The Ultimate 4-Day London, England Itinerary

Double-decker buses and Big Ben. Lush, colorful English gardens and winding scenic canals. A medieval tower where over a hundred people were violently executed. Victorian British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once wrote, “London; a nation, not a city.” If he claimed that in the late 1800s, I can only imagine what he’d think about London today—taller, wider, even more populous. It is truly a world in and of itself, and on this 4-Day London Itinerary, you will take a peek into this world with your own eyes!

More ingredients have been added to the perpetual melting pot of the city, making it a hub of culture, cuisine, and tradition. Here you can see iconic landmarks like Big Ben (now called the Elizabeth Tower—I know!), the Tower of London, and even the soaring Shard. Neighborhoods mix the medieval with the modern, and you can peruse a market from the 1270s one moment and ascend the tallest building in the UK the next. This is London!

This 4-Day London Itinerary will help you hit some of the highlights, and some out-of-the-way stuff too, giving you the true essence of the history and modernity of this huge, bustling city. You’l​​l eat amazing Indian food, learn some dark history at the Tower of London and on a Jack the Ripper Tour, and even take a boat ride down the canals of Camden Town. 

So read on to learn about all the things you can do on this ultimate 4-day London itinerary!

Psst: Planning a trip to Europe? Check out these other post:

• 3 Days in Paris, France: A Perfect First-Timers Itinerary
• Where to Stay in Paris for the First Time (& Where Not To Stay)
• The Ultimate 7-day Sardinia, Italy Itinerary

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4-Day London Itinerary Travel Tips

London is a pretty easy city to visit—albeit a little expensive—but we will give you plenty of tips for getting around and saving a pound or two! If you’re an English speaker, it’s already easier since there is no language barrier, which is great for chatting with locals and reading signs and asking locals for recommendations!

When’s the best time to go to London?

The summer months are the best time to visit, with temperatures between 56 and 72F and longer daylight hours, giving you the most time to explore. That being said, don’t always count on sunny skies—we visited London in June, and it oscillated between cold and rainy and hot and sunny. That’s England!

London is notorious for being cloudy and rainy, and as we exited the Tube (subway) after our long flight, we were greeted by cold rain—how truly British! Bring an umbrella (which is easy to find at shops as well for a few pounds), and plan to bring clothes to keep you warm, but that you can also shed when it warms up. A thin but warm jacket will do wonders!

How do I get to London?

London is very easy to get to by plane, and you will land at Heathrow Airport, which is just a 30-minute Tube ride to the city center. As a major world city and hub, it’s pretty straightforward to get out of the airport and head to the city.

How do I get around London?

For this itinerary, you will use the Tube, take buses, and walk—no other special transportation needed!

London is famous for the London Underground, known as the Tube, the subway system that crisscrosses every which way around the city. It’s well-marked and simple to take, and any good travel app will tell you which line to take (Google and Apple Maps are fine, but Citymapper is even better for European cities).

You will need to purchase an Oyster card for about £7 which you cannot return (so save it for trips in the future!). You must load the card at any kiosk when your account runs low. While transport in London does take contactless payment like Apple Pay, American credit cards do not work, so for now you are stuck with an Oyster card!

You will find yourself taking the buses just as much in London—you know, the classic double-decker red buses in almost every image of London! These buses take your Oyster card as well (the normal city buses, not special sightseeing buses), so it’s easy to hop on and off (just make sure those cards are loaded). 

Sometimes it takes the same amount of time to take the bus as the Tube, so it can be fun to take the bus instead, as it gives you views of the city whizzing by. 

Did I Just See a Fox??

You probably did! An estimated 10,000 red foxes live in London, and you’ll usually spot them more at nighttime running around the parks. These foxes live “under sheds, but they can also be among tree roots, in bushes or on railway embankments”.

While hanging out with a good friend who moved to London ten years ago, she pointed out one of these cute furry beasts slinking across the park at night. She told me they are almost like squirrels in London, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you will surely see them. Thanks for that tip, Thalia!

The Ultimate 4-Day London Itinerary 

There is so much to do in London that four days seems like you can only scratch the surface, which is true! That being said, you can still put your finger on the pulse in that short time and it may spark a future obsession with London. I know my appetite has been sufficiently whetted for future visits!

I have written this 4 day London itinerary to be four full days, with a travel day on either end, so adapt as necessary. Pub culture is a big part of London as well, and though I didn’t write in a lot of pub stops, pubs are a great place to pop in for a drink and a rest between activities. They are literally all over! They have wonderful cider on tap (which is more commonly drunk than beer in the UK), so pop in when you need a break, or to hide from the typical British rain.

