Visit London in five days

See the previous article for your first three days.

Day Four:

1. Day Four begins at the Covent Garden, famous for its shops, street performers, fashionable boutiques, theatres and the Royal Opera House. It's Italian-style piazza is packed with restaurants and bars, a perfect spot for lunch.
2. In the afternoon, stroll in Kensington Gardens and visit Kensington Palace, once the London home of Princess Diana, and Hyde Park, considered as one of the largest green spaces in London.

Day Five:

1. Day Five begins with three best museums in London, all near South Kensington — the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
   
2. In the afternoon, you may consider a short trip outside central London. There are plenty of choices: the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Hampton Court, Windsor Palace, Hampstead Heath, and Greenwich. Most of the places are within 30-40 minutes of London tube.
   

Visit London in three days

Three days doesn't seem like a very long time. But with a bit of planning, you can cover most of top attractions in London.

Day One:

1. Start day with a visit to majestic Westminster Abbey, the Royal Tombs and Poets' Corner.
   
2. Next to the abbey is the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben. From August through September, you can actually get inside to hear the live debate.
   
3. On the opposite side of the Thames is the British Airways London Eye, the new symbol of London. Reserve in advance, otherwise you may have to spend 1-2 hours in line for a ticket and to get on the flight.
   
4. If you are interested in looking at some of great English arts, Tate Britain is not far from here.
   
5. In the afternoon, explore Piccadilly Circus - the London's West End, and do some shopping at Oxford Street (the busiest street in Europe).
   
6. End the day with a West End show. You may need to book in advance or check the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square to see what's available.
   
7. Have dinner in Soho before the show.

Day Two

1. Day Two begins with a visit to Buckingham Palace to witness the pageantry of the Changing of the Guard. Reserve tickets in advance, so you don't have to wait in line for an hour or more to get in.
   
2. From Buckingham Palace, you can stroll down the Mall, through St. James's Park, passing Clarence House, where the Queen Mother lived until her death in 2002, and St. James's Palace, once the London home of Prince Charles and his two sons, William and Harry.
3. Next stop is Trafalgar Square, London's grandest and certainly most famous square. You can have lunch or tea at the National Gallery's restaurant. Spend your afternoon at the National Gallery, with over 2300 paintings including the “The Virgin of the Rocks” by Leonardo Da Vinci.
   

Day Three

1. You should arrive as early as you can at the Tower of London to join one of the one-hour guided tours led by the Beefeaters. The Tower Bridge is close by. You can now walk over the high-level walkways between the two towers.
   
2. The British Museum, the best museum in London, is your next stop. It has a vast amount of art and culture from all over the world and houses over 13 million different objects from many continents of the world.
   
3. Finish off your afternoon in Knightsbridge at Harrods, the most famous department store in London, and perhaps the world. Knightsbridge and adjacent South Kensington offer innumerable dining options.