Let me count the days: how long should you visit London?

Full of exciting sights and sounds, delicious culinary experiences, supreme shopping opportunities and fantastic nights-out, London is simply one of the greatest cities to visit on Planet Earth.

So, if you’re a visitor to the UK capital, what’s the perfect amount of time to spend in the place? Well, that depends on what you want to really want to get out of your trip… 

A 1 or 2-day work trip

Such is the diversity of London that there’s definitely a number of things to do and see in the city, even if you’ve only a few hours to do so on a paid-time-off (PTO) day during a short work trip. That’s great news, indeed, when you consider just how many people every year come to the UK capital for a business visit (often looking to book into a hotel that boasts the likes of a spa near Paddington).

London is, of course, overspilling with attractions and amusements and, with a day or two to spare, you might want to enjoy the delights of a gallery and its exhibitions, the superior shopping on offer and some of the city’s most sophisticated bars. 

A long weekend or 2-3 days in London

If you’re planning a three-day weekend in the capital or 2-3 days in the city as part of a wider tour of the country or even of Europe itself, then you’ll have some time on your hands to really see the sights – especially if you’ve not visited the place before. Sure, you can do the likes of this in two days, but if you allow yourself three days then you can do it all properly.

It’s not just about the major sights, though (Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on), you’ll be able as well to enjoy the galleries and museums, the department stores and the boutiques, the nightlife and, of course, the likes of afternoon tea near Paddington. 

A mini-vacation or 3-4 days in the capital

Want to see more than London’s main sights with an afternoon in a gallery and an evening in a pub? If so, your best bet is to book a stay in the capital for, say, four nights instead of two or three. For sure, it’ll prove a more leisurely way to get off the beaten track and away from some of the more touristy things, meaning you make time to maybe check out the renowned street art of Shoreditch and Hoxton or take a walk around the alt-culture of Camden. You may also like the idea of taking in a walking tour or two – perhaps a Jack the Ripper tour in East London or a tour of many of the city’s sites made famous by their featuring in London-set movies? 

A week – or 4-7 days – in the city

An alternative to a mini-break is, of course, spending a slightly longer stay at the likes of The Chilworth London Paddington; that is, anything from four or five days up to a week at your comfortable booked accommodation. Naturally, it’s a great option if you can take a work-week (five days) off work, meaning you can use the weekends either side of the week in question as your travel days to and from London. Let’s face it, a week spent in the capital means you can really put together a detailed itinerary of things to see and do – and actually get it all done.

That means not just seeing all the aforementioned top-tier sights, as well as the exciting, slightly less touristy places like Shoreditch/ Hoxton, Camden and Chelsea and their varied, unique attractions, but also spending time discovering your surroundings. We’re talking the likes of a relaxed afternoon in a Royal Park, picnicking on Primrose Hill or enjoying a booked-at-the-last-minute West End show, an impromptu evening at a casino or a night-out clubbing. 

A full holiday or 8-10 days London

What’s better than a week in the UK capital? That’s right, a full 10 days! After all, this really is the greatest city you can visit in all of Europe, so why not enjoy a full-out holiday? As noted, there’s so much to see, do, discover and rediscover during just one stay in London, you might as well round up your trip to a number of days that’s in double figures – that way, you won’t miss out on anything at all!

You’ll obviously need to take off more than a working week (five PTO days) in order to spend 8-10 days in London – don’t forget those travelling days that, to an extent, you may be able use weekends to fulfil; unless you understandably want to spend two weekends actually in the city to make the most of your stay. Indeed, combining weekdays and more than one weekend for a stay in London means you can absolutely make the most of your time. It means you’ll be able to discover London’s sights, do all the touristy things and less-touristy things to your heart’s desire, enjoy several nights-out, explore two or three different neighbourhoods, sample the city’s cuisine (via, say, restaurants Paddington London) and, yes, even go on a couple of wonderfully worthwhile day trips outside of the city itself. 

An extended stay or 10-14 days in the capital

Finally, if you’re considering or, indeed, planning to actually move to London, you may well be looking to book an extended stay in the city – anything from, say, 10 days to a full fortnight in the capital. Really, then, if you are planning on becoming an ex-pat and the latest Londoner, an extended trip is the best course of action; you’ll need a good deal of time spent in the Smoke to decide whether it truly is the place to spend your future.

Not only will you want to discover and experience all the city can offer you over the course of two weeks, you’ll also want to peel back some of its layers; experience its genuine diversity, expose yourself to its vibe and walk around in and wear the city like you’re putting on new clothes each day of your two weeks – how do those clothes feel? Are they a good fit? You’ll only find out if London’s the new city for you by spending a good number of days in the city and getting out and doing and seeing things each and every day of your extended stay.