4-Day London Itinerary: Day 1

• Today you’ll stroll through lush gardens, visit great museums, and check out Soho.

Today you arrive in London, and hopefully the sun is shining and not raining like on my arrival. Or maybe you want the full British experience! But honestly, it will probably be raining either way.

Make your way to your hotel (suggestions at the end of the post) to get freshened up. I suggest you stay in the Kensington Gardens area, as it’s close to most of the fun areas of London, including Soho, but isn’t quite as costly. As I mentioned, London is not a cheap city, but it can be cheaper if you know where to look. 

Grab Breakfast 

After all that travel, I am sure you’re hungry! Grab food from a local cafe close to where you’re staying, such as La Costa Cafe. You can get a full English breakfast, a breakfast sandwich, or any other breakfast staple! Most of the cafes in this area are similar, so take a peek at the menu (many are displayed out front) and decide which is best for you.

Take a Stroll Through Kensington Gardens

What were once the gardens of Kensington Palace, dreamed up by Queen Caroline in the 18th Century, this massive garden is open to the public and contains flower walks, sweeping vistas, and historic tree avenues. With the adjoining Hyde Park, this natural space in the middle of the city takes up over 625 acres or almost an entire square mile. 

Your walk through the park today has a purpose: to head south towards the Victoria & Albert Museum. Even if you just cut directly southward, you will pass through the Italian Gardens with its gorgeous fountains, the iconic Peter Pan Statue (I won’t grow up!), and the imposing, gilt Albert Memorial surrounded by fascinating statuary representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America.   

From your hotel and walking through the park to the museum is about 1.5 miles, and since the park is so gorgeous, plan to spend at least an hour getting there so you can take photos, smell the flowers, and gawk at the gorgeous statues. 

Explore the Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, and houses over 2.8 million objects—that’s a lot of fancy stuff! Though it is filled with priceless objects and art, the admission is very literally priceless itself, meaning it’s free!

Founded in 1852, the museum was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and was intended to be a “schoolroom for everyone,” instructing the public on all matters relating to good design. In the 1850s, they had a “Chamber of Horrors” exhibit, displaying “bad” designs which usually featured naturalistic images of foliage and flowers (natural was bad), and excessive ornamentation. I wonder what they’d think of millennial gray today!

These days, you can see 17 of the original “bad” designs, as well as plenty of other stunning pieces of artwork. Some of the can’t-miss pieces are:

• The Legend of St George Altarpiece is a towering, gilded work with paintings depicting the legend of 3rd century Saint Geroge, with the central image depicting him slaying the mythical dragon. 
• The Gallery of Fashion, which traces the history of upper-class clothing over the ages, displays gowns, suits, accessories, shoes, and hats from the 17th century, 18th century, 1930s, post-war, and 1960s. 
• Tipu’s Tiger is a wooden figure of a tiger mauling a European man, which is definitely not because Tipu Sultan hated the British East India Company and colonization. This mechanized statue makes one of the man’s hands move while he emits a wailing sound, and the tiger grunts. The tiger’s body also opens to reveal a small pipe organ with 18 keys.

The V&A Museum also has one of the most epically curated gift shops ever, so it’s hard to leave without spending some money. I bought my favorite pair of sunglasses ever that even Parisians complimented over and over! 

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Get Fish & Chips in Soho

You can’t go to London without experiencing what I think is the best British food: fish & chips (unless you hate fish, or are allergic—I don’t know your life!). There are plenty of places to get f&c in the city and in Soho, but Hobson Fish & Chips has traditional, crispy fish & chips!

You can choose cod or haddock for your fish & chips, and they serve up your gold-brown, crispy fish with hot chips and tartar sauce, as is traditional. I love hearing the crunch as I bite into a good fish and chips, and this absolutely delivers. No sad, soggy fish here! (Also, you know what I love more than chips? :gasp: onion rings! They are so nice and crunchy here.)

Explore Soho

Exploring Soho after lunch is a great way to get moving after ingesting some greasy, albeit delicious, fish! Soho is one of the most unique neighborhoods in London. It is pretty ritzy, with lots of posh shops, but it is also what many people think of when they think of London since it’s bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Chinatown, and Charing Cross Road. There really are a ton of cool streets and places to check out!

