Let me start this with London is my favorite city in the world. That’s a big claim for me, as I have been to some amazing places. Now, I will say three days is a scratch on the surface when visiting London. There is so much to do it will take multiple trips, I have been a few times and still feel I haven’t seen nearly enough. 

With that in mind time of year is also huge, if you are there during the holidays you have access to Christmas Markets and my recommendations would be different. So, to clarify, this is merely what I would do on my first trip if I only had three days. I have also included a google maps at the end to make navigation a little easier. Alright kiddos let’s get planning!

London is home to some amazing iconic landmarks – Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace and so on. It’s also home to amazing accents, yep, I am a sucker for a good English accent. When planning your first day staying in Westminster guarantees seeing most of the iconic landmarks. Understand London is a HUGE city and although walking is fine, you will need to ride the tube to save time. (Do not drive, it can be unbelievably expensive and time consuming) 

Depending on where you are staying, I would start at Buckingham Palace. It is not open every day so make sure to check if you want to go inside. Getting their early will guarantee its less crowded and you can take photos unobstructed. This worked great for me as I travel solo and a tripod is often my best friend. 

Next you can go through to St. James Park which has a decent size lake through the middle of it.  If you are into history like I am (you don’t get a MA in history if you’re not a huge history nerd) then you can hit Westminster Abbey and Churchill War Rooms. From here you can easily walk over to see Big Ben and the London Eye. 

Once done here I would highly recommend doing High Tea at the Ritz London which is within walking distance. You cannot visit London and not do high tea, if you try to skip tea someone will come and escort you from the city. It’s not my rule, I am just the messenger. 

I love Harry Potter, like I have a tattoo type of love. There was no way on God’s green earth I was missing the Harry Potter tour. Let me say it was magical, I cried like it was life changing for me. You can read all about my full experience here. 

Don’t skip this, I am so serious it’s something to behold. It’s not a tour that only Harry Potter fans would enjoy, anyone can find something. It’s a full studio tour that is highly interactive and has so many behind the scenes facts. Its outside of London and does require taking a train. You would catch the train at London Euston then it’s a twenty-minute ride to Waterford Junction. You can then take a coach (bus) that goes from the station to the studio, which is another 15 minutes. 

If you have ever heard the song London Bridge is falling down, you know how iconic of a bridge it is. Your final day in London should be spent in the City of London. Remember London is similar to Paris and New York and is split up into districts of sorts. You can start at the Tower of London which is located in the center. The Tower of London was constructed in 1070 by William the Conqueror. Simple explanation is he just came home from conquering far off lands (hence the name) and feared retaliation. He built a massive stone fortress around his home to defend his royal power. Now when I say stone fortress this thing is MASSIVE and so well built it stillstands almost 1000 years later. Let that sink in for a minute so you see why you must go. 

After spending some time inside, you are in perfect position to see the Tower Bridge, named obviously for its proximity to the Tower of London. If you want to keep with the bridge theme you can walk over to the London Bridge. 

Fun fact: the nursery song London Bridge is falling down dates back to the Middle Ages but became popular in the 18^th century

By now you should be hungry and it’s time for you to visit London’s largest and oldest food market – Borough Market. It is a great place to explore and you honestly can spend half a day here eating, drinking and exploring. 

For your final night if you want to be trendy then you should visit the Coppa Club. Made famous for its igloo structures that you can eat and drink in that offer a perfect view of the Tower Bridge. I would recommend making reservations and specifically asking for a spot in the igloo. It’s amazing at night and something you should plan to squeeze in. 

London is an amazing city that truly will take you longer than three days to see. If you are on a time crunch all of the things mentioned above are must dos on any visit! Now be free and wander far and as always leave me a comment if you try any of my recommendations! I would love to hear your stories.