A Girls’ Trip to London: The Perfect 4-Day Itinerary
Planning a girls’ trip to London? IMHO, London is one of the best cities in the world for a girls’ trip – think rooftop cocktails, excellent shopping, bottomless brunches and afternoon tea.
But since London has absolutely everything, it can be hard to know where to start and how to fit it all in. I’ve done a couple of London girls’ trips over the years, and last year’s was my favourite ever – the perfect mix of iconic London moments and fun, girly things to do.
This four-day London itinerary is exactly what we did, plus a few things I wish we’d had time for. Whether you’re planning a birthday trip, a reunion, or a spontaneous long weekend, here’s how to make the most of London with your besties, without getting overwhelmed.
Day 1: Canal Strolls & Gin-Fueled Afternoon Tea
Morning and Afternoon – Camden Market and the Regent’s Canal
My friends had an overnight flight into London (from South Africa and New Zealand), and I was like a kid the night before Christmas – I was so excited I barely slept. Cold comfort for them, as they were all properly exhausted all day, but they wanted to make the most of their time in London, so we planned a full day for day one.
Overnight Flight Tips
- If you have an overnight flight into London, you might prefer to plan less for your first day. Excitement and a shower will probably get you through the first half of the day, but in my experience, people tend to crash a bit after lunchtime.
- If some people want naps, let them do that – London is safe enough that you can split up and do your own thing some of the time.
- Stock up on energy drinks for nights out right after long flights. I once did an international, cross-hemispheric girls’ weekend trip (yes, apparently I hate myself), and I would not have survived without a daily pre-dinner Red Bull.
After I collected the girls, we came back to my flat for showers and a quick breakfast, before a walk to Camden Market. The Regent’s Canal is a bit like a mini-Thames, which stretches from East to West London – it runs from Victoria Park all the way to Regent’s Park.
If you don’t want to walk the entire canal (it is about 14km in total), Islington is a good starting or stopping point. The towpath (the path you can walk along the canal) stops and restarts in Islington, as the canal runs under the road, so you have to rejoin the path.
If you’re going east to Victoria Park, the canal starts here, and if you’re going west to Regent’s Park and Camden Market, the canal starts here. We were walking up to Camden Market (which is open every day, but very lively on weekends), and the walk on a summer’s day was lovely.
Camden Market and a puppuccino pitstop
There are cafes and pubs along the canal, and there are also houseboats that double as pubs or bookshops, so there’s a great vibe. I also think the canal and Camden Market in general are a great introduction to London – it is quirky and unique, with a huge variety of food options and a very eclectic crowd.
We got lunch at Camden Market (I love the Greek wraps at Elia) and had some cocktails sitting along the canal, before dessert (try the pasteis de nata at Cafe de Nata) and a stroll home.
Early Evening – A Sightseeing Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea and Gin Cocktails
A London Gin Bus Afternoon Tea
For our first night out, we booked Brigit’s Afternoon Tea on a London sightseeing bus. Since we had a late afternoon/early evening booking, this doubled as dinner for us – and trust me, there’s more than enough food. Also, it allowed everyone to get a relatively early night, which was much needed after the overnight flights the previous night.
This afternoon tea is the most ridiculous composite of all the greatest London traditions – picture a sightseeing tour around London, which takes place on a bus. A good idea for your first day in London, and sounds pretty standard, right?
But it’s an old-fashioned London Routemaster bus (very charming). And they serve a traditional English afternoon tea on the bus (OMG). And our afternoon tea was paired with gin cocktails instead of tea – OMGEEEE there’s nothing more perfect for a London girls’ trip.
I’d actually been dying to do this for years – we’d tried to book it for a girls’ trip a few years before and hadn’t gotten tickets, so it’s definitely something to book as far in advance as you can. The tour covers Big Ben, Harrods, Trafalgar Square, and a lot of other classic London sights.
You can make your booking either as a twosome, looking out the front window of the bus, or as a group of four, like we did, in which case you’re all at one table facing each other. We had the absolute best time with a delicious afternoon tea, gin cocktails, and a lot of laughs. The afternoon tea goodies are made by Brigit’s, a local bakery, so they are top-notch and very fresh.
From what I can tell, they don’t operate the tour with gin anymore, but this one is the exact same, except without gin cocktails. If you need a cocktail afterwards (of course you do), head to Market Halls Victoria, an indoor market, or book at Purgatory Bar, both near Victoria Coach Station.
Check availability and prices for the London Afternoon Tea Bus Tour here
Day 2: Bottomless Brunch, London Views & Rooftop Vibes
Morning – Immersive Art and a Bottomless Brunch Drag Show
Blame Gloria in Covent Garden
Bottomless brunch is pretty much an institution in London (seriously, Londoners don’t do breakfast on the weekend – they do bottomless brunch).