In Soho, you can see the winding, white buildings of London and pride-flag-lined streets as the classic red double-decker buses whiz by. Soho is great for a wander, but here are some highlights to choose from as you explore the area:

• Carnaby Street: This pedestrian shopping street with its iconic glittering Union Jack flag hanging overhead is one of the most “London” streets. This area is known as the birthplace of the Swinging Sixties (yeah, baby!) and you can even do a “London in the Swinging 60s” free walking tour, which is offered a few times a year.
• Kingly Court: Kingly Court is a three-story open-air food court, with over 20 restaurants, bars and cafes ranging from Filipino, Mexican, Italian, Caribbean and more! This is also where Cahoots Underground is a speakeasy designed to look like a 40s tube station. More on that later!
• Chinatown: While not in Soho since it is a separate neighborhood, it is next to Soho and a great place to take in the ambiance or grab some treats! Get ice cream in a bubble waffle cone, check out a shabby-chic speakeasy, or nibble a Korean corn dog. 
• The Wallace Collection: This stunning museum is FREE and is home to one of the most significant collections of fine and decorative arts in the world, with highlights such as Titian, Velázquez, Rubens and Van Dyck. If you have time on your afternoon stroll, pop in and explore for a little while! We loved this museum and highly recommend it. They also have a great afternoon high tea in their restaurant if you want to relax and have a lovely snack!

Dinner at Dishoom

After traipsing around Soho all afternoon, you are hopefully hungry and ready for dinner! Dishoom has several locations in London, but you’ll head to Dishoom Carnaby for an incredible Indian meal. Dishoom is usually pretty poppin’ but they mostly take walk-ins, and though it was busy when we visited, it only took a few minutes for the two of us to be seated. 

The first thing you’ll notice about Dishoom is the fragrant aromas of Indian cuisine permeating the air, with dim lighting and dark wood accents. It has the faded elegance of an old Bombay cafe with colorful prints, lush plants, and black and white checkered floors.

Dishoom specializes in Bombay comfort food, which is just as cozy as the atmosphere. Their website says the food “… evokes fond memories: the simple pleasure of sipping masala chai with buttered buns, the fire of street-side Vada Pau and snackery of Bhel, or the fragrant warmth of a potted biryani shared with friends.” I’m inclined to agree!

For starters, we ordered the crispy okra fries and vegetable samosas made with Punjabi-style shortcrust pastry, pea and potato filling, and warmly spiced with cinnamon. It also came with a tamarind chutney for dipping, which is great for the okra too!

For our entree, we just shared the up-to-date pau bhaji (since we had been snacking and drinking elsewhere), which is my favorite Indian dish with its buttery-spicy mashed veggies and homemade buns to sop it up with. Their house black daal is also a signature—this lentil curry is cooked for 24 hours and is dark, rich, and deeply flavored. 

The staff at Dishoom is excellent and can help you with any questions, and my husband, who isn’t even a huge Indian food fan, loved this meal!

Order a Nightcap at Cahoots Underground

As I mentioned before, Cahoots Underground is a speakeasy designed to look like a 1940’s tube station. My husband and I discovered this place just by walking by, noticing a sign that said “to the trains”, a velvet rope, and people dressed in 40s attire. My mind flashed to an Instagram reel I had seen about this bar and the host said he had seats for two at the bar, escorting us downstairs to a highly-themed “tube station”.

The vibe is WWII speakeasy, defying rations and hiding away from air raids. The space is dim and cozy, with tiles like an actual tube station, lampshade lights hanging from the ceiling, and pop covers playing in a 40s swing style. There’s also an underground train car you can sit inside and drink! It’s a fully curated experience that has a Disney-level attention to detail. Fortunately, the drinks are wonderful as well! And most importantly, they come in fun cups and mugs because you can’t be in theme without an amazing vessel. 

We tried the Vera Lynn, which comes in a 40s-lady-in-a-uniform mug and includes Tanqueray No. TEN gin, cloudy apple juice, pear purée, ginger, elderflower, lime citrus essence. We also loved the smoky and sweet Off the Rails with Woodford Reserve Bourbon whiskey, Ardbeg 10yr Scotch whisky, Aperol aperitif, Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino vermouth, Mother Root ginger switchel, sugar syrup, and lemon citrus essence (had to get bourbon, I am from Kentucky after all!). Finally, we tried the Roasted Daisy with Ilegal Joven mezcal, Volcán de mi Tierra Blanco tequila, roasted pineapple and Palo Santo cordial. Everything was worth drinking!

Once you’re done time traveling, head back to your place and get some rest before day two!

Day 1 Summary:

• Grab breakfast at La Costa Cafe
• Stroll Through Kensington Gardens
• Explore the Victoria & Albert Museum
• Get Hobson Fish & Chips in Soho
• Explore Soho
• Have dinner at Dishoom Carnaby
• Enjoy a nightcap at Cahoots Underground

4-Day London Itinerary: Day 2

• Today is all about history—the Tower of London, Shakespeare, and strolling along the River Thames. 

