Is London worth visiting for a short city break?
If you’re thinking about where to go for your next short break and considering London, you might be wondering if it’s for you.
What are the main attractions and experiences, and is it possible to see these in just a few days? Is it easy to get around? And can you visit if you’re on a financial, as well as a time, budget?
The short answer is yes. London is an excellent destination, with everything from iconic historical sights and fascinating museums, to beautiful Royal Parks, panoramic viewpoints, plus a river to sail along.
With a bit of planning, it’s possible to experience many of these in just a few days and to have a wonderful short break in London.
This post contains affiliate links
Reasons to visit London for a short break
There are lots of reasons to visit London for a short break (or indeed any length of visit!).
It’s crammed full of iconic attractions
London is a big city, so it’s not surprising that there’s lots and lots of things to do when you visit. If you love city sightseeing, you’ll be in your element here.
The top attractions and experiences include:
- Buckingham Palace
- Westminster Abbey
- Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
- The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- London Parks and gardens
- Sailing along the River Thames
- Riding on the London Eye
- Looking out over the city from The Shard
- Visiting Covent Garden and the West End
There’s a lot to consider when you’re thinking about a London itinerary. However, with careful planning, it’s possible to see quite a few of the top sights in just a short time.
Many are also conveniently located near each other. Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, for example, can easily be combined, as I’ve done in my 3-day London itinerary.
Grouping attractions by area makes it possible to see quite a few of London’s highlights without wasting valuable time travelling backwards and forwards across the city.
There’s no end of world-class museums
In addition to all the famous attractions in London, the city is also home to some of the world’s best museums and galleries. Better still, many of these have free permanent collections, so you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune if you decide to visit some of these.
Top among these for first-time visitors is the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The latter three are all conveniently situated next to each other in the South Kensington area of the city, making it easy to combine museums if these are high on your list (top tip: if you visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, pop into the café – it’s one of the most beautiful museum cafes I’ve ever visited).
There’s also plenty of art to browse in places such as the National Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, and the Wallace Collection.
You can find a full list of London museums here, and can filter by interest.
There are lots of free things to do in London
You might be concerned that London is an expensive place to visit. It’s true that it’s not one of Europe’s cheapest destinations, but there are plenty of ways to keep costs down.
Fortunately, there are lots of attractions in London that you can experience for free.
You can visit some of the top sights without going inside (many people who visit Buckingham Palace have actually never been inside, as it only opens for a couple of months of the year), you can visit the Royal Parks, take walks along the River Thames, and look down over the city from the free observation decks that are available.
There are also lots of museums and galleries that are free to go inside.
I’ve lived in London for almost three decades and am always amazed at how just how many are free compared with other major cities. These include top museums such as the Natural History Museum, the Tate art museums, the National Portrait Gallery, the Science Museum, and the Imperial War Museum.
For more ideas for free things to do in London, check out my separate post.
It’s easy to get to
When you’re considering European cities for a short break, it’s important to pick somewhere that’s easy to get to – ideally with plenty of direct flights and a choice of departure times. This helps you make the most of the time you have available.
London is served by several airports (including London Heathrow, Gatwick, City, and Luton), with direct flights from cities across Europe and beyond. Most also have regular rail connections into central London, so you can get on with your sightseeing relatively quickly after you land.
From some European cities, you don’t even need to fly. Eurostar services connect London directly with destinations including Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam, Cologne, and Amsterdam, arriving at St Pancras International in central London.
So with relatively short journey times from many European cities, it’s perfectly possible to visit London for just a few days.
Compare flight times and prices for London.
Check Eurostar times and fares.
Top tip: don’t just look at prices when you are comparing flights. When I’m planning a short break from London myself, I also look closely at departure and arrival times.
If I can pay just a little more for an earlier outbound flight or a later flight home (preferably both), I’ll usually do it. It can give you significantly more time in your destination and often represents better value overall.
On some trips, choosing better flight times has even meant I haven’t needed to pay for an extra night’s accommodation.
It’s easy to get around without a car
London might be a big city, but fortunately it has an excellent public transport network, making it relatively easy to get around without a car.
In fact, I’d say having a car is more of a hindrance if you only have a few days: you risk getting stuck in traffic and then have to find somewhere to park.
