London Daily Reminder 2008
You can see lots of London in a few days — but not all days are created equal! This day-by-day list can help:
Sunday: The Tower of London and British Museum are both especially crowded today. Hyde Park Speakers' Corner rants from early afternoon until early evening. These places are closed: Banqueting House, Sir John Soane's Museum, and legal sights (Houses of Parliament, City Hall, and Old Bailey; the neighborhood called The City is dead). Westminster Abbey and St. Pauls are open during the day for worship and closed to sightseers, though Westminster Abbey offers a free organ recital at 17:45. Many stores are closed, and some minor sights don't open until noon. The Camden Lock, Spitalfields, Greenwich, and Petticoat Lane street markets flourish, but Portobello Road and Brixton are closed. There are few plays on Sunday.
Monday: Virtually all sights are open except for Apsley House, Sir John Soane's Museum, and a few others. At Somerset House, the Courtauld Gallery is free until 14:00. Vinopolis is open until 21:00. Houses of Parliament are usually open until 22:30.
Tuesday: Virtually all sights are open, except for Vinopolis. The British Library is open until 20:00. On the first Tuesday of the month, St. John Soane's Museum is also open 18:00-21:00. The Houses of Parliament are usually open until 22:30.
Wednesday: All sights are open, plus evening hours at Westminster Abbey (until 19:00, but no evensong) and the National Gallery (until 21:00).
Thursday: All sights are open, plus evening hours at the British Museum (selected galleries until 20:30), National Portrait Gallery (until 21:00), and Vinopolis (until 21:00).
Friday: All sights are open, plus evening hours at the British Museum (selected galleries until 20:30), National Portrait Gallery (until 21:00), Vinopolis (until 21:00), Victoria and Albert Museum (until 22:00), and Tate Modern (until 22:00). The Houses of Parliament close early today (15:00). Best street market today: Spitalfields.
Saturday: Most sights are open except legal ones (Old Bailey, City Hall, Houses of Parliament; skip The City). Vinopolis is open until 21:00, and the Tate Modern until 22:00. Best street markets: Portobello, Camden Lock, Greenwich.
Notes: The St. Martin-in-the-Fields church offers lunchtime concerts (free, Mon, Tue, and Fri at 13:00) and evening concerts (£8–18, at 19:30 Thu–Sat, sometimes Tue and Wed). Evensong occurs daily at St. Paul's (Mon–Sat at 17:00 and Sun at 15:15) and daily except Wednesday at Westminster Abbey (Mon–Tue and Thu–Fri at 17:00, Sat–Sun at 15:00). London by Night Sightseeing Tour buses leave from Victoria Station every evening (19:30–21:30, only at 20:30 in winter). The London Eye spins nightly until 21:00, until 20:00 in winter (closed Christmas–mid-Jan).
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' London guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited London tours!