Take a Tower of London Tour

The Tower of London is one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about the city—the Tudors, the Beefeaters, the crown jewels, the beheadings! So much has happened in this fortress, which is now surrounded by the skyscrapers of London, that you have to see it to believe it.

We took the 3-hour-long Legends and Lore Tour of the Tower of London, which begins at Parliament Square across the street from Big Ben and includes a boat ride down the Thames. This tour starts at 9:30am, but plan to arrive at about 9:15am (they want you to be early since you have a boat to catch!). If you want some time gawking at Big Ben and taking photos, you should get here even earlier to get that bucket list item crossed off!

As you glide down the Thames, a boat guide will point out sites like London Bridge (not falling down, hopefully), Tower Bridge, City Hall and the unmissable Shard. I love seeing the city from the perspective of the river—wind in my hair, history rolling by.

The Tower of London itself may as well be a zoo, between the sheer number of tourists and the ravens (more on those later). Your guide will get you through the gate quickly and start leading you through the grounds of the castle, which was built in 1066 and turned into a prison in the 12th century. Here, princes, queens (including two of Henry VIII’s wives), and enemies of the state such as Guy Fawkes were executed—the history here is bloody.

You’ll wind up spiral staircases, stroll through a re-creation of Edward I’s bedchamber, cross bridges, visit a golden throne, and if you’re lucky, get a photo with one of the Beefeaters or ravens.

Currently, there are seven ravens at the Tower, though they have been around for centuries, keeping the ground clean of vermin. The myth is that if the ravens ever were to leave the Tower, the Monarchy would fall. They live for 20-22 years but can live longer, and the Ravenmaster feeds them mice, chicks, rats, and raw meat, and as a special treat, they get blood-soaked biscuits. Very on theme! You can see the ravens roaming the grounds (they have clipped wings), “posing” for photos with guests.

You’ll also see Yeoman Warders, nicknamed Beefeaters, roaming the grounds, who guard and care for the Tower. Each man and woman needs to have at least 22 years’ military service and have achieved a certain rank to become a Beefeater. The first female Beefeater was appointed in 2007, though she was bullied so severely that her hair started to fall out. Since then, there have been 5 other female Beefeaters, so, progress?

The Yeoman Warders who aren’t on guard duty will be roaming the grounds, and you can chat with them and ask them about their lives living on the Tower grounds. We chatted with Yeoman Warder Emma Rousell and learned about her history and took a photo with her, just don’t ask them do anything special in the photo (a girl in our group asked her to do a peace sign and she got a terse “no”).

The other highlight, besides the sprawling Tower itself (which is actually a collection of 22 towers), is the Crown Jewels. This collection contains a whopping 23,578 gemstones and over 140 royal objects, from the Imperial State Crown worn by the King at his coronation to Queen Mary’s Crown to the outfits that the various pageboys wear during ceremonies.

There may be quite the queue to get into the collection, but don’t worry as the line moves quickly as people are itching to see the jewels! It’s a highlight of the visit—large, glittering jewels against lush purple velvets in darkened rooms. Ohhhh ahhhh! Don’t miss it!

Stroll Across the Tower Bridge

To get to your next destination (a food market!), you’ll have to cross the glorious Tower Bridge. I think most Americans conflate Tower Bridge with London Bridge, and it doesn’t help that when you Google “London Bridge,” it shows Tower Bridge. London Bridge is as boring and basic as Tower Bridge is ornate and wonderful, so cross Tower Bridge!

The walk is just about a mile from the Tower of London, so you should get to the market in about 30 minutes.

Eat Lunch at Borough Market

The Borough Market is an expansive market near the Thames, with over 100 stalls, stands, restaurants, bars and shops all packed into this beautiful and historic space. The market itself dates back to the 1270s—people have been convening here for food for a long time!

While there is more here than you could try in a single visit—or even ten visits—here are some of the things we tried that we especially enjoyed:

• The Bath Dairy: This stall had a giant vat of mac n cheese that made me stop in my tracks. Could this mac n cheese be the best I’ve ever had? Yes, yes it could be. It is so decadent and creamy and complex with fried onions on top. I still think about it a lot… A lot.
• Turnips: I am not advising you to get turnips, but rather a cup of chocolate-covered strawberries. This place is always poppin’, and the allure of a decadent, Instagram-worthy, creamy cup of chocolate-covered strawberries didn’t disappoint. 
• Olivier’s Bakery: This bakery has plenty of delightful bread, but they have twisty cheese breadsticks that are to die for. 

Feel free to wander around and sample all kinds of things, like fresh oysters, as there is no shortage of different things to try here!

