Which London Attractions Are Worth Visiting and Which Can Be Skipped?

[RyanR]

I'm planning my first trip to London and only have a couple of days to explore. There are so many famous attractions that I'm finding it difficult to decide which ones are truly worth visiting and which ones can be skipped.

I'm thinking about places like Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. Are they all worth the time and ticket price, or are any of them a bit overrated?

I'd also love to know if there are any hidden gems, local neighborhoods, museums, or viewpoints that you would recommend instead. If you've been to London recently, which attractions would you definitely include in a 2–3 day itinerary, and which ones would you leave out? I'd really appreciate any honest recommendations or personal experiences before I finalize my plans.

There's no 'one size fits all' London, the same as with any other big city. What is worth your while or 'overrated' is going to depend entirely on you and your own interests and preferences (and stamina -- London is quite big, and you will be travelling on public transport or on foot between things. In heat, especially, this can be tiring.) What interests you? History? Art? Architecture? Food? Shopping?Theatre?

London Eye can be skipped - get the free tickets to Horizon 22 instead (they become available every other Monday).

An uber boat down the Thames is worth the money - get on somewhere west of the centre like Vauxhall, to be guaranteed a good seat and then take that east to Canary wharf or Greenwhich.

Buckingham palace is a waste. Tower of London only if you really want to see the jewels. Go to Camden market for food. Covent Garden area is nice. Sky garden do free tickets and has nice views. Go to Harrods.

Imperial War Museum, Garden Museum, Horniman's Museum, Eltham Palace, Greenwich Park and Observatory, Design Museum, Bermondsey Fashion Museum, Tower Bridge Experience, City of London walk, St Paul's- imo better than those you've mentioned. It really depends on your interests.

Greenwich is lovely, avoid The Aquarium it's very depressing!

Hampton Court - go by boat down the Thames. The Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury.

Get the tube to Green Park or Victoria and visit the Royal Mews rather than Buck HOuse - you get to see some of the carriages and horses. Walk to the front of BP and look at it, walk down the Mall into Horseguards, look at Nelson's COlumn in Trafalgar Square and then head to the Emabnkment. Head east on the Embankment to the Temple. Walk through Middle Temple (an Inn of COurt) and into Inner Temple. Visit Temple CHurch (a Da Vinci Code location and fab). Back onto the Embankment and cross to the SOuthbank over Blackfriars Bridge. Walk along the EMbankment past Oxo Tower, Tate Modern (pop into see the vast space of the Turbine Hall) and the outside of the Globe Theatre. Pick up some lunch in Borough Market, a quick look at Southwark Cathedral (Shakespeare monument) and then under London Bridge and along the embankment past the Belfast to Tower Bridge. Cross TOwer Bridge and visit the Tower. Other than the Mews and the Tower its all free.

If you visit St Paul's you should watch this vidio about it being a masonic building and what to look out for .. he does a lot on the buildings of London and thier meanings..

This is excellent.

Loads of London highlights are free.

British Museum for Egyptian and UK mummies, rosetta stone, sphinxes, Easter island statues, Viking hoards of exquisite gold.

National Gallery for Van Gogh, Monet and many other priceless Impressionists and post impressionists, V&A, Science and Natural History museum, Tate Britain.

Walk through St James Park, sharing your path with huge pelicans, take a look at Buckingham Palace from the outside, then past Horseguards Parade and the mounted soldiers.

Southbank stroll for musicians, jugglers, sand sculptors, flea circuses, playful fountains, Tate Modern.

Covent Garden also has good buskers and street performers.

Good value: the Uber Boat from London Eye down to Greenwich. You see Parliament and Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Tower of London from the river. Greenwich is a great place to stop for lunch in the market, wander through the naval college or up the hill in the park to the Observatory. Greenwich Market is the cheapest place I've found for vintage jewellery.

Chinatown for dinner and a wander around the wonderful food shops, the lantern lit streets, the little bakeries.

The London eye bored me. And it bored my very keen German guests one year. It’s massively overpriced and slow; you queue even if you have a ticket. Go to Sky Gardens if you want a view.

Skip the aquarium too. It’s too busy and there are better ones all over Europe.

If you’re there in summer, I adore the Regents Park open air theatre and a picnic in the park. There is something quintessentially “Londony” about it. Especially if there’s a rain shower.

As others have mentioned- the Uber boat to Greenwich - I love it there: great market, the observatory, Cutty sark, and the maritime museum too.
For museums/galleries - I like the National Portrait gallery, Sciehce/National History/British/Imperial War. You’ve also got the V&A and Museum of the Home (in Shoreditch - trendy area now). Really depends on your interest and if you want something typically London.

Southend is good for a walk down and also Tate Modern to catch a gallery or two, plus Covent Garden but it’s very tourist now.

I’d avoid Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus but Soho and Chinatown are worth a walk through.

