Where to stay in London

For a first trip, stay in the West End — Covent Garden, Soho or Westminster — or on the South Bank, so you can walk to most of the big sights. Kensington suits families and museum lovers, Marylebone is elegant and quiet, Shoreditch is for nightlife and street art, and the City often has weekend hotel deals.

How to choose an area in London

London is huge, but the part most visitors need fits within Zones 1–2 of the Underground. Being close to a Tube station matters more than being close to any single sight — the network gets you almost anywhere in central London in about half an hour. Decide on the mood you want: theaters and buzz, museums and parks, or markets and bars.

London areas compared

The West End: Soho and Covent Garden

The heart of London's nightlife and theaterland: musicals, old pubs, hidden jazz clubs and a constant flow of people. Covent Garden has street performers, the Apple Market and the hidden, color-saturated Neal's Yard. It's central to everything but can be noisy and pricey — ask for a room away from the street.

Westminster and the South Bank

Westminster is the political heart: Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and St James's Park. Across the river, the South Bank is London's cultural mile — Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern, street performers, the book stalls under Waterloo Bridge and the best view of Parliament. Staying on the South Bank gives you river walks morning and night.

Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill

Kensington is white stucco mansions and three giant free museums: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A, with Hyde Park next door — ideal for families. Chelsea is pink facades and the boutiques of King's Road. Notting Hill is all pastel houses and the Portobello Road antiques market; it feels like a romcom set because it has been one.

Marylebone and Mayfair

London's most immaculate corner: private clubs, luxury hotels, Marylebone High Street and that famous address on Baker Street. Quiet at night, close to Oxford Street, Regent's Park and canal-side Little Venice.

The East: the City, Shoreditch and Canary Wharf

The City is where London began: medieval churches squeezed between glass towers, busy on weekdays and eerily quiet at weekends — which is when its business hotels get cheap. Shoreditch is the street-art and coffee capital, with the Sunday Columbia Road Flower Market and curry on Brick Lane nearby. Canary Wharf is a cluster of skyscrapers on the old docks, modern and well connected.

Camden, Hampstead and Greenwich

Camden Town is louder and grittier — markets, live music, street food from everywhere. Hampstead is a hilltop village of old pubs and bookshops with the wild Hampstead Heath and the view from Parliament Hill. Greenwich, by boat down the Thames, has the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory, a big park and maritime history.

Top things to do in London

• The British Museum — the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and much more. Free.
• The Tower of London — fortress, former prison and home of the Crown Jewels; watch for the ravens.
• Tower Bridge — the one people confuse with London Bridge; walk across or visit the glass-floored walkway.
• Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace — catch the Changing of the Guard if you're patient.
• St Paul's Cathedral — climb to the Golden Gallery and try the Whispering Gallery.
• Tate Modern — modern art in a former power station, with a free viewing level.
• Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.
• Borough Market and the smaller, cheekier Maltby Street Market under the railway arches.
• Platform 9¾ at King's Cross for Harry Potter fans, and Harrods food halls for the spectacle.

Free and cheap views

Skip the pricey observation decks: the Sky Garden on top of the "Walkie Talkie" is free but needs booking well in advance; The Garden at 120 on Fenchurch Street is free and usually needs no booking. The bombed-out church of St Dunstan-in-the-East, now an ivy-covered garden, is one of the most atmospheric quiet spots in the City. The London Eye and The Shard are worth it for some, but they're the expensive option.

What to eat

• Fish and chips — battered cod, chips and mushy peas, ideally in an old pub.
• Curry — London has some of the best outside South Asia; Brick Lane is the classic street.
• Afternoon tea — sandwiches, warm scones and pastries on a tiered stand.

Practical tips

• Tap in. Don't buy paper tickets for the Tube and buses: tap a contactless bank card or phone (or use an Oyster card), and daily caps make sure you pay no more than the cheapest fare for the day.
• From the airports. Heathrow is on the Elizabeth line, the Piccadilly line and the Heathrow Express; Gatwick, Stansted and Luton have fast trains into central London.
• Entry. Many visitors who don't need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. Apply only through the official GOV.UK channels, and check the current rules for your passport.
• When to go. May to September has the longest days; December has the lights and markets. Pack a layer for rain at any time of year.

The scam to skip

The shell game crews on Westminster Bridge: a crowd seems to be winning, you're tempted to play, and you lose — the "winners" are part of the team, and pickpockets work the onlookers. Walk past. More street tricks from around the world are in common tourist scams and how to avoid them.

How many days?

Three days covers Westminster and the South Bank, the Tower and the City, and a museum day in Kensington. Five lets you add markets, Notting Hill, Greenwich or Hampstead. Taking the train to Paris afterwards? Read where to stay in Paris; for the other big English-speaking city break, see where to stay in New York.

London in TripGist

TripGist maps London's districts with a short take on each, the landmarks and hidden spots like The Garden at 120 and St Dunstan-in-the-East, food, transport and view tips, and the scam warning. Free, no ads.