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Three days is enough for the headline sights of London if each day gets one area. Day 1 is Westminster, and Day 2 covers the Tower of London and the South Bank. The free museums and a West End show fill Day 3. The four big paid tickets come to £117 at the online prices below, and the British Museum and National Gallery cost nothing.
We have done big-city days with nieces and nephews along. The plan that survives is one paid headliner per half day, with something free to fall back on. London suits that, because a wet afternoon fits a free museum. I would book the Tower and the London Eye ahead and wear shoes that are already broken in. The pavement miles add up faster than the map suggests.
First time in London
Each day sticks to one area, so you walk instead of crossing the city underground. Every price here was read off the operator’s own page on October 2, 2026. Prices move.
| Day | Plan | Paid tickets | Getting around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace guard | Abbey £32 | Walking |
| Day 2 | Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, South Bank, London Eye | Tower £38, Eye £29, Bridge £18 optional | Walking, one bus or Tube hop |
| Day 3 | British Museum, National Gallery, West End show | Museums free, show varies | Walking and the Tube |
| Swap | Greenwich in place of the museums | Observatory £24, Cutty Sark £22 | DLR or river boat |
Westminster Abbey and Big Ben
Start Day 1 at Westminster Abbey when it opens. The Abbey’s prices page lists adult tickets at £32, online or at the door. General admission hours change by day, so check the Abbey’s calendar for your date. The Abbey calls itself a working church that can close at short notice, and on Sundays it opens for services only. Keep Day 1 off a Sunday.
Big Ben and Parliament Square are next door, free to look at from the pavement. For the inside of the Palace of Westminster, the UK Parliament tour page lists a 90-minute guided tour at £40 booked ahead or £43 on the day. An audio tour is £31 or £34. Those are prices for tickets bought from September 1, 2026. Tours do not run every day, so check the booking calendar first.
Then walk up through St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace. The Household Division lists the King’s Guard ceremony on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11am and posts exact dates on its schedule page. It warns the ceremony can be altered or cancelled at very short notice, as late as 10:45 on the day. Wet weather is the usual cause. I would reach the railings by about 10:15 and treat it as a bonus, not the anchor of the morning.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Be at the Tower of London when it opens on Day 2. Historic Royal Palaces lists adult tickets at £38, with the Crown Jewels and a Yeoman Warder tour included. Hours change with the season; in early October it listed 10:00 to 17:30, last entry at 16:30, and the last Warder tour at 15:15. Its own guidance is a minimum of two to three hours. I would see the Crown Jewels first, before the tour groups arrive.
Tower Bridge is next door. Walking across the road deck is free. The bridge’s own site also publishes its lift times, if you want to see it open. The paid exhibition is £18 on towerbridge.org.uk, open daily 09:30 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00. It covers the glass-floored walkways, both towers and the Victorian engine rooms. The glass floor is the only real reason to pay, so skip it if time is short.
The South Bank London
Cross London Bridge for lunch at Borough Market. Its own site lists it closed on Mondays. It is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday, with changes around bank holidays. If Day 2 lands on a Monday, eat along the river instead. Go before the lunch rush and eat on foot.
From there the river path runs west past Tate Modern and the Globe to the London Eye. The Eye lists a standard adult ticket at £29 online and £39 walk-up on londoneye.com. Its hours vary by season, so check the slots when you book. Book a timed ticket for late afternoon so the walk and the ride line up.
Free museums in London
Day 3 is the easy one on the wallet. The British Museum says tickets to the permanent collection are free. It is open 10.00 to 17.00 daily, until 20.30 on Fridays, and closed 24 to 26 December. It recommends a free advance ticket for priority entry in busy periods. Walk-ups are accepted every day.
Pick two or three galleries and leave. The mummies and the Rosetta Stone fill a morning alone. Trying to see the whole building is the classic first-timer mistake. Then walk south to Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery says general admission is free. It is open daily 10am to 6pm, until 9pm on Fridays, and closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January.
West End theatre tickets
Finish Day 3 with a show. The Society of London Theatre runs the official ticket booth on the south side of Leicester Square. Its page lists 10:30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday. The booth sells discounted and full-price seats for the same day. It adds a booking fee that the society says covers the booth’s running costs.
Book anything popular before you fly and use the booth for the rest. Stick to that booth or a theatre’s own box office. Skip anyone selling tickets on the pavement.
Greenwich day trip from London
If you would rather leave the centre on Day 3, swap the museums for Greenwich. Royal Museums Greenwich lists the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House as free, with booking recommended. The Royal Observatory is £24 and the Cutty Sark is £22. Both together are £38. Sites are open daily 10am to 5pm.
Go by DLR or river boat and climb the hill for the skyline view. Last entry is 4:15pm, or 4pm for the Observatory. Leave early enough to do the day justice.
How to get around London
Heathrow gives you three choices. The Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes to Paddington from Terminals 2 and 3, and 21 from Terminal 5. Heathrowexpress.com lists standard singles from £26 and advance fares from £10. The Elizabeth line is £13.90 to Zone 1 in under 45 minutes, per heathrow.com. The Piccadilly line is from £5.50 in under an hour. I would take it if I were not in a hurry.
On the ground, tap the same contactless card or phone every time. TfL says it cannot cap your fares if you switch. TfL’s 2026 adult fare table lists a daily cap of £8.90 for Zones 1 and 2 and a Monday-to-Sunday weekly cap of £44.70. Buses are £1.75 a ride. The Hopper fare gives unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour for £1.75. Heathrow Express journeys are not covered by the caps.
Oyster cards get the same caps. For three days I would tap a contactless card and skip a second card to carry.
Is the London Pass worth it?
Not for this plan. The pass page lists the all-inclusive version from £105. Day 2’s three paid sights cost £85 as single tickets, so a one-day pass would cost more than buying them.
All four paid sights come to £117 as singles. A two-day pass would need to cost less than that to break even, so check its price on the pass site against that figure. I would buy singles, unless you add paid sights like the Greenwich pair at £24 and £22.
London travel tips
The UK government’s ETA page says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from the USA. It costs £20. It lasts two years or until your passport expires, and covers as many trips as you like. Decisions usually arrive within a day but can take up to three working days. Apply before you book anything non-refundable.
Britain drives on the left, so look right first at crossings. The pavement is often painted with arrows. The plug is the three-pin Type G. Your charger label will say 100 to 240V if it takes the voltage. Rain turns up in every month, and the Met Office publishes 30-year averages for London stations. Pack a light waterproof and layers, not an umbrella you will lose.
For a trip this length, one bag is plenty. Our carry-on only packing list and the guide to packing cubes cover the bag. Coming home, TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus CLEAR sorts out the airport line.
Questions about London
Is 3 days in London enough?
Yes, for the headline sights. Three days covers Westminster, the Tower, the South Bank and the big free museums once each. It leaves out day trips beyond the city.
Is the British Museum free?
Yes. The museum says tickets to the permanent collection are free. It recommends a free advance ticket for priority entry in busy periods.
Do I need an ETA for the UK?
Yes, if you are from the USA you usually do, per gov.uk. It costs £20 and lasts two years or until your passport expires.
Can I use a US credit card in London?
Yes, a contactless card works for TfL fares. TfL says to tap the same card or device each time so fares cap. Ask your bank about foreign transaction fees before you fly.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 14, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Tower Bridge and its two towers seen from… — Bob Collowan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church… — Tristan Surtel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) The White Tower inside the walls of the… — Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) Food stalls and customers at Borough… — Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (5) The London Eye wheel beside the River… — Danbu14, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (6) The glass-roofed Great Court inside the… — Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (7) View from the hill at the Royal Observatory… — Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.