London

London 5-day itinerary

5 days in London on foot. The plan moves through City, City, City, starting with The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, Royal Tank Regiment Memorial, The Gurkha Soldier. No car.
Best for
A first visit to London with room for one extra neighborhood.
Pace
Four walking days and one day trip.
Base
City
Estimated budget
$400–$1,400

Day-by-day plan

Follow the stops in order. Walk times are estimates between nearby places.

  1. Day 1

    City

    Walk City in London. Start at The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, then Royal Tank Regiment Memorial and The Gurkha Soldier. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk

      Historic: memorial. Tourism: information.

    2. Stop 2 · 30 min walk

      Royal Tank Regiment Memorial

      The Royal Tank Regiment Memorial is a sculpture by Vivien Mallock in Whitehall Court, London. It commemorates the Royal Tank Regiment.

    3. Stop 3 · 4 min walk

      The Gurkha Soldier

      See also en:Gurkha Memorial, London. Historic: memorial.

    4. Stop 4 · 7 min walk

      Anglo-Belgian War Memorial

      war memorial in London

    5. Stop 5 · 7 min walk

      Royal Air Force Memorial

      The Royal Air Force Memorial is a military memorial on the Victoria Embankment in central London, dedicated to the memory of the casualties of the Royal Air Force in World War I and, by extension, all subsequent conflicts. Unveiled in 1923, it became a Grade II listed structure in 1958, and was upgraded to Grade II* in 2018. It is considered to be the official memorial of the RAF and related services.

    Eat · Woburn Cafe: Woburn Cafe listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

    Browse London tours
  2. Day 2

    City

    Walk City in London. Start at Battle of Britain Memorial, then Douglas Haig and Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Battle of Britain Memorial

      Battle of Britain Memorial may refer to these memorials dedicated to the WWII Battle of Britain between German and British air forces:Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent Battle of Britain Memorial, London Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, an RAF display team

    2. Stop 2 · 4 min walk

      Douglas Haig

      equestrian statue on Whitehall in London, England, UK

    3. Stop 3 · 4 min walk

      Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke

      statue in Whitehall, London

    4. Stop 4 · 4 min walk

      Monty

      statue in Whitehall, London

    5. Stop 5 · 56 min walk

      The Good Mixer

      Historic: monument.

    Eat · 26 Furnival Street: Cuisine: pizza;burger.

  3. Day 3

    City

    Walk City in London. Start at Speke Memorial, then The Cockpit and Cavalry Memorial. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Speke Memorial

      memorial to John Hanning Speke in Kensington Gardens, London

    2. Stop 2 · 10 min walk

      The Cockpit

      The Cockpit can refer to:Cockpit Theatre, a 17th-century theatre in London that opened in 1616 The Cockpit, a theatre in London, England that opened in 1970 The Cockpit (OVA), a three-part anime series made in 1993 based on manga by artist Leiji Matsumoto The Cockpit (Leeds), a musical venue in Leeds, England that opened in 1994 The Cockpit, London, a pub in London

    3. Stop 3 · 13 min walk

      Cavalry Memorial

      Historic: memorial.

    4. Stop 4 · 24 min walk

      Piccadilly Comedy Club

      Piccadilly Comedy Club on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    5. Stop 5 · 41 min walk

      London Bridge Experience

      See also en:The London Bridge Experience. Tourism: attraction.

    Eat · Cafe Angel: Cafe Angel listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  4. Day 4

    City

    Walk City in London. Start at New Zealand War Memorial, then Australia War Memorial and Stockwell Spiritist Church and Healing Centre. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      New Zealand War Memorial

      The New Zealand War Memorial in London is a memorial to the war dead of New Zealand in the First and Second World Wars, unveiled in 2006. Officially named "Southern Stand", the memorial was designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble, both from New Zealand.

    2. Stop 2 · 4 min walk

      Australia War Memorial

      Historic: memorial.

