12 top things to see in London in less than 2 hours (self-guided London walking tour with a map)
Distance to cover: 4 miles (6.4 km)
If you click on the map, a new window will open for live navigation in the field.
I have prepared for you a simple self-guided map to follow, with an optimized route for tourists coming to London for the very first time.
This walking adventure features the absolute LONDON MUST SEE landmarks. And a lot more!
You will see Big Ben, London Eye, Millennium Bridge, The Tate Modern, The Shakespeare’s Globe, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, and the skyline of the City of London.
You'll also visit some of the best historic London pubs.
Enjoy the walk!
See also: London museums - which one should I see?
TOP THINGS TO SEE IN LONDON -Walking Tour
1. The Palace of Westminster and iconic Big Ben
I recommend you to start sightseeing in London by seeing the Palace of Westminster and the iconic Big Ben.
The proper name of this famous tower with a clock is the Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower announcing the time.
This is probably the most photographed building in the whole world!
The Palace of Westminster is breathtaking to see during the day and at night!
When you decide that you have taken enough photos of Big Ben, it is time to go towards the oldest bridge in central London -Westminster Bridge.
Painted in green bridge (the color symbolizing the leather seats of the House of Commons) is a great platform to take more amazing shots of Big Ben and some first shots of the next touristic attraction on this trail, the London Eye.
2. London Eye
32 capsules, rising to a height of 135m and delivering one of the best (paid) viewing platforms in London - the London Eye.
Most days of the year, the London Eye is beautifully illuminated at night.
The colors change depending on the occasion.
Built to provide the entertainment initially only for 5 years, 20 years later still is keeping strong.
Useful links:
Website where you can purchase tickets for London Eye (affiliate link - if you make a purchase using this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Southbank Skatepark - this is the place that usually catches the attention of all the people walking along the Thames, it is usually filled with people testing their skateboarding skills.
Southbank Book Market: good place to find old books, located just under Waterloo Bridge
All above is accompanied by panoramas of the City.
Now is the time to see the first historical pub on this walk.
So carry on walking along the Thames, until you reach the Blackfriars Bridge.
4. The Blackfriar Pub
After reaching the Blackfriars Bridge, I encourage you to cross the bridge and to go to the other side of the river, to visit the Blackfriar Pub, my personal favourite pub in London.
Not the biggest. Not the loudest. But very charming.
It is a great place to have a break when sightseeing in London.
The inside of the pub is simply must-see!
5. St Paul’s Cathedral
The next goal on this walk is to reach the majesty of the architecture, St Paul’s Cathedral.
This masterpiece was designed by Christopher Wren, the greatest architect in the history of London, who was also responsible for the creation of over 50 other churches in London after the Great Fire in London.
6. Millennium Bridge
Now, let’s head towards the river again until you see a silver (pedestrian-only) bridge called Millennium Bridge.
This famously wobbly bridge, from which you can see iconic buildings located nearby, provides an opportunity for great photos.
You can see from there The Tate Modern, The Shakespeare's Globe Theater & St Paul’s Cathedral.
Now, I advice you to go towards the Shakespeare's Globe Theater.
7. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
The Shakespeare's Globe Theater, with its very characteristic thatching roof, is easy to recognize.
It has been the very first (and only) building in London since The Great Fire of London (1666) allowed to have such a roof.
The building is a faithful reconstruction of the famous theater.
Now, you are now about to enter the area of London called Southwark where you will see another fine example of historical pub.
8. The Anchor Bankside Pub
The first on the list of things to see in Southwark is the oldest riverside inn in London - The Anchor.
The red window frames of the pub are hard to miss once walking along the river.
In the summer, you can enjoy the its great outdoor space with views of the River Thames.
The list of guests here included allegedly Shakespeare himself.
9. The Clink Prison Museum
The next part of the walk runs away from the river itself, via the dark and narrow Clink Street.
If you want to get a taste of what it was like to be kept and tortured in an infamous prison centuries ago, you can visit the Clink Prison Museum, which successfully operates there.
Search for a dirty and caged human skeleton above the doors or a blue plaque on the building, both commemorating the grim history of this place.
Now you are only steps away from one of the most symbolic places in London - London Bridge.
10. London Bridge
London Bridge is the place, where London first began (where around 2000 years ago Romans built their very first bridge) and where later almost ceased to exist - during the Great London Fire in 1666!
Photography: An/London By An
London Bridge was the only bridge in London until 1750!
You have a choice of walking under the bridge or climbing the old stairs leading to the top of the bridge.
I recommend you to choose the second option and go to the top of the bridge using the steps just before the bridge.
The reason for that is the breathtaking view of Tower Bridge in full glory possible to see from there.
Beautiful during the day or at night.
From there you can also see the most recognizable sky scrapper in London, The Shard.
11. The Shard
An extreme 72-stories glass addition to this historical part of London was completed just on time for the London Olympics in 2012.
The Shard does offer a viewing gallery of London at a height of 244m above the ground (you need to buy the ticket to access it).
Now, it's time to go back to the river. You can easily do it by following the stairs of no1 of the London Bridge.
You are getting closer now to the famous Tower Bridge.
12. Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is probably the most famous bridge in the whole world.
During its over 130 years history, Tower Bridge managed to collect quite a range of stories.
It's all very entertaining today with all these crowds of tourists taking an insane number of photos of it.
However, in the past, it was all serious business.
The bridge was not only serving its bridge-alike purpose, but it was also a mortuary.
The ramp underneath it was a place of recovery of the corpses from the River Thames.
The ramp is only visible when The Thames is at low tide.
This part of the bridge is called The Dead Man's Hole.
Tower Bridge is an absolute must-see for any tourist visiting London.
The exhibition inside - worth seeing!
Lift of the bascules of the bridge -a spectacle you cannot miss.
Link to the Tower Bridge website, where you can check bridge lift times.
And before you head towards its famous neighbor Tower of London, I recommend you to have a look at the paving of this bridge, where you can find small plaques on the floor celebrating people working for this bridge over the years.
Commemorative plaques on Tower Bridge pedestrians walkways (2017).
12. Tower of London
The last stop on this walk is the Tower of London.
The castle, the prison, and 1000 years of history in one place.
A home for a Royal Mint for some time (visited by Tsar of Russia, Peter The Great himself) and safe walls for The Crown Jewels since the 14th century.
The prison served its purpose from the 11th century up to 1952. And the infamous Kray Twins were one of the last ones to be imprisoned there.
My favorite fun fact about Tower of London is that it was the very first building in England to ever have a toilet installed inside :).
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