London is a huge city filled with tons of restaurants to eat and historical places to visit. If you are planning on visiting London, here are two days Itineraries following the Thames riverbank by the North and South bank of the River emulating the beautiful views of London. Each itinerary is designed to cover important places of interest within the city of London so if you can take only two days to explore the city, then you can use this two day itinerary as your guide to explore London.

Day one Along the River Thames

1.Start with a walk along the Thames River.

I’ve been living in London for over 20 years, and each time I go on a tour of the city, I still discover new things. I won’t give you everything there is to know about London in this post. There are so many places to discover! I will share some of my favourite spots for food and coffee, as well as where to spot elegant homes in London.

You can get a great view of London by walking along the River Thames. Start in Westminster, and walk toward Borough Market. This walk is 4.8 km long and passes by many attractions, including the London Eye, The South Bank Centre, The Festival Pier, The Oxo Tower, The Tate Modern, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. A walk across London that offers stunning views of Westminster and the City of London, as well as Tower Bridge.

2. Borough Market

The market is a foodie paradise and is famous for chefs like Jamie Oliver. It is one of the oldest food markets in London, dating back to the 12th century. The market sells wholesale and retail. It’s a great place to shop for unusual foods, try English cheeses, and sample some new dishes.

Where to grab a coffee?

• If you want a coffee and a croissant on the go while you’re touring the market, Monmouth Coffee Company is one of the best places to stop. Be prepared to queue outside. If you’re looking for something to eat as well, there are lots of restaurants around the market, and will be spoilt for choice here.

3. A walk via London City

I invite you for a walk along the Thames. When you’ve finished touring Borough Market and the surrounding area, continue walking east to cross the river via Tower Bridge then walk toward St Paul’s Cathedral via Dunstan in the East Church Gardens, a unique space set on the ruins of a 17th-century church. This is a 20-minute walk about 1.7 kilometres.

From St. Paul’s Cathedral, walk down Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street toward the Strand. You will be in the heart of London’s city centre and financial district. Continue walking via Sommerset House, toward St Martin’s Lane and the National Portrait Gallery while making your way via Piccadilly to Fortnum & Mason. After your long walk, afternoon tea in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon will be a wonderful treat.

4.Afternoon tea

If you’re visiting London, you must try afternoon tea. My favourite place is Fortnum & Mason. It’s not just a store but also one of the city’s oldest shops (it opened in 1707). Before you go straight for tea, I invite you to tour their food hall where they display an array of gourmet treats like Stilton cheese, biscuits, chocolate and more. Fortnum & Mason is also a reputable place to buy rare and exclusive teas.

The Tea salon is on the 4th floor; make sure to book well ahead for this amazing experience from the Tea Salon who used to be the apartment where the Fortnum Family used to live. They offer various afternoon menu including Vegetarian and Gluten Free options.

5. Indian for dinner

I’ve noticed that I’m talking about food a lot, of course, this is all part of the London experience, and food in London is amazing. You are so spoiled for choice. I won’t give you a list of restaurants because there are so many, but what I will make my recommendations on is for the experience and the restaurant Dishoom Covent Garden. Dishoom is a Bombay-style cafe that has beaten a Michelin Starred restaurant. Lucky for you, they have various places to eat across London. If I’m inviting you to eat in an Indian restaurant it’s because like fish and chips, Indian food takes a strong part in British culture. To my knowledge Dishoom doesn’t accept bookings, but it will be worth it to queue for it!

Day Two Notting Hill to South Kensington

1.Notting Hill

On the second day, I invite you on a walking tour of Notting Hill starting at Holland Park tube station. We walk up to Ladbroke Grove, up to Landsdowne Crescent and on our left we’ll see the typical elegant London home. Turn right on Elgin Crescent and continue walking down to Portobello Road. If you continue straight, you’ll arrive on Colville Terrace—a street famous for its colorful houses.

Come back to Portobello Road, turn up on Portobello Road, walk up to Denbigh Terrace—another street famous for its pastel-painted terraced houses. Continue walking down Portobello Road towards The Farm Girl Café where you can stop for a colorful matcha latte and healthy salads or other gluten-free treats. This place doesn’t take bookings and you might have to queue for a bit if it’s busy.

2. Kensington Gardens

Continue walking west toward Notting Hill tube station and then continue walking west toward Kensington Gardens. Kensington Gardens is a park that you will find along your way, and it’s right next to Hyde Park. From there, you can walk straight through Hyde Park to St. James’s Park. I invite you to go through the Serpentine Gallery—it’s a gallery full of contemporary art—and then walk along S Carriage Drive until you reach Knightsbridge tube station, where you can take the Piccadilly Line back towards Oxford Circus.

Harrods is famous for selling luxury items. It was open in 1849 and made famous ever since. Whether or not you plan to buy anything while you’re there, I would highly recommend having a look at their food hall!

3. South Kensington

After Harrods, walk down West toward South Kensington on your right. The Victoria and Albert Museum is free to visit for permanent exhibitions. From the V&A take Thurloe Place, which will take you toward an al fresco dining paradise if the weather is nice. There are a number of choices—Spanish, Italian, Lebanese or French galettes—and one of my favourites is Cremerie Creperie where you can enjoy the typical Breton buckwheat galette, which is gluten free.

4. Chelsea Kings Road

From South Kensington Station, walk to wards the South via Pelham Street; turn right on Pelham Place to see a display of gorgeous and elegant London homes. Make your way via Pelham Crescent and cross Fulham Road to see the famous Bidendum now Claude Bosi two michelin stars restaurant and oyster bar on your right. The restaurant is located on the ground floor space of the Michelin House which used to be the Michelin Tyre headquarters in the UK. The building opened in 1911 with decorative tiles showing famous racing cars that used Michelin Tyres.

Walk down Sloane Avenue until you arrive on Kings Road made famous in the 1960s via fashion figures like Mary Quant and Vivian Westwood. Walk down Kings Road toward the South East to Bywater Street another famous streets for its pastel-painted houses. Opposite Bywater Street, walk around Wellington Square Garden to get a feel for typical Georgian Town house architecture.

The house on number 30 was also the purported home address of James Bond. Author Ian Fleming might have lived there. From the Square, you can walk back north-east toward Sloane Square Tube station. Take the tube to St. James Park and then walk 10 minutes to Buckingham Palace. You know I wouldn’t make you miss a chance to see Queen Elizabeth’s palace, would I?

These two day itineraries are designed to cover important places of interest within the city of London so if you can take only two days to explore the city, then you can use this two day itinerary as your guide to explore London.

Share in the comments when you are planning to visit London and I will share some insights with you.