This one day in London itinerary links six central landmarks: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, Covent Garden, and the Tower of London with Tower Bridge. Royal.uk says Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign (the King or Queen) and the Royal Palaces since 1660, and you can see that tradition at Buckingham Palace during Changing the Guard, which the Household Division schedules for 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Plan the day around it, and book Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London ahead because they are the two stops that charge general admission.
One Day in London Itinerary: The Route at a Glance
The six stops run in this order:
- Westminster Abbey
- Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, seen from outside
- St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace, seen from outside
- Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
- Covent Garden
- The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Three fixed points shape the day. Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace is at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so on those days see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace first and move the Abbey to later in the day. Westminster Abbey is open to visitors Monday to Saturday only, so avoid Sundays. The Tower of London comes last because it needs the most time: Historic Royal Palaces recommends allowing up to two or three hours there.
Stop 1: Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey’s own history pages say that Edward the Confessor’s abbey survived for two centuries until Henry III decided, in the middle of the 13th century, to rebuild it in the new Gothic style. Henry then moved Edward’s body to a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar, and that shrine still stands, surrounded by a cluster of medieval royal tombs including those of Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, and Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. You can read more in the Abbey’s history of Westminster Abbey.
A standard ticket covers the Cloisters, College Garden, Chapter House and Pyx Chamber, and a multimedia guide is included. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries are a separate timed ticket bought together with an Abbey entry ticket. For the full story, see our Westminster Abbey guide.
Stop 2: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
UK Parliament’s facts and figures page describes the Elizabeth Tower as 11 floors and 96 metres tall, with 281 steps to the clock faces and 334 to the belfry where Big Ben, the Great Bell, hangs. The bell weighs 13.7 tonnes and is struck by a 200-kilogram hammer, and a lantern called the Ayrton Light shines above the belfry when the Houses of Parliament are sitting.
UK Parliament’s virtual tour adds that Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast Big Ben on the second attempt to make a great bell, and that 16 horses transported it to Westminster. On this itinerary the tower and the Houses of Parliament are seen from outside. UK Parliament runs a separate guided tour of the Elizabeth Tower, suitable for ages 11 and over, which climbs more than 300 steps. Our Big Ben guide and Palace of Westminster guide cover the history in more depth.
Stop 3: St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace
Royal.uk says Changing the Guard is carried out by soldiers on active duty from the Foot Guards, and that Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces since 1660. The Household Division’s schedule shows a full Guard Change at Buckingham Palace at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a shorter Captain’s Inspection (a smaller version of the ceremony) at 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and a Sunday Parade at 10:00.
St James’s Park is the natural way to reach the Palace. The Royal Parks list its pedestrian gates as open from 05:00 to 24:00, and the London Museum says the park’s pelicans date to 1664, when the Russian ambassador gifted them to Charles II.
The Palace’s State Rooms are open to visitors only in summer: royal.uk says the summer opening runs from July to October each year, so at other times you see the Palace from outside. Our Buckingham Palace guide has more.
Stop 4: Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
The National Gallery’s admissions policy says it houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the early 20th centuries, and that the collection belongs to the nation and is open free of charge 361 days a year. The gallery stands on Trafalgar Square, so it fits naturally between the Palace and Covent Garden, and because general admission is free you can spend as long or as little as you like there.
Stop 5: Covent Garden
According to Covent Garden’s official website, the first historical records of the area date back to 1200, when the land belonged to Westminster Abbey and was called the garden of the Abbey and Convent, which is where the name comes from. The first written reference to a new market there dates from 1654, and after the Great Fire of London in 1666 the whole square was devoted to selling fresh fruit and vegetables. In 1828 the Duke of Bedford secured a government bill to build a proper market building, and Covent Garden reopened in 1980 as Europe’s first speciality shopping centre.
Use this stop as the break in the day for lunch or a coffee, and check the official Covent Garden website for current opening details.
Stop 6: The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Historic Royal Palaces describes the White Tower as begun by William the Conqueror as a stronghold, a palace and a symbol of royal authority, and its chronology of the Tower records that William established the Tower to keep hostile Londoners at bay, with work on the White Tower under way in the 1080s. The Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters (the Tower’s ceremonial guards), have guarded the Tower since Tudor times.
