3 Days in London for Repeat Visitors: Our Alternative Itinerary

We’ve been to London quite a few times.

On earlier trips we did the usual things: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, museums, shopping and plenty of time on the Underground.

So when we returned this time, we didn’t want another trip built around ticking off London’s biggest attractions.

We still walked past plenty of them — because honestly, seeing Big Ben never really gets old — but the goal was different.

We wanted to enjoy London rather than conquer it.

That meant slower walks, a free skyscraper viewpoint, proper stand-up comedy, a floating sauna, competitive fairground games, Camden, Regent’s Canal and a concert at The O2.

If you’ve already visited London once or several times, this is the kind of 3-day London itinerary for repeat visitors I’d recommend.

Who Is This London Itinerary For?

This probably isn’t the itinerary I’d choose for someone visiting London for the first time.

If you’ve never seen Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Tower Bridge or the Tower of London, you should absolutely experience the classics first.

But if you’ve already done them?

Then you can stop treating London like a checklist.

That was basically our plan.

We mixed a few familiar favourites with things we hadn’t done before: street art at Leake Street Tunnel, a free skyscraper viewpoint, stand-up comedy, a floating sauna, competitive fairground games, Camden and Regent’s Canal.

Day 1: London Classics, Horizon 22 and Stand-Up Comedy

Leak Street Tunnel: A Better Start Than Another Landmark

We started the trip somewhere very different from the usual London checklist: Leake Street Tunnel, also known as the Banksy Tunnel.

It’s a long legal graffiti tunnel underneath Waterloo Station where the walls are constantly changing as new street art gets painted over the old.

Because we were staying near Waterloo, it was an easy first stop before heading toward the London Eye and Westminster.

That contrast worked really well for this trip.

One minute you’re walking through a dark tunnel covered in graffiti and street art, and a few minutes later you’re standing next to Big Ben.

For a repeat visit to London, that felt like a much better way to start than immediately queuing for another major attraction. Our first proper morning started with something very familiar.

From there we started with a walk past the London Eye and across toward Big Ben. We continued past Westminster, walked toward the horses at Horse Guards, and eventually reached Trafalgar Square.

None of these were new to us.

And that was actually the nice part.

There was no pressure to stop everywhere, queue for attractions or take 50 photos.

We could simply walk through central London and enjoy being back.

If you’ve visited before, I think this is one of the best ways to handle the famous sights.

You don’t have to completely avoid them just because they’re touristy.

Sometimes it’s enough to walk past, look around and keep going.

Horizon 22: One of the Best Free Views in London

From central London we took the Tube toward the City for one of the new experiences we were most curious about:

Horizon 22.

And this one was absolutely worth it.

The viewpoint is free, the views across London are fantastic and there’s also a coffee shop inside, so we grabbed a drink and spent some time just enjoying the skyline.

You can see a huge part of London from above without paying for one of the city’s more expensive observation decks.

For repeat visitors especially, this is exactly the kind of attraction I like.

You still get that big London “wow” moment, but it feels different from repeating the same sights again.

Tip

Book your Horizon 22 time slot before your trip.

Even though entry is free, timed reservations can make planning the day much easier.

Ramen at Bone Daddies

After Horizon 22 we headed back toward Leicester Square and stopped for lunch at Bone Daddies.

This was one of our favourite meals of the trip.

Good ramen, decent prices for central London and exactly what we wanted after spending the morning walking around.

Not every meal on a city trip needs to become an event.

Sometimes a big bowl of ramen is enough. 😅

Covent Garden

After lunch we wandered through Covent Garden.

Again, this isn’t some secret part of London.

It’s busy, touristy and very well known.

But it’s also still one of those areas we enjoy walking through whenever we’re in the city.

We didn’t plan anything specific there.

Just wandered, looked around and eventually headed back to the hotel for a break.

And that break was important, because the evening ended up being one of our favourite parts of the whole trip.

Top Secret Comedy Club

In the evening we went to Top Secret Comedy Club.

This was exactly the kind of London experience we wanted on this trip.

Small venue.

Proper stand-up comedy.

No giant theatre production.

No massive arena.

Just comedians, a small crowd and that slightly unpredictable feeling that comes with live stand-up.

We loved it.

If you’ve already done the big West End shows and want something a bit different in central London, I’d absolutely put a comedy night on the list.

It felt much more like an actual night out in London than another tourist attraction.

Day 2: South Bank, Battersea, a Floating Sauna and Fairground Games

Day two ended up being probably my favourite day of the trip.

And a big reason was that we didn’t rush.

We started back near the London Eye and simply walked east along the Thames.