So do a London bottomless brunch, but make it girls’ trip. Go to Blame Gloria, where your boozy brunch is accompanied by a drag performance – this is one of the best girly things to do in London.
We actually had a pre-brunch snack, since our tickets were for midday. London has some excellent bakeries for pastries. IMHO, Popham’s is easily the best bakery in London, but other fabulous options are Jolene, the Dusty Knuckle, Fabrique, and Gail’s.
If you want a little shopping stop on your way to brunch, Covent Garden is perfect for this. There’s a huge Charlotte Tilbury, the only Glossier store in London (the way the orders are packaged and brought to you is pure delight), and some great jewellery stores – go to Mejuri or Monica Vinader.
We went to the Outernet instead, which my friends were keen to see. This is an immersive art installation, just outside Tottenham Court Road tube station. There are two rooms with giant LED walls and moving, interactive art. It is free to visit, and you can just walk in, so it’s worth going if you’re in the area.
Blame Gloria was a lot of fun – the bar is underground (basement bars are one of my favourite things about London) and going to an underground bar in the morning feels particularly festive. You choose your meal ahead of time, and it is served to you during the performance.
The performance we chose was Abba-themed, and the vibe was amazing with everyone singing along. It’s very girly, with disco balls, glitter walls, and neon lights. The cocktails are generous and genuinely bottomless, but your group does need to finish a jug before you get another – that was no issue for us, but if you all want different drinks, keep that in mind.
Afternoon – South Bank Strolling and the London Eye
South Bank and the Horse Guards Parade
After brunch, you could stay for a pub crawl in Covent Garden, but there’s plenty of time for that this evening. If the weather is good, make the most of the London sunshine and have a stroll along Pall Mall to the Horse Guards Parade or Buckingham Palace.
We’d all seen Buckingham Palace, but we had a great time at the Horse Guards Parade – selfies with the guards in the background are compulsory. Afterwards, walk down to the Thames, which has a really fun vibe in summertime. Walk across Westminster Bridge or the Golden Jubilee Bridge, and then stroll along the South Bank.
There’s a lot to do on the South Bank, and you can walk to Borough Market (from the London Eye, it’s about a 30-minute walk to Borough Market, so it’s not terribly far). There are parks and green spaces, endless outdoor pubs and restaurants, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Tate Modern, and the South Bank Market.
We did an impromptu trip on the London Eye – this is slightly touristy, but I think it’s quite an iconic London thing to do. On a clear day, you get amazing views, and we have some lovely photos and memories from the day. If you plan slightly better than us and book in advance rather than at the venue, there’s a bit of a saving.
Check availability and prices for the London Eye here
Other London Girls’ Trip Things to Do
The best things I’ve done on previous London girls’ trips:
- Years ago we had a really fun time at the London Dungeons, which is also in this area. There’s no better way to bond with your bestie than basically sitting on her lap during a terrifying boat trip through the dungeons.
- During the summer, you can visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace on a tour – we did this on a previous London girls’ trip, and it’s very worthwhile. The State Rooms are beautiful, and the fact that the tour only runs in the summer makes it very special. Don’t miss the carriages.
Evening – Drinks and Dinner at a Rooftop Bar
London at golden hour is nothing short of delightful, and rooftop bars are one of the best places to be on summer evenings in London. My friends wanted to try Florattica, which is beautifully decorated, has exciting cocktails, and has unbeatable views of the City.
Because they’re so popular, you should book your rooftop bar spot in advance. If you can’t get a spot at Florattica, never fear, London is absolutely full to bursting with rooftop bars. Near Florattica, try Jin Bo Law or the Culpeper Rooftop (this is my top pick because the food is great).
Closer to Shoreditch, try Aviary, or for stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral, go to Sabine. If you’re not keen to head into the city, stay on the South Bank and go to OXO or Seabird.
Day 3: Royal Parks, Harrods & a Floating Cheese Feast
Morning – A Girly Breakfast and Harrods Browsing
Breakfast at Feya and a trip to Harrods
No trip to London is complete without a shopping experience. Harrods is huge and iconic, but it is often very full of tourists. As an alternative, I love Selfridges and Liberty (where you can take dogs!), but they are a lot smaller, and definitely don’t have the same quintessential London vibe.
All three only open at 10 am (and not until 11:30 on a Sunday), which means you’ll probably want to get breakfast first. We went to Feya, which is lovely and pink, and perfect for a girly brunch. The food was ok, but if I were to redo the day, I’d probably go to EL&N on Brompton Road, or Co instead.
