Why go
The day moves from fortress and medieval power to the working river, Shakespeare and modern art, with London’s skyline constantly in view. Give the Tower of London the morning, then let the riverside carry the route. National Gallery and London Transport Museum are useful alternatives, but adding both breaks the City–Bankside story and creates unnecessary transport.
The route, stop by stop
World itinerary estimate: 360–660 min
Times are planning estimates. Unknown visit durations start at an editable 30 minutes; access is checked separately.
- 01
Main stop · 22–45 min
London Bridge
Many historical bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London.
Explore Walk · 5 min · Estimated
02Optional · 52–105 min
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge.
ExploreWalk · 9 min · Estimated
03Optional · 37–75 min
Monument to the Great Fire of London
The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known simply as the Monument, is a Doric column in the City of London, near the northern end of London Bridge, that commemorates the Great Fire of London.
ExploreWalk · 13 min · Estimated
04Optional · 52–105 min
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
ExploreWalk · 5 min · Estimated
05Optional · 22–45 min
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London built in 1886–1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London.
ExploreWalk · 63 min · Estimated
06Optional · 45–90 min
River Thames
The River Thames is a river that flows through southern England. While it is best known for flowing through London, the river also flows alongside other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames and Windsor.
ExploreWalk · 2 min · Estimated
07Optional · 60–120 min
National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Unlike comparable museums in continental Europe, the National Gallery was not formed by nationalising an existing royal or princely art collection.
ExploreWalk · 2 min · Estimated
08Optional · 22–45 min
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross.
ExploreWalk · 2 min · Estimated
09Optional · 22–45 min
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
ExploreWalk · 38 min · Estimated
10Optional · 52–105 min
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral. St Paul's Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity.
ExploreWalk · 7 min · Estimated
11Optional · 22–45 min
Millennium Bridge
The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, linking Bankside with the City of London.
ExploreWalk · 4 min · Estimated
12Optional · 52–105 min
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is the complex housing a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse associated with William Shakespeare, in the London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames.
ExploreWalk · 3 min · Estimated
13Optional · 60–120 min
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London. Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1900 to the present day and international modern and contemporary art.
ExploreWalk · 29 min · Estimated
14Optional · 60–120 min
London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum, or LT Museum based in Covent Garden, London, seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of Britain's capital city.
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