The city has a vast network of public transport – trains, buses, and the London Underground (‘the Tube’). In the central parts, you’re never far away from a station or stop.
If you’re only in London for a few days and need to cover longer distances within the central area quickly, the Tube is usually the most useful option. It connects most of the main sightseeing areas, services are frequent, and you don’t risk getting stuck in traffic as you might on a bus.
That said, many of London’s main sights are closer together than you might think – certainly many of those I’ve grouped together in my 3-day London itinerary.
If you’re able to, walking is often the most enjoyable way to get around. Central London is relatively flat, and you’ll often see a few more sights or discover hidden streets as you wander around.
You can visit London year-round
Whatever time of year you’re planning your short break, you’ll find plenty to do in London. When the weather is fine, there are plenty of opportunities to get outdoors – exploring London’s parks and gardens, wandering along the River Thames, or taking a sightseeing cruise.
However, you can still have a great short break in London in the colder months. Being such a large city, there are plenty of indoor attractions to enjoy if you want to escape from the weather: historical sites and museums, cosy cafes and old-fashioned pubs, and river cruises with indoor cabins.
And if you’re visiting in December, London’s Christmas lights, festive markets, and seasonal events create a wonderful atmosphere.
There’s plenty to enjoy beyond the major sights
Depending on how many days you have in London, you might want to take a break from sightseeing and experience some of the other things the city is famous for.
If you do, perhaps head to the West End and book a London show? Or head out for afternoon tea (for a special treat, try the Ritz Hotel – it’s expensive but I think it’s worth it).
If you’d prefer to play things by ear and not have to pre-book a show or afternoon tea, there are plenty of other ways to experience London. I love wandering around Covent Garden and Leicester Square in the evening and just taking in the atmosphere. Borough Market is also worth visiting, especially if you’re a foodie.
There’s also lots of places to visit just outside of the centre if you have the time, Kew Gardens and Windsor Castle among them. Plus day trips out to the seaside or nearby historic towns and cities, such as Oxford.
Who will enjoy a short break in London?
London is a fantastic city, packed with world-class attractions and experiences. If you love history and culture, enjoy sightseeing and spending time in a busy city, you’ll probably love a short break here.
If, however, you prefer smaller, more compact cities where you can slow the pace and enjoy a more relaxing break, you might find London a little overwhelming.
This doesn’t mean you always need to rush around London, though. You can plan and prioritise in advance what you do and don’t want to see, and accept that you can’t possibly see everything in just one trip.
How many days do you need in London?
There’s no perfect amount of time to spend in London. You could stay for weeks and still find new things to see and do, but that doesn’t mean you need a long trip to have a rewarding visit.
- One day: If London is part of a wider trip around England or the UK, one day is enough to get a taste of the city and visit a couple of major sights.
There are tours that perfectly suited for this.
I was lucky enough to review this tour which was a great way to see a lot in a short time. We had a sightseeing bus tour in the morning, stopping off to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. We then visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London in the afternoon, before ending the day with a short River Thames cruise.
- Two days: With two days, you can see several of London’s major sights while also experiencing more than one part of the city. Grouping attractions geographically will help you make the best use of your time.
- Three days: For a short break in a city the size of London, I think three days works particularly well. It gives you time to see several major sights in a more relaxed way, and to consider attractions and experiences beyond the usual.
If you have three days in London, take a look at my itinerary. It covers the top sights in two days and provides options that you can mix and match on day three, depending on your interests.
Is London worth visiting for a short break?
So, is London worth visiting for a short break? I’d say absolutely. I think it’s a fantastic city and there’s plenty of reasons why you should visit London – but then again, I’ve lived here for almost three decades, so I’m probably a bit biased!
If you enjoy city breaks with endless sightseeing opportunities, world-class museums and plenty to experience beyond the major sights, London has an enormous amount to offer. And if you plan and prioritise what you really want to see, it’s perfectly possible to have a fantastic short break here without rushing around trying to see everything.
If you’ve decided London is for you, take a look at my 3-day London itinerary. It’s designed to help you make the most of your time in the capital and covers some of London’s main bucket-list experiences, along with practical tips for getting around, suggested timings for attractions, and advice on whether the London Pass is worth buying.
Planning 3 days in London?
Follow my itinerary for three days in the capital, with suggested timings, practical tips and ideas for making the most of each day.
