Three days: Westminster and Soho, South Bank and Borough, then Marylebone, a museum and a slower dinner.
Antipode itinerary planner
London
Itinerary Planner
A design-led London itinerary planner for neighbourhoods, hotels, museums, coffee, restaurants, pubs, bars, shopping, transport, practical notes and a free downloadable mobile-first PDF.
Antipode itinerary planner
London
Travel Guide
Travel Guide
Quick answers
Planning a London itinerary: the first decisions
A useful London itinerary starts with time, base and pace. Use this planner for the big choices, then download the free PDF for a lighter mobile reference.
Marylebone for calm, Soho for food and theatre, South Bank for river culture, Bloomsbury for museums, Shoreditch for east London energy.
Build a draft itinerary, save a shortlist, download the PDF and keep the page for planning before the trip.
Overview
Plan London by neighbourhood, not checklist
London works best when you stop trying to see everything. Build the trip around one or two neighbourhoods per day, then let museums, pubs, restaurants, shops, parks and river walks connect naturally.
Marylebone, Soho or South Bank
Choose your base by pace: calmer streets, central food and theatre, or river culture.
Markets, pubs and one serious table
Build the trip around breakfast, a market lunch, a proper pub and one more polished dinner.
Tube, walking and river logic
Use the Tube between districts, then walk each neighbourhood slowly once you arrive.
Build a personal London list
Use the tools below to save neighbourhoods, routes, products and ideas into a trip drawer.
Downloadable guide
Free London travel guide PDF — preview, then download
The PDF is a mobile-first London travel guide with itinerary logic, neighbourhoods, hotels, food, coffee, culture, transport notes and Antipode field notes.
- A polished mobile-first London itinerary planner.
- Neighbourhood-led planning for first-time and repeat visitors.
- Designed to be saved on a phone before and during the trip.
Free edition39 pagesApprox. 1.6 MBUpdated May 2026
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Cover
Itinerary
Food
Notes
Interactive tools
Build your London itinerary
Choose your base, build a 72-hour London plan, shape your arrival route, find a shopping mood and save ideas into your trip drawer.
Tool dock
Each tool creates a personalised output that can be saved to the guide, city products and trip planning.
01Neighbourhood matcher
0272-hour builder
03Arrival planner
04Shopping finder
05Save my trip
Neighbourhood matcher
Choose your travel style and get a suggested London base.
London itinerary builder
Choose trip length, mood and pace to generate a simple London plan.
Arrival planner
Get a simple arrival suggestion for your London entry point.
Shopping finder
Choose a shopping mood and get a suggested London route.
Sample itineraries
London itinerary ideas by trip length
Three proven shapes for a London trip — use them as they are, or as starting points for the itinerary builder above.
London 3 day itinerary
Day one: Westminster, St James, Soho and a theatre or bar. Day two: South Bank, Tate Modern, Borough Market and Tower Bridge. Day three: Marylebone, a museum, Hyde Park and a slower dinner.
London weekend itinerary
Use one central day for Westminster, Mayfair, Soho and Covent Garden, then one river day for South Bank, Borough, Tate Modern and a pub or cocktail stop.
London 5 day itinerary
Add Bloomsbury museums, Shoreditch and Spitalfields, Notting Hill or Hampstead, plus one looser day for galleries, shopping, parks and weather changes.
Getting into London
London arrival routes from every airport
The arrival planner above personalises this; here is the full picture for every London entry point, with prices and timings as a planning baseline.
From Heathrow
The Elizabeth line (~£12.80, 30–40 minutes) is the best value into Paddington, Bond Street and the City. Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes for £25; the Piccadilly line is cheapest at ~£5.60. See our full Heathrow route map & terminal guide.
From Gatwick
Thameslink trains run direct to London Bridge, Blackfriars and Farringdon — often more useful than the pricier Gatwick Express to Victoria. Pick the station nearest your hotel rather than the most famous one.
From St Pancras / Eurostar
You arrive already central. Bloomsbury and Marylebone are a short ride or even a walk; six Tube lines plus Thameslink fan out from King's Cross St Pancras to everywhere else.
From London City Airport
The DLR reaches Bank in about 22 minutes — ideal for east and central-east stays. With heavy luggage or a late arrival, a taxi is the lower-friction choice.
From Paddington
Good base access for Marylebone, Notting Hill, Hyde Park and the West End. If your hotel is nearby, don't overcomplicate the first transfer — walk or take a short taxi.
Getting around once you're in
Use contactless tap-in on the Tube and Elizabeth line between districts (daily fares cap automatically), then walk each neighbourhood. The best London days are compact routes, not point-to-point checklists.
City shortlist
London shortlist: coffee, hotels, food, bars, shopping, walks
Use the shortlist as an editorial map: switch between layers, then save the London ideas that fit your trip.
Slow high-street morning
Use Marylebone for coffee, books, quiet streets and a softer start near the centre.
