Updated June 2026 · Real prices · Verified places · Visa-aware
Quick answer: For a 4-day trip to London, budget about EUR 170 per day (mid-range). Best time: May-June and September - mild weather, long daylight and parks at their best; pack a rain layer regardless. Visa: Many nationalities including US/EU visit visa-free for up to 6 months but most now need an ETA before travel - always check current UK rules for your passport.
London packs royal pageantry, world-class free museums and gritty street markets into one sprawling city. Watch Westminster and Big Ben from the South Bank, lose a morning in the British Museum for free, then eat your way through Borough Market before pints in a Shoreditch pub.
Best timeMay-June and September - mild weather, long daylight and parks at their best; pack a rain layer regardless
Budget / day~EUR 170
Suggested length4 days
VisaMany nationalities including US/EU visit visa-free for up to 6 months but most now need an ETA before travel - always check current UK rules for your passport.
4-day London itinerary
Day 1: Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, walk the South Bank past the London Eye, Borough Market for lunch, Tate Modern
Day 2: British Museum, Covent Garden, Soho for dinner and a West End show
Day 3: Tower of London (book ahead), Tower Bridge, afternoon in Shoreditch and Brick Lane
Day 4: Notting Hill and Portobello Road, Hyde Park, Natural History or V&A Museum in South Kensington
Where to stay: neighborhoods that make sense
South Bank / Bankside - riverside walks and big sights on your doorstep, ideal for first-timers
Shoreditch - street art, markets and the best bar scene, stay here for nightlife
Bloomsbury - leafy squares by the British Museum, quiet and central with mid-range hotels
Notting Hill - pastel townhouses and Portobello Market, charming but pricier and further west
What to eat in London
Fish and chips at a proper chippy - 14-17 EUR, ask for it with mushy peas
Borough Market street food - grilled cheese toasties or salt beef bagels, 8-12 EUR
Sunday roast at a pub - 20-25 EUR, book a table, they sell out by 2pm
Curry on Brick Lane or in Tooting - around 15 EUR for a main and naan
Beigel Bake on Brick Lane - salt beef beigel for about 7 EUR, open 24 hours
Mistakes most first-timers make
Paying for attractions when the biggest museums (British Museum, Tate Modern, Natural History) are completely free
Buying paper travel tickets - just tap a contactless card on the tube, fares cap automatically at about 10 EUR a day
Underestimating distances - 'central London' spans miles, so group each day's sights by area instead of criss-crossing
Booking a hotel far out in Zone 4+ to save money - the commute cost and time usually cancel out the savings
Worth leaving the city for
Windsor (about 1 hour by train) - Windsor Castle, the oldest occupied castle in the world
Oxford (about 1 hour by train) - colleges, the Bodleian Library and classic pub lunches
Brighton (about 1 hour by train) - seaside pier, the Lanes and a completely different pace
Getting around
From Heathrow, the Elizabeth Line reaches central London in about 35 minutes for roughly 15 EUR. In town, tap contactless on the tube and buses; fares cap around 10 EUR per day, and central sights cluster close enough to walk between many of them.
Why this plan won't send you to a closed café
Almawander is an AI travel planner that remembers you across trips - it learns your pace, budget, diet and taste, checks places are still open, and bakes in your passport's visa rules.
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