Seven days in London: city time plus Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge

How this week is built

Four days in central London, then three day trips on separate days: Windsor, Oxford, Stonehenge. That order isn’t arbitrary. Windsor is 25 minutes from Paddington by fast train, Oxford is about an hour from the same station, and both sit west of the city — but Stonehenge is out on Salisbury Plain, roughly two hours away by road, and trying to bolt it onto Oxford in the same day means a long coach ride at both ends and almost no time at the stone circle itself. Splitting the three keeps each day workable and leaves slack if a train is delayed.

No car is required anywhere in this plan. London itself is faster without one — parking is scarce and expensive, and driving is on the left, which catches out visitors used to the right. Windsor and Oxford run on direct trains from Paddington. Stonehenge, which has no station, is reached by an organised coach tour departing central London, which also covers the return leg so there’s nothing to arrange on-site.

Budget mid-range: expect roughly £120–£180 a day per person once hotel, food, transport and one paid attraction are added together, before flights. Museums pull that average down — several of London’s best are free to enter.

Day 1: Arrival and Westminster

Land at whichever of the five London airports your flight uses — Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or London City each has its own rail link, so check which one applies before booking a transfer. Settle in, then walk Westminster in the afternoon: the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben’s tower from outside, Westminster Abbey, and along to Buckingham Palace. If your visit lines up with the published Changing of the Guard schedule, plan around it rather than the other way round — crowds build well before the actual ceremony.

For orientation on day one, a guided overview beats improvising a route: a half-day guided loop through Westminster’s royal landmarks covers the ground efficiently and explains what you’re looking at, which saves guesswork later in the week.

Day 2: The Tower and South Bank

Morning at the Tower of London and the City — the Crown Jewels queue moves faster before 10am. Tower Bridge is a two-minute walk from the Tower itself. Cross the river in the afternoon for South Bank: the Tate Modern (free), Borough Market for lunch, and a walk along the Thames path with the London Eye and Shakespeare’s Globe as landmarks rather than must-do stops — both are worth skipping if the queue looks over 30 minutes.

Day 3: West End and Bloomsbury

Spend the morning in Bloomsbury at the British Museum — entry is free, and two to three hours covers the highlights without exhaustion. In the afternoon, shift to the West End for Covent Garden, Oxford Street or Regent Street shopping, and to book a same-week theatre ticket if one appeals; last-minute day seats are common but not guaranteed for popular shows.

Day 4: Kensington museums and a free afternoon

Kensington and Chelsea holds three major free museums side by side: the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Picking two is more realistic than all three in one visit. Round out the day in Hyde Park or Kensington Palace grounds. This is also a sensible day to slot in anything missed earlier — a canal walk in Camden, or an evening in Shoreditch — since it’s the last flexible city day before the excursions start.

Day 5: Windsor

Trains to Windsor run from Paddington (change at Slough) in around 30–45 minutes total, or take a direct organised half-day trip that handles the return journey for you:

a half-day excursion to Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the world’s largest continuously inhabited castle and the King’s official residence — check the Changing of the Guard timetable before travelling, since it doesn’t run daily. Eton College sits just across the Thames on foot; it’s visited only on guided tours and access is restricted during the school term, so this isn’t a reliable walk-in stop. Be back in central London by early evening.

Day 6: Oxford

Oxford is roughly an hour from Paddington by direct train, or covered door-to-door by a day tour:

a full-day trip from London to Oxford

Oxford isn’t a single campus — it’s a collection of independent colleges, and only some allow visitors on any given day, so checking access before arriving saves a wasted walk. Christ Church, the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera are the core sights within walking distance of each other. If time allows, Blenheim Palace at nearby Woodstock — the only British palace that’s neither royal nor a bishop’s residence, and Churchill’s birthplace — makes a reasonable half-day add-on for a driver-led tour, though it stretches a train-based day thin.

