Having visited London a few times now, here are some tips to help you find the most efficient way to tour London. London is an easy city to get around, with the excellent underground railway system and many sites closely linked and accessible on foot. For our day, we start at Westminster Station, follow signs to Westminster Exit, this gives you an amazing view of some of the notable sights in London including the River Thames, Big Ben and Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament)
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
Westminster Palace and Big Ben
First stop is Big Ben, the clock that is synonymous with London, then onto Westminster Palace is more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament. This is really a photo stop as, due to security you really can’t get too close, but they are the iconic images that everyone wants to see. There is a lot of specific historical information here.
Next stop is a meander along to have a look at 10 Downing Street where the British Prime Minister lives. You can’t get too close but worth a stop.
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
Westminster Abbey
Next stop for our itinerary Westminster Abbey, is one the most interesting churches in England, with a fascinating history. It is a beautiful place to visit with lots of history and many famous people are buried there including Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth the First (along with many members of the Royal family and William Wilberforce famous for stopping the Slave Trade.)
Entry is £22 for an adult however if you really want to visit and you are in London on a Wednesday there is £10 entry from 4.30-7pm.
Changing of the Horse Guards
If you time it right, the Horse Guard Parade is a wonderful event to experience, it takes about half an hour but the horses and riders are just perfectly turned out and beautiful to watch.
The Parade is at 11 am Monday to Saturday and 10 am Sunday. It is best to check by visiting here first, as sometimes in the offseason they only do this every second day. If you don’t get there on time the Guards out the front change every hour from 10 am to 4 pm so you can see it on a smaller scale. It is free to attend but there is a charge to visit the museum.
So after a short walk in St James Park, head back to the Station and get the tube to London Bridge Underground Station and head to the Borough Markets to enjoy some of the local food for lunch. You will be spoilt for choice and if it is a nice day, get it as takeaway then head towards the Thames to enjoy it.
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
Southbank
Southbank stretches along the Thames opposite the Tower of London. It is a hive of activity, when we were there a festival was just starting which looked really interesting, these change quite regularly. There are also plenty of places to sit and enjoy the great views of the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, HMS Belfast and watch the river traffic along the Thames.
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
Tower Bridge
Once you have had your fill, you can have a walk along the area, there are great spots along the river for photos, then head across Tower Bridge and take in the city from that angle.
If you are interested, there is a museum underneath giving you an interesting history of the bridge and this area of London well worth a visit if you have the time.
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
Tower of London
From here it is a short walk to the Tower of London. The best way to visit is to do a tour with a Beefeater, he will explain the history of the Royal Family and it’s connections to the tower. It really has a fascinating history going back centuries and it all seems to come alive as you are walking around.
The entry price of £24.50 (this includes the Beefeater tour) however there is enough there to keep you busy for a whole day but of course, if you only have one day you will need to move after your tour.
If you book early enough (12 months in advance) you can also attend the ‘Ceremony of the Keys‘ where you get to witness the locking of the Tower in the same way they have done for hundreds of years. This a free nightly event and really gives you a unique experience.
Most Efficient Way To Tour London
St Katherine’s Dock
When you have finished visiting the Tower, you can head across the road to St Katherine’s Dock, here you will find some of the Royal Barges on display all glittering and gold. It is a lovely area to wander around, it also lots of coffee shops, bars and restaurants so you can enjoy a relaxed and to your day.
London is a wonderful city to explore with many nice areas to stay. Our friend Samantha from Travelling King has some great tips on accommodation near different sites.
There are plenty more areas to explore in London but these are a good start to the most efficient way to tour these parts of London.