See a Show at Shakespeare’s Globe 

Shakespeare’s Globe is in Southwark, where the Borough Market is also located, and you most likely walked by it on the way to the market. If you plan to see a show at the Globe, be sure to stop by the Southwark Cathedral on the way (or after) if you have time. This was where Shakespeare went to church, and there is a monument to him and a gorgeous stained glass window with characters from several of his plays. His brother is also buried in the cathedral!

If you are a Shakespeare fan, seeing a show at the Globe will surely be a monumental experience for you (it sure was for me). Even if you’re not, this is a true British pop culture experience! And yes, I do mean pop culture—Shakespeare’s plays were for the people, and while Queen Elizabeth I did enjoy the works of Shakespeare, his plays are full of bawdy double entendres, d*ck jokes, and plenty of mayhem that is not stuffy whatsoever!

Shakespeare’s Globe, as it stands today, was built in 1997 and is the third iteration of the Globe. The original Globe opened in 1599, built by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the company which William Shakespeare wrote for and part-owned. It burned down when a prop cannon was misfired—now that’s real drama! 

The Globe is a roofless, open-air theatre, with both standing room (these people are referred to as the “groundlings”) and a seated area in the building that surrounds the stage. I am a huge fan of the standing-room experience, if you’re able, as you can stand right up at the front of the stage. When we saw Much Ado About Nothing, I was even monologued to by one of the characters! It was magical. The only downside is that it sometimes rains, as it is London (even in June), meaning we did get a little wet (no umbrellas allowed).  The standing-room tickets are only about 5-10 pounds!

The production of Much Ado About Nothing was more in the traditional style of Shakespearean plays, meaning the costumes were in the Elizabethan fashion, but some productions are more “themed”, like the upcoming 2025 production of Romeo and Juliet set in the Wild West.

If you haven’t seen a professional Shakespearean production, or one at the Globe, know that it truly captures the magic of Shakespeare’s words. Every actor knows exactly what they’re saying, making it easy for the audience to grasp!

Some alternate afternoon ideas:

• If you’re in London while a production is not happening, or you hate Shakespeare (how dare you!) you can replace this activity by visiting the Tate Modern instead. This free museum (with optional paid exhibits) has some of the world’s most exciting modern and contemporary art. You can see unmissable works by Warhol, Dalí, Rothko, and many more. It’s also within walking distance of the Globe.
• If you’re really into high tea, but also like being really high up, you can check out high tea at Ting on level 35 of the Shard! The tea here is very fancy, and the theme changes every so often. What you’re really paying for is great service, impeccable presentation, and a fabulous view of London!

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Get Dinner at the Founder’s Arms

Just a five-minute walk down the banks of the Thames is the Founder’s Arms, which serves up delicious, seasonal British fare & phenomenal beers and wines! This restaurant is pretty casual and has a whole wall of windows overlooking the Thames. If the weather is nice, you can sit out on the patio, but as it is England, it always has the potential to be cold and rainy.

To eat, they have a nice assortment of pub food like the Founder’s Beef Burger, Haggis & Pork Scotch Egg, Chicken Schnitzel, and if you aren’t sick of it already, some of the best Fish & Chips in London! For dessert, try some British classics like the Sticky Toffee Pudding or Treacle Tart. You can’t go wrong here!

When you’re done with dinner, walk 20 minutes to The View From the Shard for a panoramic view of the twinkling city from 800 feet above, where you can see up to 40 miles away. The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and is a great way to end the evening. If you’re pooped out, head back to your place and get some rest before another great day!

Day 2 Summary:

• Take the Legends and Lore Tour of the Tower of London 
• Stroll across the Tower Bridge 
• Eat lunch at Borough Market
• See a show at Shakespeare’s Globe or visit the Tate Modern
• Get dinner at the Founder’s Arms

4-Day London Itinerary: Day 3

• Today, you’ll explore the wonders of the British Museum, an architect’s wild home, and see a show unlike anything else.

Grab a quick breakfast in your neighborhood this morning, as you’ll want to get to the museum early. The British Museum opens at 10am, so book your free ticket in advance so you can get in at opening!

Take in History at The British Museum

The British Museum has the largest collection of artifacts in the world with over 8 million objects, though only 80,000 are on display (still a massive amount!). They received plenty of criticism of their “collection methods” over the years (i.e. stealing), and have done some work to right those wrongs and have plenty of donated objects, rather than taken.

