If you only have 2 days in London to explore I, (an adopted Londoner) want you to see the top tourist attractions in London, especially if you’re looking for what to do on your first trip to London, but also the more local side to London, and that can be done based on this London 2 day itinerary and this London travel blog.
The best way to see London in 2 days is to split your days into specific areas of the city. The London Underground Tube is so good however London is very walkable too. So keep this in mind when you read through the below 2 day London itinerary and when planning your London City Break!
2 Day London Itinerary
Here are the places you can visit in London with 2 days in London using this 2 day London itinerary:
- Westminster & London Eye
- Southbank & Tower Bridge
- Borough Market
- Shoreditch
- Nottinghill
- Kensington
- Hyde Park
- Buckingham Palace
- Leicester Square
- Covent Garden
- Primrose Hill
- Hampstead Heath
Day 1 – River Thames & East London
Morning:
Start your 2 day London itinerary by taking the tube to Westminster station to see the top London attractions of Westminster, Big Ben, London Eye.
Spend the rest of the morning walking along the River Thames to the East exploring the Southbank to see the famous London icons such as the Millennium Bridge & Tate Modern Museum.
St Paul’s Cathedral is somewhere you must visit when planning things to see in London in 2 days because it is a total icon so make sure you cross over the river to see it properly! Things to do near St Paul’s Cathedral include going to the top floor of the One New Change shopping centre to see a free view of London from above.
Head back onto the River Thames and keep walking along the Thames until you reach the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and The Shard!
You can get London attraction tickets or a London Pass to enter the Tower of London, the Shard and even go up inside the famous Tower Bridge. I’d recommend getting tickets in advance and using Get Your Guide to get the best prices. But also be sure to look out for 2 for 1 London Tours to help you save money! Here are some great London tour options:
Talking of London Attraction Tickets Let Me Introduce You to The London Pass!
The London Pass offers access into 80+ of the top London attractions. If you plan on going on the London Eye, taking Boat Trips, going into Tower Bridge and St Pauls Cathedral and even plan on going outside of London to Windsor Castle or Hampton Court Palace, it would be cheaper to buy the London Pass so you save money on entrance fee’s and get fast track entry, perfect for if you only have a few days in London!
The London Pass is valid for 2 years once purchased and you can buy a 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10-day pass so you can visit so many of London’s best attractions in the cheapest possible way!
Click here to look into the options and to buy your pass now while you’re thinking about it!
Lunch:
There are lots of lunch places close to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Borough Market behind London Bridge station one of the best street food markets in London so I recommend going here to make the most of London 2 day itinerary!
Late Afternoon:
Walk North away from the River Thames with your aim being to reach Spitalfield’s Market and Liverpool Street station in East London. In-between the River and Liverpool Street station is the business part of the City of London, on the weekend it is very quiet but on weekdays it’s pretty busy with office workers.
If you want to jump on the tube to save you time you can get the Northern Line North from Borough Station or London Bridge Station to Moorgate Station and then walk into Shoreditch from Moorgate Station as it’s very close or get on the Circle / Metropolitan Line East one stop to Liverpool Street Station.
For the best things to do in London in 2 days, you need to head to Shoreditch because this is one of the hipster parts of London and one of the best areas to see in London, it’s really diverse and one of my favourite areas so make sure you explore this more local side of London.
Walk along Brick lane, go to Shoreditch Box Park and look out for lots of street art! For more idea’s on what to do in Shoreditch I have a Shoreditch Guide here!
Evening:
Curries are a popular thing to eat on Brick Lane because there are so many Indian Restaurants along Brick Lane and they’re cheap and yummy. There are also lots of food markets in Shoreditch and Hoxton like Box Park, Urban Food Fest, Dinerama so you could go to one of these for a real local London experience and most of the time they are filled with Londoners.
For the best bars in Shoreditch go to Shoreditch High Street. I like Barrio Shoreditch and The Queen of Hoxton is good with an awesome rooftop!
Day 2 in London – West London, Central London & North London
Morning:
For the best way of how to see London in 2 days you need to head to West London too, so on the morning of day 2 on this London 2 day itinerary, in the morning take the tube to Notting Hill Gate Station.
From the station head towards Portobello Road (on Saturdays this area is busy with the markets but on the weekdays it’s a lot nicer as its quiet). Explore Portobello Road and the colourful houses off of it.
Brunch in London is so popular so if you want brunch in Notting Hill like a local, check out Farm Girl & Granger & Co Notting Hill. For your 2 days in London Tripadvisor is a good way to check the best restaurants in London so you don’t waste any time!
