Plan Your Trip to London
Everything you need to sort out before you land: when to go, how long to stay, what it really costs, the entry rules for your passport, money, phones, safety and ready-made itineraries for first-timers, families and solo travellers.
A good London trip starts well before you land. This section covers the practical side of planning: when to come, how long to stay, what it will cost, what documents you need, how to pay, how to stay connected and how to keep safe. It also has ready-made itineraries for one day, a weekend, three days, five days and a week.
If this is your first visit, start with our guide for first-time visitors, then check the UK entry requirements for your nationality before you book anything.
72 guides in this section.
Getting started
London for First-Time Visitors: The Complete Guide
How the city fits together, and the mistakes almost every first-timer makes.
The Best Time to Visit London
Weather, crowds and prices season by season, and who each season suits.
How Many Days Do You Need in London?
What fits into two, four or seven days, without rushing.
London Weather and What to Pack
Rain, wind and the odd heatwave: what to pack for each season.
Bank Holidays, Sundays and Opening Hours in London
Why big shops keep short hours on Sundays, and what shuts on bank holidays.
Free Things to Do in London
World-class museums, views and ceremonies that cost nothing.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Itineraries
One Day in London: A Realistic Itinerary
The big sights in one day, planned on foot.
Two Days in London: The Perfect Weekend
A weekend that balances landmarks, markets and an evening out.
Three Days in London: A First-Timer's Itinerary
The classic first visit, with room for a museum and a market.
Five Days in London: An Itinerary Beyond the Obvious
Add Greenwich, a palace and East London to the classics.
One Week in London: A Complete Itinerary
Seven days arranged by area, including a day out of town.
What to Do in London on a Rainy Day
Covered markets, museums and indoor sights for wet days.
London at Night: The Best Evening Things to Do
Late museums, lit-up bridges, viewpoints and theatre.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Costs and budget
How Much Does a Trip to London Cost?
Realistic daily budgets, from backpacker to comfortable.
London on a Budget: How to Save Money
The habits that save the most money without spoiling the trip.
Is the London Pass Worth It?
When a sightseeing pass saves money, and when it does not.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Entry, money and safety
UK Entry Requirements and the ETA for Visitors
Visa, ETA or neither: how UK entry works for visitors.
UK Customs Allowances: What You Can Bring Into Britain
Alcohol, tobacco, food and cash: the limits at the border.
Money in London: Pounds, Cards and Contactless
Contactless almost everywhere, and when cash still matters.
Tipping in London: Who, When and How Much
Service charges, pubs, taxis and hotels explained.
Healthcare for Visitors: NHS, Pharmacies and Urgent Care
Pharmacies, NHS 111, urgent care and what visitors may pay.
Is London Safe? Areas, Scams and Pickpockets
Phone snatching, pickpockets and scams, and how to avoid them.
Emergency Numbers and What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
999, 101, lost passports and where visitors can get help.
SIM Cards, eSIMs and Mobile Roaming in the UK
UK SIM, eSIM or roaming, and which suits your trip.
UK Plugs, Adapters and Voltage
The three-pin Type G plug, and whether you need a converter.
Public Toilets in London: Where to Find Them
Stations, museums, parks and the ones that charge.
Left Luggage in London
Station offices, storage apps and what to check first.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Travelling your way
London with Kids: A Family Travel Guide
Free museums, transport discounts and pushchair tips.
Accessible London: A Guide for Wheelchair Users
Step-free routes, accessible sights and booking tips.
Solo Travel in London
Where to stay, eating out alone and getting home safely.
LGBTQ+ London: A Visitor's Guide
Soho, Vauxhall, Pride and the history behind the scene.
British Etiquette: What Visitors Should Know
Queuing, escalators and the phrases that smooth the way.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Practical questions
London with a Baby
Feeding, changing and napping in a city built before pushchairs.
London for Older Visitors
Which concessions apply to visitors, and how to pace a day.
Travelling to London with a Pet
The entry rules, and where a dog is actually welcome.
Doing Laundry in London
Launderettes, apps and what a service wash really costs.
If You Lose Your Passport in London
Who to tell first, and how long a replacement takes.
Common Tourist Scams in London
The shell game, the clipboards and the fake ticket sellers.
Pickpockets: Where and How They Work
Where phones go missing, and the first ten minutes after.
Changing Money in London
Why the airport is the worst rate you will see all trip.
The Apps Worth Having in London
The four or five that help, and the rest you can skip.
Free Wi-Fi in London
Where it works, and how to stay online without roaming.
London Postcodes Explained
Why E1 is nowhere near E14, and what that means for booking.
What to Pack for London
Shoes and layers, and the things you will never unpack.
Smoking and Vaping Rules in the UK
Where you can smoke or vape, and what a packet costs.
Alcohol Laws and Drinking in Public
Licensing hours, ID rules, and where you can drink outdoors.
Photography and Drone Rules
Where a tripod needs a permit, and why drones are out.
Visiting During a Strike
How to find out early, and what still runs when it happens.
Tap Water and Refill Points
It is safe, it is free, and here is where to fill up.
London on a Student Budget
The discounts that exist, and where the money really goes.
Travel Insurance and Healthcare Cover
What the NHS charges visitors, and what insurance is for.
What Closes on Public Holidays
No trains at all on Christmas Day - and what still runs.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Understanding the place
British Words and Slang for Visitors
The words that mean something else here.
British Food Words Explained
What you will actually get when you order a pudding.
Complaining, Returning and Consumer Rights
What the law gives you, and the tone that gets it.
Opening Hours and Sunday Trading
Why the big shops shut early on Sunday.
London in Winter
Short days, cheap beds, and what is better in the cold.
London in Summer
Long evenings, hot trains, and the parks at their best.
What a Day in London Costs
Three worked budgets, with the arithmetic behind them.
London for Vegetarians
One of the easiest cities in the world to eat meat-free in.
A Sunday in London
What opens, what shuts, and the markets that run only today.
Visiting London with a Disability
Step-free routes, and the schemes that bring a companion free.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.
Small print and practicalities
How Much Cash to Bring to London
Where cash still helps, and how to get it without paying twice.
Card Payments in Britain: Limits, PINs and Surcharges
Always pay in pounds. The reasons, and the other rules.
Pharmacies and Minor Illness in London
What a pharmacist can treat, what it costs, and when to ring 111.
Charging Your Phone in London
Where the sockets are, and what the rental batteries really cost.
Working From a Cafe or Library in London
Where you can sit for three hours, and which libraries admit you.
London in a Heatwave
What closes, what to avoid, and where the shade is.
When It Snows in London
A few centimetres stops more than you would expect.
London for Muslim Visitors
Prayer rooms, the main mosques, and how Ramadan changes things.
Left Luggage at London's Stations
What each station charges, and the apps that cost a quarter.
If Your Phone or Wallet Is Stolen in London
How to report it, and what your insurer will want from you.
Photos in this list: photographer and licence for each image are listed on our image credits page.