If you’re going to Selfridges, have breakfast at Sunday in Brooklyn in Marylebone or the Ivy, and if you’re going to Liberty, great breakfast options are Kaffiene or Scarlett Green.
We had a lovely girly time messing around in Harrods, and we split up – my more makeup and skincare obsessed friend and I hung around the cosmetics area, and the other two girls went to the food section. Harrods has an almost ridiculous amount of amazing local and imported food and wine, which is definitely worth a browse.
Afternoon – Hyde Park Strolls and Floating Cheese Barge Lunch
Lunch at the Cheese Barge in London
After Harrods, we walked through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to Paddington. Paddington Basin is a bit like a smaller version of the Regent’s Canal, and there’s a lot going on.
We had lunch at another spot I’d been dying to go to for ages (again, book well in advance). Because apparently this trip required all meals to be taken on composite transport modalities, we had lunch at the Cheese Barge in Paddington.
Picture a barge parked on the canal, but it’s actually a restaurant, and it only serves cheese-related dishes. Again, I don’t think I could have picked a better girls’ trip lunch spot if I’d tried. We had cocktails, wine, all kinds of delicious lunch items, and lots of chats. Afterwards, we mooched around Soho and Oxford Circus and got ice creams.
If you’re doing Madame Tussauds, today is a great day to do it, as its relatively close to Paddington. I did it on a previous London girls’ trip, and it’s a great laugh with your friends.
Evening – Dinner in a Converted Church
For dinner, it was essential that we go to a London market. London is absolutely full of markets, and no trip is complete without one – Mercato Mayfair is open at dinner, and the pasta was amazing.
It’s in a converted church, which I absolutely loved (and you can bring dogs). We each picked our dishes, got drinks and had a fabulous evening. Dez Amore has a cacio e pepe pasta (my favourite), which is mixed in a wheel of pecorino (yes, you need this).
Day 4: Picnics, Parks & Pub Fare
We actually went to Paris on our fourth day, but day 4 of this itinerary is based on what we did on day 8 of our trip (ie, our last day in London).
Morning – Museums and Flowers
We spent our final morning doing more shopping, but if you’re a bit less insane than us, you’ll want to do a London museum.
London Museums
- On a previous London girls’ trip, I’d done Madame Tussaud’s, which is a lot of fun with your friends.
- The Natural History Museum can be a great laugh (look out for the dinosours!). It is free to visit, but you can book a ticket online to avoid long waits.
- Ok so its not an exhibition, but the Columbia Road Flower Market, which runs on Sundays, is very pretty and a fun vibe in the summertime.
Afternoon – A London Picnic Lunch
If you haven’t had a picnic in a London park yet, today is the day. The easiest place to get picnic delights (or “picky bits” as the British say) is Marks and Spencer – there are a fair number of them around, and they have lovely deli items (plus they have chilled wine and canned cocktails for your picnicking pleasure).
Get some sandwichy things, crisps, crudites and dips, and some fruit (do yourself a favour and have a British strawberry in the summertime – I’m not joking when I say that there is nothing like it) and find a spot at Regent’s Park or Hyde Park. This is a quintessential London summer activity.
Evening – The West End and a Pub Dinner
For your last night in London, you can’t miss a trip to the West End (London’s version of Broadway) for the theatre. You should book your theatre tickets well in advance.
The Best London Theatre Shows for Girls’ Trips
- Magic Mike Live is slightly wild, but a lot of fun.
- The Book of Mormon is a great laugh with your friends.
- Other great classics that everyone can sing along to are The Lion King, Mamma Mia, or the Moulin Rouge Musical.
- If the new Mean Girls Musical comes back to London, it is girls’ trip perfection which everyone will love.
There are many shows on and lots of restaurants, but I find it easiest to choose my show first, and then book my West End dinner relatively close to the theatre that I’m going to.
A lot of the restaurants in Soho have pre-theatre menu specials, but if you haven’t had a classic pub meal yet, tonight is your night. Go to the Devonshire, a beautiful pub in Soho, which serves excellent food. There’s a sunny roof terrace, and you must have the sticky toffee pudding.
If you want a night out afterwards (of course you do), the best party pub in Soho is Waxy O’Connors.
When the Girls’ Trip Makes it Out of the Group Chat
London gives you everything you could want for a girls’ trip – cocktails, shopping, afternoon tea, epic sightseeing, and that quintessential London city buzz and quirky charm.
This itinerary gave us all that, plus the clothes sharing, makeup doing, couch sitting, bladder bursting laughs that you need in any girls’ trip. Send this post to the group chat and start planning your perfect London girls’ trip!