No complicated itinerary.

No attraction every 45 minutes.

Just walking.

On a sunny day, the South Bank walk toward Tower Bridge is one of my favourite ways to experience London.

You constantly have something to look at.

Bridges.
Boats.
Old buildings.
Modern skyscrapers.
Street performers.
Pubs.
Markets.
People.

You can pass places such as Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Borough Market area without necessarily needing to stop at all of them.

That was exactly the point for us.

We had already visited many of these places on earlier trips.

This time we could just enjoy the route.

Tower Bridge and Tower of London

Eventually we reached Tower Bridge, crossed the river and passed the Tower of London.

Again, we didn’t go inside.

We’d already experienced that part of London before.

And this is one of the things I love about returning to the same city.

You stop feeling like every famous building requires a ticket.

Sometimes the view from outside is enough.

Uber Boat to Battersea Power Station

From there we switched transport completely and took an Uber Boat along the Thames toward Battersea.

I really like using river boats in London.

You’re travelling somewhere you actually want to go, but at the same time you’re seeing the city from a completely different angle.

It turns transport into part of the day.

Want to see London from the Thames?

Taking the Uber Boat turned transport into part of the sightseeing for us. If you want to do the same, you can book a single journey or sightseeing pass in advance.

Check Uber Boat tickets and passes

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Battersea Power Station

Our next stop was Battersea Power Station.

The redevelopment around the old power station is impressive, with shops, restaurants and plenty of space to wander around.

We did some shopping and explored the area.

There is also the option to go up one of the chimneys for views over London, which we didn’t do on this visit.

So if you’re planning the same route, that could easily be added.

After Battersea we headed back toward our hotel for a break before evening plans.

And this is where the itinerary gets much less traditional.

Canary Wharf

In the evening we went to Canary Wharf.

We’ve stayed around this part of London before, but the area has changed a lot over the years.

It feels completely different from Westminster, Soho or Camden.

Modern towers, water, docks and a slightly futuristic atmosphere.

Our main reason for going there this time, however, was floating on the water.

Sort of.

Skuna Sauna: A Floating Sauna in London

We had booked Skuna Sauna, a floating sauna experience in Canary Wharf.

Basically:

Sauna.
Cold plunge.
Water.
London skyscrapers around you.

Very normal sightseeing. 😂

It was one of those things we probably wouldn’t have considered on our first trip to London, but that was exactly why it worked so well for this itinerary.

After days of walking around the city, sitting in a hot sauna and then jumping into an ice-cold plunge felt surprisingly good.

Well.

“Good” might be generous when describing the cold plunge.

But the whole experience was great.

Fairgame

Afterwards we had dinner and finished the night at Fairgame.

This was another winner.

The idea is basically classic fairground-style games turned into a competitive night out.

You play against the people you’re with, scores are tracked and suddenly you care far too much about games you probably haven’t played since you were a child.

It was brilliant.

Especially because I beat Tjaša.

Important travel information. 😂

For couples or groups of friends who have already done the usual London nightlife, Fairgame is a genuinely fun alternative.

Day 3: Camden, Regent’s Canal and The O2

Our final full day started somewhere that has been part of our London trips for years.

We first visited Camden roughly 15 years ago.

And honestly?

It doesn’t feel quite the same anymore.

There’s still plenty of character, but parts of Camden feel more polished and commercial than the version we remember from our early trips.

That said, there are still places that somehow survive every version of Camden.

Like Cyberdog. 😅

We wandered around the market, looked through the shops and did what we always seem to do when we come back here.

Pasta From The Cheese Wheel

Then came something that has basically become compulsory for us:

pasta from The Cheese Wheel.

Fresh pasta finished inside a giant wheel of cheese.

Is it subtle?

No.

Do we care?

Also no. 😂

It has become one of those little London traditions that we look forward to whenever we’re in Camden.

Walk Regent’s Canal to Coal Drops Yard

Instead of jumping straight back onto the Tube, we walked along Regent’s Canal toward King’s Cross.

This is exactly the kind of route I’d recommend to someone who has already visited London.

It gives you a completely different perspective of the city.

You leave the chaos of Camden behind and suddenly you’re walking beside the canal, passing boats, bridges and quieter residential areas.

Eventually we reached Coal Drops Yard around King’s Cross.

It’s a nice place for a wander, some shopping and a coffee before continuing with the day.

Oxford Street

From King’s Cross we took the Tube to Oxford Street for some more shopping.

I’m not going to pretend Oxford Street is an alternative London experience. 😅

It’s busy.

Very busy.

But we still tend to end up there.

