United Kingdom · 5 days · 5 days · 19 stops
5 days in London with Windsor
This plan takes London one neighbourhood at a time: each day has its own neighbourhood and the walks stay short. After Westminster, the City and Kensington, you take the train to Windsor on day four. Greenwich rounds things off, reached by boat or DLR – with a clipper ship, an observatory and a park above the Thames.
In short
- Length
- 5 days, 19 stops
- Highlights
- Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum), Windsor Castle, Cutty Sark
- Day trips
- Day trip to Windsor
- Where to stay
- South Bank, Bloomsbury
- Getting around
- The Tube gets you everywhere quickly.
- Best time to go
- May to September is warmest with the longest days, but busy in high summer.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
Westminster and Churchill
Westminster Abbey
The Coronation Chair, Poets' Corner and the cloisters. Allow about two hours with the audio guide.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Westminster Abbeyabout 5 min on foot
Churchill War Rooms
The underground rooms from which Churchill ran the war are almost untouched. Book ahead – the queue is often long.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Churchill War Roomsabout 10 min on foot
National Gallery
Walk via Horse Guards Parade to Trafalgar Square. Entry is free, so you can always come back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): National Galleryabout 10 min on foot
Covent Garden
Dinner around the piazza, with many West End theatres close by.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Covent Garden
Day 2
The Tower and the City of London
Tower of London
The Crown Jewels, the White Tower and the ravens. A Yeoman Warder tour adds the stories.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Tower of Londonabout 10 min on foot
Leadenhall Market
A Victorian market hall with a painted glass roof between the office towers. City workers come here for lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Leadenhall Marketabout 15 min on foot
St Paul's Cathedral
This time go inside and climb to the Whispering Gallery and up the dome. Comfortable shoes help.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): St Paul's Cathedralright next door
One New Change
The shopping centre's roof terrace is free to visit and almost level with the dome of St Paul's.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): One New Change
Day 3
Kensington and Notting Hill
V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum)
Five thousand years of design, fashion and craft, free to enter. Have lunch in the café with its tiled rooms.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum)about 20 min on foot
Kensington Gardens
Past the Albert Memorial to the Round Pond and Kensington Palace. A good time for a break on the grass.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Kensington GardensWalk north through Notting Hill, about 25 min, or take a bus up Kensington Church Street.
Portobello Road
Colourful houses, antique shops and stalls. The big market is on Saturdays; on weekdays it's calmer.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Portobello Roadabout 10 min on foot
Notting Hill
Dinner in the neighbourhood, for instance around Westbourne Grove with its pubs and small restaurants.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Notting Hill
Day 4
Day trip to Windsor
Direct trains from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside take about 1 hour; from Paddington change at Slough for Windsor & Eton Central, about 35 min. Return the same way. Check the castle's opening days first.
Windsor Castle
The oldest occupied castle in the world, with the State Apartments and St George's Chapel. Allow three hours.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Windsor Castleabout 10 min on foot
Eton
Cross the footbridge into Eton. The High Street has pubs and cafés for a late lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Etonabout 15 min on foot
The Long Walk
The dead-straight avenue in Windsor Great Park leads up to the castle. Walk a stretch and look back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): The Long Walk
Day 5
Greenwich
DLR to Cutty Sark, or the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers from Westminster or London Eye Pier to Greenwich, about 45 min.
Cutty Sark
The fast tea clipper sits in a dry dock, and you can walk right round beneath her hull.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Cutty Sarkabout 5 min on foot
National Maritime Museum
Seafaring, explorers and the uniform Nelson wore at Trafalgar. Entry is free.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): National Maritime Museumabout 5 min on foot
Greenwich Market
A covered market with street-food and craft stalls – your lunch stop.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Greenwich Marketabout 10 min on foot
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Climb through Greenwich Park to the Prime Meridian. From the terrace you look across the Thames to Canary Wharf.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Royal Observatory Greenwich
Good to know
Book ahead
The Churchill War Rooms, the Tower and Windsor Castle sell timed tickets. Booking online saves you long queues.
Check Windsor's days
For parts of the year the castle doesn't open every day of the week, and it sometimes closes for state occasions. Check the official site.
Take the boat to Greenwich
The trip along the Thames is part of the outing. You can pay by contactless on the boat, too.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for London.
Your plan
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5 days in London: frequently asked questions
Are 5 days in London worth it?
Yes. You get time for museums without rushing, a day trip to Windsor and Greenwich, which fills a whole day with the observatory.
Which day trip suits 5 days in London?
Windsor is about an hour by train and easy to do in a day. Oxford and Cambridge are alternatives, each also around an hour away.
More plans for London
- One dayOne day in London – Westminster to SouthbankA loop through Westminster, past Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden to the big wheel on the Thames – all on foot.
- WeekendA weekend in London: Friday to SundayArrive by the Thames on Friday, Westminster and the West End on Saturday, the Tower and a view from above on Sunday.
- 3 days3 days in London – a ready-made itineraryWestminster and the royal parks, the Tower and the South Bank, museums with free entry.
- With kidsLondon with kids: 2 easy daysDinosaurs and experiments on day one, sharks, the big wheel and a boat ride on day two.
- On a budgetLondon on a budget: 2 days, mostly freeWorld-class museums with no entry fee, a free view from the top and food from markets and takeaways.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Fuzzypiggy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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