London is one of the best cities in Europe. There’s so much to do here for days. But, if you’re short of time, you can still see London’s top sights. Here’s how to see London’s top sights in 3 hours.
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London has some amazing sights and things to do. There are world-class museums, famous buildings and monuments, plus the West End theatres and a great food and drink scene. London really does have something for everyone. You could easily spend days, or even weeks, exploring London’s top sights. But if you’re short of time, you can still see London’s top sights in 3 hours.
My itinerary for the perfect walk around London will show you how to see a lot of London’s highlights in just 3 hours. Of course, you can’t see all of London’s attractions in 3 hours. But if you do this walk, then you’ll have a chance to see lots of the top sights. You’ll get to see Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and so much more.
This itinerary for a walk around London that includes London’s top sights in 3 hours is perfect if you’re in London for a flight layover. If you’ve just got a London layover, you can head out of the airport and to the centre of London, and do this 3 hour long walk. This will also give you time to get some food, or maybe visit a museum, on your London layover before heading back to the airport.
So here’s my guide for the best walk in London, that will allow you to see London’s top sights in 3 hours.
Start at Westminster tube station
Start your 3 hour walk around London at Westminster tube station. Westminster tube station is easy to get to on the London Underground from all across London, including London’s airports. Westminster tube station is on the Jubilee, District and Circle lines.
When you get to Westminster tube station, follow the signs for the exit towards Big Ben. As soon as you climb the steps out of the station, you’ll be right in front of one of London’s most famous sights: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
See Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The first sight on your walk to see London’s top sights in 3 hours is Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben is the nickname for the bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, not the clock or the tower itself. Every 15 minutes, Big Ben chimes the ‘Westminster chimes’, with the full sequence on the hour, every hour.
Big Ben, and Elizabeth Tower, is part of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the UK Parliament. The entire building is a stunning example of Gothic Revival style, rebuilt after a fire in 1834. You can walk along the outside to the other end, Victoria Tower.
And you can also go inside the Houses of Parliament as well. You can join a guided tour, or you can watch a debate in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It can take a while to queue to get inside the Houses of Parliament a go through security, so with just 3 hours in London you won’t have time to go inside. But if you come back to London and have more time, it’s definitely worth going inside. Check out this tour of the Houses of Parliament on Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this similar guided tour of the Houses of Parliament on Viator (affiliate).
St James’s Park
After taking some photos of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from the outside, walk back towards Big Ben. But instead of turning right to get to Big Ben, turn left instead to walk through Parliament Square and up Great George Street. Continue walking up Birdcage Walk. After only a few minutes’ walk, you’ll get to a path that takes you into St James’s Park.
St James’s Park is my favourite park in London. Central London has several beautiful green spaces, but St James’s Park is my favourite. The best thing about St James’s Park is the variety of birds, ducks and geese you can find here. There are some really beautiful, colourful ducks and geese, and sometimes swans as well. And there are pelicans in St James’s Park as well – which you can sometimes see being fed. And don’t forget to look out for squirrels as well.
It’s lovely to spend some time walking around the lake in St James’s Park and looking at the wildlife. It really is a beautiful place. And there’s a bridge over the lake where you can get a lovely view of Buckingham Palace across the water.
You can walk through St James’s Park towards Buckingham Palace. And this will take you directly to the next stop on your walk around London’s top sights in 3 hours.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is definitely one of the top sights in London. So even if you only have 3 hours in London, you have to come to see this beautiful palace.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. It’s one of the homes of the British Royal Family, and is a focal point for many royal celebrations. At special royal events, you can see the Royal Family come out onto the balcony to wave to the crowds of people below. Buckingham Palace is also the place of the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony.
If you only have 3 hours in London, you’ll be able to see Buckingham Palace from the outside. But if you have longer in London, it’s definitely worth going inside Buckingham Palace. There are beautiful, ornate state rooms that you can visit. You can book a guided tour of Buckingham Palace, including the Changing of the Guard ceremony, on Get your Guide (affiliate), or a similar tour of Buckingham Palace with Changing of the Guard on Viator (affiliate).
The Mall
After seeing Buckingham Palace, turn up the street called The Mall. It’s a wide, impressive street. At certain times of the year, during special events, the flagpoles that line The Mall are filled with Union Jack flags. Walk straight up The Mall until you get to Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is another of London’s instantly recognisable places. It’s a large public square commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars. The monument in the centre is called Nelson’s Column, as a monument to Admiral Lord Nelson who led the British army to victory in the war.
Trafalgar Square is a nice place to walk around. The fountains are pretty. And the four lions that surround Nelson’s Column and intricately carved and impressive.
National Gallery
Situated on Trafalgar Square is one of London’s most visited museums. If you only have 3 hours in London, then you won’t have much time to enjoy London’s world class museums. But, if you can make time, I definitely recommend going inside the National Gallery. It’s free entry to go inside, although the museum always appreciates donations.
The National Gallery in London is one of the top art museums in the world. There are famous paintings here, including the Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh (1888), The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck (1434), The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1491–1508), and many more. The building itself is impressive as well. Try to spend a bit of time in the National Gallery to take in the beautiful paintings – although there’s so much to see here, it’s definitely worth coming back when you have more time in London and you can spend several hours just in this museum.
