5 Days in London: The First-Timer's Budget-Smart Guide

Start at Westminster Tube Station — exit and you're face-to-face with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Cross Westminster Bridge for the classic photo with Big Ben behind you. Walk along the Albert Embankment for the best angle.

Visit Westminster Abbey (£27, book online) — coronation church for every English monarch since 1066. Or save the money and just admire the Gothic exterior. Stroll through St James's Park toward Buckingham Palace. If it's 11:00 AM, catch the Changing of the Guard (free, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun, check schedule).

Walk back along the South Bank — London's best riverside walk. Pass the London Eye (£36 — skip it unless you love observation wheels; the free view from the Tate Modern is better). Continue along to the Southbank Centre — free exhibitions, live music, and great people-watching.

Visit Tate Modern (free) — housed in a massive former power station. The Turbine Hall installations are always impressive. Take the elevator to the viewing gallery on level 10 for panoramic London views — free, and better than the London Eye.

Dinner at Lower Marsh Market near Waterloo station — street food stalls and indie eateries. Cubana does excellent Cuban food (mains £10–14). Or grab fish & chips at Masters Superfish on Waterloo Road (£10–13 for a generous portion). Walk along the illuminated South Bank back toward Westminster — London looks magical at night.

Open at 10 AM. The British Museum (free) is one of the world's greatest museums — the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, Egyptian mummies, and the Sutton Hoo treasure. Don't try to see everything. Grab a free map, pick 3–4 galleries, and allow 2–3 hours. The Great Court (Norman Foster's glass roof) is stunning.

Walk south to Covent Garden — the covered market has street performers, boutique shops, and a buzzing atmosphere. Lunch at Flat Iron (£12 for a flat-iron steak with salad — arguably London's best budget meal). Walk through Neal's Yard — a hidden courtyard painted in rainbow colors.

Continue to Soho — London's entertainment district. Browse Berwick Street Market for cheap eats (falafel wraps £5, dumplings £6). Walk through Chinatown on Gerrard Street. If you're into vinyl, Sounds of the Universe and Reckless Records on Berwick Street are legendary.

See a West End show — London's theater scene rivals Broadway and is often cheaper. Get same-day discount tickets (up to 50% off) from the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (opens at 10 AM, expect a 20-minute queue). Current long-runners: Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Hamilton. Budget: £25–50 for stalls/circle seats via TKTS.

Post-show: grab a drink at Gordon's Wine Bar near Embankment — London's oldest wine bar (1890), candlelit and cavernous. A glass of wine is £6–9.

Arrive at Tower of London at 9 AM opening (£33.60, book online for £29.90). The Crown Jewels, medieval castle, Beefeater tours (included, every 30 min), and 1,000 years of history. The Beefeater tour is the highlight — genuinely entertaining. Allow 2.5–3 hours.

Walk across Tower Bridge (free to cross; the Glass Floor exhibition is £12.30 if you want the elevated walkway). Great photo spot from the south side looking back at the Tower.

Walk 15 minutes west to Borough Market (open Wed–Sat, full market Thu–Sat). London's oldest food market (1,000+ years). This is lunch. Graze your way through:

• Kappacasein — raclette cheese on potatoes (£8) — the queue is worth it
• Bread Ahead — fresh doughnuts (£4.50) — salted caramel is the move
• Roast — hog roast sandwiches with crackling and apple sauce (£8)
• Padella — handmade pasta from £7, but the queue can be 45+ minutes. Go to Bancone in Covent Garden instead if you hate queues.

Tube or bus to Shoreditch — London's creative hub. Walk down Brick Lane for street art and curry houses (a Brick Lane curry is a London rite of passage, though locals will tell you the best curries are in Tooting). Check out Boxpark Shoreditch — a shipping container food court with vendors like Baba G's (tandoori burgers, £10) and craft beer from £5.

Drinks at Cargo (warehouse bar with outdoor seating) or 93 Feet East on Brick Lane for live music and DJs. Free entry most nights.

Tube to Camden Town. Camden Market is a labyrinth of food stalls, vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, and alternative culture. The food section is incredible — try the Venezuelan arepas (£6), Taiwanese bao buns (£5), or a loaded halloumi wrap (£7). Walk along Regent's Canal — the towpath from Camden Lock east toward King's Cross is a peaceful escape from London's chaos.

Walk through Regent's Park — 410 acres of manicured gardens, a boating lake, and (in summer) the Open Air Theatre. Climb Primrose Hill for one of London's best free views — you can see the entire skyline from the Shard to Canary Wharf. Perfect for a picnic. Grab supplies from a M&S Simply Food (meal deal: sandwich + snack + drink for £3.50).

Tube to Notting Hill Gate. Walk down Portobello Road — on Saturdays it's London's best antiques and vintage market (3,000+ stalls stretching a mile). On other days, the permanent shops — vintage clothing, antique silverware, vinyl records — are still worth browsing. Spot the pastel-colored houses of Westbourne Grove and Lancaster Road.

Coffee at Books for Cooks (the bookshop with a tiny test kitchen at the back) or browse the shelves at The Notting Hill Bookshop (the one from the movie).

Pub dinner at The Churchill Arms in Kensington — the building is covered in flowers and the back room serves excellent Thai food (£10–13). Or walk to The Cow on Westbourne Park Road — a gastropub with fresh oysters (6 for £14) and craft ales.

Option A (DIY): Train from London Paddington to Bath Spa (1 hour 22 minutes, £20–50 with advance booking on GWR). Visit Bath first, then take the Stonehenge Tour Bus from Bath (£18, 2.5 hours including Stonehenge entry — madmaxtours.co.uk).

Option B (Guided Tour): Join a day tour from London covering both sites (~£90–120, 10–11 hours). Companies like Evan Evans or Golden Tours include transport, Stonehenge entry, and Bath time. Less flexible but zero logistics.

Stonehenge (£22 online, book ahead) — 5,000 years old and still mysterious. The visitor centre has excellent interactive exhibits. A shuttle bus takes you to the stones (included). You walk a circular path around the stones — you can't touch them during normal visits. Allow 1.5–2 hours including the visitor centre.

Bath is a Georgian gem. Must-see spots:

• Roman Baths (£18, book online) — remarkably preserved 2,000-year-old bathing complex. The audio guide (included) is narrated by Bill Bryson and is genuinely excellent. Allow 1.5 hours.
• Royal Crescent — a sweeping arc of 30 Georgian townhouses. No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum (£14) but the exterior is the real star. Free.
• Pulteney Bridge — one of only four bridges in the world with shops on both sides (like Florence's Ponte Vecchio).
• Sally Lunn's — the oldest house in Bath (1482). Try the famous Bath Bun (£4.50) — a brioche-like bread with cream and jam.

Train from Bath Spa to London Paddington (last trains around 9:30–10 PM). Book a specific return time or buy a flexible ticket. If you have energy, grab a final pint at the Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden — a 17th-century pub once known as "the Bucket of Blood."