But a trip to London would be remiss without visiting its most famous museum, and there are truly some spectacular artifacts to behold. Some of the most notorious pieces are:

• The Rosetta Stone – This rock is perhaps the most famous stone in the world. Discovered in 1799, this stone helped scholars unlock the mysterious hieroglyphic script of ancient Egypt as the stone has three different scripts: Hieroglyphics, Demotic (the native Egyptian script used for daily purposes) and Ancient Greek.
• The Easter Island Statue – Also known as Hoa Hakananai’a, meaning “lost or stolen friend”, this statue from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) dates from around AD 1000–1200. The statue is almost 8 feet tall and has several petroglyphs depicting frigate bird heads and human/bird figures on its back.
• The Enlightenment Room – This room is filled with British artifacts from the 18th century and is the oldest room in the museum, originally designed to house the library of King George III. Books line the walls, and statues and other curiosities are in cabinets — it may be the coziest spot in the museum.
• The Mesopotamian Galleries – Upstairs are some of my favorite galleries, displaying the oldest objects and writings in history. Here you can see a stunning headdress from the Royal Cemetary of Ur; one of the world’s first board games, the Royal Game of Ur;  11-foot-tall Lammu statues, winged bulls with the face of a man; and the Gilgamesh Flood Tablet, telling the story of a great floor which pre-dates the story from Genesis. 
• Bust of Ramesses the Great – This bust of the great pharaoh is almost 9 feet tall and imposing as hell. For fans of Egyptology, there are plenty of things to see, like cat mummies.
• The Parthenon Sculptures – Come view statues from the original Parthenon in Athens, the temple devoted to the Goddess Athena, and plenty of other Ancient Greek artifacts.

If a guided tour is what you’re looking for, this 2-hour tour begins at 10am and works perfectly for this itinerary!

Get Lunch at Thonglor Express

Located only a few blocks from the British Museum is Thonglor Express, which has a £13.50 Thai buffet that was so fabulous we came back another day. This buffet has everything—curry, spring rolls, sweet chili fried fish, basil chicken, pad Thai, and so much more. They give you a bowl and let you fill it up as much as you’d like in an hour.

If there is a little line out front, don’t worry! It moves quickly, and you know they are refreshing the buffet with fresh food (a line also means it’s good!). It’s funny to say, but this was one of our favorite places to eat in London. The diversity and quality of the food here are incredible!

Walk to and Explore Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane’s Museum is a free museum that is a 13-minute walk from Thonglor Express. Sir John was an architect who specialized in the neoclassical style, and you can visit his super eclectic home left as it was at the time of his death in 1837. 

This home is a museum, in the truest sense of the word, with the Sarcophagus of Seti I, an impressive picture room with 118 paintings, a model room with some of the most famous monuments in the world, and more statues than you can shake a stick at. It’s like walking into the set of a movie where an architect died under mysterious circumstances and you have to look through his thousands of objects to uncover the mystery…

While the museum isn’t huge, it’s a great place to walk around for about 30 minutes at your own pace. It does tend to get a little busy, and while it’s free, if you’d like a souvenir interpretive map, it costs 5 pounds (and it’s worth it if you wanna know what all his beautiful art is!).

Depending on how much time you spend at the museum or exploring the area, you may have time for a break before you head out for the night!

Grab Dinner and see ABBA Voyage 

Tonight is all about hyper-realism, dancing, and the music of ABBA. But first, dinner!

Take a train 30-40 minutes east to The Print House Restaurant & Bar, which has a delicious array of pizza, burgers, steak, seabass, and scallops. While the menu isn’t huge, it’s all very good, and the perfect place to pregame with an ABBA-themed drink like their Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, a green gin drink. This restaurant/distillery/rooftop bar is only an 8-minute walk away from the ABBA Arena, so you can head over whenever you feel ready to party!

ABBA Voyage is an ultra-high-tech concert that is like seeing ABBA as they were in the 70s. Except for the ABBA you’ll see at ABBA Voyage are avatars created using motion-sensing technology. Special suits were put on the modern-day ABBA, which were used to create ultra-HD images of them as they were in their prime. Make sense?

In essence, the concert consists of super high definition screens that look like the real ABBA onstage, a live band, music-video-like sequences, a whole lot of disco lights and all the best hits from ABBA. You’ll be dancing for 90 minutes!

You can either book an actual seat or the cheaper standing-room dance floor in the front, and as the concert has elements all around the arena, the dance floor is best, especially if you do want to dance the whole time! We ended up getting a seated spot near the front, but we could have easily been on the dance floor since we danced most of the time anyway.

After dancing the night away, head back to your place and rest up for your final day!

Day 3 Summary:

• Take in History at The British Museum
• Grab lunch at Thonglor Express
• Explore Sir John Soane’s Museum
• Get dinner at The Print House Restaurant & Bar
• See a show like no other at ABBA Voyage

4-Day London Itinerary: Day 4

• Today, you’ll wander around the bustling Camden Market, take a boat ride down the canals of Little Venice, and take a Jack the Ripper Tour!

