United Kingdom Five days lets you cover icons (Days 1-3 from the 3-day plan) plus two specialty days. Day 4 ventures to Greenwich (Royal Observatory, Prime Meridian, Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark) — a half-day boat ride to a different London. Day 5 is the museum mile: V&A or Natural History in South Kensington, then Notting Hill antiques (Portobello Road on Saturday), Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. The pace is more relaxed — afternoon pub stops, gallery time, no forced marches.
Five days hits the sweet spot for London — three days for the major districts, plus two days for nearby destinations that show a different side of the country. The pace stays relaxed, you get more variety in your photo album, and the day trips break up the urban intensity nicely.
5-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$390
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$740
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$1,550
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Royal & Riverside London
Westminster · South Bank · Borough MarketActivities
- 09:00 Westminster Abbey 1.5-2 hours
1,000-year coronation church; audio guide included.
Cost: $40 / £30 - 11:30 Big Ben + Parliament exterior 30 min
Photos from Westminster Bridge.
Cost: Free - 13:00 Borough Market lunch 1.5 hours
Kappacasein toastie + Brindisa chorizo + Bread Ahead doughnut.
Cost: $15-30 / £11-22 - 15:00 Tate Modern 1.5-2 hours
Free; Turbine Hall + Rothko Room.
Cost: Free - 18:00 London Eye sunset 1 hour
30-min rotation 135m up.
Cost: $45 / £33
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Borough Market
Southwark · $15-30 / £11-22
Multi-stall grazing
Dinner
The Anchor Bankside
South Bank · $30-50 / £22-36
Historic Thames-side pub
Mostly walkable + one Tube stop (Westminster to Borough).
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Museum London + West End
British Museum · Covent Garden · Soho · West End theaterActivities
- 10:00 British Museum (free) 2-3 hours
Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, Egyptian mummies.
Cost: Free - 13:00 Dishoom Covent Garden lunch 1.5 hours
Bombay café — black daal, bacon naan.
Cost: $20-35 / £14-25 - 15:30 Soho + Chinatown walk 1 hour
Old Compton Street, Berwick Market.
Cost: Free - 16:30 National Gallery (free) 1.5 hours
Van Gogh Sunflowers, da Vinci, Vermeer.
Cost: Free - 19:30 West End theater 2.5 hours
Hamilton, Lion King, Phantom — book ahead or TKTS Leicester Square.
Cost: $50-180 / £35-130
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Dishoom
Covent Garden · $20-35 / £14-25
Black daal + bacon naan
Dinner
Plum Valley Chinatown
Soho · $25-45 / £18-32
Crispy duck pancakes
All walkable Zone 1.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Tower of London + East End
Tower · Tower Bridge · Spitalfields · Brick LaneActivities
- 09:00 Tower of London 3 hours
Crown Jewels + Yeoman Warder tour.
Cost: $48 / £35 - 13:00 Spitalfields Market lunch 1.5 hours
Old Spitalfields glass-roof market.
Cost: $15-30 / £11-22 - 15:00 Brick Lane street art + Shoreditch 2 hours
Banksy, ROA, vintage shops, Boxpark.
Cost: Free - 19:00 Tayyabs dinner (Whitechapel) 1.5 hours
Pakistani lamb chops + karahi (BYOB).
Cost: $20-35 / £14-25
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Bleecker Burger Spitalfields
Spitalfields · $12-20 / £8.50-14
Bleecker Black + chips
Dinner
Tayyabs
Whitechapel · $20-35 / £14-25
Lamb chops + karahi gosht (BYOB)
Tower Hill → Spitalfields → Brick Lane all walkable. Tayyabs is 1 Tube stop from Aldgate East.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Greenwich Day Trip
Royal Observatory · Prime Meridian · Maritime Museum · Cutty SarkActivities
- 09:30 Thames Clipper to Greenwich 30-45 min
30-min river boat from Embankment or Tower Pier. Use contactless tap — same as Tube fare cap.
