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If you find yourself with 48 hours in London, you need to understand that you will not have the time to see everything you want to. It is just not possible. London is too big and has so much on offer. You would need weeks or months to explore London to its entirety and even then, you might leave regretting missing out on something. What a weekend in the city does give you is a chance to scratch the surface, to get yourself into different areas of the city that are quite contrasting with one another. This time-frame gives you the opportunity to eat some of the city’s fantastic food and see the major sites. Once you come prepared for a busy couple of days, you are sure to have a memorable 48 hours in London.
Accommodation
Before choosing your accommodation, you need to take into account just how big London is. It is nearly impossible to be close to everything you aim to see. Value for money should be a priority. Hotels and hostels can cost a lot of money in London. It is important to cut costs where you can. Once you remain close to the centre, the underground can get you anywhere and fast. Find yourself accommodation in zone one or two on the underground map. This guarantees close proximity to the city centre. Also, aim for a hotel with free breakfast as this is another way of lowering expenditure. It also takes the stress out of finding food early in the morning.
Day 1
Morning
The first expense of the morning is your all-day travel card. They can be bought at every underground station. This will give you unlimited use of transport in London for 24 hours. Once bought, you are free to start exploring London. I recommend that you start by taking the tube to Hyde Park Corner. From there walk down Constitution Hill. This street is situated between Green Park and Buckingham Palace Gardens. At the end of this road is Buckingham Palace. Most first time visitors to London will want to see the Palace. At 11 am every morning, the Changing of the Guard takes place in the Palace grounds. This can be watched from outside the main gate and lasts for thirty minutes. It is seriously recommended that you arrive at least half an hour early. Watching this procession take place is a great way to see Buckingham Palace.
Lunch
After breaking away from the crowds, aim for Green Park station. This is the closest tube station to the Palace. From there, head for London Bridge. Outside the station, you will find the entrance to Borough Market. This is a food market dating back to the 12th century. There is a great selection of fresh produce throughout the market. The real reason you want to visit here is for the delicious street food that vendors cook up. My favourite place is Gourmet Goat. This amazing stall sells fresh kid goat kofta wrapped in a freshly made pita. This is just my personal preference though. There are dozens of great stalls at Borough Market. Come here, grab some lunch and soak up the atmosphere.
Afternoon
The afternoon of your first day should be spent seeing even more of London’s famous attractions. A couple of stops on the underground is Waterloo. This brings you to the riverfront. On this side of the river is the London Eye. I don’t necessarily recommend going on the big wheel, but if you want to, this is your best chance. Also along the river are the London Dungeons and Madame Tussauds, among others. On the other side of the river is Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, although as of 2019, they are under renovation. Also, Westminster Abbey, London’s most famous church, is there. With incredible Gothic architecture inside and out, it is quite a sight to see. It is often used for royal weddings, including the recent wedding of Prince William. The church is open to visitors Monday-Saturday.
Downing Street is just around the corner from the Abbey. Although you might not see too much, a lot of visitors are interested in getting a glimpse of the famous black door. It should still be early afternoon at this time and is a good opportunity to visit the most famous store in London. Harrods has over 330 departments spread across a five-acre site. You can buy anything there from jewellery to children’s toys. There is also a food court and a souvenir shop. Getting lost in Harrods is an easy and fun way to spend a few hours.
Dinner
There are a couple of meals every visitor to London must eat. One of those is the world-renowned, fish and chips. You will see restaurants selling this all across the city. Most are aimed at tourists but you do have the chance to eat real fish and chips from the same place as locals. Head back to Waterloo station. Instead of walking back to the waterfront, walk down Waterloo Road in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, you will see Master’s Superfish. This old school restaurant serves amazing cod and chips. Expect huge portions and low prices. Everything is freshly cooked and your meal comes with bread, prawns and a selection of sauces. It is also a popular takeaway for local residents.
Day 2
Breakfast
Heading out for breakfast is optional, presuming you can eat at your hotel. If you do wish to dine out though, go to Brick Lane Market. This east-end market can feel like walking into another city. Metropolitan London is gone and replaced with a very old-school scene, almost exactly like you might imagine the east-end to be like. The speciality in this area is salt beef beigels. Beigel Bake, a 24-hour institution of Brick Lane, sell the best. Salt beef, or Corned beef as it is known in other parts of the world, is stuffed onto a freshly baked beigel. Then a large, but optional helping of mustard and pickles is added. Filling and delicious, a salt beef beigel will set you up for the day.