Camden Market is located about a 40-minute Tube ride from your Kensington, and you can either grab breakfast beforehand at Camden Market or save up your hunger for lunch!

Explore the Expansive Camden Market

Camden Market is the definition of bustling, with people everywhere and a never-ending stream of shops and restaurants. This area, which includes Camden High Street, is a colorful explosion of kitsch memorabilia, silly souvenirs, and real treasures with all the excitement of an ancient forum in the 21st century.

Exiting the Camden Town Station and walking north up Camden High Street is a bit like entering a circus, especially on weekends. Not only is there a parade of people on both sides of the sprawling sidewalks, but the shops are brightly painted and sometimes decorated in what I can only describe as “high camp”. One store has a huge dragon on the front, one has a big paisley elephant, and one has a naked woman with black wings. Camden Town is an experience!

After venturing only about .2 miles and across the locks, you’ll come across Camden Market, the sprawling market with over 1000 vendors through labyrinth-like old brick warehouses. The area was originally developed in the 1790s by the Earl of Camden, where a lock was eventually built to ship goods. And today, it’s all about the goods!

The best way to explore Camden Market is to wander, but our absolute favorite place to visit is called Cyberdog. Do you wanna go to the clerb? During the day? What we thought was an arcade upon entering is actually a store that sells RAVE clothing. Yes, you read that right. Blacklights, neon, and tripp-pants inspired rave-tastic clothing. We saw some of the coolest clothing here that looks somewhere between Y2K and outer space. You’ll know you’re there when you see the two giant robots out front and the thumping rave music a live DJ is spinning from inside!

Get Lunch at Camden Lock Market

Camden Lock Market has a huge selection of food stalls near the canal, which is perfect because your boat ride after lunch disembarks from this very spot! 

You can wander the stalls and even get food from multiple places. Be aware that there is no real place to sit (unless you go to a restaurant), so be prepared to stand and eat. But you have great views of the canal and all the people visiting the market.

Some places to check out near the locks are:

• Kolkati – Get some Indian Kati Rolls, which is a flaky paratha flatbread cooked in ghee, stuffed with deliciously seasoned masala chicken or paneer, finished with fresh coriander, tomato, green chilli, pink pickled onions and a squeeze of lime! Basically heaven in a wrap.
• STAKEHaus – If you’re on a high protein diet, you’re gonna want to check out some juicy, perfectly cooked flank steak. This meat comes from legendary HG Walter butchers and includes rosemary fries and dipping sauces. They also have a Philly cheese sub, if you want to pretend to be in Philly for some reason.
• The Mac Factory – If you need carbs on the other hand, check out this little place to get all kinds of unique mac ‘n’ cheeses! Find all kinds of gourmet takes, like one with truffles, lobster, or just the classic with their signature thyme and parmesan crumble on top. C’est la vie!

Take a Boat Ride from Camden to Little Venice

Did you know that London has a bunch of super cute canals that you can take a boat cruise through?! With the London Waterbus Company, you can take a 45-minute tour through winding canals with a guide to explain what you’re seeing along the way. 

It’s a bit like Disney’s Jungle Cruise with plenty of corny jokes as you cruise past the zoo and other iconic sites, like the red lacquered Feng Shang Princess Chinese restaurant. Fun fact: the zoo opened here because rich people exchanged exotic pets as gifts and they eventually needed somewhere to put them. How cute! Also, Winnie the Pooh was named after a bear here!

You’ll also pass all kinds of narrowboats, the long, skinny canal boats that glide down the canals. These are decorated by their owners, and some people live in their boats! The boat ride eventually drops you out at Little Venice, named for, you guessed it, the beautiful canals you just sailed down.

When you disembark, you can walk along the canal and you may even find one of the narrowboats selling ice cream! 

Take a Jack The Ripper Tour

Your next activity is at 6:30pm, and it’s a tour!

It’s a bit cliché to go to London and take a Jack the Ripper Tour, but it seems that no matter how much time passes, there is always interest in this serial murderer. Even just recently, experts have announced that they think Jack the Ripper was a 23-year-old Polish immigrant named Aaron Kosminski. The investigation never ends!

But besides all the grisly details of the murders of the eleven women he butchered, there is another story to tell. The Jack the Ripper Tour – What about the women? by Rebel Tours is all about who the women were while they were alive, placing them in historical context while taking you to some of the areas where they lived, and were murdered.

