You can get a downloadable map of this itinerary here.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL: April and May are the best months for London as the city blooms. While these months avoid the more touristy (but warmer) months of June, July, and August, you might want to bring a jacket for the cooler spring temps.

WHERE TO STAY: Kensington is easily one of the most upscale and lavish places to stay, with plenty of restaurants, pubs, and easy transportation into the city center.

HOW TO GET FROM PLACE TO PLACE: The tube is your best friend. Although bustling, it beats the double-decker busses by a long shot as London traffic can prove horrendous, especially during rush hour. Buy yourself an Oyster card from one of the kiosks and load $20 or so onto the card. If you’re flying into or out of Heathrow, you can take the tube directly to and from the city center for just a few dollars.

MY GREATEST TIP: Download on offline city map. London is MASSIVE, but easily conquerable as long as you’re keeping track of where you are!

day 1.

You’ll begin your day in Borough Market, where you can sift through fresh fruits, vegetables, and vendors for breakfast. My personal favorites are the honeycomb doughnuts from a doughnut stand in the back of the market, and the cheese wheel toward the front, where they heat up a massive wheel of cheese and spread it over potatoes or a few slices of bread for a grilled cheese.

From here, you’ll continue down the Thames and pass Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Be sure to turn around as you’re walking down the Thames for a great view of Tower Bridge. Eventually, you’ll arrive at the Tate Modern Museum. Go inside and up to the café, where you can grab a cup of tea, rest your legs, and get a free view high above London of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the city entirely.

After you’ve rested up, continue down the Thames. You’ll stumble upon the South Bank Book Market, which is your cue to cross the Waterloo Bridge. Once across, take an immediate left and take a short walk through the Victoria Embankment Garden. As soon as you make it through the garden, you’ll find Gordon’s Wine Bar, which is single handedly my FAVORITE spot in all of London. Here, you’ll walk down a few steps into an underground wine bar, entirely candlelit. Buy a bottle of wine and a cheese board, and fill up on baguette’s. Seriously, do not miss this spot.

Once you’re full, continue down the Thames to Big Ben, where you can get your iconic Insta shot. Admire Parliament, and continue to Westminster Abbey. You can either tour the Abbey or admire from outside, either way, eventually work your way toward Buckingham Palace for a few more photo ops.

After you’ve had your fix of sightseeing, head back to your apartment to clean up and rest, and then catch a 3:30, 5:30, or 7:30 afternoon tea reservation at the Ritz. This is a pricey tea experience, but well worth every penny, and your only big dinner/lunch of the week.

If you’re still looking for something to do after tea, you can either catch a Broadway show downtown, or grab one of the city’s best cocktails from an esteemed mixologist at Fogg’s speakeasy in Mayfair. Sketch is also an AWESOME spot for a drink. For all, obviously make sure to have reservations in advance.

day 2.

Start your day in the far funkier neighborhood of Camden Town. Walk through Camden Market. Sift through various shops for souvenirs and trinkets, and grab a snack for the road, like the halloumi fries topped with yogurt sauce and pomegranate seeds.

Walk on (or catch the tube) to the British Library, right next to Kings Cross Station. After exploring the library’s treasures, swing through Kings Cross for platform nine and three-quarters, an iconic photo-op from the Harry Potter series. Take the Kings Cross tube back down into Westminster, and buy a ticket into the Churchill War Rooms, a famed WWII museum. From the museum, stroll up Trafalgar Square, where you’ll get a great view of Big Ben, and plenty of restaurants for fish and chips. If you’re looking for a pint in a fun pub, check out Fogg’s pub next door (not the same as the speakeasy.)

If you’re tired, take a rest in St. James park. If you’re good to stay on your feet, stroll through Piccadilly for the city’s best sector of shopping (and famous macarons from Laduree.)

Eventually, make your way back up to Kings Cross Station, and put your name in for a table at Dishoom, where you’ll have some of the BEST Indian food of your life. Take a look at the menu and ask your server for their recommendations. Trust me, everything is good. Try and come early though, because it gets super busy if you come too late.

After dinner, head back into Camden Town and make your way up Primrose Hill for a STUNNING sunset view of the city.

From here, you can either try your hand at a pub crawl through Camden Town (one of the most popular spots in the city for a handful of pints) or head back towards your Airbnb for a nightcap.

day 3.

Grab a pastry, sandwich, or coffee from a nearby bakery, and head towards Tower of London, where you’ll observe one of the most historical sites of the city and the crown jewels.

Take your time through Tower of London, and eventually work over toward the Sky Garden (you might want to check for reservations) and treat yourself to a drink, a snack, or a cup of tea as you overlook the city.

From Sky Garden, you’ll head back over towards Westminster and tour the Victoria and Albert Museum (and out of the many, many London museums, this is by far one of the best.)

Afterwards, stroll through the nearby Harrod’s for hand-painted marzipan, shopping, and people watching.

Snag a snack (or lunch) to go from Harrod’s, or a nearby café, and have your lunch in Hyde Park. After you’ve filled up, stroll through the Kensington Gardens and admire Kensington Palace.

It’s been a busy week, so after plenty of walking, head over to Churchill Arms for one of the city’s most popular (and flower-covered) pubs. Grab a drink, and cheers to a successful weekend in London.