Your first London visit: a two- or three-day plan

Before you arrive: reserve the anchors, not every hour

Choose the two experiences you would most regret missing, then check their own admission and booking rules. Build lunch, travel and a rest around them before adding smaller stops. Booking consecutive timed entries in different districts leaves little room for queues or slower journeys. Keep tickets, the hotel address and your arrival plan available offline, and give everyone in the party a way to find the hotel if separated.

• If you have only two days, use days one and two below; treat day three as an alternative rather than squeezing it into the same schedule.
• If an attraction's available slot changes the sequence, move the whole neighbourhood day rather than adding a long detour.
• Plan accessibility from street to entrance as well as station to station. Full step-free access is an option in TfL's journey planner.

Arrival day: keep the first commitment flexible

A scheduled flight arrival is not the time you will reach reception. Immigration, baggage collection, terminal movement and the final hotel journey all come first. Ask the hotel about its check-in time and luggage arrangements rather than assuming a room is ready early. Make the first outing a nearby walk or meal that you can shorten. Save a prepaid attraction for a day when you can judge the journey more reliably.

Day one: Westminster, the river and one chosen interior

Use Parliament Square and the Houses of Parliament exterior as the starting cluster, then cross Westminster Bridge towards County Hall and the London Eye if the walk suits your party. Choose Westminster Abbey or the London Eye as the main paid visit rather than automatically booking both. The Abbey is a working church, so check your chosen date for visitor access. Finish near your dinner or hotel route instead of adding another distant landmark simply to tick it off a list.

• A London Eye ticket time is when you should join its queue, not a promised boarding time. Leave the following commitment flexible.
• If rain is persistent, shorten the river walk; do not assume another riverside attraction can admit you immediately.
• If walking is tiring, make the river crossing a deliberate part of the plan and check the route back before setting off.

Day two: Bloomsbury, Trafalgar Square and the West End

Make the British Museum or the National Gallery the main indoor visit, not both by default. The British Museum recommends reserving its free entry ticket in advance; the National Gallery offers free general admission, with some exhibitions charged separately. Check each venue's current entry and bag rules. Spend the remaining time in the surrounding district, then connect towards the West End for an evening meal or a show if that interests you.

• For a British Museum day, choose a few galleries before arrival rather than attempting the entire collection.
• For a National Gallery day, keep Trafalgar Square and nearby West End streets as the outdoor portion.
• If you book a performance, check the venue, start time and return journey; avoid an ambitious distant attraction beforehand.

Day three: South Kensington, or an east-London swap

For a museum-and-parks day, use South Kensington and choose one main museum. V&A South Kensington has free general admission without a general-entry booking; some exhibitions and events are charged separately. Check gallery closures before picking a trail. Add Kensington Gardens only if the weather and energy suit it. If the Tower of London matters more, substitute an east-London day centred on that visit instead of adding the Tower to a museum-heavy west-London schedule.

Choose the hotel for the journeys you will repeat

A Westminster or South Bank base supports the first-day river cluster; Mayfair can suit park time, shopping and West End evenings; South Kensington suits a museum-led version of the trip. Compare the actual hotel-to-entrance and late-return journeys with TfL. Keep the balcony category as a separate decision: a useful location does not make every room a balcony room, and a good room does not remove daily travel costs or effort.

• London Marriott Hotel County Hall

  A South Bank reference for a Westminster-and-river first day.

  Room categories to compare: Balcony Room. Check the complete category and availability for your dates.

• Claridge's

  A Mayfair reference when shopping and West End plans matter alongside the sightseeing.

  Room categories to compare: Mayfair Terrace Suite. Check the complete category and availability for your dates.

• The Exhibitionist Hotel

  A South Kensington reference for the museum-led third day.

  Room categories to compare: Superior Double With Balcony Room. Check the complete category and availability for your dates.

Keep transport and departure simple

On Tube and rail journeys, use the same contactless card, device or Oyster card to touch in and out. On London buses and trams, touch in only; do not touch out. A phone and physical card are not interchangeable even if linked to one bank account. Check the route before the day's first journey and a late return. For departure, work backwards from the airport or station requirement, including the hotel-to-terminal journey. Leave sightseeing optional until baggage and transport are settled.