4 Days in the UK: A First-Timer Plan
Four days is enough to do London properly and still get a real taste of Scotland, without ever needing a rental car. This first-timer plan spends two days in London hitting the icons and the free museums, then rides the train north to Edinburgh for the Castle, the Royal Mile and Arthur’s Seat. The United Kingdom is four nations under one government, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and this route genuinely crosses from one into another. Budget in pounds sterling, not euros, pack a waterproof for changeable weather, and get your ETA sorted before you fly, not at passport control.
This is the first plan in our UK itinerary family to leave London behind. Tighter on time? The 2-day and 3-day plans stay in London the whole way. Got longer? The 5-day and 6-day versions give Edinburgh more time, and the 7-day plan pushes on into the Highlands.
Book these before you go
- Tower of London and Crown Jewels tickets, on GetYourGuide : the walk-up queue on a busy morning eats an hour you don’t have.
- Edinburgh Castle entry, listings on Viator : grab a timed slot before you leave London.
- A hotel for your Edinburgh nights, rates on Booking.com : prices climb well before the Fringe even starts in August.
- Your London-Edinburgh train, advance fares through nationalrail.co.uk or lner.co.uk: book the specific train, not just the day, for the cheap seats.
Do you need an ETA to visit the UK?
Yes, almost certainly, unless you travel on a British or Irish passport. Most visa-exempt visitors, including Americans, Canadians, Australians and EU/EEA citizens, now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation approved before they board. Apply through the official app or gov.uk a few days ahead of departure, for roughly £20, a fee that has already risen twice, so check the live figure before you pay.
Day 1: Westminster, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London
Start at Westminster, where Big Ben (officially the Elizabeth Tower), the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey all sit within a short walk of each other. Head next to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard; the schedule shifts by season, so check the current days rather than plan your whole morning around it.
In the afternoon, cross to the Tower of London. Close to a thousand years of history, the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warders make this one of the few paid stops on this trip that genuinely earns its ticket price. Book online ahead of time and close the day with dinner at a pub near the river, a steak and ale pie is the honest choice.
Day 2: free museums, the South Bank and a West End show
Give your morning to the British Museum, free to enter for the permanent collection, and the same is true of the National Gallery and Tate Modern, a genuinely rare model for museums this good. Book a timed-entry slot online if you’re visiting between April and August, when queues stretch long.
In the afternoon, walk the South Bank from Tower Bridge past Borough Market to the London Eye. In the evening, use the West End show you booked ahead of time; walk-up tickets for a good seat on a good night are not something to bank on. Keep your phone in a front or inner pocket on the Tube and around Oxford Street; violent crime here is genuinely low, but phone snatching in crowded spots is the one real safety issue on this leg.
Day 3: the train to Edinburgh and Edinburgh Castle
Leave London mid-morning from King’s Cross on an LNER direct service to Edinburgh Waverley, a real, comfortable ride of around 4 hours 8 minutes, with standard advance fares starting from roughly £34-35 one-way if you book ahead. It is a genuine alternative to flying, not a compromise, and it skips airport security twice over.
Check into your Edinburgh hotel, then walk straight up to Edinburgh Castle while the afternoon light is still good. The castle sits above the city on an extinct volcanic crag, and the views back down the Royal Mile are worth the climb alone. Finish with a plate of haggis, tatties and neeps at a restaurant on or near the Mile.
Day 4: the Royal Mile and Arthur’s Seat
Walk the full length of the Royal Mile in daylight, from the Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, ducking into the closes and courtyards that run off it on both sides. Scotland is not England, and the shopkeepers and guides you meet here are Scottish, part of the same UK but with their own parliament, their own capital and their own accent worth listening for.
In the afternoon, climb Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano right at the city’s edge with a genuine summit and panoramic views over Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth in under an hour each way. Fly home from Edinburgh Airport, or take the train back south first if your onward flight leaves from London.
Should you drive between London and Edinburgh?
No. It is roughly 400 miles by road, a long day of driving each way for a trip this length, and you would still face London’s Congestion Charge (£18 on weekdays) and ULEZ (£12.50, every day) just leaving the city. The train covers the same ground in about four hours, city center to city center, with no charge to dodge.
What does 4 days in the UK cost?
Prices already include the UK’s 20% VAT, so the ticket or menu price is what you pay; there is no tourist VAT refund in Great Britain since Brexit. London runs noticeably more expensive than Edinburgh, especially for hotels and dinner, and the country as a whole is not a cheap destination.
| Day | Focus | Base or train | Rough daily spend (GBP, excl. hotel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London | London | £90-140 |
| Day 2 | Free museums, South Bank, West End show | London | £80-130 |
| Day 3 | Train to Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle | London to Edinburgh (LNER, ~4h8m) | £70-110 plus the train fare |
| Day 4 | Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat | Edinburgh | £70-110 |
Is 4 days enough for London and Edinburgh?
It is enough for a real look at both, not a lazy one. You get one full day per city plus a genuine travel day between them, which is tight but honest, not rushed the way a same-day flight-and-sightsee combination would be. Treat it as two capitals done properly rather than a checklist of every UK region; the visitbritain.com planning site is a good next stop if the Highlands or the Cotswolds start calling.
Book your London-Edinburgh train the moment your dates are fixed. Advance fares get more expensive by the day, and the £34-35 one-way price only holds for travelers who commit early.