Three days in London for first-timers

Day one: Westminster and the royal parks

Begin where many first-timers want to: Westminster. See the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower housing Big Ben, then visit Westminster Abbey, where monarchs have been crowned for close to a thousand years. Book Abbey tickets ahead to save time.

From there, walk through St James's Park, one of the prettiest of London's royal parks, to Buckingham Palace. If you want to see the Changing of the Guard, check the schedule in advance, as it does not take place every day. In the afternoon, continue through Green Park towards Piccadilly and the theatres and shops of the West End.

Day two: the City and the South Bank

Spend the morning at the Tower of London, nearly a thousand years of history in one fortress, home to the Crown Jewels and the famous ravens. Go early, heading straight to the Jewel House before queues build. Afterwards, cross Tower Bridge for views up and down the Thames.

Walk west along the South Bank, past Borough Market for lunch, Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of the original open-air playhouse, and Tate Modern, a former power station filled with modern art. Finish at the London Eye or simply enjoy the river lights at dusk.

Day three: museums and neighbourhoods

Devote your final morning to one of London's great free museums. The British Museum in Bloomsbury holds treasures from across the world, including the Rosetta Stone, while South Kensington is home to the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A, the world's leading museum of art and design.

In the afternoon, explore a neighbourhood. Covent Garden has street performers and market halls, Notting Hill has pastel houses and a famous antiques market on Saturdays, and Camden has a lively, alternative market scene by the canal.

Pacing yourself

London is enormous, and trying to see everything leads to exhaustion. Group sights by area, use the Underground for longer hops and walk shorter distances; you will see more at street level. Leave room for an unplanned pub stop or a sit in a park.

Remember that many of the best museums are free, so you can drop in for an hour without feeling you must stay all day.

Evenings

Use your evenings to see a West End show, eat in Soho or Chinatown, or find a traditional pub. London's food scene is enormous and varied, so try something you cannot get at home. For views, several skyscrapers have viewing galleries and bars, though some require advance booking.

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