How Many Days Do You Need in London? My Honest Thoughts!

When visiting London, England for the first time, it can be very hard to decide how long you should stay for!

You want to find the perfect balance between seeing as much as possible without feeling rushed, right?

For both of my trips to London, we had around 3 full days in the city, plus an extra day dedicated to a day trip (or a Taylor Swift concert…lol).

So for most people, I think 3 days in London is the perfect sweet spot!

However, how long you choose to stay can depend on a lot of factors, like if you’re doing day trips, what time of day you are arriving, and more.

An itinerary for 2 days in London will look very different from one where you have 5 days in London!

So, I put together this quick guide to help you figure out the ideal amount of time for your trip, and what you should do depending on how long you stay!

How Many Days Do You Need in London?

Most people visiting London for the first time will stay between 2 and 5 days. I’ll break down all of these more below, but here’s my quick thoughts.

2 full days (which usually means 3 nights) is the absolute minimum amount of time I would recommend in London. It’s not worth going anywhere for less than that.

If you’re combining London with another destination like Paris or Scotland, I think 3 full days is the sweet spot to experience the top things London has to offer without feeling like you’re running around like a crazy person.

However, if you can afford it with your itinerary, 4-5 days in London is ideal to be able to soak in the vibes of the city and take a day trip outside of town, too!

This amount of time also allows you to not have an action-packed itinerary (the older I get, the more I appreciate this!).

Your Arrival and Departure Day/Time

Deciding on how many days you want to spend in London will depend greatly when you are arriving and departing.

You’ll see throughout this guide I say “X Full Days”. By that I mean, you arrived the night before (or extremely early on Day 1) and will have 10+ hours in the city each day. If I say 2 full days, that typically means you are departing on Day 3.

For example, if you arrive on a Monday at 12pm and leave on a Wednesday at 12pm, that’s really only one full day in the city.. so keep that in mind as you read this guide!

And depending on where you are traveling from, you’ll also need to factor in jet lag to your decision. If you only have 2 days in London but you are extremely jet-lagged on Day 1 and take a 4-hour nap in the middle of the day.. well, you get my point!

On our last trip to London (which was planned around the Eras Tour!!), we arrived bright and early at 7am on Day 1. As someone who doesn’t sleep well on planes, I was very worried about our first full day, which included a river cruise, the Tower of London, and afternoon tea.

Well, we ended up rallying and making it through the whole day, surprisingly! We even stopped by a pub for a pint before calling it a night.

However, my usual tip is to arrive late in the evening on your first night, so you can get a full night’s rest and hit the ground running on Day 1. But I know that’s not always possible, especially if you are flying across the pond, since most flights are overnight!

Pace of Travel

Another thing to consider when choosing how many days you need in London is your ideal pace of travel.

Do you like having multiple tours or planned activities in one day? Or are you more of a slow morning, go at your own pace kind of traveler?

I used to pack as much as possible into each day, but as I get older, I prefer having planned downtime in my trips to see where the wind takes me!

In London, a morning stroll through Hyde Park or a relaxing afternoon exploring local shops in Camden is part of the experience. The key is to slow down sometimes!

With 2 days or less, you will be tackling a lot in 48 hours if you want to see all the main sites.

However, with 3-5 days, you can explore at a more leisurely pace and leave some room for spontaneity, too!

Day Trips

Lastly, if you plan to do day trips when visiting London, you may want to account for a few extra days in your itinerary.

This will of course depend on what exact day trips you do, and how long they take!

For example, a trip to see the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios or Windsor Castle can be done in half a day.

However, other tours to places like Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stonehenge or Bath typically last 8-11 hours, which doesn’t leave much time for exploring actual London!

I personally think at least one day trip from London is worth doing, which is why I typically recommend 3-4 days for your first trip!

➡️ Jump down to the 4+ Days Section of this guide for more details on which specific day trips I recommend!

Is One Day in London Enough?

No, one day in London is definitely not enough!

I don’t think visiting anywhere for just one day is enough, personally. It is impossible to get a sense for a city (especially one as big as London!) in just 24 hours.

With only one day, you’ll be running around London like a chicken with your head cut off trying to see and do everything.

Plus, London is not known for the best weather, so if you only have one day and it ends up being rainy… not ideal!

However, if you truly have only one day, you’ll want to plan ahead so you can make the most of it.

That means deciding what areas/activities are on your priority list, booking tours in advance, and knowing how you are going to get around to maximize your time.

With only one day in London, I would focus on seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben in the morning, then taking a river cruise down the Thames to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London in the afternoon.

From there, you can wrap up with a traditional English dinner at a pub in the Covent Garden area before calling it a night!

What to Do in London with 2 Days

As I mentioned, 2 full days in London is the absolute minimum amount of time I would spend in this incredible city, especially if it is your first time visiting!

With 2 days, you can hit most of the main things to do in London, but I recommend having a set plan so you’re not wandering around and wasting time.

You can read my exact 2 day London itinerary here, but this is a quick breakdown of how I would spend your time:

With 2 days in London, your days will be quite action-packed.

If you don’t like having more than one big activity each day, I recommend adding another day or two (see below) to give yourself more float time in your itinerary.

This is also something to consider if you have small children, who can make fast-paced travel quite difficult.

