The perfect 3 days in London for a first-timer

Make the most of your first trip to London with this three-day guide, packed with iconic landmarks and insider tips. Photo / Getty Images
If you’ve never visited London before, this is your fast-paced, three-day itinerary to make the most of every highlight, while also avoiding the tourist traps, writes Beks Lockie.
There’s so much to see in London on your first visit – arts, culture and iconic landmarks – so the temptation to spend your whole trip on top of a double-decker hop-on, hop-off bus ticking off each of the London sites can be strong. But, if you break it down, it’s entirely possible to get a fast-paced introduction to London (and still see a lot of the key highlights) without feeling like you’re on a tourist conveyor belt.
READ MORE: The best things to do in London according to Winston Churchill.
Put your walking shoes on, because the best way to shake off that jetlag and get acquainted with this city is to go on a big orientation walk. Start by picking up an excellent coffee and a selection of pastries from Boxcar Baker & Deli in the beautiful inner-city village of Marylebone.
From there, it’s a short walk to the Marble Arch corner of Hyde Park. You could spend days exploring all of the gardens and memorials of Hyde Park but, for your first visit, stroll along the leafy edge to Green Park and then along Constitution Hill until you reach the instantly recognisable Buckingham Palace. You may get the chance to see the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace or the Life Guard Parade by the Horse Guards in front of St James Palace at the other end of The Mall (check the websites for timings).
Stop nearby for lunch at Market Halls Victoria for a casual bite, Fallow for elevated modern British food, or grab a Tesco meal deal to eat in St James Park to really blend in as a London local.
Once you’re ready to see some more iconic landmarks, take the short walk from St James Park to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the view across the bridge to the London Eye. While this area will be busy, it’s worth passing through to experience that “Wow, I really am in London” feeling.
From here, you have two options for enjoying the sites along the Thames. Get on a Thames Clipper by Uber boat from Westminster Pier to London Bridge City Pier – or walk the same distance along the South Bank (approximately one hour). Either way, you’ll pass by the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral and go under the Millennium Bridge.
Finish the day with dinner around the bustling Borough Market as it starts to wind down. Many of the new and old London favourites are represented here, including Padella for pasta, Hawksmoor for steak or Camille or Tou for trendy wine bars with excellent food.
The next morning (ideally fuelled by your hotel breakfast or the closest Granger & Co or Caravan cafe), you’ll be ready to hit your big tourist activity. This could include visiting any of the world-renowned museums like the British Museum, Tate Modern, V&A or Natural History Museum, or the Tower of London for those who want something a little more immersive.
Head for lunch in London’s lively Chinatown, which has been continuously operating in its central London location since the 1970s. I recommend Gold Mine or Royal China for some quintessential dim sum – or Din Tai Fung in Covent Garden or Tottenham Court Road if you’re going all out. Then meander the busy Chinatown lanes for whatever sweet treat piques your interest for dessert – a Taiwanese brown sugar bubble tea or a Filipino ube ice cream are my top picks.
Now you’re ideally located for exploring Soho, Mayfair and Covent Garden, partaking in some shopping (or at least window shopping) in Selfridges or Liberty London or stopping for a cocktail at Cahoots or Bar Termini.
But stay local, because you’re off to the theatre this evening! A visit to London is not complete without a visit to a West End show. If you want to stick to the Great British theme, Six! is about the six wives of King Henry VIII, or for anyone into gritty plays with unexpected twists, there’s Witness for the Prosecution. And if anyone in your party thinks plays and musicals are “not their thing”, they will still fall in love with the joyful Choir of Man.
Debrief over a late dinner in Soho at Mountain (modern European), Berenjak (Persian) or Dishoom (modern Indian with a cult following) – leaving the option open to continue your night at Ronnie Scott’s for some live jazz or dancing at one of Soho’s endless clubs.
When you wake up on your third day in London, you will feel like a bona fide Londoner. While you could spend another 10 days visiting historically significant landmarks and still not run out of things to do in this city, you won’t find many Londoners spending their Sunday mornings at Harrods or at the St Paul’s observation deck. To really feel part of the city, you need to ride the tube several stops north, south, east or west to get a true sense for how the locals live. For a first-timer, I would go west.
Start your day queueing (not strictly a British phenomenon, but close to it) for brunch at Beam in Notting Hill. The Turkish eggs are worth the wait and they serve Allpress coffee, so you’re in for a good flat white.
Not far from there is the famous Portobello Road Market (check the website for opening times). Spend a while digging through vintage fur coats, refurbished cameras and other trinkets to find the perfect alternative souvenir for your trip. If you find the market a touch overstimulating (I can do one hour maximum), the nearby quiet streets are walled with picture-perfect London mansions that will have you googling “house prices Notting Hill”. Don’t bother converting that figure into NZD. It won’t make it any less heartbreaking.
You can’t leave London without going for a classic pub lunch. Either stay in the Notting Hill area and go to The Pelican – if it’s a Sunday, you can enjoy your first classic British pub roast with all the trimmings – or take the short walk to Kensington and visit the beautiful Churchill Arms for some surprisingly good Thai food. It is busy but it’s popular for a reason.
From there, either test your navigation skills on the Circle line (going twice in the wrong direction seems to be a rite of passage) or treat yourself to a black cab to Primrose Hill. I like to end any city break with a view from above, and the sunset view stretching from Hyde Park in the west to the Shard in the east from the top of Primrose Hill is something special.
Return to the centre of town for another memorable dinner at Rita’s or Ottolenghi’s Rovi. Or if you’re staying in east London, Rogues, Bubala or Manteca will be exceptional ways to draw your whirlwind trip to a close.
For a short stay, I would limit my search for accommodation from Hyde Park to Shoreditch with easy access to useful tube lines. 100 Shoreditch is a super-cool boutique hotel just a short walk from Liverpool Street Station (very well-connected, including to Heathrow and Stansted Airports). Or stay right in the thick of the action with the West End at your doorstep at The Hoxton Holborn (also connected to Heathrow via the Piccadilly Line).
Hot tip: While it’s great to feel spontaneous on holiday, if there are any specific London food or drink spots you are eager to check out, booking in advance is always recommended to avoid disappointment.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to London with one stopover with multiple airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Air NZ, often on a Star Alliance Codeshare basis.
DETAILS
visitbritain.com/en.