Three days in London

First things first. Got your three-day London Pass? No? Then whaddya waiting for? The London Pass bundles together as many included attractions as you can humanly fit in during your vacay, saving you cash on individual entry prices and helping you skip a few ticket-booth lines along the way. You can use it, for example, to snag a two-day pass for the hop-on hop-off Big Bus sightseeing tour, which you’ll likely want to use a fair bit as a quick and easy way of getting from one big-hitting London attraction to the next.

But we’ll start our three-day London adventure at London Bridge, which isn’t actually falling down. Or at least it wasn’t last time we checked. From the station here you’re just a hop and a skip from some of London’s best grab-and-go breakfasts, found beneath the railway arches at Borough Market. We’re talking hot bacon sandwiches, perky cups of morning joe from the mighty Monmouth coffee and pastries the size of your face courtesy of Bread Ahead bakery. Or sure: all three, since you absolutely insist.

Suitably fortified, head over to The Shard (trust us, you can’t miss it) and ascend more than 1,000 feet above terra firma to the open-air deck for far-reaching views across London and beyond. As introductions to London go, the one-two hit of Borough Market and The View from The Shard is pretty tough to top.

Hop onto the Big Bus at the London Bridge stop and cruise across the Thames via the Insta-perfect gothic grandeur of Tower Bridge which, with any luck, won’t require your driver to perform any bascule-leaping stunts.

Our afternoon attraction requires no introduction. But we’re going to give it one anyway. Founded as a fortress by William the Conqueror nearly 1,000 years ago, the Tower of London has served many purposes in its long and storied history. Prison, royal mint, menagerie and now major tourist attraction, it’s seen more murder, mystery, backstabbings and beheadings than Game of Thrones’ entire seven season run. You can hear about all that stuff from the Beefeater guides, as well as nodding hello to the resident ravens and being awestruck in the dazzling presence of Britain’s Crown Jewels. Eyes peeled also for the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, executed here in classic Henry VIII style in 1536.

Back on the bus for a cruise west through the City – hello, St Paul’s Cathedral! – and into Westminster, where a visit to the Abbey is as essential a part of your London trip as setting your watch by the chimes of Big Ben, or nabbing a selfie posed inside a classic red telephone box.

Take a walk up Whitehall, tipping your hat (or whatever other gesture you feel is most appropriate) to the current resident of no.10 Downing Street and emerging onto Trafalgar Square for a few choice snaps by the stone lions at the foot of Nelson’s Column. Then pass beneath Admiralty Arch and onto the Mall for the long march to the gates of Buckingham Palace. Even if your feet don’t thank you for it, your Instagram reels surely will. 

Camera roll crammed to bursting follow the road left round the side of the palace and down into Victoria, where you’re pretty well spoiled for dinner options. Try the Flat Iron steak house, The Ivy Victoria or a traditional boozer like the Bag O’Nails for British classics like fish and chips or steak and ale pie. Yum.

We start our tour of west London with (yup, you guessed it), a ride on the Big Bus to Kensington. Grab a quick breakfast on Kensington High Street before moseying over to Kensington Palace, nestled in the far southwest corner of pretty Kensington Gardens. Ok, that’s a lot of Kensingtons in one short paragraph – we’ll stop now.

The palace is a vision of Jacobean splendor, sitting grandly among meticulously manicured gardens. And it’s not just a pretty face, either. Queen Mary’s ‘modest’ country retreat is also the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the palace where the drama of Diana and (now King) Charles’s marriage (and divorce) played out. Immerse yourself in old Mary’s opulent State Apartments and feast your magpie eyes on a selection of Queen Vic’s blingiest accessories, before slowly wandering the gardens – don’t skip the signature Sunken Garden, where you can pay homage to Lady Di, rendered here in statue form.

Discover more of the best London palaces to visit here.

You’ll find plenty of great places to eat in and around Kensington High Street, from Dishoom and Ivy outposts to takeout salad and sushi joints. Alternatively, you could do worse than taking a mosey through Kensington Gardens, clocking the lavish Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall before taking in a little (free!) cutting-edge art at the Serpentine Galleries, then watching the boats bob by over lunch at the Serpentine’s lakeside bar and kitchen in the mighty Hyde Park.

