London is one of those places that is so exciting to visit. A place that is both historical and modern at the same time.

If you are a history buff like me, you will be in heaven as London has been at the center of so much historical significance. At the same time it is a thriving modern city, one of the biggest in the world with great restaurants and nightlife.

4 Days in London is a great amount of time to be able to see most of the attractions and really experience London. Read below for my 4 day London Itinerary.

Click here for a full London City Guide on how to save money, where to stay, and more.

“I travel continuously, and I see many cities, but there is nowhere like London.” -Norman Foster

We took a red eye flight and landed in the morning. We dropped off our luggage at our hotel, The Sanctuary House Hotel, which was in Westminster which was a great location for what we had planned the first few days.  We knew we had so much to fit into our 4 day London itinerary so we freshened up and had some lunch in a pub. Afterwards we headed straight to Buckingham Palace. We watched the changing of the guard which was a really cool experience.

We took the paid tour inside which was very interesting, we had booked this tour in advance online.

You were able to walk through many of the rooms throughout the palace and also see many of the gifts given to the Queen from other world leaders over the years. After our tour we sat in the gardens and grounds in the back of the palace and had some ice cream.

After our tour we went to the Churchill War Rooms. These underground bunkers where Winston Churchill led the armed forces during the Second World War are preserved in time and open for the public to visit and explore.

For dinner we wanted to experience fish and chips because when in Rome…I mean London.

We went to the Laughing Halibut which is supposed to be serve the best fish and chips in Westminster. After dinner we were pretty exhausted and so we called it an early night. 

Due to the time change, we were up bright and early.  I encourage you to take advantage of this and hit the city when things are first opening. We ate breakfast in our hotel which was good and filling.

For the second day we stayed in Westminster. We went to see Westminster Abbey which is absolutely beautiful and a highlight of our London Trip. If you are in London for any amount of time be sure that Westminster in on your list of things to see. By getting the London Pass we were able to skip the long lines to buy tickets.

For lunch we ate at the historic pub called The Grenadier. You will find good food, beer, and a unique atmosphere.

After lunch we decided to use our London Pass and do the Hop on Hop off bus. It took us all over the city so we were able to take some great pics at many of the most famous landmarks in London.

There was a tour guide narrating the tour which was interesting and taught me a lot of the unknown history of London. We learned about the great fire, saw building with bomb damage from WW2, places famous people throughout history ate and hung out. It was super touristy but I enjoyed it.

For dinner we went to this hip and busy indian restaurant called Dishoom. There was about a hour wait to get in but the food was absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was cool.

After Dinner we walked around Soho, stopping in a few different pubs for some beer. There is also a lot of shops to stop in. One of the best things about Soho was people watching. There were so many people on the streets, it was fun to watch all the different people.

After a long a busy day we went to back to the hotel and had a some drinks at the hotel bar and then went to bed.

We checked out of our hotel and grabbed a quick breakfast at Pret a Manger which are basically on every corner and are kind of like a Starbucks with sandwiches and other food.

We then checked into the Amba Hotel Charing Cross which I absolutely loved. The service was great, the rooms were super clean and comfortable. The other great thing about this hotel is the location. It is right across the street from the Charing Cross station that allows you to ride the tube to pretty much anywhere you want to go. What else is great about this hotel is it is kitty corner from Trafalger Square.

After checking into the hotel we headed to Tragalger Square. Trafalger Square is at the heart of London. It is a famous public square where the Column with the statue of Sir Horace Nelson is on top.

After looking around and taking pictures, we headed into the National Gallery which is right on the square. This is a free art museum that houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. You will find art from Van Gogh and other famous artists. The building itself is beautiful.

After the museum we were pretty hungry and stopped by for lunch at Herman Ze German where they serve sausages on a roll. It was really good and affordable.

In order to fit everything we want to see in our 4 day London itinerary, we had to have a few pretty packed days. So after lunch we headed to The Tower of London which was included in the London Pass.

The Tower of London was built in the 1070’s by William the Conqueror and was used by Queen Elizabeth as a prison, zoo, and more. Today it now houses the Crown Jewels.

The Tower of London was one of my favorite things to see in London. It has so much history that it was absolutely fascinating to see in person. The Crown Jewels were amazing to see. They were absolutely gorgeous and it is hard to believe that the cost of them is more than some countries make a year!

After The Tower of London get some good pictures of The Tower Bridge which is another one of London’s most recognizable landmarks. Climb to the top as part of your London pass for great panoramic views of London.

After the Tower of London we went to Dinner at The Mayflower Pub. This was a cool traditional English pub surrounded by cobbled streets, the outside has a deck that sits on the River Thames and cosy candlelit restaurant have stunning river views. The pub was built in 1620 which was super cool. The environment was nice and cosy and the food good.

We woke up and ate breakfast at our hotel which was a traditional English breakfast. After breakfast we went to see the Parliament and Big Ben up close and personal. Big Ben is such a icon and one of the most recognizable icons in London that you have to see it up close.

Right by is the Eye of London which provides great views of London. We opted to go on a Thames River Cruise as part of our London Pass which gives you a whole new vantage point of viewing London.

We went back to our hotel for afternoon tea at our hotel. It was wonderful. The food and tea was absolutely delicious and the dishes they served it on were gorgeous. You can’t go to London without having afternoon tea!

After lunch/afternoon tea we went to the British Museum.

Wow! The British Museum is massive with so many amazing exhibits. It is a history lover’s dream. Some of the world-famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies. It is such a large museum that we were not able to finish it but it was well worth it. I loved the Roman exhibits!

If you have an extra day there are so many great day trip options from London.

Some ideas are going to the Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor Castle, or the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

London is such a great place to visit. It was my first international trip and helped light the fire of a love of traveling inside me. The history and architecture is something I had never experienced before. I think 4 days is a great amount of time for your first trip and to be able to see the majority of the most famous attractions. I hope this  4 day London itinerary helps you when planning your trip.

Scotland is just a 4 hour train ride from London and an amazing place to visit is the Isle of Skye. Click here for a 3 day Isle of Skye Itinerary.