London in May: 3-day itinerary and real cost
Photo: Christine Matthews · CC BY-SA 2.0
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May in London: about 18°C by day, 8°C at night, 9 days with some rain (climate normals).
Day 1: 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.
Wikivoyage
free · check opening hours - 🚶 4 min on foot
- 11:49 Millennium Bridge · Walk over the Thames on a ribbon of steel.
This steel pedestrian bridge connecting Bankside with the City of London has all the lovely views of the Thames that you'd expect, but most of those who cross Millennium Bridge never notice its most distinctive feature.
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free - 12:34 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) - 🚶 15 min on foot
- 14:04 Monument · Climb Wren's column for a great view.
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, this tall column (which can be ascended to get a great view) marks the alleged site where the Great Fire of London broke out in September 1666.
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£2–11 (stated) - 19:30 Dinner: The Crosse Keys
Part of the JD Wetherspoons chain in a converted bank.
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£3–4 (estimate)
Day 2: Around St. Margaret's Church
- 09:30 St. Margaret's Church · The parish church of Parliament.
Margaret's is the church of the British Parliament, more specifically, the parish church of the House of Commons.
Wikivoyage
free - 🚶 3 min on foot
- 10:41 Westminster Abbey · Where British monarchs are crowned.
The Abbey is the traditional scene for the coronation of British monarchs and the burial place of many past kings and queens.
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£31 (stated) - 🚶 11 min on foot
- 11:59 St. James's Park · The oldest of the Royal Parks of London.
The oldest of the Royal Parks of London.
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free · check opening hours - 14:14 Lunch: Quaglinos
Owned by famed designer Terence Conrad, it serves standard food with a menu that changes frequently.
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£13–23 (estimate) - 19:30 Dinner: Old Red Lion
A small freehouse, hidden down a passageway, with leaded windows and a red lion statue
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£3–4 (estimate)
Day 3: 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.
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free - 12:30 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) - 🚶 11 min on foot
- 21:26 Piccadilly Circus · Five roads meet beneath the statue of Eros.
At the junction of five major roads, Piccadilly Circus is the home of the famous aluminum statue of Eros, which sits atop a fountain.
Wikivoyage
price not known - 🚶 17 min on foot
- 22:51 Royal Opera House · One of the world's great stages for opera and ballet.
One of the world's great opera and ballet venues.
Wikivoyage
£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