London is expensive - if you've only got a short time here then it's best to do some careful planning - either using our itinerary page for walks that connect major sights (and some amazing minor ones), our planning page, for grouping nearby attractions together, or this page where we attempt to make recommendations for visits of certain lengths.

If you have only one day in London: We are aware that not all things please all people so we've done two schedules: one for people who's main aim is to see Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds and The London Dungeon - your guide is below.
However if you're a culture vulture you'll probably want to avoid the crowds, in which case look HERE. We're assuming good weather - see our rainy day page for when the clouds are emptying over the city.

THE MAIN GIGS

A CULTURE VULTURE'S DAY OUT

Buy a One day travelcard Zones 1 + 2 (about £6 per person if you're in London for any longer, buy an Oystercard, see Transport page for details) at any tube or rail station, or at some newsagents, and take the bus everywhere, always sitting on the top deck. Avoid travelling in the rush hours 07:30-09:30 & 17:00-18:30.

We recommend you too start at The Tower (see above) and follow our walk one past the Tate Modern - but you might want to pop in and look around - you'll also want to look at Shakespeare's Globe (and perhaps in Summer buy a ticket for an evening performance Summer only -- from £5 standing). The 'wobbly bridge' links the Tate with St Pauls - you can pop across for a quick look round the outside (we don't recommend going in if you're pressed for time). But at Somerset House (quick visit to the Courtauld Galleries if you want) you should take a 1, 59, 68 or 171 bus from the sliproad to Waterloo Bridge (opposite the Tax office entrance to Somerset House) up to the British Museum (ask the driver, but get off near or before Russell Square).

In the British Museum, visit the African, Egyptian and Babylonian galleries, the Great Court and the Reading Room as an absolute minimum.

[There's no easy public transport route between the British Museum and the Sir John Soane Museum - but at least it's not far on foot. You can do the Soane in 30 minutes if you whizz. Afterwards walk through Lincoln's Inn which is on the East side of the Square then back along Fleet St and the Strand, turning right up to Covent Garden and up Neal St to Centre Point

If you're not too museum'd out already then take a #14 bus from Centre Point (the intersection of Charing Cross & Tottenham Court Roads and Oxford Street) through the heart of London to South Kensington. You'll pass Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, Green Park Knightsbridge on the way. We think it's worth the diversion to pop into Harrod's in Knightsbridge (only the food halls are really worth seeing) on the way - and walk the rest of the way to the Victoria and Albert Museum - where you'll see the stunning British Galleries and the Cast Rooms (no time for anything else - it's a big, big place).

If your fancy takes you you can see the Natural History Museum as well or at least pop your head in - it's free. A tunnel links all the museums to the South Kensington tube, from where, to save time, take the Circle line to Victoria and change to the Victoria line one stop south to Pimlico for the Tate Britain. You need a minimum of 45 minutes to appreciate the stunning new galleries.

It's just a short walk round the riverside to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament - if a bus is passing you might want to hop on to save time. From Parliament Square (good photos of Big Ben and the Eye from halfway across Westminster Bridge, or if roadworks block the view from the riverside outside St Thomas' hospital) walk round the back of Whitehall to St James Park and up it's border, past Churchill's wartime bunker (worth popping in if you've time - you can 'do' it in 30 minutes if you sprint through!). You pass the back of 10, Downing Street and if you like you can walk through to Whitehall to see the front - heavily guarded because of terrorist threats. Whichever route you take you'll pass Horseguards - either through it from the parade ground at the rear or past the front door (see notes on changing of the guard above) - and continue up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square at the top. In front of you on the opposite side of the Square is the National Gallery. Don't hope to see it all - just wander through -old stuff is in the modern wing to the left, the classic, famous stuff is spread around the main galleries.

We also recommend you pop into the Portrait Gallery next door - visit the Tudor gallery at the top and have a cup of Tea/Coffee in the restaurant at the top with good views. When you're refreshed go to Leicester Square to pick a ticket for a play. A quick saunter through Soho and Chinatown before your show - and a meal at one of the cheap eateries completes (either Chinatown proper, or the two roads at the south side of Leicester Square, especially Panton St) your day - apart from a night-time trip to floodlit St Paul's - if you've the energy and time we'd recommend you walk along the river eastwards as it's quite beautiful by night - and the Lloyds building (best seen from Hay's Galleria, next to London Bridge Station) is superbly lit in neon blue. See also Somerset House where the fountain displays occur on the hour - it's open to 23:00.