London itinerary 3 days: Westminster, the Tower and the British Museum at a calm pace

This London itinerary for 3 days takes you from Westminster and the South Bank on Day 1 to St Paul's and the Tower of London on Day 2, then the British Museum and Covent Garden on Day 3. It uses one central hotel, the Tube and plenty of walking, and it tells you which tickets to book and which sights close to visitors on Sundays.

Three days suit a first visit, a city break, or the start of a longer trip with Paris by train.

The 3-day London itinerary at a glance

• Route: one hotel in central London for 3 nights
• Day 1: Westminster, Trafalgar Square and the South Bank
• Day 2: St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge
• Day 3: the British Museum, Covent Garden and Soho
• Getting around: walking plus the Tube and buses, paying by contactless card or phone
• Good for: first visits, couples and friends

Why this order? Day 1 keeps you outside and walking along the river, which helps after a long flight, and Westminster is the London most people picture first. Day 2 moves east along the Thames, so St Paul's, the Tower and Tower Bridge link up on foot. The British Museum goes last because it's free, open every day and easy to fit around your flight home.

Check the days of the week before you fix the order. Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral are open on Sundays for worship only, so put Day 1 and Day 2 on Monday to Saturday and make Sunday your museum day.

Day 1: Westminster, Trafalgar Square and the South Bank

Many long-haul flights land at Heathrow early in the morning. The Elizabeth line runs straight into central London, and if your room isn't ready, leave your bags at the hotel and head out.

Start at Westminster Abbey, where English and British monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years. Opening hours change from day to day, so check them before you go and book a ticket online. Afterwards, walk past the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, then up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery on the square is free if you have the energy for one or two rooms.

In the late afternoon, cross Westminster Bridge to the South Bank and walk east along the river past the London Eye. Have dinner on the South Bank or near Waterloo, and walk back over the river after dark for the lit-up view of Parliament.

Day 2: St Paul's, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Begin at St Paul's Cathedral, which opens for sightseeing at 8:30 from Monday to Saturday. Climb to the dome galleries if you are happy with the stairs, for one of the best views over the City of London.

Walk east through the City to the Tower of London, about 25 minutes, or take the Tube two stops. Allow at least three hours there. Join a Yeoman Warder tour for the stories, then queue for the Crown Jewels, which is shortest early in the day or late in the afternoon. In winter the Tower closes at 16:30, so aim to arrive by early afternoon.

Finish by crossing Tower Bridge to Bermondsey and Borough Market for dinner. For an evening view, the free Sky Garden is a short walk back across the river, but tickets are released in advance and go quickly.

Day 3: The British Museum, Covent Garden and Soho

Book a free timed ticket for the British Museum and be there when it opens at 10:00. Choose a few rooms, such as the Egyptian mummies, the Parthenon sculptures or the Sutton Hoo treasure, and leave when you've had enough. It stays open until 20:30 on Fridays.

In the afternoon, walk south to Covent Garden for street performers and the old market hall, then wander into Soho for an early dinner. If you'd rather have green space, take the Tube west to Hyde Park and Kensington instead.

If this is your flight day, keep it simple. Leave your bags at the hotel, and allow about an hour on the Elizabeth line back to Heathrow plus time at the airport.

Getting around London (approximate)

• Heathrow to central London: about 30 to 45 minutes on the Elizabeth line to stations such as Paddington, Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road, £15.50 for a single from Zone 1
• Tube and buses: tap the same contactless card or phone in and out, and you never pay more than £8.90 a day within Zones 1 and 2
• Walking: Westminster to Trafalgar Square is about 10 minutes, and St Paul's to the Tower of London about 25 minutes
• Day 3 by Tube: Holborn or Tottenham Court Road for the British Museum, and Covent Garden is a 10 to 15 minute walk from there

Do you need a pass for 3 days in London?

No travel pass is needed. Paying by contactless card or phone caps your daily spend automatically, so it is simpler and usually cheaper than a Travelcard or an Oyster card for a short visit. A sightseeing pass only pays off if you plan many paid sights a day, and this route has three, plus free museums.