Whitehall
After exploring Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, turn down the street called Whitehall. This is another of London’s iconic streets, right in the heart of London.
As you walk down Whitehall, you’ll walk past the turning to Downing Street. Downing Street is where the UK Prime Minister lives, at the famous 10 Downing Street. Unfortunately you can’t walk down Downing Street anymore due to heavy security. You can’t even see the famous black door of 10 Downing Street. But you can see the street name, so that’s something.
Also along Whitehall is the Cenotaph. This large structure is a war memorial, serving as the United Kingdom’s national monument to those who died in military service. It’s the focal point of the Remembrance Day Service in November as well, when the Royal Family lay wreaths of poppies here.
Another must-visit spot along Whitehall is Horseguards Parade. Throughout much of the day, there are two horses stood guard on either side of the entrance to Horseguards Parade.
Horseguards Parade is just through the archway off of Whitehall. It’s a huge open space. It’s a grand ceremonial parade ground that is the central point for royal and military parades. But for me, the highlight is the horses that stand guard here.
Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey
At the bottom of Whitehall, you’re back near the Houses of Parliament. This time, take some time to walk around Parliament Square. This square just opposite the Houses of Parliament is decorated with colourful flags from around the world. And there are statues here of famous world leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Winston Churchill.
Just next to Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous churches in London. It’s the place for Royal Weddings, as well as state funerals of UK monarchs.
If you’re seeing London’s top sights in 3 hours, you probably won’t have time to go inside Westminster Abbey. But if you have a bit more time, it’s definitely worth going inside. It’s a really beautiful church. You can get entrance tickets, or a guided tour, of Westminster Abbey on Get Your Guide (affiliate), or you can look up this tour of Westminster Abbey on Viator (affiliate).
Victoria Embankment
After looking at Westminster Abbey, it’s time to head to the river. The River Thames runs right through the centre of London. It’s another of London’s most famous places.
But before you head down to the edge of the river, cross the road to Victoria Embankment Gardens. These beautiful gardens are just the other side of the river. The gardens are small, but in the summer they’re so beautiful. The flowers here in the summer really are stunning.
Views of the London Eye
Cross back over the main road to get to the River Thames. It’s lovely to walk along the embankment next to the river. And this is where you’ll get the best views of the London Eye. This huge observation wheel was built in the year 2000. It’s become one of London’s most famous sights. It’s lovely to look across the river to see it.
If you have more time in London, I definitely recommend going on the London Eye. It takes 30 minutes to do one loop around. And the views across central London are amazing. You can buy discounted tickets to go on the London Eye on Get Your Guide (affiliate), or get skip the line tickets for the London Eye on Viator (affiliate).
End your walk at Embankment tube station
By this point, you’ll be reaching the end of your time in London. My itinerary for the best walk to see London’s top sights in 3 hours ends at Embankment tube station. Embankment tube station is well connected to the rest of London, as well as transport links to London’s main train stations and airports if you’re just in London for a layover. Hop on the tube and continue on your journey after a fantastic 3 hours in London seeing London’s top sights in 3 hours.
Extending your walk around London
Of course, London has so much more to do than the sights I’ve mentioned above. If possible, try to spend more time in London to really get to know this fascinating city. As well as going inside the attractions I’ve mentioned above, there’s more you can do as well.
You can take the tube to many more of London’s top museums, with many of these museums having free entry. Take the Circle or District line from Embankment to South Kensington to visit the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, or Victoria and Albert Museum.
Alternatively, you can take the Circle/District line from Embankment and travel East, to Tower Hill. From here, you can see the Tower of London and Crown Jewels – one of London’s most visited attractions. Check out tickets for the Tower of London on Get Your Guide (affiliate) and Viator (affiliate). In this area, you can also see the beautiful Tower Bridge. And not far away is The Shard, where you can get the best view over London. Get tickets for the View from the Shard here (affiliate). And next to the Shard is Borough Market, one of the best places for food in London. You can even take a food tour around Borough Market (affiliate).
To add some luxury to your time in London, why not try a traditional afternoon tea. The ultimate luxury experience is Afternoon Tea at the Ritz. But there are lots of other places in London offering Afternoon Tea as well. Check out Afternoon Tea experiences on Get Your Guide (affiliate) or Viator (affiliate) to find discounted tickets for this uniquely British experience.
Embankment tube station is also also an easy walk to London’s West End. This part of London, focussed around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, is one of the busiest and most lively parts of London. It’s the centre of London’s famous West End theatre shows. There are loads of shows and musicals playing here every night – so definitely check out a show if you’re in London. And walk down Oxford Street as well to visit famous shops like Liberty and Hamleys. This area is particularly stunning at Christmas, with beautiful Christmas lights above the streets. Check out my guide to London’s best Christmas lights. Or just enjoy London’s top sights at night. There really is an endless amount to do in London, and seeing London’s top sights in 3 hours really will make you want to explore this great city even more.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to London’s top sights in 3 hours! Once you’ve explored London’s top tourist attractions, make sure you also check out my guide to the Top 20 unique and alternative things to do in London, and how to see London’s best Christmas lights for free. Or, if you want to take a day trip from London, you can visit Stonehenge as a day trip from London, or you can get the train to nearby Oxford or Stratford-Upon-Avon.