Day 7: Stonehenge and departure

Stonehenge has no train station, so this day runs on an organised coach:

a full-day coach trip from London to Stonehenge

The stone circle itself is a 45–60 minute visit once you include the shuttle bus from the visitor centre; the rest of the day is travel. Some tours pair it with nearby Salisbury (its cathedral holds an original 1215 Magna Carta) or the larger, quieter stone circle at Avebury — worth checking what’s included before booking, since prices vary by which extra stop is bundled in. Plan the return coach to land in central London with enough margin for an evening flight, or keep this as your final full day and fly out the next morning.

Getting between all four places without a car

Leg	How	Typical time
Airport to central London	Dedicated rail link per airport (Elizabeth line/Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express, Stansted Express, Luton DART + Thameslink, DLR)	15–90 min depending on airport
Central London to Windsor	Train from Paddington via Slough	30–45 min
Central London to Oxford	Direct train from Paddington	~1 hour
Central London to Stonehenge	Organised coach (no direct train)	~2 hours each way
Within London	Tube, bus, Overground, Oyster or contactless	Varies by zone

Oyster and contactless cards cover the tube, bus, Overground, Elizabeth line and most local trains, with fares capped automatically per day and week — there’s no need to work out the cheapest combination yourself. The one limit that isn’t TfL’s is the contactless per-transaction cap that banks set (currently £100), which has nothing to do with the transport fare cap.

Money and entry rules to sort before you land

The currency throughout this trip is the pound sterling (GBP) — the UK is not in the eurozone, so leave euros at home. Most travellers, including EU nationals, need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) arranged in advance, and the only legitimate place to apply is gov.uk/eta; third-party sites charging a markup for the same form are not official. Irish citizens are exempt under the Common Travel Area.

Pack for a temperate, changeable climate rather than a wet or dry season — January averages around 8°C, July around 23°C, and an overcast sky is common even in summer. Layers and a light waterproof do more good than one heavy coat.

Costs across the week

Item	Typical range (GBP)
Mid-range hotel, per night	£120–£220
Return train, London–Windsor	£15–£25
Return train, London–Oxford	£25–£45
Stonehenge coach day trip	£70–£110
Free museum day (Bloomsbury or Kensington)	£0 entry, £15–£25 food

Treat all of these as ranges — check the Windsor day trip or Oxford day trip listing for the exact fare on your travel date rather than the figures above.

Questions about a seven-day London, Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge trip

Can Oxford and Stonehenge be combined on the same day?

Not comfortably. Oxford is about an hour from central London by train; Stonehenge is roughly two hours away by road with no rail link at all. Combining both in one day means over four hours of transit and very little time at either site — this plan keeps them on separate days instead.

Do I need a car for this itinerary?

No. Every leg — airport to London, London to Windsor, London to Oxford and London to Stonehenge — runs on trains or organised coaches. A car adds cost and complication, and UK roads are driven on the left, which is worth knowing even if you never get behind the wheel.

Is the ETA the same as an Oyster card?

No, and mixing them up causes real problems. The ETA is a UK government travel authorisation applied for before departure at gov.uk/eta. Oyster and contactless are for paying transport fares once you’re in London — they don’t substitute for each other.

Are the London museums on this itinerary really free?

Yes, for permanent collections. The British Museum, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum charge nothing to enter, though ticketed temporary exhibitions exist. Paid attractions on this route include Windsor Castle, the Tower of London and the Stonehenge visit.

What if it rains for most of the week?

Likely, at least on some days — London’s climate doesn’t have a reliable dry season. The Bloomsbury and Kensington museum days (Day 3 and Day 4) are the easiest to shift indoors-heavy if the forecast turns, and Oxford’s colleges and libraries offer some shelter too. Stonehenge is outdoors regardless of weather.

How far in advance should Windsor Castle or Stonehenge be booked?

Both benefit from advance booking, especially Windsor Castle around Changing of the Guard dates and Stonehenge in summer. A week or two ahead is usually enough outside peak season; book further out for July, August or school holidays.

Which airport should I fly into for this route?

Any of the five work, since this itinerary starts and ends in central London rather than near a specific airport. Heathrow and Gatwick tend to have the most frequent flight options; check your airport’s own rail link time into the city before booking.