See Buckingham palace, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey from the outside - they’re all really close together, but def do St James’s Park - they feed the pelicans about 2pm every day.

London parks are great - if you go to top of Parliament hill you get an amazing view.

Also the city of London has a lot of history behind it but you have to know where you’re going & look out for things!

i would actually recommend the Towervif London - its fascinating- do a beefeater tour.

Hope you have a great time, I’ve lived in London all my life and still haven’t seen everything!!

We had a great time doing our first trip to London recently. Book a west end show. We saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child while its still in 2 parts. Stayed in lambeth.

Haven't done any of the attractions you mentioned, too expensive! Although did do St Paul's, climbed to top. Views are amazing and definitely worth it but don't recommend when suffering from vertigo! Leaden hall Market is in the Wonka film. There's a gorgeous ruined church which is getting overgrown with plants, so calm and pretty. ( St Dunstan's?) Near to another church which is the oldest in London and has some Roman pavement. Parks are beautiful, so many and lovely when it's hot. Markets- love the variety on display. Uber boat- definitely recommend. The tulip stairs in Greenwich are pretty. Matilda the musical was ace.

Good suggestions from @Londonmummy66 and @Tonissister I’d also add that tickets for Tower Bridge are pretty reasonably priced and you get good views.

Agree London eye is over priced and slow.

don’t bother.

i liked the Tower but it is busy.

Tower of London is worth it. Do it first if possible and you'll be able to whizz through the crown jewels. I quite like a wander around Whitehall / westminster/ trafalgar / St james Park (pelicans and parrots!) and up to Buckingham Palace. I tend to do it leisurely though as we go often, there's probably a more organised way to do it. Buckingham Palace is a bit dull but definitely worth a quick peek.

Globe theatre is a good show if you have time. Seats aren't that comfy mind you. Get seats at the back or north side to avoid sun and rain. Very good gift shop.

London Eye is slow. Aquarium is grim. Borough Market is rammed.

Make Hays Galleria a stop too. There is also The Shard.
Husband loves The London Dungeon.
I believe there is a book on free places to visit in London. Might be worth searching out
Edit
loads of books on Amazon.

Borough market is worth a visit if you're a foodie.

I’d skip London Eye, only do Tower of London if you do Beefeater tour (and I’d definitely suggest this), I think Westminster Abbey is a must do, and a tour of Parliament. I’d also do Camden Market, Borough Market, Sky Garden. Walking South Bank is also one of my favourite London activities.

I agree with this - it's a great agenda.

Also, I saw a PP recommended Camden Market which I'd skip. It's awful. Crowded, filthy, bad food and tat.

A walk through Hyde Park/Ken Gardens and up through Notting Hill/Portobello Road is nice, and the Museum of Brands is a fun stop.

But do you have any specific interests? It's easier to recommend niche/hidden museums and places if we know that.

I don't think the London Eye is worth it. Plenty of tall buildings either free or cheaper - we like The Monument. My teens quite enjoyed a stroll over Waterloo Bridge at night - you can see the Palace of Westminster to one side, St Paul's on the other.

Buckingham Palace is not worth it IMO - it feels like just another stately home, and for obvious reasons you only see a fraction of it. Tower of London on the other hand is 10/10 - you'll need hours for that one.

Less obvious free attractions I really love are the Museum of the Home in Hoxton and The Wallace Collection in Marylebone. I also love Denis Severs House although it's a bit mad quirky so perhaps not for everyone.

I wouldn’t bother with the Shard. Expensive, view obscured by drinks bars, part of it closed now and then they close bits of for private events. Sky Gardens was free, larger and had seats !
We went yesterday and it was rubbish all in all..

Londoner here

Skip:
Aquarium (terrible)

Tourist hellholes like Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square

Try to get a boat along the Thames - no need for expensive cruises, the Thames Clipper will do. It’s a nice way to see some of the iconic sights.

All of the London museums and galleries are worth a visit, but go early - they get rammed in tourist season. I especially love the British Museum, V&A and National Portrait Gallery.
Dont try to cram in museums and galleries - choose one or two you really want to see.

If you get decent weather -
-Regent's Park open air theatre
-Highgate Cemetery (could combine with Hampstead - lunch in Hampstead or a drink in one of the pubs around the Heath)
-Holland Park / Japanese Gardens (could combine with Notting Hill / Kensington / Portobello Market)
-Canal boat from Little Venice

Skip London Eye. Harrods is not what it was and see no reason to go there! I personally LOVE Chelsea and could spend a day wandering up and down the Kings Rd. I took the kids on a bus tour once which gives a nice overview. I kinda think Buck Palace is a must see and my son was fascinated by the Tower of London. Of the museums V&A is my favourite- I’ve never been that impressed with Natural History Museum though others would disagree!