What To Do In London During A Layover (For the First-time Visitor!)

My friends and I were excited to have a one day layover in London during a trip to Europe.

London is such an incredible, vast city with a huge variety of things to do. Trying to narrow down a few attractions into one day is no easy task.

With a short trip, you’ll need a solid plan regarding what to do. Know 3-4 attractions you’d like to see, and how to get from place to place, then let the little things sort themselves out as you go.

Below is everything I did while visiting London during a layover, plus some tips for your visit! We arrived in London Heathrow around 11 am and left early the next morning. In total, this gave us about half a day to see the city.

big ben westminster bridge river thames london england uk — London during a layover

Table of Contents

The Best Things To Do In London During A Layover

Platform 9 3/4 At King’s Cross Station

As a group of Harry Potter fans, Platform 9 3/4 was the first stop during our London layover.

In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, this fictional platform provides access to the train station which famously whisks Harry and his friends off to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, via the Hogwarts Express.

Following the movie adaptations of the books, fans descended upon King’s Cross taking photos between real platforms, amid active travelers.

Eventually King’s Cross set up half-trolley in a brick wall under a sign reading “Platform 9 3/4.” This allows fans to snap a famous photo without disturbing the train station’s traffic flow.

The trolley is complete with wands, house scarves, even a professional photographer… and it’s free!

With this being the most famous Harry Potter attraction in London, expect lines. Our London layover landed on a Tuesday, so even in mid-afternoon, the line only required about a half hour.

Visiting this attraction totaled one hour of time, from joining the line, taking our photo, then visiting The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4. Weekend visitors will need to plan on more time here.

Looking for more Harry Potter things to do in London? Check out The Top Harry Potter Things In London

Not a Harry Potter fan? Or have more time in this area? Check out Camden Market, take in the views at Primrose Hill, or visit The British Museum (it’s free!).

Woman smiling in Ravenclaw scarf holding wand and trolley under sign reading "Platform 9 3/4." Harry Potter's Platform 9 3/4, King's Cross Station, London, England, UK. — What to do when exploring all of London in one day: Visit Platform 9 3/4

Visit Buckingham Palace

From Platform 9 3/4 we headed over to Buckingham Palace.

Since you’re already at King’s Cross, and because the Underground is a London rite of passage in itself, take the Tube to Buckingham Palace.

To do this you’ll take King’s Cross St. Pancras station to Green Park station via Victoria or Piccadilly. The subway arrives frequently and the ride itself only takes about 5 minutes. Once you arrive at Green Park station, you’ve got about a 10 minute walk to Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain’s monarchy since 1837. Unless you’re here for a tour, you’ll be viewing everything from outside, but it’s still quite interesting to see.

While you’re here, be sure to check out the famous guards and enjoy a walk around the Royal Parks.

We arrived a bit before 7 pm, it was dusk but there was still plenty of light. It was the perfect time to visit, there was only a small crowd when we arrived. Most of our time here was spent in the Royal Parks, with only about 15 minutes spent looking at the palace.

Have more time in this area? Check out Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and Houses of Parliament.

Buckingham Palace front gates london england uk — See Buckingham Palace during your one day in London

royal gardens the mall buckingham palace london england uk — See Buckingham Palace during your one day in London

The London Eye

The London Eye is a little over 1.6 km (1 mile) from Buckingham Palace. I’d suggest walking, there’s so much to see in this area!

Take Birdcage Walk to Westminster Bridge, this is the quickest option and will take you past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Since Big Ben was under construction during our visit, we opted for a slightly longer walk, following The Mall to Trafalgar Square instead. If you’ve watched a Royal Wedding, you’ve seen the wedding procession parade down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, it’s very pretty.

The Mall will take you to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square, eventually you’ll head towards Golden Jubilee Bridge to cross River Thames. No matter which way you go, you’ll have wonderful views while crossing the river.

Admiralty Arch the mall london england uk — Admiralty Arch

After an enjoyable walk, we made it to the London Eye, an observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It’s a very popular tourist attraction thanks to excellent city views!

Our group of 5 shared the pod with about 10 others, we all had plenty of space as the pod can hold up to 25. Your ticket includes one go around, totaling about 30 minutes of wonderful views overlooking London.

The ride tops out at 135 m (443 feet), I’m not a big fan of heights but had no issues here. I loved seeing the city from above at night, we were lucky to be in the Eye on such a clear night!

The London Eye hours vary throughout the year, typically opening at 10:00 am and closing between 6:00 and 8:30 pm.

Whether or not you want to purchase tickets ahead of time is up to you. Most people suggest buying a ticket in person to ensure good weather, it’s not worth riding on a rainy or especially gloomy day.

On our weeknight visit, we walked up and bought tickets in person, just a few minutes before the last ride of the night.

person in pod of london eye at night london england uk — The London Eye

london eye at night london england uk — The London Eye

With more daylight we would’ve followed River Thames towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Tower for some more sightseeing.

However, by the time we finished it was nearing 9 pm and time to hit a pub in SoHo to celebrate our one day in London and the end of a wonderful vacation.

Getting From Heathrow Airport To London City Center

During my London layover, we flew in and out of Heathrow Airport.

Heathrow is huge but fairly easy to navigate, and customs was surprisingly easy. We arrived from Ireland around 11 am and were through customs, bags in hand in under an hour.

There’s a few ways to get from Heathrow to London City Center. Some of the best options are:

The Heathrow Express train which is the quickest option, taking you from Heathrow Airport to London Paddington in 15 minutes. The cost is about $25 per person, each way.
The Underground, a subway system referred to as the Tube or the Underground, is less than half the cost of the train and will take 40-60 minutes. Expect crowded carriages and possible transfers.
Alternatively, grab a taxi or use a ride app. Uber, FreeNow, and Bolt are popular ride share options, with Bolt often being the most reliable. With traffic, the drive can easily take an hour or more.

Train station with large geometric ceiling art above large screen with train schedule. King's Cross Railway Station, London, England, UK. — King’s Cross

Where To Stay In London

With just one day here, you’ll definitely want to find lodging in Central London (Zone 1-2).

Which borough to stay in will depend on what you’d like to see and what your budget allows. With only one day in London, be sure to choose a location convenient to your “must see” attractions.

We booked a rental in Camden near King’s Cross Station, it was a bit off from some of the top tourist attractions, but still very well connected with King’s Cross being so close.

London has no shortage of places to stay, with hotels, hostels, and property rentals in a variety of neighborhoods.