Afterwards, hop the bus at Lancaster Gate on Hyde Park’s northern edge for a scenic ride past Marble Arch and through London’s bustling shopping and entertainment district – Oxford Circus, Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus. Hop off and wander down to Covent Garden, where they say you’re never more than three feet from a sword juggler, circus acrobat or human statue. Pause a while to drink in the atmos (and all those lively street performances), then take a wild ride through London’s history, by way of its omnibuses, trams, trains and cabs at the London Transport Museum. Set inside a historic former flower market, the museum is absolute manna for trainspotters and petrolheads. Take the wheel of an iconic Routemaster bus, goggle at the world’s first-ever underground train, check out the collection of thousands of vintage advertising posters from the golden age of travel, and much more! 

Obsolete modes of transport not your bag? No probs: head to the nearby British Museum instead, where some eight million artifacts run the gamut from the Rosetta Stone to an Easter Island statue.

Today’s adventures have left you in exactly the right place for that most London of activities: the West End show. Restaurants in and around Covent Garden, Soho and, well, pretty much the whole of the West End offer pre-theater menus, ensuring you get to your seat on time. Pick one close to your chosen show for the win. And what a selection of shows and theaters there are to choose from in. Matilda, The Mousetrap, Wicked and The Lion King – you’ll find them all here, and then some. When the show’s over, head into Chinatown and Soho for late-night eats and London’s most colorful club culture. 

Start your final day with a cruise east from Central London to the visual delights and many historic attractions of Greenwich. Board at Westminster Pier or the London Eye for the short but pleasant boat ride, which gives you a unique perspective on London’s riverside landmarks as you glide east along the Thames. We’re talking the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Shard, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, to name just a few.

Once in Greenwich, stay afloat (well, sort of) with a visit to the historic Cutty Sark tea clipper. Trust us when we say you can’t miss this glorious Greenwich landmark: its tall sails are right there in front of you as you come into dock. Step aboard to be transported back to simpler, more innocent times, imagining the feeling of wind, sea spray and the faint waft of lapsang souchong. You can even touch parts of the ship’s original planks and iron frame and take afternoon tea (what else?) in the café beneath the hull.

You’re not short of a lunch option or six at buzzy Greenwich Market, where food stalls serve up Asian street food, burgers, cakes and more, and there are plenty of sit-down places to choose from, too. Our advice? If the weather’s nice, grab something to go and find a sweet spot in Greenwich Park overlooking the Thames and landmark Old Royal Naval College.

Walk it off with a wander round the Greenwich Park Circular trail before making a beeline (or should that be meridian line) for the Royal Observatory, ground zero for Greenwich Mean Time.

It’s easy to let a whole afternoon slip away at the Royal Observatory, where the absolute treasure trove of activities and attractions includes – deep breath – the stargazy splendor of the 17th-century Octagon Room, timey-wimey gadgets galore in the Time and Longitude Gallery, a tomato-red ‘time ball’, an absolutely massive telescope, a planetarium, a camera obscura, and a golden opportunity to straddle the world’s east and west hemispheres simultaneously. Seriously, you don’t have to be a nerd to get a kick out of this place (but it helps).

There are some pretty special skyline views to be had at this end of town, including the Canary Wharf skyscrapers, the broad sweep of the River Thames and, of course, the Greenwich waterfront itself. Take it all in on an early evening stroll across the roof of the O2 Arena. Yes, you read that right. You can go on a guided climb right to the top of the artist formerly known as the Millennium Dome, for splendid views of the space-age city skyline, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and much more besides.

Afterwards, rest those aching quads and glutes on a cable car ride high across the Thames, for yet more stellar skyline views as the sun sets and the city lights up in all its twinkling nighttime glory. Your London Pass includes a round-trip, so come back to the O2 for a vast variety of popular chain restaurants. Or go for something a bit more bougie and indie with laid-back village vibes back down in Greenwich or neighboring Blackheath.