To discover the capital of England, here is a plan for visiting London in 1 day + a map of the walking route of the most beautiful places to visit. This route is perfect for those looking to visit London's iconic sites in 1 day on foot.

Indeed, my tourist circuit on foot allows, while walking, to discover the most beautiful monuments and thus to have a general overview of London. With the Google Maps of the route, you can follow this circuit in pedestrian GPS mode to visit London in 1 day.

How to visit London in 1 day?

To visit London in 1 day, here are the options you can choose from:

• Take the London tourist bus, hop on and off at any stop to explore the city at your own pace;
• Visit London by bike to take a 10 kilometer tour of the capital accompanied by a guide;
• Book a private tour of london : Personalized tour just for you with a guide who will show you all the most emblematic places in London.
• Or take my tour on foot to discover most of London in 1 day with the detailed itinerary below.

The city of London is very rich in tourist and cultural sites. Moreover, unlike cities like Florence ou Monaco, London is a very large city. Therefore, it is not possible to visit all the tourist sites and all the museums in London in 1 day. You have to resolve to select only the most famous and most beautiful places in London to visit in 1 day!

So I listed the must-see and iconic places in London and then organized them into a one-day walking tour.

Itinerary to visit London in 1 day

To visit London's must-see sites in one day, you can follow this route on foot:

• Morning itinerary : From Westminster Palace to Covent Garden (4,2 km walk)
  • Big Ben – Houses of Parliament – ​​Westminster Palace
  • Westminster Bridge for the view over the Thames
  • Westminster Abbey
  • St. James's Park
  • Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard at 11:00 a.m.
  • Trafalgar Square
  • National Gallery (free)
  • Piccadilly Circus
  • Oxford Street, Regent Street, Soho and China Town (option from Piccadilly Circus if you have time)
• Lunch break at noon in Covent Garden
• Afternoon Itinerary : From Covent Garden to the Tower of London (5,3 km walk or possibility of taking the underground).
  • London Eye (Millennium Wheel)
  • Sky Garden (free)
  • Tower of London
  • Tower Bridge

Walking tour to visit London

For your day visit to London, here is the walking tour downloadable on Google maps:

Visits to do during your day in London

If you want to do this circuit entirely to visit London in 1 day, you will have to start very early in the morning and put on a good pair of sneakers!

Big Ben and Westminster Palace

Big Ben is the famous clock of the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of the United Kingdom Parliament (Houses of Parliament). This palace is one of London's biggest attractions. The majority of tourists visit this place. This is why it is better to go there when it opens, otherwise you will waste a lot of time waiting because the queues are impressive.

Regarding Big Ben, the Clock Tower (the clock tower that houses the Big Ben bell) which is part of Westminster Palace cannot be visited. You will just be able to take a nice picture.

Westminster Bridge

I recommend that you take a short detour to Westminster Bridge which is in front of Big Ben. Indeed, it is from this bridge that you will have the most beautiful photo of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is another must-see site in London. This is the resting place of many British monarchs but also of great personalities of the United Kingdom: Newton, Charles Darwin, Churchill or Stephen Hawking to name but a few.

Westminster Abbey is also famous for the coronations of the kings and queens of Great Britain.

St. James's Park

Taking Birdcage Walk, you will pass St James's Park to arrive opposite Buckingham Palace, the residence of the English royal family.

Buckingham Palace

It is the Palace of British Royalty that attracts the crowd especially for the changing of the guard.

Try to arrive at Buckingham Palace around 10:30am as the changing of the guard is at 11:00am. So, the best thing is to get to Victoria Memorial half an hour in advance to get the best seats to watch the show.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a beautiful square where Londoners gather for major events and demonstrations.

National Gallery (free entry)

Opposite Trafalgar Square is London's finest art museum: The National Gallery. The monument dates from 1824 and houses a collection of more than 2 paintings, the most famous of which are:

• Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh
• The Great Bathers by Cézanne
• Venus and Mars by Botticelli
• Rembrandt's Self-Portrait
• Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus
• The Virgin of Carnations by Raphael
• Madonna of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci
• The Arnolfini couple by Van Eyck
• Venus at the Mirror by Velasquez

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus one of London's busiest tourist spots. Neon lights, giant advertisements, shops, cinemas, theaters and restaurants, Piccadilly Circus and its fountain are known all over the world.

It is from there that my London shopping tour“. Indeed, from Piccadilly Circus you can discover the famous streets of Oxford Street, Regent Street or the districts of Soho and China Town. To be done only if your timing allows it.

Covent Garden

From Piccadilly Circus, it takes a 15-minute walk to reach Covent Garden where you can take a lunch break. This is a typical district of London very lively, very commercial and well known for its covered market in Covent Garden.

London in 1 Day – Afternoon Tours

After having tasted a good English culinary specialty (we are not laughing), it will be necessary to do a small digestive walk of 20 minutes. Indeed, you will go to the other side of the Thames to take a ride on the London Ferris wheel.

London Eye (Millennium Wheel)

Le London Eye is a good plan to admire the most beautiful monuments of London from the sky! It's about a Ferris wheel 135 meters high where you are locked in a glass cabin to enjoy the show in complete safety.

Here too there are long queues, which is why I recommend that you book your skip-the-line ticket in advance.

Sky Garden

The journey from London Eye to Sky Garden is a 45 minute walk but you can take the tube and do it in 15 minutes! All you have to do is reach Waterloo tube station, take the tube and exit at Monument station right next to Sky Garden.

Sky Garden is a huge and beautiful enlarged 3 story glass dome. It is laid out in splendid gardens with walkways and spectacular viewpoints on the open-air terrace. The Dome is also home to very trendy bars, cafes and restaurants.

Access to the Sky Garden is free on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 21 p.m., but you must book your free access ticket online. Reservations on the official website of Sky Garden.

Tower Bridge and Tower of London

The next and last stop on my itinerary to visit London in 1 day is a 10-minute walk away: The Tower of London and its Tower bridge.

The Tower of London is a huge fortification where royal families lived decades ago. Depending on the era, it also served as an arsenal, a fortress and a prison. As you won't have time to visit the castle, I recommend that you take just a few pictures of the exterior just like for the famous Tower Bridge.

Where to stay in London to visit on foot?

To make the most of a weekend in london, it is essential to choose a hotel very well located in the center of the capital and avoid the sensitive areas of London.

Here is one of the most beautiful hotels in London just 500 meters from Buckingham Palace: The Stafford London.

A few minutes walk from Covent Garden, the Palace of Westminster and 400 meters from the National Gallery, here is a cheaper hotel. This hotel is ideal for doing my London tour in 1 day. In addition, its value for money is unbeatable!

Other ideas for a stay: Day shopping in london - weekend in Amsterdam, stay in Lisbon ou romantic weekend in Venice