Morning
To get the most from your morning, you will need to make full use of your travel card. Go to St. Paul’s from Brick Lane or your accommodation, depending on your breakfast choice. St. Paul’s Cathedral is London’s largest and one of the city’s most recognizable sights. If you wish to spend more time there, you can enter for £20. Sunday is reserved for worshippers, that should be remembered in planning. On a tight schedule, I would admire it from the outside only. Instead of paying to go inside, I would walk down to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. This area is one of London’s most impressive sights and makes for a great photo opportunity.
Lunch
There are plenty of great places to eat in London. It can be a good idea to mix in seeing a sight and eating at the same time, similar to seeing Borough Market on the first day. I feel the best place to do this is at Camden Market. Camden is my favourite area in London. It has so many little oddities that make it unique. It was, at one point, popular with the punk and rock scene across London. Today, it is a lot more touristy than it once was but with many throwbacks to this time. The market is packed with delicious food. International cuisines are found throughout the whole market for a decent price, as well as some pubs with outdoor seating that allow visitors to soak up the atmosphere. Be sure to look around the market, so many weird and wonderful items can be found there.
Afternoon
As you come into the afternoon, you might get the realisation that there is still so much to see. You won’t be the first person to have underestimated the size of London. This may be a good time to start planning a return trip. Keeping busy, make your way to Leicester Square. This pedestrianized square is London’s centre of entertainment. There are shops there (Lego and M&M’s) and a whole host of theatres and restaurants. Move around the corner to London’s Chinatown. This vibrant area may not be as impressive as other Chinatowns around the world but is still worth a quick look if you are in the area.
You are within walking distance of Covent Garden. It is one stop on the underground but it is just as easy to walk. This, in my opinion, is the best place to conclude your second day in London. Covent Garden is arguably the most picturesque area of the city. The piazza is home to many shops and cafés. There are plenty of street performers, as well as a transport museum and St. Paul’s Church. After a look around the area, including the Apple Market, I suggest going to a café, sitting outside for a while and soaking up the atmosphere.
Dinner
When talking about dinner on day 1, I mentioned there are a couple of meals every visitor to London must try. One was obviously fish and chips, the other is a pie. Pies are adored all over England. So many places across the country lay claim to having the best. London may not always come out on top of that poll but the capital does have its fair share of delicious pie shops. In East London, you will typically find more traditional pie restaurants, but for better quality and better taste, go to Piebury Corner near King’s Cross Station. They have a great selection of pies, mashed and roast potatoes and a very tasty gravy to top it all off. Personally, this is my favourite place to eat in London.
Alternative Ideas
It is likely that your plans will differ in some way from the above. There is so much on offer that it is impossible to fit it all into a 48 hour period. For example, Harry Potter Studios are in London. Fans of the books and movies might view this as a must-see. After all, it is the highest rated tourist attraction worldwide. Some might see spending over half a day there as a must and I tend to be in agreement. It is worth travelling to London with the sole purpose of visiting Harry Potter World. London is also full of museums, both history and art. London has many more green areas that this itinerary doesn’t talk about, Kensington Gardens and Greenwich Park being personal favourites.
Planning your 48 hours in London can be overwhelming. Time will certainly be of the essence. A fast-paced weekend there only keeps with the atmosphere of the city. London is constantly moving at a hundred miles an hour. It is not a great city to relax in. No minute should be wasted, at least not on your first visit there. This itinerary will certainly keep you busy. That being said, it is not designed to be followed step-by-step. I am sure you will have your own idea of what you want to see and do. Whilst this might differ from the above, this plan gives you an idea of how long certain activities might take. It also gives you delicious options for all meals. London is a truly great city and one I enjoy writing about.
To check out more of my London blogs including the best food the city has to offer, click here.
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Looks like you had a great time! This post has really made me want some Fish & Chips!
This post is so informative! And your pictures are absolutely amazing as always. These tips will absolutely help me in the future.
I think it`s such a great itinerary. I’ve bookmarked it and will use it for my next London trip. Thanks!