London in 48 hours is not nearly enough time to explore all of the city’s wonderful neighborhoods, but you can still cover a good bit of ground! If this is your first time traveling to London and you only have 48 hours, you’re going to want to do some prep work so you can maximize your time there!
PREP
Pick your top 5 non-negotiables for the trip – 5 things in London you KNOW you have to do. If you’re traveling with someone, make sure they do the same so you both get out of the trip what you’re hoping for! Then make a list of extra things you’d like to do but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get to them.
DAY 1 – ARRIVE IN LONDON:
We flew into Heathrow Airport and took the Elizabeth Line to get to our Apart-Hotel in Shoreditch called The GATE.
I had never stayed in an Apart-Hotel before so I didn’t know what to expect, but it was really nice! Jordan and I have stayed twice now and love it so much because it feels like a home-away-from-home. The GATE hosts long-term residents as well as hotel guests, and has really nice common areas including a bar and restaurant. My husband and I have thought about moving to London for a couple months for work related things, and we’d definitely consider staying here long-term!
By the time you check into the hotel and get settled, it would be a great idea to explore around the neighborhood!
The Old Spitalfields Market is a quick walk from the hotel, and a fun way to get a feel for some of the local artists and food from around the world! Stop in just for lunch or stay a few hours and shop!
Just around the corner from The GATE is the trendy neighborhood of Shoreditch, which is where there is a Dishoom location (an amazing Indian Restaurant). On our walk there we passed many hip shops, street art, and food carts that immerse you on the neighborhood’s culture.
DINNER AT DISHOOM & PUB EXPLORATION
I had heard from just about everyone I know that either lived or visited London, that I HAD to eat at Dishoom. This was one of Jordan’s (my husband) non-negotiable spots because he loved it when he went to London too! I love Indian Food so it was not hard to get me to go!
They were not wrong, it was SO good. Be sure to get the bottomless Chai Tea during their happy hour…that stuff was addictive! We had actually just missed the happy hour but since Jordan told the waitress it was his favorite Chai ever, she ended up treating us to it!
After we wrapped up dinner, I wanted the full Pub experience. We didn’t quite know where we were going, but stumbled upon The Lamb & Flag which apparently was Charles Dickens’ favorite pub (do they all say that?).
I had hear that Mr. Fogg’s had some cool locations too, all very uniquely curated. We went to Mr. Fogg’s Society of Exploration which was a super cool atmosphere and had live jazz!
You can see more of our experience that night in my LONDON TRAVEL VLOG on YouTube!
DAY 2 – LONDON TOURIST DAY:
Since this is your only full day in London, you’re going to want to maximize it! I love walking around new cities to get the full experience, but navigating the train system is pretty easy in London if you want to do that instead. Based on my experience here’s what I’d suggest –
- Walk to Tower Bridge from the hotel
- As you make your way across Tower Bridge and towards Westminster Bridge, stop in Borough Market for some lunch! The Chocolate Covered Strawberries are a must for a sweet treat!
- Take your strawberries and walk about 30 minutes to the Westminster Bridge. Take the stairs down to get the epic Big Ben archway photo under the bridge.
- Go across the bridge to see Big Ben up close and personal, then walk down the river to get the perfect view of the London Eye and some phone booth photo-ops.
- From here, Buckingham Palace is a short walk away through St. James park. Take in the glory of the palace, but beware of pickpockets!!
- At this point, your feet will probably be exhausted. Train back to the hotel and get ready for dinner! Depending on your budget and your energy level – here are some options for dinner:
Splurge
Zephyr
The Abingdon
Sky Garden
Budget
Rosa’s Thai
Maple & The Gate (at the hotel)
Fish & Chips at any Pub
DAY 3 – SLOW DAY BEFORE TRAVEL:
When you only have 48 hours in London, it’s easy to want to cram in everything on your list in. For your last day, I’d suggest picking one of these 3 activities:
Traditional Sunday Roast at Owl & Pussycat Pub
High Tea at Harrods Tea Room
Brunch at the Parlour at Sketch
You can’t go wrong with any of these activities, so I suggest picking one so you can explore around each spot and take your time before taking off!
I hope this was helpful as you plan your adventure of London in 48 hours! If you can stay longer that is obviously ideal, but you can still cover a lot of ground in a couple of days!
After our first trip to London, we headed to Paris! It’s actually only a 2 hour train away which makes it really convenient! If you want some inspo on what to add to your Paris itinerary, read my blog post on How To Spend 3 Days In Paris On A Budget or watch the Paris Travel Vlog.
Send me a DM on Instagram if you go to any of these places or have any recommendations for my next trip!
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