Our expert guide Charlotte explained that there are many misconceptions about the victims of the Ripper, and that stories generally frame these women as prostitutes, ne’er-do-wells, and women who “had it coming”. There is historically only one confirmed sex worker among the victims, and all were living in slum conditions where the system was working against them, making them easy targets.

Rebel Tours does a great job telling true stories surrounding the murders, rather than sensationalizing Jack the Ripper, of which little is known. The humanist perspective illuminates the horrific murders and gives attention to the women whose lives were brutally taken.

Dinner at Spitalfields Market

Luckily, your tour ends right here at the Spitalfields Market, a great place to pop in, do some shopping, and grab dinner at one of the many restaurants and food stalls! 

Some of the best places to grab a bite are:

• Brothers Marcus – This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant serves sharing plates and pioneering brunch dishes, like sweet potato fritters and the smoky shakshuka. Dive into the delicious and nutritious foods like pan-fried halloumi, a crispy aubergine skewer, or crispy calamari. This is a place that will make you believe in brunch again, for dinner!
• Indegno – For a grab-and-go option, try a Crescentine, which is basically like an Italian fried pizza pocket from the Middle Ages with all kinds of different fillings. Pick from fillings like cold cuts, meatballs, fresh veggies, pancetta ham, sausage and so much more!
• The Grime Burger – Sometimes you just need a burger, you know? All burgers are British Wagyu beef, and the secret to their special flavor is their “grime sauce”, which I assume tastes better than it sounds.

Well, that is it for your 4-day London itinerary. Get some rest before you head home!

Day 4 Summary:

• Explore the expansive Camden Market
• Get Lunch at Camden Lock Market
• Take a 45-minute tour through winding canals
• Enjoy the Jack the Ripper Tour – What about the women?
• Grab dinner at Spitalfields Market

Where to Stay for your 4-Day London Itinerary

There are no shortages of places to stay in London, the trick is staying in a prime spot for the right price. London is expensive, but I’ve gathered a few places that are more budget-friendly!

• NOX Kensington Gardens – This modern hotel is also in Kensington, just steps away from the Queensway Station. They have the standard budget rooms, but also a signature  jacuzzi suite for a higher, but still fair, cost!
• Sonder The Henry – This is the hotel we stayed at in London, and it was the perfect place to base ourselves for our explorations. It is close to both Paddington and Queensway Stations, and the buses are on the corner of the street. The hotel itself is clean, streamlined, and comfortable.
• Urbany Hostel London – A great option for the budget traveler under 40 years old is a hostel! Urbany Hostel London is located in Kensington as well and has private and dorm rooms available. 

What to Pack for Your 4-Day London Itinerary

If you’re prepared, rain on a trip is no big deal (and honestly, we love a good excuse to sit indoors and do nothing but relax and listen to the rain).

If you’re not prepared, it can be super irritating, causing you to cancel fun activities and even smelling up your bag with wet clothing. Yikes!

Here are the 3 essentials you’ll want to bring to prepare for rain:

• Ultra-Light Rain Jackets (His & Hers): Our favorite rain jackets are some of the best jackets for travel. They’re ultralight and pack down into nothing so they’re easy to carry around in our day bags each day just in case, and they’re incredibly water repellant.
• Travel Umbrella: This teeny travel umbrella is incredibly lightweight, teeny tiny, and even has a handy carrying case in case you need to fold it up and shove it back in your bag. Despite its small size, it does its job well, and it dries quickly when it’s done! That said, it’s not like .. the most STURDY umbrella – super high winds will definitely turn it inside out. But we love it because it’s so small and lightweight that we just leave it permanently in our day bag and forget it’s there until we need it, and we’re always glad to find it again!
• Waterproof Socks: If you’ll be hiking in rain or mud, you’ll want to pack a pair of these so you’re not squelching around all day long. We don’t carry bulky hiking boots with us, so these are great addition to our trail runners.

Just keep those 3 rain essentials in your day bag each day, and you’ll never be caught unprepared in a rainstorm!

About Our Guest Poster: About The Author: Richie Goff is a Louisville, Kentucky native with a great love of the outdoors. When he is not growing flowers for fun, he is the Editor-in-Chief of Practical Wanderlust and Let’s Go Louisville. He has been a friend of Lia’s since high school, and they have taken plenty of their own disaster-prone adventures together!

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What are your thoughts on this 4-Day London Itinerary? Comment below!

Psst: Planning a trip to Europe? Check out these other post:

• 3 Days in Paris, France: A Perfect First-Timers Itinerary
• Where to Stay in Paris for the First Time (& Where Not To Stay)
• The Ultimate 7-day Sardinia, Italy Itinerary

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