A Tower ticket includes the Crown Jewels exhibition and Yeoman Warder tours. Historic Royal Palaces lists those tours as running every 45 minutes from 10:00, with the last at 15:15, and suggests allowing about an hour for the Crown Jewels. Our Tower of London guide has the full history.
Tower Bridge’s own construction timeline says Sir Horace Jones, architect surveyor to the City of London, and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry proposed a bascule bridge (one whose roadway lifts open) with a central opening span in 1884. Jones died a year into construction, Barry completed the project over the next eight years, and Tower Bridge opened on 30 June 1894. Cross it or view it from the riverside to end the day.
One Day in London: Practical Information
Prices last checked: November 2026.
Opening hours last checked: November 2026.
Westminster Abbey hours: the Abbey’s online calendar listed general admittance as 9.30am to 3.30pm on Friday 6 November 2026. It is open to visitors Monday to Saturday and can close at short notice, so check the calendar for your date.
Westminster Abbey prices: adult £32; aged 65 and over and students £29; children aged 6 to 17 £14; under 6 free. A multimedia guide is included.
Included in passes: the Abbey accepts the Go City London Pass, but you must pre-book your visit through the Go City app, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries are not included.
Changing the Guard: a full Guard Change at Buckingham Palace at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, per the Household Division schedule. The schedule can change, so check it before you go.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament: seen from outside on this route. The guided Elizabeth Tower tour is booked separately through UK Parliament.
St James’s Park: pedestrian gates open 05:00 to 24:00, according to The Royal Parks.
Buckingham Palace: the State Rooms open in summer only, from July to October according to royal.uk. At other times, see the Palace from outside.
National Gallery: general admission is free. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm, until 9pm on Fridays, and closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January. Some temporary exhibitions charge.
Covent Garden: check opening details on the official Covent Garden website.
Tower of London prices: adult £37; child aged 5 to 15 £18.50, according to Historic Royal Palaces. Historic Royal Palaces advises booking online in advance during busy times.
Tower of London hours: Historic Royal Palaces lists last entry at 16:30 and the last Yeoman Warder tour at 15:15, but opening times vary by date, so check its date picker before you go.
Getting around: Transport for London says you can pay as you go with contactless (card or device), an Oyster card (a reusable London travel card) or a Visitor Oyster card, and that fares are capped each day.
Where to book: Westminster Abbey tickets and Tower of London tickets. The National Gallery’s general admission needs no booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
One day is enough to see London’s best-known sights from the outside and to go inside one or two of them, but not to see everything in depth. Treat the Abbey and the Tower of London as the longest visits and pick one if time is short; see Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge from outside.
Start in Westminster with the Abbey and Parliament, go through St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace, spend the middle of the day around Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and Covent Garden, then finish at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Check the Changing the Guard schedule first, because the ceremony only runs on certain days.
No. According to the Household Division’s schedule, the full Guard Change at Buckingham Palace is at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a shorter Captain’s Inspection at 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and a Sunday Parade at 10:00. The schedule can change, so check it before you go.
Big Ben is the Great Bell, not the tower. UK Parliament says the bell hangs in the belfry of the Elizabeth Tower and weighs 13.7 tonnes.
Tower Bridge was designed by City of London architect Sir Horace Jones in collaboration with engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry, who finished the project after Jones died a year into construction. It opened on 30 June 1894.
Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London charge admission, currently £32 and £37 for an adult. General admission to the National Gallery is free, and this route views Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge from outside.
Pay as you go with a contactless card or device, an Oyster card (a reusable London travel card) or a Visitor Oyster card. Transport for London caps fares each day, so you won’t pay more than the cap in the zones you travel in that day.
Nearby Chronicle Trails Guides
If you would rather follow a street-level route, try our Self-Guided London Walking Tour, or see Free Exhibitions in London for more ways to fill a day. Browse all of our Plan Your Trip guides, or see our England guide for the wider country.
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