A better-value day in London
London day planner
Create a cheap one-day London itinerary around your budget and interests. Choose a famous paid attraction, or keep every activity free, and we’ll add worthwhile places nearby.
Planning a longer trip? Put several days into one clear document with our printable trip itinerary planner.
The planner currently compares 399 free places and events, 7 popular paid attractions and 22 checked lunch locations. It uses confirmed event times and conservative planning windows where checked hours are available. Exceptional closures, ticket slots and live prices must still be checked before travelling.
Tell us what fits
Build your London day
Your suggested day
Ready when you are
Choose your budget, interests and pace, then build a day. You can change the answers and generate another plan at any time.
Map view
Your London day on the map
The numbered markers follow the itinerary order, including selected start and end points. The line shows the sequence, not exact street directions.
- Paid highlight
- Free stop
- Selected lunch
- Starting point
- End point
442 locations available on the map.
Budget estimate per person
- Attraction tickets
- £0
- Food allowance
- £0
- Local travel allowance
- £0
- Estimated total
- £0
This is a planning suggestion, not a booking. Confirmed event times and checked planning windows influence the schedule, but seasonal hours, ticket slots and exceptional closures can change. Places without structured hours are clearly marked for checking. Walking and public transport times are distance-based estimates and do not use live service or accessibility information. Allow extra time for queues, step-free routes and busy periods.
Why this planner is different
Spend on what matters, not every stop
A good-value London day does not have to mean avoiding every famous attraction. The planner can use one paid highlight, then build the rest of the day from checked free museums, gardens, viewpoints and current events nearby. Choose “Free activities only” if you would rather keep the activity cost at £0.
The estimate separates tickets from food and local travel so the headline attraction price does not disguise the real cost of the day. If the plan exceeds your limit, lower the allowances, select a cheaper attraction or switch to a fully free itinerary.
Travelling several times by bus, Tube or rail? Our London travel caps guide explains the daily and Monday-to-Sunday limits. The planner's travel allowance is an estimate and does not calculate live TfL fares.
The result also shows estimated travel and walking around the itinerary. Add a starting station or end point when you want the route to account for arriving in London, returning to your train or getting back to the same station. Choose “Less walking” when you want the planner to favour more compact stops and suggest public transport for shorter distances.
If rain arrives, use “Swap for rainy day” on an outdoor stop. The planner keeps every other activity, searches the checked places available on your date for a suitable indoor replacement, then recalculates the times, map and shared route.
Lunch is matched to the route rather than added as a generic citywide recommendation. The planner checks distance from the lunch point, your food allowance, the selected weekday and your dietary preference. Select one lunch option to add it to the map, shared itinerary and full route. The planner then recalculates travel, walking and the estimated finish time around that lunch stop. Menu prices and offers can still change, so use the restaurant link before deciding where to eat. Our cheap eats in London guide compares other ways to save when you want more choice.
Already found somewhere you like? Open the London Deal Radar and use “Add to day planner” on any listing.
Cheap London day planner questions
Useful answers for building a low-cost London itinerary before you travel.
How do I plan a cheap day in London?
Set your total budget, food and travel allowances, interests and preferred area. The planner can choose one paid highlight that fits, then add checked free activities nearby to create a practical one-day itinerary.
Can I make a completely free London itinerary?
Yes. Choose “Free activities only” and every suggested activity will have free admission or a free permanent collection. Food and local travel allowances remain in the estimate because they may still affect the real cost of your day.
What can I do in London with a £50 budget?
Enter £50 as your per-person budget. The planner deducts your food and travel allowances, chooses a paid attraction only when one fits the remaining amount, and fills the rest of the itinerary with free places.
Can this build a one-day London itinerary for a first visit?
Yes. Choose “Let the planner choose” for the area and paid attraction. It will balance a recognisable London highlight with nearby free museums, gardens, viewpoints or current events.
Can I plan for children or a rainy day?
Choose “Family-friendly places” for a family day, or “Mostly indoor” when rain is likely. If the weather changes after generating a mixed itinerary, use “Swap for rainy day” on any outdoor stop. The planner keeps the rest of the day and looks for an available indoor alternative nearby.
Why does the planner include only one paid attraction?
One paid highlight leaves more of the budget for food, transport and spontaneous choices. It also gives the planner one clear location around which to group worthwhile free stops.
Are attraction prices and opening times live?
No. The planner uses confirmed event times and conservative planning windows where checked hours are available, but it does not use live ticket inventory or same-day closure information. Check the linked ticket or official page before booking or travelling.
Does the planner minimise travel between London attractions?
Yes. It compares the selected stops, orders them into a shorter route and estimates when walking or public transport is more practical. You can add a major station as your starting point or destination, and choose “Less walking” to give extra weight to shorter walks. The estimates are not live Transport for London directions, so check current services before leaving.
Will the London day planner recommend too many museums?
The automatic planner normally limits free museum stops to one in a relaxed or balanced day and two in a full day. It prioritises a mix of museums, gardens, viewpoints and current events. You can still deliberately keep or request additional museums.
Can I share my exact London itinerary?
Yes. After building or editing a day, use “Share this plan”. The link contains the date, budget, preferences and exact stop order, so the recipient can reopen the same itinerary without creating an account.
How does the planner choose cheap London lunch options?
It looks near the scheduled lunch point, checks the selected weekday, applies your vegetarian or vegan preference and removes meals above your food allowance. Select an option to add it to the itinerary map, travel estimate, finish time and full route. Prices are checked planning estimates rather than live menus, so confirm the linked menu before ordering.