And because this itinerary is based on what we actually did rather than what sounds cool on Instagram, Oxford Street stays.

After shopping, we headed back to get ready for the final night.

Concert at The O2

We finished our three days with a concert at The O2.

For us it was Westlife.

But the specific artist isn’t really the point.

If there’s a concert, sporting event or show happening at The O2 while you’re visiting London, it can be a brilliant way to build an evening into your trip.

The arena itself is easy to reach by Tube, and the whole Greenwich/Canary Wharf side of London makes a nice contrast to spending every evening around Soho or Covent Garden.

After three packed days, ending the trip at a concert felt pretty perfect.

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Our 3-Day London Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1

Leake Street Tunnel → London Eye → Big Ben → Horse Guards → Trafalgar Square → Horizon 22 → Bone Daddies → Covent Garden → Top Secret Comedy Club

Day 2

South Bank → Tower Bridge → Tower of London → Uber Boat → Battersea Power Station → Canary Wharf → Skuna Sauna → Fairgame

Day 3

Camden → The Cheese Wheel → Regent’s Canal → Coal Drops Yard → Oxford Street → The O2

Is This Itinerary Good for a First Trip to London?

Probably not as your only plan.

If it’s your first time in London, I’d still prioritise the classic sights.

See Westminster.

Visit Tower Bridge.

Spend some time around Buckingham Palace.

Choose a museum.

Experience the city properly.

But if you’ve already done all of that, this itinerary works really well because you can enjoy some familiar parts of London without feeling like you’re repeating your previous trip.

That was exactly what we wanted.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at Premier Inn London Waterloo, which worked extremely well for this itinerary.

Being close to the London Eye and South Bank meant we could start several days on foot rather than immediately getting on the Tube.

Waterloo also has excellent transport connections for getting around the rest of London.

Compare other hotels around Waterloo on Booking.com.

Getting Around London

We used a mix of:

• walking
• London Underground
• Uber Boat
• occasional other transport when it made sense

And for this itinerary, I’d recommend doing exactly the same.

London looks enormous on a map, but many of the most interesting areas are much closer together than they appear.

Walking also lets you discover things that disappear when you travel entirely underground.

For everything else, the Tube is still one of the easiest ways to move around the city.

👉 Read our London Underground guide

What We’d Do Differently

Very little, actually.

This was one of those trips where the balance worked really well.

We had enough planned that every day had something memorable, but we weren’t running from one attraction booking to the next.

If I changed anything, I’d probably leave even more room for spontaneous stops.

London is one of those cities where you can walk somewhere with no plan and suddenly lose an hour in a shop, café or random street you hadn’t intended to visit.

And on a repeat trip, that’s not wasted time.

That’s kind of the point.

Is London Still Worth Revisiting?

Definitely.

London is probably one of the easiest cities in Europe to revisit because it doesn’t really run out of things to do.

Your first trip can be about landmarks.

The second can be museums and neighbourhoods.

Another can revolve around food, concerts, football, markets or unusual experiences.

And eventually you stop worrying about whether you’ve “seen London properly.”

You just come back and enjoy it.

That’s what this trip felt like for us.

Planning more things to do in London?

We mixed free sights with a few paid experiences on this trip. If you’re looking for more ideas, you can compare London attractions, tours and tickets here.
Browse London activities

3 Days in London for Repeat Visitors: FAQ

Is 3 days enough for London?
Three days is enough for a focused London city break, especially if you’ve visited before and don’t need to cover every major attraction.

What should you do in London if you’ve already seen the main sights?
Try building the trip around neighbourhoods and experiences instead of landmarks. We loved Horizon 22, Top Secret Comedy Club, the South Bank walk, Uber Boat, Skuna Sauna, Fairgame and walking Regent’s Canal.

Is Horizon 22 worth visiting?
For us, yes. It gave us excellent views over London and was a great alternative to paying for another observation deck.

Is South Bank worth walking?
Absolutely. Walking from the London Eye toward Tower Bridge is one of the easiest ways to enjoy London at a slower pace, especially on a sunny day.

Is Camden still worth visiting?
Yes, although it feels different from the Camden we remember from around 15 years ago. We still enjoy the markets, atmosphere, food and places like Cyberdog.

Is Canary Wharf worth visiting?
If you’ve already spent plenty of time in central London, yes. It has a completely different atmosphere and experiences such as Skuna Sauna and Fairgame make it especially interesting for a repeat visit.

Where should repeat visitors stay in London?
We stayed near Waterloo, which worked very well because we could walk to the South Bank and Westminster while still having excellent transport connections to the rest of London.

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