    3. Stop 3 · 54 min walk

      Stockwell Spiritist Church and Healing Centre

      Stockwell Spiritist Church and Healing Centre on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    Eat · Old Tree Daiwan Bee: Cuisine: taiwanese.

  5. Day 5

    Day trip toward Nerd activities in London

    Leave London for the day. Come back to the same bed.

    1. Stop 1

      Nerd activities in London

      Listed as a next stop from London. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    2. Stop 2

      Aylesbury

      Listed as a next stop from London. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    3. Stop 3

      Berkhamsted

      Listed as a next stop from London. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    Eat · Pack snacks from town. Do not count on a full menu at a small station.

    Browse Nerd activities in London day trips

Where to stay

Sleep near the walking base. Pick an area, then search hotels by neighborhood.

  • The centre

    First-time visitors

    Stay inside walking range of the first-day stops in London.

Full where-to-stay guide →

Things to book

Tours and tickets that match this plan. Book anything that needs timed entry.

Budget

Rough mid-range spend for 5 days in London, excluding long-haul flights. Hotel nights drive most of the range.

  • Budget: about $400 (hostel/budget hotel, transit, street food)
  • Mid-range: about $700 (3★ hotel, sit-down meals, a tour or two)
  • Comfort: about $1,400 (nicer hotel, taxis, paid attractions)

Trip budget calculator →

Transportation

Get in

thumb|Summary map of rail connections to London airports London receives more flights than any other city in the world. It is served by six airports ( for all airports). There are direct public transport connections between all London airports and the city centre. The quickest travel option is usually by train, tube or coach.

Get around

The main travel options in summary are: *By bus: Running by iconic red double-decker buses, this is the cheapest and usually the best way to get around London as a tourist: on most of the Underground, you won't see anything! *By Tube / Underground: As world's oldest rapid transit system, there are 11 lines cover the central area and northern suburbs, run by TfL. *By Overground and the Elizabeth Line: Urban communter rail systems run between central area and suburbs, part of National Rail network but run by TfL. *By National Rail: A complex network of suburban rail services mainly covering southern suburbs, privately run and not part of the TfL network, although all operators now accept Oyster payments within Greater London. *By Docklands Light Railway (DLR): An automatic metro system running from the City to East London via the Docklands, run by TfL.

Where to eat

Simple meal ideas near the day’s walking route.

  • Woburn Cafe

    Woburn Cafe listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • 26 Furnival Street

    Cuisine: pizza;burger.

  • Cafe Angel

    Cafe Angel listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • Old Tree Daiwan Bee

    Cuisine: taiwanese.

  • Mithai Ghar

    Mithai Ghar listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • A toca

    Cuisine: portuguese.

  • The Serpentine Lido Cafe

    The Serpentine Lido Cafe listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • Alba

    Cuisine: pizza.

Before you go

Questions

Do I need a car in London?
No for this plan. The days stay inside walking range, then local transit to LHR. The main travel options in summary are: *By bus: Running by iconic red double-decker buses, this is the cheapest and usually the best way to get around London as a tourist: on most of the Underground, you won't see anything! *By Tube / Underground: As world's oldest rapid transit system, there are 11 lines cover the central area and northern suburbs, run by TfL. *By Overground and the Elizabeth Line: Urban communter rail systems run between central area and suburbs, part of National Rail network but run by TfL. *By National Rail: A complex network of suburban rail services mainly covering southern suburbs, privately run and not part of the TfL network, although all operators now accept Oyster payments within Greater London. *By Docklands Light Railway (DLR): An automatic metro system running from the City to East London via the Docklands, run by TfL.
Is 5 days enough?
Yes if you want London plus one nearby trip. Use the 3-day plan if you will not leave town.
Where should I stay?
Base near City so the first walking day starts at the hotel. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Marble Arch is a listed option, not a ranking.
Where do I eat?
Each day names one sit-down stop. Woburn Cafe is on the list. Keep the rest as bakeries and market counters.

Other London trip lengths

Daily stops compiled from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, and OpenTripMap. Updated 2026-08-25. Edited by Lina Varela.