Cost: $11 / £8 TIP: Sit upstairs on deck for the best views. Boats every 20 min. - 10:30 Cutty Sark (1869 tea clipper) 1 hour
Walk underneath the actual hull — the ship is suspended in dry dock. Maritime history museum onboard.
Cost: $22 / £16 - 12:00 Greenwich Market lunch 1 hour
Indoor + outdoor market, antiques + street food. Tacos, dumplings, Cuban sandwiches.
Cost: $10-20 / £7-14 - 13:30 Royal Observatory + Prime Meridian 1.5 hours
Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Astronomy galleries, telescope room, courtyard with the famous time ball.
Cost: $22 / £16 - 15:30 Greenwich Park walk + view of Canary Wharf 1 hour
Climb the hill behind the observatory for the most famous London skyline view — Canary Wharf and the Thames laid out below.
Cost: Free - 17:00 National Maritime Museum (free) 1-1.5 hours
Free; Trafalgar gallery, Nelson's uniform with the bullet hole.
Cost: Free - 19:00 Thames boat back to central + dinner Variable
Return via boat as the city lights up. Dinner at Brindisa Borough or back near hotel.
Cost: Variable
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Pret A Manger or hotel
Central · $8-15 / £6-11
Quick breakfast before boat
Lunch
Greenwich Market
Greenwich · $10-20 / £7-14
Multiple street food stalls; tacos and dumplings are reliable
Dinner
Brindisa Borough or hotel area
Borough / Central · $30-50 / £22-36
Spanish tapas at Brindisa after the boat trip back
Boat (Thames Clipper) to Greenwich + walk + boat back. Alternative: DLR train (Bank → Greenwich, 20 min).
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Museums + Notting Hill + Hyde Park
V&A · Natural History · Portobello Road · Hyde ParkActivities
- 10:00 Victoria & Albert Museum (free) 2 hours
Design and decorative arts museum. Sculpture courts, fashion gallery (current era + retrospectives), Asian art wing.
Cost: Free TIP: If V&A doesn't grab you, swap for Natural History Museum next door — dinosaurs and the blue whale skeleton. - 12:30 Lunch at South Kensington pub 1 hour
The Anglesea Arms or Brompton-area gastropub.
Cost: $25-40 / £18-28 - 14:00 Tube to Notting Hill Gate 15 min
Piccadilly Line, 4 stops, 10 min.
Cost: $4 / £2.80 - 14:30 Portobello Road Market 2 hours
Saturday is the big day (antiques + street food + vintage); other days reduced but still walkable.
Cost: Free - 17:00 Hyde Park + Kensington Gardens walk 1.5 hours
Through Notting Hill to Hyde Park's west side — Albert Memorial, Round Pond, Serpentine Galleries (free).
Cost: Free - 19:30 Dinner: Core by Clare Smyth (Notting Hill) OR Bistro 7 (casual) 2-3 hours
Splurge: 3-Michelin-star tasting £270. Casual: Notting Hill pub or French bistro.
Cost: $35-380 / £25-270
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel or local café
Central / Kensington · $10-20 / £7-14
Light start before museum walking
Lunch
South Kensington gastropub
South Kensington · $25-40 / £18-28
Anglesea Arms or similar — fish pie or Sunday roast if Sunday
Dinner
Core by Clare Smyth OR pub
Notting Hill · $35-380 / £25-270
Splurge: 3-star tasting. Casual: a Notting Hill pub
Tube: South Kensington (Piccadilly) → Notting Hill Gate (Piccadilly), 4 stops. Walking from Notting Hill back to central is doable through Hyde Park.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Same as 3-day: umbrella, walking shoes, layers, contactless card, UK plug adapter
- ✓ Extra socks/feet care — by Day 5 you'll have walked 80km+
- ✓ Compact daypack for museum bags (some require bag check)
London 5-Day Itinerary FAQ
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Why you can trust 5-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.