One day in London: a self-guided walking itinerary

Westminster: Abbey, Parliament, and Churchill's Bunker

Start at Westminster Abbey for the 9:30 opening, the quietest slot of the day. Give yourself ninety minutes inside: the Coronation Chair, Poets' Corner, and the nave repay the time. When you come out, cross to Parliament Square for the view of the Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower. Then walk up Whitehall past the Cenotaph to the Churchill War Rooms. If you want to go inside the bunker, book a timed ticket for around 11:00; the visit takes two hours. If you skip it, you will still see the entrance and the Clive Steps and be in Horse Guards Parade within ten minutes.

• HoursWestminster Abbey opens Monday to Friday 9:30 to 15:30, Saturday 9:30 to 15:00, closed Sunday for services. Adult entry is £31, children 6 to 17 £14, under-5s free.SourceWestminster Abbey: Prices and entry times
• HoursThe Churchill War Rooms are open daily 9:30 to 18:00, last entry at 17:00. Adult tickets cost £34, children 5 to 15 £17, under-5s free. Book ahead; timed entry slots sell out.SourceImperial War Museums: Churchill War Rooms
• TicketsBuy an online Abbey ticket and you can upgrade it to an annual pass free of charge, giving you three visits for the price of one.SourceWestminster Abbey: Prices and entry times

EatCoffee and a pastry at the Cellarium Café inside Westminster Abbey grounds, open from 8:00, before you enter the Abbey.

Whitehall to Buckingham Palace

From the War Rooms, walk through Horse Guards Parade. If the Household Cavalry are at their sentry boxes, you can stand next to a mounted guardsman for a photograph. Banqueting House is opposite; it is closed for conservation but the outside is worth a look for the Portland stone facade and the window Charles I stepped through onto the scaffold. Continue to Trafalgar Square, then turn down The Mall under the plane trees. At the far end stands Buckingham Palace. If you are here between late July and late September, the State Rooms are open for tours. Otherwise the Victoria Memorial gives you the classic frontage view.

• Banqueting House is currently closed for essential conservation and maintenance. It is expected to reopen later in 2025.SourceHistoric Royal Palaces: Banqueting House
• HoursBuckingham Palace State Rooms are open to visitors from late July to late September. Tickets are released in spring and sell quickly.SourceVisit London: One day in London itinerary

EatLunch at The Clarence on Whitehall, a pub with good pies and a dining room overlooking the street, or grab a sandwich from Pret on Trafalgar Square and eat on the steps under Nelson.

The South Bank: Art, Shakespeare, and Borough Market

From Buckingham Palace, take the Tube from St James's Park to Blackfriars on the District line, or walk across St James's Park and over the river if your feet are holding up. Start at Tate Modern inside the old Bankside Power Station. The Turbine Hall is free and vast; the collection is free too. Walk out onto the Millennium Bridge for the St Paul's view, then continue east to Shakespeare's Globe. A guided tour of the theatre runs most days and takes about forty minutes. Next door, Southwark Cathedral is a quiet gothic chapel where Shakespeare worshipped. End the afternoon at Borough Market. If it is a weekday, the stalls close at 17:00, so arrive by 16:30. On Saturday you have until 17:00; Sunday until 16:00. The market is closed Monday.

• HoursTate Modern is open Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 21:00. Entry to the permanent collection is free.SourceTate: Visit Tate Modern
• HoursBorough Market is open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday 9:00 to 17:00, Sunday 10:00 to 16:00. Closed Mondays. Entry is free.SourceBorough Market: Visit us
• BookShakespeare's Globe runs guided tours throughout the day. The open-air theatre tour is the best way to see the reconstruction and hear the story of the 1599 original.SourceShakespeare's Globe: What's On

EatBorough Market is your food stop. Try a scotch egg from Scotchtails, a doughnut from Bread Ahead, or a Raclette from Kappacasein. Eat standing at the counters or take it to the churchyard of Southwark Cathedral.

London Bridge and the River

Walk the last few minutes from Borough Market to London Bridge. The current concrete bridge is the latest in a line stretching back two thousand years. The view upstream catches St Paul's dome and the City towers. Downstream you see Tower Bridge and the Shard. From here you can walk up to the Tower of London for an exterior view, catch a river bus from London Bridge City Pier, or walk ten minutes to the bars and restaurants of Bermondsey Street. London Bridge station connects you to the Jubilee and Northern lines.

EatA pint at The George Inn on Borough High Street, London's last surviving galleried coaching inn, now a National Trust pub.