Top tips for first-time visitors to London

04.01.2025 - 20:01 / lonelyplanet.com / River Thames

Jan 4, 2025 • 11 min read

First-time visitors to London come with a host of preconceptions: gentlemen in bowler hats, terrible food, equally terrible weather, lots of history, world-famous buildings.

But these clichés are largely unrepresentative of the real London experience. You can still find them if you look hard enough, but you can find anything in London if you look hard enough because there is an entire world of experiences in one city. 

London is not just saturated in multiculturalism, but defined by it. People from 270 different countries speak more than 300 languages. In this United Nations of a capital, it wouldn’t be at all unfeasible in the space of 24 hours to eat Ethiopian stew, have a salsa lesson, gaze upon artifacts from ancient Egypt, slurp down Vietnamese pho and listen to an oompah band in a Bavarian beer hall.

This isn’t to say London’s identity is entirely made up of globe-spanning components; it still has uniqueness by the bucketload. The buses really are red, the taxis really are black, and that massive clock by the river really is magnificent. The main attractions are world-class, often incomparably so, and an absolute must-visit on a first-time visit. 

What’s worth knowing before going to London is how big and spread out the city is – plan extra time for getting around, and always bring layers and an umbrella for the unpredictable weather. On a first trip, plan to spend 4-5 days to fully experience these highlights and get a taste of the city's character. 

Whether you're on your first visit or your 100th, there’s always more to discover in London.

Most international visitors arrive in London by air, although train travel has experienced a surge in popularity as the carbon impact of air travel is better understood. Long-haul buses are a low-cost option for getting to the capital. Eurostar travels between London and Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Most long-haul flights land at Heathrow. Flights from Europe and the Middle East also land at Gatwick and Stansted. Luton and London Southend service budget airlines only. All airports are connected by train to central London, but only London City Airport and Heathrow are on the London Underground network.

When is the best time to go to London?

London is often described as an amalgamation of different villages rather than a single place. Though few of its neighborhoods are remotely village-like, except perhaps Notting Hill and Richmond, it’s certainly true that different parts have different atmospheres, and it can be useful to segment your sightseeing accordingly. Three main, connected neighborhoods – the West End, South Bank and the City of London – sit either side of the River Thames and are the focus of most visits, especially