East London coffee route
Pair Shoreditch coffee with galleries, Spitalfields, Brick Lane and independent retail.
Calm central base
Choose this for a refined stay pattern, walkable streets and easy access to the West End.
River culture base
Good for Tate Modern, Borough Market, theatres, bridges and a scenic walking rhythm.
Market lunch anchor
Use Borough Market as a grazing stop, then build toward Bankside or London Bridge.
Dense dinner grid
Soho works for restaurants, theatres, late counters and a compact after-dark circuit.
Polished cocktail hour
Use Mayfair for grand hotel bars, dressed-up drinks and a more ceremonial evening.
East London late night
Dinner, wine, music and bars in a loose route rather than a single formal stop.
Books and useful objects
Choose books, paper, homeware and understated objects that carry London home.
Independent retail
A stronger browsing layer for clothes, records, markets, design shops and street texture.
River walk east
Best from late afternoon: Westminster Bridge, Tate Modern, Borough and Tower Bridge.
Heath and village loop
A slower green day for views, lanes, bookshops, pubs and a break from central London.
Neighbourhoods
Where to stay in London — choose by rhythm
Choose the neighbourhood by the kind of London trip you want, not only by distance to landmarks.
Marylebone
Bookshops, cafes, independent stores, Georgian streets and a calmer first London rhythm.
Soho
Restaurants, bars, late dinners, music, theatres and dense central walking.
Shoreditch
Coffee, markets, galleries, street texture, restaurants and independent retail.
South Bank
Tate Modern, Borough, bridges, theatres and one of the easiest London walks.
About this planner
A London itinerary planner built around real movement
Use this page as a practical planning layer before you travel, then keep the PDF as a lighter mobile reference during the trip.
How to use the London itinerary planner
Start with where to stay, then build each day around one main district. London is too large for scattered sightseeing, so the planner favours connected routes: Marylebone to Soho, South Bank to Borough, Shoreditch to Spitalfields, or Hampstead to the Heath.
What the free London travel guide PDF adds
The downloadable guide gives you a compact version of the itinerary logic, neighbourhood notes, food and drink ideas, shopping routes, transport prompts and practical field notes. Use the page for planning and the PDF for quick reference on the move.
Where to stay in London
For a first trip, choose a base that reduces friction. Marylebone is calm and central, Soho is dense and useful, South Bank is scenic and cultural, Bloomsbury is museum-led, and Shoreditch works if you want east London energy.
How to get around London
Use the Tube or Elizabeth line between areas, then walk inside each neighbourhood. The best London days are not point-to-point checklists; they are compact routes with one strong anchor and several nearby stops.
What makes this different
This is not a directory. It is a decision tool: choose a base, shape a route, save the useful ideas, then use the free PDF as a mobile companion while travelling.
The Antipode angle
The exact opposite side of the world from London
Dig straight down from London through the centre of the Earth and you surface in the Southern Ocean beside New Zealand's Antipodes Islands — uninhabited islands named in the 1800s precisely because they sit opposite Greenwich. London is one of the only world cities whose antipode literally carries its name.
London
51.51°N · 0.13°W
↓ 12,742 km through the Earth ↓
51.51°S · 179.87°E
Antipodes Islands, Southern Ocean
London City Edition
London coordinate prints & travel objects
The guide connects naturally to Antipode products: coordinates, travel cards, city objects and printable reminders of place.
51.51°N
0.13°W
0.13°W
Coordinate print
A minimal London coordinate print for the city edition.
LON
TAG
TAG
Luggage tag
A city luggage tag concept for frequent travellers and guide buyers.
RAIN
CARD
CARD
Packing card
A printable or physical packing reference for layers, rain and long city walks.
CITY
PDF
Free PDF
A compact London guide with itinerary logic, neighbourhoods, hotels, food and practical notes.
Keep exploring
More London & Antipode tools
This planner is part of a larger set of free Antipode travel tools — the pieces link together.
Heathrow route map & guide
Every nonstop from LHR on an interactive map, plus terminals, transport prices and connection times.
Opposite side of the world
Type any city and see its exact antipode on dual maps — coordinates, distance and what's really down there.
My Antipode finder
The full 3D globe experience — find your personal antipode and explore what lies on the other side.
FAQ
London itinerary questions
Useful answers for travellers choosing how to use the planner and guide.
How many days do you need in London?
Three days is enough for a strong first visit if you keep each day geographically tight. Five days gives you more room for museums, markets, parks and neighbourhoods beyond the centre.
Where should first-time visitors stay?
Marylebone, Soho, Covent Garden, South Bank and Bloomsbury all work well, depending on whether you prefer calm, theatre, culture, river walks or museum access.
Is London easy to get around?
Yes, but the best trips mix Tube rides with walking. Use public transport between neighbourhoods, then explore each area on foot once you arrive.
What should you pack?
Comfortable shoes, a light waterproof layer, a small umbrella, adaptable clothing and a bag that works for museums, markets and long walks.
