r/LondonTravel

TLDR: Moral of the story is that even though most people get their UK ETA in seconds, consequences are BAD if you don’t get it in time by your arrival. And if it’s pending, either don’t board the flight or wait at arrivals until it’s confirmed and then go to border control. And approval delays are 100% possible, so would recommend applying with multiple business days to spare.

And I’m also looking for some advice from any compensation experts for whether there’s something i could apply for here.

Story:

I was flying from Vienna to London Stansted (US Citizen) and realized during checkin the day before that the UK now has an ETA requirement so I applied. I have visited the UK many times before so I didn’t think that this time entry requirements might be different, which is on me. I used the official website because the app kept crashing the day i was applying. Unfortunately, i didn’t get any immediate approval email which was mildly concerning given that online it seemed like most people get it quickly. On the Ryanair app it said they’ll manually check my ETA at the counter. So next morning in Vienna airport i asked at checkin whether my ETA was valid if i hadn’t received confirmation yet. They took my passport number and ETA application confirmation number and put it in some system idk what, and told me i was good to fly. I double checked with them whether it would be fine for me to show up at the UK border without the confirmation email and again they said we’ve confirmed on our end and you should be good. So i assumed that meant my ETA was good in the system and they just hadn’t gotten around to sending me the approval email yet (i had noticed some people have that story online)

Flew to London and reached the immigration counter and they said my passport required further assistance at the egate. When i got to a human, they told me that i was currently in the UK illegally and they started taking my dietary preferences and medical conditions and proceeded to put me in a windowless detention room for 7 hours with basically no device access except a few calls and messages every few hours. To pass time, i mostly folded origami and tried to write random lists of various places I’ve been lol. They did give me some lunch and because they’re British, brought me tea multiple times which was at least something. During this whole process my ETA was actually approved (i saw it during one of the few phone breaks) which meant i had around a 24 hour turnaround for the application, not a few minutes as is the common experience online. I think the reason mine was flagged and slower is that i used to work in London long ago and so they always seem to get confused every subsequent time i come in as a tourist.

Anyway i told the border agents my ETA had been approved but according to them, because i originally arrived without an ETA, my arrival was still illegal and i needed to fly back to Vienna. I’m not sure i fully understood this since i thought the area before border control still counts as international land so it seems like an arrival into country never successfully happened? Anyway i even tried asking if i could fly somewhere closer in EU, but they would only let me go back to Vienna and booked the next flight out without letting me check the price or anything. I had to be escorted by 2 border agents to the gate and they put my passport in an envelope and gave it to the pilot on the flight back to Vienna so i could only get my passport back after landing in Vienna.

Anyway now i guess i need to book a hotel in Vienna for the night and fly back to the UK tmrw, it’s all gonna rack up be a pretty hefty bill at this point. I get that the UK Gov website does say to apply 1-3 business days in advance but im annoyed by the fact that mine just randomly happened to take so much longer while my mom applied next to me and got it in 1 minute. And then this insane rule abt needing to have it before landing when i know for a fact from many Reddit stories that many people apply for their UK ETA after landing so it’s not exactly a logical or consistent rule. The border agents told me Im in an unlucky situation due to the ETA rules only now starting to be enforced like this without the airlines catching up.

Anyone see any opportunity for any type compensation anywhere? Maybe with Ryanair although not really sure since they could probably claim the responsibility falls on me. Otherwise yeah it’s like $1000 down the drain and like 1.5 days lost for me which sucks… and just a very intense experience all around. Interestingly, the border agents told me that the UK government is fining airlines 8k pounds right now for any passenger that comes to the UK without a valid eta so that’s too bad for Ryanair i guess. Lmk if anyone has any advice that isn’t scolding me for not realizing abt the ETA sooner.

Hi I am big cinema and plays fan and heard so many epic stuff about West end plays and musicals

Im comming October to London for 5 days and I dont know if its worth to spend 200£ (2 persons) for a theathre is it like a must do when in London? I feel like if we dont go I will regret it so much but im lazy to spend that much for some average or bad seating in Royal/Grand circle..

If its a must im doubting beetween Lion king, Phanthom of the opera, Harry potter and the cursed child and Stranger things big fan off all 4 so if I really must see some of them which one would you choose?

And where is best to purchase tickets from Official London Theathre website?

My 74 year old mom has never been to London (neither have I). She has always dreamed of going. On a whim, I bought tickets before they sold out (before the extension) to one of the last October dates for the Queen’s clothing exhibition at the King’s Gallery. (My mom adores the late Queen) We will be in London from Monday - Thursday, and the only thing on the calendar is the exhibition. Things my mom loves: books, flowers, second hand shops (the real ones). She wants to see Chinatown, which I think is cute but inexplicable. She’d like to have a meal there.

She is massively well read. Dickens is what really ignited her imagination for London. When she moved in with my dad, the one book she chose to pack in her bag was a book of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Translated into Serbian.

I think she’d absolutely love to visit a real British charity shop, somewhere she could find an old pepper mill, vintage cardigan, tea cup or a tray with the Queen’s face on it and be absolutely thrilled with her find. She could browse a charity shop for hours. She has an amazing eye for treasures.

She would like to do a river tour and see the city from the water (any particular recommendations?). She says she just wants to smell and hear London.

Anything very expensive would turn her off. She’s the type of person that if she got told off by a London bus driver she would find it humorous or charming and call it the highlight of her trip. She finds beauty in the every day.
What are some of the special corners of London that have a place in your heart and give meaning to the city you love?