Rough budget per person (approximate, excluding flights)

• Accommodation: about £70 to £160 a night per person when sharing a double room
• Food: about £40 to £80 a day, less with markets, pubs and sandwich lunches
• Transport: about £45 to £60 for 3 days, including the Elizabeth line both ways
• Sights: about £100 for Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London, with the British Museum and National Gallery free

These are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices move with the season, the exchange rate and how many of you share a room.

What to book early

• The Tower of London: a timed ticket online, a few days to a few weeks ahead in school holidays
• Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral: tickets online, and check the opening hours for your date first
• The British Museum: a free timed ticket, for priority entry on busy days
• The Sky Garden: free tickets released in advance that go fast, so check our Sky Garden guide for the timing
• The Warner Bros. Studio Tour: if you'd add a fourth day, our Studio Tour tickets guide explains when dates open
• Hotels: a few months ahead for summer and the weeks before Christmas

From Singapore

Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Qantas fly non-stop between Singapore and London Heathrow, a flight of about 14 hours, a little shorter on the way home. Many flights leave Changi late at night and land in London early the next morning, which suits Day 1 of this plan.

London is on Greenwich Mean Time in winter and British Summer Time in summer. From the last Sunday of October to the last Sunday of March, Singapore is 8 hours ahead of London. In the summer months, Singapore is 7 hours ahead.

A Singapore passport doesn't need a visa to visit the UK for up to 6 months. Since 25 February 2026, though, you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before you travel, and airlines will refuse boarding without one. It costs £20 on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app, covers multiple trips, and lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Each traveller needs their own, including children.

At Heathrow, Singapore passport holders can use the ePassport gates, which usually makes arrival quicker. The UK isn't part of the Schengen Area, so if you continue to Paris you'll go through passport control again.

For 2027, these windows on our Singapore public holidays 2027 page fit London well:

• Good Friday: 4 days of leave, Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March, gives Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 March, 9 days. That's room for London plus 3 days in Paris by Eurostar.
• Hari Raya Haji and Vesak Day: 3 days of leave, Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Friday 21 May, gives Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May, 9 days, for London at a slower pace or London and Paris together.

Planning this trip as a group

• Book timed tickets together. The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's all sell entry online, so one person booking for everyone keeps the group on the same slot.
• Split on Day 3. Museum lovers can stay at the British Museum while others shop in Covent Garden or walk in Hyde Park, and you meet for dinner in Soho.
• Everyone pays their own fare. Contactless caps work per card, so everyone taps their own card or phone rather than sharing one.
• Keep the plan in one place. With Tripmo's group trip planner, each person's ChatGPT, Claude or Grok adds to one shared plan on a map, so bookings and ideas don't get lost in the group chat.

More itineraries

• 3 days in Paris: Notre-Dame, the Louvre and Montmartre, about 2 and a half hours away by Eurostar
• 7 days in Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice by train, if you continue into Europe
• Eurostar tickets: when to book the train from London to Paris
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: when tickets go on sale
• All itineraries

Sources

• GOV.UK, Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA): an ETA costs £20; visits of up to 6 months; each traveller, including children, needs one.
• GOV.UK, UK enforces digital permission to travel: from 25 February 2026 visitors who need an ETA cannot travel without one; valid for 2 years or until the passport expires.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, United Kingdom: Singaporeans can visit the UK without a visa and need an ETA from 25 February 2026; eligible for UK eGates; the UK is not in the Schengen Area.
• Transport for London, fare capping: daily cap £8.90 for Zones 1 and 2.
• Transport for London, fares from 1 March 2026: Elizabeth line Zone 1 to Heathrow £15.50; caps frozen until March 2027.
• Westminster Abbey, opening times and prices: hours vary by day; adults £32.
• St Paul's Cathedral, book tickets: sightseeing Monday to Saturday from 8:30, last entry 16:00; Sundays for worship only.
• Tower of London, tickets and prices: adults £38 without donation; at least three hours recommended; opening times: closes 16:30 in winter.
• British Museum, plan your visit: free entry with optional timed tickets; open daily 10:00 to 17:00 and until 20:30 on Fridays; closed 24 to 26 December.
• Sky Garden, Eurostar and Studio Tour booking windows: as on our linked when-to-book guides, from the official sites.
• Flights: published Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Qantas schedules for late October 2026, approximate and subject to change. No fares.
• Walk and Tube times: map estimates, approximate.