London 7-day itinerary

Start at Westminster for Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey (£29, or admire the exterior). Cross Westminster Bridge and walk the South Bank past the London Eye, Southbank Centre, and the book stalls under Waterloo Bridge. Continue to the Tate Modern (free) — the Turbine Hall and permanent collection are world-class. The walk from Westminster to Tower Bridge is London's essential riverside trail.

Lunch at Borough Market — Padella for pasta (£7–12), Kappacasein for raclette, or the Ginger Pig for sausage rolls (£4.50). Walk past Shakespeare's Globe (tours £17 or groundling tickets from £5 for actual performances). Cross the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral (£21, or free for evensong services at 5pm) for Wren's masterpiece dome.

Tube to Piccadilly Circus. Walk through Soho for dinner — Bao (Taiwanese buns, £5–8), Flat Iron (steak, £12), or Kricket (modern Indian, £8–14). For theatre, the TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells same-day West End tickets at 25–50% off. Or walk through Chinatown for dumplings at Dumplings' Legend (£8–12). Soho at night — neon, noise, and character.

The British Museum (free) — Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, Egyptian mummies, Sutton Hoo, Lewis Chessmen, and 8 million other objects spanning human civilisation. Focus on 3–4 galleries. The Great Court under its glass roof is stunning. The Enlightenment Gallery and the African galleries are often empty. Coffee at the Great Court café. Allow 3 hours minimum.

Walk through Bloomsbury — London's literary neighbourhood. Browse the bookshops around Russell Square and the London Review Bookshop on Bury Place. Walk to the recently transformed King's Cross — Coal Drops Yard has excellent independent shops and restaurants in converted Victorian coal buildings. Lunch at Dishoom King's Cross for black daal and naan rolls (£8–16). Platform 9¾ for Harry Potter fans.

Walk the Regent's Canal from King's Cross to Camden Lock — 30 minutes of peaceful towpath past houseboats and wildlife. Camden at night is livelier than during the day — live music venues (Jazz Café, Dingwalls, Electric Ballroom), pubs (The Dublin Castle for punk), and the market's food stalls open late. Beer from £5, cocktails £10–14. The Hawley Arms has a famous literary clientele.

Walk through Hyde Park — Serpentine Gallery (free), Diana Memorial Fountain, and Speaker's Corner (Sundays). Then Exhibition Road's free museums: the V&A (fashion, design, Islamic art), Natural History Museum (blue whale, Earth galleries), or Science Museum. All world-class and free. Choose one and give it proper time. The V&A is the most underrated — the courtyard garden is a hidden gem.

Tube to Notting Hill Gate. Walk through the pastel-coloured houses of Westbourne Park Road (the Instagram streets). On Saturdays, Portobello Road Market runs the full length — antiques at the north end, food in the middle, vintage and fashion at the south end under the Westway. Lunch at The Cock & Bottle pub or a Caribbean food stall for jerk chicken (£8–10). Browse the vintage shops on Golborne Road.

London pub culture is essential. Start at a historic pub — The Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden (since 1623), Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street (rebuilt 1667), or The George Inn in Borough (London's last galleried coaching inn). A pint costs £5–7. Then to Soho for dinner and drinks — The French House is a legendary bohemian pub. End at Ronnie Scott's for jazz (from £30) if the budget allows.

Sunday morning at Columbia Road Flower Market (8am–2pm) — a riot of colour and fragrance in Bethnal Green. The surrounding independent shops open only on Sundays. Walk to Brick Lane for bagels at Beigel Bake (24hrs, salt beef bagel £5.50 — the queue is short before 10am). Browse the Old Truman Brewery weekend markets for vintage, food, and art.

Shoreditch has London's densest street art — Rivington Street, the alleys off Great Eastern Street, and the Nomadic Community Garden all have major works. Look for pieces by Stik, Eine, and ROA. Lunch at Dishoom Shoreditch (arrive early) or grab plates from Broadway Market food stalls if it's Saturday. Walk through Hackney Wick for canal-side galleries and artist studios.

East London nightlife is unmatched. Drinks at Netil360 rooftop in Hackney (free entry, great views). MOTH Club for live music. Dalston Superstore for queer-inclusive dancing. Brilliant Corners for vinyl and Japanese food. Or Night Tales in Hackney for late-night street food and DJs. The area between Hackney and Dalston has more per-capita creative energy than anywhere in London.

Take the Thames Clipper river bus from Westminster or Tower Pier to Greenwich (30–45 min, £8 with Oyster cap or included in Travelcard) — one of London's best transport experiences, passing the Tower, Canary Wharf, and the O2. Explore the National Maritime Museum (free) and walk through the Old Royal Naval College (free, the Painted Hall is £15 — England's Sistine Chapel).

Climb the hill in Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory (free grounds, £18 for the Meridian Line exhibition) — stand on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and enjoy the panoramic view of London's skyline across the river. The park itself is gorgeous with deer and Victorian rose gardens. Lunch at Greenwich Market — a covered market with excellent street food (meals £6–10). Try the Ethiopian stall.

Thames Clipper or train back to Bermondsey. Walk the Bermondsey Beer Mile — a string of craft brewery taprooms under the railway arches. Anspach & Hobday, Partizan, The Kernel (Saturday only), Fourpure, and Brew by Numbers. Pints are £5–7 — cheaper than a pub. Dinner at Jose Tapas on Bermondsey Street for Spanish small plates (£4–9 per plate) or Pizarro for a fuller meal.

Tube to Hampstead. Walk to Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath for the best panoramic view of London's skyline — free, uncrowded, and genuinely beautiful. If you're brave, swim in the Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds (£4, open year-round). Walk through Hampstead Village — one of London's most charming neighbourhoods with winding lanes, historic pubs, and Keats House (£7.50).

Walk to Highgate Cemetery (East Cemetery £5, West Cemetery guided tour £18) — Karl Marx, George Eliot, and Douglas Adams are buried here among stunning Victorian Gothic monuments. The overgrown atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful. Continue to Crouch End for a late lunch — a neighbourhood favoured by musicians and comedians with excellent independent restaurants and cafés. Try Haberdashery for brunch.

Walk or bus to Islington — Upper Street has London's densest restaurant row. Dinner at Ottolenghi (sharing plates £10–16) for the original Yotam Ottolenghi restaurant, or Smokestak in Shoreditch for Texas-style BBQ (£8–16). For culture, check what's on at Sadler's Wells (dance), Almeida Theatre (plays), or the Union Chapel (music in a Gothic church). Pubs on Upper Street for a nightcap.

London does brunch brilliantly. Try The Wolseley on Piccadilly for a classic grand café experience (£15–25), or Dishoom for one final bacon naan roll. Walk through whichever market you missed — Maltby Street on Saturday, Broadway Market, or Columbia Road on Sunday. Pick up last souvenirs — vintage vinyl from Rough Trade, tea from Fortnum & Mason, or chocolate from Dark Sugars in Brick Lane.

Final afternoon in a park — Regent's Park rose garden (free, stunning May–Sep), or walk the South Bank one last time from Tate Modern to the National Theatre. Browse the BFI Southbank bar for a coffee and river view. Or revisit your favourite neighbourhood — London rewards repeat visits to the same streets, and you'll notice things you missed the first time.

Farewell dinner at Hawksmoor Seven Dials for the best steak in London (£25–45), or keep it budget at Flat Iron one more time. For something special, St. John in Clerkenwell is the temple of nose-to-tail British cooking (mains £18–30) — Fergus Henderson's bone marrow and parsley salad is a British culinary landmark. One last pint at a historic pub, watching London do what it does best — carry on.