What to Add with 3 or More Days in London

With 3 full days in London, you can tackle everything in the above 2 day itinerary, but at a much more relaxed pace, and still have time to see more!

On my last trip to London, we didn’t make any concrete plans for day 3, and it ended up being my favorite day of the trip!

We decided to rent bikes, which we rode through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens before getting off to wander through the latter on foot.

After that, we had lunch and beers at a random pub and then made the journey to King’s Cross Station so I could see the Platform 9 and 3/4 sign and visit the Harry Potter store!

In the early evening, we went back to Borough Market because we couldn’t get enough of the yummy food and wanted to pick up some souvenirs!

And that’s the beauty of extra time in a new city. You have the opportunity to re-visit places that you loved and add in some spontaneous activities, too!

So while 2 days is the minimum amount of time I recommend, 3 days is my sweet spot for visiting London!

Day Trips from London If You Have 4+ Days

If you want to take day trips outside of the city when visiting London (which I highly recommend!), this is when I recommend having 4-5 days, depending on where you plan to go.

London has soo many incredible day trip options to choose from, but some are much further than others.

For example, if you’re a Ted Lasso fan like me, you can take a quick half-day trip to the suburb of Richmond and do a Ted Lasso walking tour! Richmond is literally only 18 minutes on the South Western Railway from Waterloo station. This is still on my bucket list!

Or maybe you’re a Harry Potter fanatic (also like me) and want to visit do the Harry Potter Warner Bros studio tour in Leavesden.

It takes around 40 minutes – 75 minutes to reach the studio from central London (depending on if you’re taking public transport or a tour bus). However, most people stay at the studios for several hours, so the entire outing leans more towards a half-day trip (5-7 hours).

⚡️ I recommend booking this tour which includes round-trip transportation from central London to make your day as smooth as possible! ⚡️

And even further outside of London, a whole other world awaits in places like the Cotswolds, Bath, and Stonehenge.

W personally did a day trip to Bath the first time I visited London when I was 17. And with my dad driving, it was a looong day, lol.

Because these spots are 1.5+ hours outside of London, you’ll want to dedicate an entire day of your trip to experiencing them.

And instead of trying to navigate yourself, I highly recommend booking an organized tour (my top options are below!), so you can experience each place without worrying about the logistics.

• Cotswolds and Oxford Day Trip ($106 | 10.5 hours)
• Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath Day Trip ($106 | 12 hours)
• White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury Day Trip ($106 | 10 hours)

Where to Stay to Make the Most of Your Days

Choosing a hotel in London can feel extremely overwhelming since the city is SO big and there are literally thousands of hotels to choose from.

For me, I always like to find a balance between budget and convenience.

Basically, I’m not going to splurge on a $500+ hotel room to be right next to Buckingham Palace, but I’m also not going to book a $60 room that takes me 45 minutes to get into the city each day.

Instead, I’ll try to find something in the middle!

In London, my preference for this middle-ground is typically the Mayfair or Covent Garden neighborhoods on the northwest side of the Thames.

On our last trip, we stayed at the Hilton Doubletree Marble Arch, which was honestly the perfect location for us! It was right next to Hyde Park (hence our morning walks and bike rides there) and 2 bus stops, and just 5 minutes from the Tube Station!

It also wasn’t disgustingly expensive, the rooms were clean, and the staff was very friendly! Plus, the neighborhood of Mayfair is just adorable.

For more options on neighborhoods and specific hotels, make sure to check out my full guide on Where to Stay in London for first-timers!

But for the purpose of this guide, I’ll say this: the less time you have in London, the more crucial your hotel location becomes.

If you only have 1 or 2 days to explore, you don’t want to waste an hour or two of that time every day commuting into the city. Try to find something central!

However, if you are staying longer, maybe that doesn’t matter as much to you, and you’d rather prioritize a cute and affordable neighborhood.

Lastly, for those planning to take day trips outside of the city, pay attention to which train station you will be leaving from.

For example, the trains for the Warner Bros Studio tour leaves out of Euston Station next to King’s Cross on the north side of town, but the trains to the Cotswolds and Oxford leave out of Paddington Station on the west side of town!

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

So, how many days do you need in London?!

2 full days is the absolute minimum I’d spend, but if it’s your first time in London, I recommend 3 full days to see the top sights without feeling like you’re sprinting from one attraction to the next.

And if you can swing 4–5 days, you’ll have time to slow down, revisit your favorite spots, and squeeze in a day trip or two!

Just remember to factor in your arrival and departure times (and that first-day jet lag!) when you’re counting your days. A few extra hours can make a big difference in how much you actually get to enjoy this amazing city.

For more help planning, check out my 2 day London itinerary to see all the highlights.

Or if you have a little more time, my 4 day London itinerary includes everything I’d do with a slower pace and a day trip!

Read More London Blog Posts Below ⬇️🇬🇧
Action-Packed 2 Day London Itinerary
Perfect 4 Day London Itinerary for First Timers
Epic 7 Day London and Paris Itinerary!
Traveling To London For The First Time: A Beginner’s Guide
Where To Stay In London For First Timers: Breakdown By Neighborhood
30 Fun & Unique Things to Do in London for First-Timers!