Self-Guided Walking Tour of London: 13 Stops in One Day
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London: One-Day Route Covering 13 Major Sights
This self-guided walking tour of London covers 13 of the city’s most famous landmarks in one full day, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and the Shard. This route is ideal for travelers who want to explore London on foot without a guide while still seeing the city’s highlights at their own pace. I walked nearly 25 kilometers following this route and included practical notes based on what worked (and what didn’t).
About My Walking Tour of London
During my visit to London, I set out on a marathon day to see as much of the city as possible via a self-guided walking tour of London. I had considered taking a guided tour but decided it was more fun to explore on my own. Typically, I am a solo traveler, but my cousin lived in London, and he and his spouse joined me on my walking tour.
London is so large that it is impossible to see the entire city. I only had one day to complete my walking tour of London, so I narrowed it down to a few key areas. The places that made my list included Westminster, Whitehall, the area around the River Thames, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, and the West End.
After eating breakfast, we chose to begin at Buckingham Palace, as I wanted to see the Changing of the Guard.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London: 13 Stops in One Day - Table of Contents
- A Self-Guided Walking Tour of London
- Buckingham Palace
- Westminster Abbey
- Whitehall
- Palace of Westminster (House of Parliament)
- Westminster Bridge
- London Eye
- River Thames
- Millennium Bridge
- Tower Bridge
- The Shard
- Trafalgar Square
- Piccadilly Circus
- Carnaby
- London Walking Tours
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- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 1: Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the home of the British Royal Family and one of the most visited London landmarks. We arrived at Buckingham Palace around 9:00 am, and there was already a crowd gathering for the 10:45 am Changing of the Guard. I wanted to make sure I was able to see the ceremony, so I held a place close to the main gate.
By the time the Changing of the Guard had completed, it was almost 11:30 am. With a long day of walking ahead, we quickly set off for our next destination, Westminster Abbey.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 2: Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is one of London’s most important churches and the burial place of many British monarchs. It is also the location where nearly all British monarchs have been crowned.
During our self-guided walking tour of London, we only viewed the exterior of Westminster Abbey. The following day, we went inside to attend a choral evensong service. You can read more about my experience attending a service at Westminster Abbey in a separate post.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 3: Whitehall
After leaving Westminster Abbey, we walked along Parliament Street and past the Palace of Westminster. We would retrace our steps later in the day to visit the Houses of Parliament and cross Westminster Bridge, but for now, we continued straight ahead toward Whitehall.
Parliament Street runs directly into Whitehall Street. Once on Whitehall, we walked toward Admiralty Arch, which was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria. After reaching the arch, we turned around and began heading back the way we came.
Our next stop was the Old Admiralty Building and the nearby Horse Guards area. Although we did not go inside, it was interesting to see the King’s Life Guard on duty. The Changing of the King’s Life Guard typically takes place in the late morning on select days, but we missed it since we were watching the Changing of the Guard earlier at Buckingham Palace.
As we continued walking back toward the Palace of Westminster, we passed impressive government buildings, statues, and several iconic red phone booths. While these booths are famous symbols of London, I never saw one actually being used and wondered if they might eventually be removed.
Just before reaching the Palace of Westminster stands a statue of Winston Churchill, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 4: Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)
Next up on our London walking tour was the Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament. The palace is home to the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which together form the British Parliament.
Be sure to stop at Old Palace Yard, located between the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, for excellent views of the Gothic architecture. Near Old Palace Yard is a statue of Richard the Lionheart, who served as King of England from 1189 to 1199.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 5: Westminster Bridge
For even better views of the Palace of Westminster, we crossed the River Thames for the first time. Westminster Bridge provided some of the best views of the palace and the famous clock tower known as Big Ben.
At the time of my visit, scaffolding covered the lower portion of Big Ben due to ongoing renovations at the Palace of Westminster. After crossing the bridge, be sure to find the Queen’s Walk, a pedestrian path that follows the south bank of the Thames.
From the Queen’s Walk, I was able to take one of my favorite photos ever — a “keyhole” image of Big Ben taken through a small opening in the fencing along the river.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 6: London Eye
While crossing Westminster Bridge, I was able to take a great picture of the London Eye, the most popular paid attraction in London.
Since we were on a self-guided walking tour, we decided not to ride the observation wheel. A full rotation takes about 30 minutes, and we did not want to give up that time. For travelers who want to include it, you can read more about visiting the London Eye during a one-day London itinerary.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 7: River Thames
The Queen’s Walk is a pedestrian path that closely follows the River Thames. While walking along the river, we crossed multiple bridges to experience views from different angles.
We also found a set of steps leading down to the riverbank, which offered a unique perspective on how important the Thames has been for transportation and trade throughout London’s history.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 8: Millennium Bridge
One of my favorite bridges on this self-guided walking tour of London was the Millennium Bridge. The bridge crosses the River Thames and leads directly toward St. Paul’s Cathedral.
From the center of the bridge, I was able to take excellent photos of the Shard, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge in the distance.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 9: Tower Bridge
After crossing Millennium Bridge, we continued our London self-guided walking tour along the opposite side of the River Thames. We walked past the Tower of London, which we planned to visit the following day, and continued on to Tower Bridge.
I highly recommend walking across Tower Bridge, as it is the most famous bridge in London. We took our time crossing and enjoyed views of the river and the Shard along the way.
After crossing the bridge, we rejoined the Queen’s Walk and continued toward our next stop.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 10: The Shard
We had reservations for the observation deck at the Shard and walked quickly from Tower Bridge to the entrance. Along the way, we passed HMS Belfast, which now operates as a museum ship on the River Thames.
You can read more about what to expect from the observation deck at the Shard in my detailed review of the experience.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 11: Trafalgar Square
To reach our next stop, we took the subway, commonly known as the Tube, to Trafalgar Square. The square is home to the National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and Canada House.
Trafalgar Square is a great place to sit, relax, and people-watch, and we spent about 15 minutes resting before continuing.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 12: Piccadilly Circus
By this point, we were feeling the effects of the day after already walking more than 15 kilometers. From Trafalgar Square, we continued toward London’s West End and arrived at Piccadilly Circus.
After spending a few minutes looking around, we headed toward our final stop of the day.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of London – Stop 13: Carnaby Street
The final stop on our self-guided walking tour of London was Carnaby Street, a pedestrian-only shopping area in the heart of the West End.
Although none of us made any purchases, it was fun exploring the colorful streets and going inside the “Mr. Doodle” building. Carnaby Street marked the end of our walking tour, and we took a cab to our dinner reservations. By the end of the day, we had walked close to 25 kilometers and seen a large portion of London on foot.
London Walking Tours
I chose a self-guided walking tour because my cousin and his spouse lived in London and were familiar with the city. If they had not been with me, I likely would have considered booking a guided walking tour instead.
Below are several guided walking tours of London that cover similar landmarks and routes to the one I followed. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will earn a small commission if you purchase through one of my links, at no additional cost to you.
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