For more brunch ideas check out my post: My Ultimate List of Recommended London Brunch Spots!
Go back to Notting Hill Gate Station and take the tube 1 stop to High Street Kensington (Circle or District Line), or walk you can walk.
From High Street Kensington walk towards the Natural History Museum but take all the smaller side streets to see all the posh houses and to come across London’s famous Mews!
For more information on where to see the best mews in London and what to do in Kensington, check out my Kensington London Guide.
There are 3 world class London museums in South Kensington – the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A. Visiting the museums are a great way to spend a rainy day in London but to be honest, on this London 2 day itinerary I suggest seeing them from the outside as going in will take up too much time!
If you want to see Buckingham Palace in London take the Piccadilly line from South Kensington Station to Green Park, walk through Green Park to the Royal Buckingham Palace.
Get back on the tube at Green Park and go to Leicester Square station, also on the Piccadilly line.
Lunch:
You are now close to Covent Garden and Chinatown, there are plenty of places to eat lunch in Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Here’s my guide to Covent Garden for more information!
Afternoon:
After lunch, explore Covent Garden and walk down to Piccadilly Circus, then onto Trafalgar Square to see a few more London attractions in the afternoon!
Evening:
For the ultimate end this 2 day London itinerary I say you have to see London’s skyline from a park! This is a must if you have 2 days in London in Summer as it stays so light late into the evening in the UK in the Summer so you’ll have time to fit it in!
I recommend going to Primrose Hill near Camden!
You’ll have to get the Northern Tube Line to Camden Station and walk through Camden, or if you’re short on time go straight to Chalk Farm Station and then walk to Primrose Hill via Regents Park Road.
Walk up to the highest point of Primrose Hill which looks over Regents Park as well as the whole city and gives an amazing, fairly up close view of the whole city. To help you get there, check out my Primrose Hill guide.
London Resources
LONDON PASS
The London Pass offers access into 80+ of the top London attractions. If you plan on going on the London Eye, taking Boat Trips, going into Tower Bridge and St Pauls Cathedral and even plan on going outside of London to Windsor Castle or Hampton Court Palace, it would be cheaper to buy the London Pass so you save money on entrance fee’s and get fast track entry, perfect for if you only have a few days in London!
The London Pass is valid for 2 years once purchased and you can buy a 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10 day pass so you can visit so many of London’s best attractions in the cheapest possible way!
Click here to look into the options and to buy your pass now while you’re thinking about it!
LONDON TOURS
To help you see London in the best way possible, I do suggest mixing exploring on your own with some London tours! Get Your Guide is by far the biggest operator of tours in London with so many tours to choose from so get planning your 2 day London itinerary with them:
How To Get To London
London is served by 5 Airports – London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City, Luton Airport and Stansted Airport.
Once you are at one of these airports it is easy to get the train or bus into the city of London. I always use The Train Line to book my trains and buses and I recommend you do too. Book them in advance to save money rather than waiting until you land!
How to Get Around London
The London Tube is the best way to get around London as it’s quick and easy to use.
If you are travelling with a contactless bank card that doesn’t charge you fees every time you use it to pay for your tube journeys by you can tapping it. There is a cap the cost the end of the day/week depending on when and where you use it.
The other option is to buy an Oyster card like a local and top it up with credit. This is much easier and more time-efficient than buying tickets every day, even when you have just two days in London!
Where to Stay in London
With 2 days in London, I recommend you book accommodation in London that is central so you do not spend too much time travelling into the centre of the city, as the below London 2 day itinerary is based around Zone 1 and 2 in London, so book accommodation within Zone 1 or 2 and you’ll be central!
Hotels & Hostels in London
London has so many hotels and hostels available to book. Bare in mind that you pay for what you get in London and space might be tight so be sure to check the reviews, I use Booking.com to book my hostels and hotels so search for you London accommodation here on Booking.com!
Vida Jaugelis
Wednesday 15th of May 2019
We just got back from London. Although we could not duplicate your 2 day itinerary (we are in our sixties!) we really wanted to go up to Primrose Hill to say good-bye to the city on our last evening. The skies were clear and the city looked fabulous lit up by the setting sun. Thank-you for sharing this gem - we never would have known or found it on our own.
TheWanderingQuinn
Wednesday 15th of May 2019
That’s so good to hear, I’m so glad you got to go to Primrose Hill and especially during the evening, it’s such a nice time of day then. Thank you for letting me know too :)