal Mews and the Queen’s Gallery. There’s even a bundle ticket option if you want to see all three! The palace is magnificent and if you come at the right time, you can also see the changing of the palace guards in front of Buckingham Palace.
Cost
£14-£55 for adults and £8-£30 for children (Palace tours not included in London Pass)
Nearest Tube Station
Hyde Park Corner on Picadilly Line
Green Park on Picadilly, Jubilee, and Victoria Lines
Victoria on Circle, District, and Victoria Lines
Nearby Attractions
Wellington Arch – 11-minute walk
Royal Mews (included in London Pass) – 5-minute walk
Queen’s Gallery (included in London Pass) – 3-minute walk
Westminster Cathedral – 10-minute walk
Apollo Victoria Theatre* – 11-minute walk (or 4 minutes from Westminster Cathedral)
- The Apollo Victoria Theatre is known for being the home to some amazing shows, including Wicked. Check the website for show times and you may just be able to end your first day with a good show!
Self-Guided London Walking Tour // Day 2
Kensington Palace & Gardens
Kensington Palace is such a lovely place to visit. It’s like the Versailles of London. Only not as lavish. But can anything be as lavish as Versailles? Kensington Palace is where Queen Victoria was born and grew up and has been used as a home by royals for so many years. Currently, it’s the home to Prince William and Kate, so there’s that. You can take a tour of the palace and the gardens.
Cost
Without the London Pass, £20 for adults and £10 for children
Nearest Tube Station
Queensway on the Central Line
Nearby Attractions
Hyde Park – 11-minute walk
Exhibition Road – 18-minute walk
Natural History Museum – 18-minute walk or a 2-minute walk from Exhibition Road
Victoria & Albert Museum – 18-minute walk or a 1-minute walk from the Natural History Museum
Harrods – 25-minute walk or a 10-minute walk from Victoria & Albert Museum
Portobello Market – 31-minute walk
Notting Hill – 31-minute walk or a 6-minute walk from Portabello Market
Tube Ride to the British Museum
Head back to the Queensway tube station and take the Central line to the Tottenham Court Road tube station. Here are some really good stops you can make along the way though!
- Hyde Park – Peter Pan Statue
25 minutes
British Museum
The British Museum is such a cool place to visit. It is like a museum of all of human history! There is so much to see here. You can honestly spend a few hours here just looking around and immersing yourself in the history of the world.
Cost
Free
Nearest Tube Station
Tottenham Court Road on the Central Line
Nearby Attractions
Monopoly Lifesized* – 7-minute walk
Charles Dickens Museum – 13-minute walk
Tube Ride to St. Paul’s Cathedral
After you are done exploring the area, head back to the Tottenham Court Road Tube station and take the train to St. Paul’s Tube station. There’s no need to walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral if you can get a ride there!
15 minutes
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Another church worth visiting is St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is one of the tallest buildings in London and the second largest church. There is so much history in the church and it is truly worth visiting!
Cost
Without the London Pass, annual and single-day tickets – £18 for adults and £7.70 for children
Nearest Tube Station
St. Paul’s on the Central line
Nearby Attractions
The National Firefighters Memorial – 1-minute walk
Museum of London – 7-minute walk
Millenium Bridge – 4-minute walk
Self-Guided London Walking Tour // Day 3
This is the last day of your self-guided London walking tour! And we’re starting off the day with the Tower of London!
Tower of London
So much history! If you like learning about London’s history and specifically, the Tower of London, you don’t want to miss it! You can also see the Crown Jewels on display which is quite amazing!
Cost
£29.90 for adults and £14.90 for children
Nearest Tube Station
Tower Hill on Circle and District line
Nearby Attractions
Tower Bridge – 6-minute walk
St Katharine Docks Marina – 7-minute walk
Monument to the Great Fire of London – 8-minute walk
Sky Garden – 8-minute walk
Leadenhall Market – 11-minute walk
- Diagon Alley anyone?
Jack the Ripper Museum* – 13-minute walk
Crossing the Thames
It’s time to cross the Thames again! There are three ways that I recommend crossing from where you are at. Each has its perks. Consider this like a pick your own adventure, but instead, you get to pick your bridge!
Tower Bridge
If you’re thinking that you want to cross the iconic, tall, white, and blue bridge, this is the one you want to go across! It’s also most likely the closest to you. You can also take tours and go to the second story to see London in a different way. Oh and walk on glass floors… I would definitely recommend coming here! If you’ve bought the London Pass, a tour is included!
Millennium Bridge
If you’ve watched Harry Potter, this is the infamous bridge that gets destroyed at the beginning of the 6th movie. Luckily, that wasn’t real life because it’s very much intact. This is my favorite way to cross because not only is it a pedestrian bridge (no cars or buses), but you also get a really cool peak at St. Paul’s Cathedral (if you look back) as you cross it! You may have to back-track a little to go on this bridge, depending on where you ended.
Southwark Bridge
Pretty standard bridge but also very much on your way! No backtracking is necessary. Probably.
London Bridge
Don’t get confused between Tower Bridge and London Bridge! The Tower Bridge is the iconic, blue and white bridge with tours and such. The London bridge is just that – a bridge in London. You do get great views OF Tower Bridge from the London bridge though!
Shakespeare’s Globe
If you are a fan of Shakespeare or theatre, this is a stop you don’t want to miss! You can catch a play at the Globe Theatre and get to experience Shakespeare’s plays just like they were experienced when they were first made. The Globe Theatre itself is so beautiful and so fun to see! It is an open-air theatre though, so inclement weather can affect your shows. In that case, you can experience plays year-round in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse right next door.
Cost
Without the London Pass, guided tours start at £25. Play tickets start at £20.
Nearest Tube Station
Southwark on Jubilee Line
London Bridge on Jubilee and Northern Lines
Nearby Attractions
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse* – 1-minute walk
This indoor theatre is an amazing alternative to the Globe Theatre right next door if you are looking to spend some time enjoying live theatre.
Tate Modern – 3-minute walk
A modern art museum in an old plant. Does it cooler than that? Don’t forget to stop by the cafe for a bite to eat and some amazing views of the Thames.
Borough Market – 7-minute walk
If you’re looking for a good place to eat, this is the place for you. It’s a market under the rail lines near the Thames and just that alone makes it such a cool environment! Add in all of the delicious food options, and you may be in heaven.
Southwark Cathedral – 9-minute walk
If you love cool buildings and architecture or are just looking for a church to worship in, don’t forget to stop by the Southwark Cathedral. This cathedral has such beautiful architecture and so much history. It is worth a peak in.
The Shard – 15-minute walk or a 5-minute walk from Southwark Cathedral
* sites not included in the London Pass that have a fee for admission
That’s a wrap for the 3-Day Self-Guided London Walking Tour! These are all of my recommendations on what to do in London in 3 Days. London is amazing and even if you get through all of these sites, there is still so much more for you to do next time you come so subscribe to get more London travel tips!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.