London in January: 3-day itinerary and real cost
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
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January in London: about 8°C by day, 1°C at night, 12 days with some rain (climate normals).
Day 1: Around National Gallery
- 09:30 National Gallery · Centuries of European masterpieces, in one gallery.
Houses the British national collection of western European art dating from the 13th to 19th centuries.
Wikivoyage
free - 🚶 2 min on foot
- 11:47 St Martins in the Fields · A neoclassical church facing the National Gallery.
A neoclassical church that stands opposite the National Gallery.
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free · check opening hours - 12:32 Lunch: The Ivy
Wining and dining rooms of celebrities, the actual difficulty in getting a table these days gives the restaurant slightly more kudos as an eatery than it deserves.
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£40 (stated) - 19:30 Dinner: The Harp
Narrow pub with stained glass windows that is enthusiastic about beer.
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£3–4 (estimate) - 🚶 8 min on foot
- 21:23 Royal Opera House · One of the world's great stages for opera and ballet.
One of the world's great opera and ballet venues.
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£10–14 (estimate) · check opening hours
Day 2: Around Science Museum
- 09:30 Brompton Oratory · A beautiful Italianate church.
Beautiful Italianate church created during the Catholic revival of the 19th century.
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free · check opening hours - 12:30 Lunch: The Phoenix
Great pints, tremendous place for a pint on a sunny day. be sure to grab one of the outdoor tables and enjoy a cool pint on a hot day here (when not raining in London).
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£14–24 (estimate) - 19:30 Dinner: Drayton Arms
A mix of traditional pub and bohemian nightspot.
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£3–4 (estimate) - 🚶 16 min on foot
- 21:31 Science Museum · Room after room of science and discovery.
Dedicated to scientific exhibitions and collections bar those related to the life sciences.
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£9–13 (estimate) - 🚶 7 min on foot
- 23:53 Royal Albert Hall · One of the most famous concert halls in the UK.
Since opening in 1871 as part of Queen Victoria's memorial to her late husband it has become one of the most famous venues in the UK, and remains one of London's main concert halls.
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£10–14 (estimate) · check opening hours
Day 3: Around Tate Modern
- 09:30 Tate Modern · Modern art inside a giant old power station.
An enormous art gallery converted from the former Bankside Power Station, a visit to Tate Modern could easily take half a day.
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free · check opening hours - 🚶 12 min on foot
- 11:57 Southwark Cathedral · A place of worship since the year 852.
Not as popular with tourists as St Paul's north of the river, Southwark Cathedral has been the site of worship since the year 852.
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free · check opening hours - 12:42 Lunch: The Market Porter
A real ale pub that offers "a beer festival every day of the week".
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£14–24 (estimate) - 19:30 Dinner: The Crosse Keys
Part of the JD Wetherspoons chain in a converted bank.
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£3–4 (estimate) - 🚶 17 min on foot
- 21:32 Shakespeare's Globe · Shakespeare's theatre, rebuilt the traditional way.
Sam Wanamaker's largely authentic reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, built using traditional techniques, stages plays in the summer months.
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£10–14 (estimate) · check opening hours
Good to know
London has a variety of social problems, especially begging, drug abuse and theft; mobile phones are a favourite target, often snatched by fast-moving moped riders (it has been dubbed the phone-snatching capital of the world). source
The police have brought the level of theft and pickpocketing in major retail areas in London to a manageable level. Pickpocketing in London is not as rampant as in other major European cities. source
Street gang culture is a growing problem in London. While most groups of youngsters are not likely to present any danger to tourists, some people feel the need to be more vigilant in certain areas, especially certain outer suburbs. source
London in other months
Places, descriptions and prices: Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0), Overture Maps, Wikidata. Climate: NOAA GHCN-Daily and Météo-France. Lines in italics are AI-written from the source text. All credits and sources · Privacy · Terms