Day Trips in London: The 12 Best, and Who Each Suits

1.Guided Luxury Paris Day Trip with Optional Lunch at the Eiffel Tower

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,702 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $429Our pick

Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, then see the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, and Notre Dame area by coach and Seine boat. Choose the Eiffel Tower lunch option for a three-course meal with wine and first-level views. Guides such as Anna and David keep the packed day moving.

“Anna was a fantastic guide. Navigating between countries is not an easy task. Anna did a fantastic job communicating with us even when we went out to explore on our own. We would definitely travel with her again.”

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2.London In One Day Tour with River Cruise & London Eye Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,678 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $177

Start at Victoria Coach Station for a nine-hour guided London tour by air-conditioned coach. See Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London, then cruise from Tower Pier to Westminster. The optional London Eye ticket is for an independent visit around 6:30pm.

“Sara did not keep group together. Very fristrating. My wife has a new knee and lagged behind. She didn’t care even though she knew that”

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3.Hop-On Hop-Off 1 Day River Thames Adventure – Uber Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 707 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $34

Use an all-day Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pass between Putney and Barking Riverside. Board at Westminster, Tower, Greenwich, and other Thames piers, then hop off for sights such as the London Eye, Tower of London, Tate Modern, and Cutty Sark. Boats have indoor seating, covered outdoor areas, and a cafe-bar.

“Great time all the themes river in the middle of the night seeing all the lights in London and its greatest moments”

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4.London Transport Museum One Day Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 315 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $33Best value

Visit the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden with a mobile admission ticket and explore at your own pace. See restored buses, trams, taxis, underground trains, posters, and the famous Tube map. Families can use the All Aboard playzone, while the cafe-bar and transport-themed shop add useful stops to a roughly two-hour visit.

“Nice staff. Great place to go. Get to know more London Transport. Place is convenience to go . Love to come agat”

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5.IFS Cable Car + Uber Boat Hop-On Hop-Off 1 Day River Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 186 reviews · 1 to 16 hours (approx.) · from $50

Use a one-day Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pass between Putney and Barking Riverside, hopping off near sights such as Greenwich, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s, and Battersea Power Station. At North Greenwich, ride the IFS Cloud Cable Car round trip for views of the O2, Olympic Park, and London skyline. Boats offer indoor and covered outdoor seating.

“Lovely experience, a lot of flexibility using the hop-on hop-off uber boats. The IFS cable car experience was also worth it, especially on a sunny day!”

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6.Guided Paris Day Trip from London by Train with Seine Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 103 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $428

Travel from London to Paris by reserved high-speed train, then see major sights by coach and Seine boat. Guides such as Anna and David help you manage a tightly timed day, with free afternoon time before the evening train home. Bring your passport, expect an early start, and treat this as a fast introduction rather than a full Paris tour.

“Transportation arrangements were timely and accurate. Our guide David, gave a lively retelling of France's history while ensuring our group was aware of many notable sights, locations and accessibility.”

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7.London in One Day: Small Group Walking Tour – See 30+ Sights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $198Top rated

Walk through London’s headline sights with a guide such as Caroline or Phil, from Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London Bridge, and Tate Modern. You’ll see a Lifeguards ceremony, pause for lunch at Borough Market, and finish by the Thames. Expect a brisk, story-filled day with up to 10 people.

“Excellent walking tour of London. It highlighted the go to spots. Caroline was very prompt and responsive with my concerns and questions prior to the tour. She sent excellent comprehensive information prior to meeting for the tour. The meeting place was easy to find and the drop off point was near to some additional possible places to explore. Caroline was an excellent storyteller with extensive knowledge of not only the tour areas but Great Britain history. The tour was well paced with sitting stops, restroom breaks and fun lunch. I highly recommend this tour as an introduction to London. It’s a great jump off point to do more exploration in…”

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8.Luxury Paris Day Trip from London with Seine River Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $474

Meet your guide at St Pancras, ride the Eurostar to Paris, then see the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Opera House, Louvre, and Eiffel Tower by coach and on foot. A two-hour Bateaux Parisiens lunch cruise includes three courses, wine, and live music. Guides such as Anna, David, and Carol have led recent departures.

“Anna was great! She was very funny and informative too! Definitely recommend her and this tour!! She was very engaging with the whole group.”

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9.London Christmas Day 1 Day Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $80

Spend about three hours seeing London from an open-top sightseeing bus on Christmas Day. Your English-language ticket is valid for one day and includes Wi-Fi, with access around Holland Park Avenue, Notting Hill Gate, and Bayswater Road. Attractions, food, drinks, a river cruise, and a walking tour cost extra or are not included.

“What a wonderful way to see the sites of London! we enjoyed this tour very much and saw many things that were incredible”

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10.London in One Day: Tour Royal Westminster and the Square Mile

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 6 hours 15 minutes (approx.)

Follow an expert local guide from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, with royal ceremonies, wartime sites, Wren churches, ancient streets, and the Thames along the way. This private tour suits history fans who want the route and logistics handled for them. Expect a long day on foot, mostly viewing landmarks from outside.

“Our guide, Maggie, was fantastic. We spent several hours walking around London with her as she pointed out landmark after landmark while relating fun stories and interesting histories about each. We all learned so much and truly enjoyed our time. She also gave us a fabulous recommendation for lunch and directed us to an authentic tea shop for a cuppa at the end of our tour. This tour won’t disappoint but be prepared to walk A LOT 😁”

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11.London In One Day – A Private & Bespoke Tour Itinerary

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.)

Richard’s private London tour covers Buckingham Palace, Westminster, St Paul’s, the Tower, and lesser-seen places such as Inner Temple and St Bride’s Church. The six to seven hour day is tailored to your interests and pace, with walking and Underground travel rather than a private vehicle. Admissions and lunch cost extra.

“Richard was amazing and took the time to really understand what we were looking for on a tour. After 3 days of seeing London and the usual tourist must visits we booked with Richard on the 4th day for a hidden London walking tour. Short he truly is an encyclopedia of knowledge with a real love love of history. It really showed through every stop we had. From the shop of the royal tailor to the King to the 2000 year old Roman alter under a small church to the streets Charles Dickens was inspired by he knew them all……… if you’re looking for a private tour and up for…”

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12.London Private One Day Tour with a Local, Highlights & Off-the-Beaten-Path

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $352

Spend eight flexible hours with a private London host matched to your interests. You might see Big Ben, Westminster, the British Museum, Soho, Shoreditch, South Bank, or less familiar neighborhoods. Guides such as Carolina, Ana Marie, Dan, and Chris have shaped days around food, WWII sites, shopping, history, and local life.

“I told Carolina I wanted to wander the City to see things and places I had not seen before and she delivered. She found the Jewish quarter which is where we started. We used buses and the tube, though when she found out I liked the bus we shifted more to that. As we were on the bus we were going through an area that looked neat and I just said, Let's get off at the next stop. The wonder of this tour is you can do that, it is unstructured as you want it.”

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