5 Days in London

Check into The Connaught (5★, £700/night) in Mayfair. Freshen up and head out.

Buckingham Palace — catch the Changing of the Guard (10:45 AM on select days, check schedule). Walk through St. James's Park to Westminster.

Westminster Abbey (£27/person) — 1,000 years of British history. Coronations, royal weddings, and Poets' Corner.

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament photo walk. Cross Westminster Bridge for the classic view.

Dinner at The Ritz Restaurant (£120/person, jacket required) — the epitome of London elegance. Live piano, chandeliers, and impeccable service.

British Museum (free, donations welcome). Start with the Rosetta Stone, then the Egyptian mummies, Parthenon Marbles, and Sutton Hoo treasure.

Lunch at The Lamb (WCs pub, £18/person) — a proper Victorian pub near the museum. Fish and chips with a pint.

Covent Garden: street performers, boutique shops, and the Royal Opera House arcade. Stop at Ladurée for macarons.

Afternoon tea at Sketch (£80/person) in Mayfair — the iconic pink room with gallery-like bathrooms. A full experience.

West End show — The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre (£90/stalls). The longest-running show in Broadway history.

Late dinner at J Sheekey (£60/person) — legendary seafood restaurant in Covent Garden since 1896.

Tower of London (£34/person, pre-booked). See the Crown Jewels (go first, queue builds fast), the White Tower (Henry VIII's armor), and the ravens.

Walk across Tower Bridge (glass floor walkway, £12). Views of the Thames and city skyline.

Borough Market — London's oldest food market (since 1014 AD). Lunch grazing: Kappacasein raclette (£8), Brindisa chorizo roll (£7), Bread Ahead doughnuts (£4).

Walk the South Bank: Shakespeare's Globe (£17/person tour), Tate Modern (free) in a former power station, and views of St. Paul's across the Millennium Bridge.

Cocktails at The Shard — GŎNG bar on the 52nd floor (£20/cocktail). Highest bar in Western Europe with panoramic London views.

Dinner at St. JOHN (£55/person) in Smithfield — nose-to-tail British cuisine. The roasted bone marrow with parsley salad is iconic.

Victoria and Albert Museum (free) — the world's largest museum of decorative arts. The Cast Courts (full-scale plaster copies of monuments) are astonishing.

Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens: the Serpentine lake, the Italian Gardens, and Kensington Palace (£25/person). Rent a Boris bike (£2) to explore faster.

Lunch at The Churchill Arms (£16/person) — the most photographed pub in London, covered in flowers outside and Churchill memorabilia inside. Great Thai food.

Notting Hill: Portobello Road Market (best on Saturdays for antiques), pastel-colored houses on Lancaster Road, and the Travel Bookshop from the movie.

Dinner at The Ledbury (£195/tasting menu) in Notting Hill — three Michelin stars of modern British cuisine. Poetic and precise.

Camden Market — London's alternative heart. Vintage clothing, street food from every continent, and the famous Camden Lock. Try arepas from Petare (£8).

Regent's Canal walk from Camden to King's Cross (30 min). Stop at Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard for design shopping.

Final lunch at Dishoom King's Cross (£25/person) — Bombay-style Irani café in a Victorian warehouse. The black daal and chicken ruby are perfection.

Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station (free photo op with Harry Potter trolley). Last-minute gifts at Fortnum & Mason's new King's Cross outpost.

Depart for Heathrow (LHR). Heathrow Express from Paddington (15 min, £25) or taxi (~£60). Arrive 3 hours before international flights.