My sincerest thanks to any replies and considerations ❤️🙏 and yes, I’d love to come back with her again next year. I don’t want this to be our only trip.

Hello and greetings from Austria 👋🏻

Me and my girlfriend would like to travel to London in early December. I have been there about 12 years ago and she has never been there.

We would fly to Heathrow at the beginning of December and will be there for about 4 days. No specific budget, as I am currently checking all the possibilities and it is a birthday present for her, so it can be a bit more expensive 😉

As for the stuff we want to do:
We would like to visit the Christmas markets, go the theater and the usual tourist stuff like London eye, Big Ben, London dungeon, etc. ^^

So that is why I wanted to ask, in which area you guys recommend to take a hotel?
What should I be looking for?
And general tips would be greatly appreciated!

If this is a duplicate post I am sorry but please give send me the link for the original one!

Thank you!!!

I have a 7:15am flight from London Southend Airport and I’m staying in central London.

Unfortunately, the Holiday Inn near Southend Airport is fully booked on my flight night !!

Other options are far away or inconvenient shared bathroom

I’m trying to work out the safest and most practical way to get to the airport that early that won't cost a fortune!!

I was thinking about leaving central London around 3:30, walking to the bus station, then getting to Liverpool Street and taking the train to Southend Airport. Will it be safe as solo female!!

Any advice from people who have caught very early flights from Southend would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi
Just reporting in on a trip I took to London in mid September. I hadn’t visited before and absolutely love the city. Solo male traveller, 40s.

I stayed for four nights at Fox and Anchor pub near Farringdon stn and then, after two nights in Bristol, another four nights at Pilgrm hotel next to
Paddington stn. Both were good, convenient, quiet, easy to recommend. Travel in and out of Heathrow was simple and easy.

In London I went to concerts at the MOTH club in Hackney, the ICA, and Camden Roundhouse. The concerts were the anchor for the trip and the ostensible reason I came. But really I’ve wanted an excuse to visit for probably 25 years. All great shows.

I had good meals at Elliot restaurant in Borough market, Mountain in Soho, Brat Climpson Arch in Hackney, Quality Chop on Farringdon st, Fallow. Mostly had street food or quick sandwiches for lunch. I had a lot of beer in pubs, mostly Guinness and cask ale, but I don’t think I ever had a meal in one. Spectacular dinner at Wilson’s restaurant in Bristol when I was there.

Only museums I went to were London Museum Docklands and London Transport Museum. The Docklands Museum was excellent- I took too long looking at the early exhibits and had to go back another day to see the section I really wanted to look at, on the post-1980s development. Transport museum had some good stuff to see but was full of children which made it difficult to really enjoy. Unfortunately I was there a week before the depot was open so did not get a chance to visit that.

I really enjoyed wandering around the City when staying near Farringdon station. Kinda tricked me into false calm when I went to Soho, Oxford circus, etc on the second leg and saw the real crush of tourists and shoppers for the first time.

I sat in charterhouse square and St James Park and island gardens but regret not seeing more parks. I meant to go to the Wetlands centre but ran out of time.

I didn’t set out to see any landmarks but it was nice to see them pop up as I wandered around.

I spent a lot of time taking the underground around. The stretch between Farringdon and Paddington is marvellous. I stepped out many times at Baker st just to stare at the bricks and the tracks. Fascinating old stations. I took the overground between Rotherhithe and Wapping through the old Thames tunnel. I took almost every leg of the DLR. Wandered through insane Bank station and took the Waterloo and City line. The Jubilee Extension stations were fascinating and intense- Westminster and Canary Wharf. Remarkable to compare their scale and intensity to the much more gentle and human-scale Elizabeth line. So many branches I wanted to take - I’d go back just to fill in the many gaps in the tube map. I wanted to take one of the lines out to the end and back but didn’t end up making the time, which I regret. I did take the Greenwich foot tunnel too.

Aside from the shows, which I had tickets for log in advance, I didn’t plan anything out more than a day or two in advance. Jet lag was tough (I flew from Vancouver Canada, 8hr difference). Having no itinerary made a few days a bit formless but I always had zero pressures, aside from a couple of dinner reservations. It’s not for everyone but it’s my favourite way to travel. It’s the same approach I’ve taken to big American cities and Mexico City too.

London feels like a city I could wander through and explore forever. A very rich text. I will come back.

So I'll be visiting London from 13-20 of October and it will be the first time in my life. I won't be solo travelling this time but neither my friends have experienced this city so therefore I'd like to listen what should we do to make our trip worth it. Already planned the football games that I'll be watching so far which is 1 Champions League game and 2 premier League games but that's definitely not enough for a whole week there lol.

Hi everyone! I’m visiting London solo for the first time Nov 23–29 and would love some input on my itinerary. I’m trying to balance sightseeing with actually enjoying the city and not rushing everywhere. I’ll be staying in Bloomsbury.
Mon 11/23 – Arrival

British Museum in the afternoon
I know I won’t be able to see everything in one day, but there’s just a few things that I really wanna see.

Tue 11/24 – Harry Potter + Covent Garden + Football
Harry Potter walking tour (ends 1:30pm near Trafalgar Square)

Covent Garden / Seven Dials

Christmas lights/decorations

Early dinner

Back to Bloomsbury

Watch Arsenal vs Dortmund at a pub around 8pm (currently thinking Friend at Hand)

Wed 11/25 – Borough Market + Greenwich
Borough Market food tour 10:30am–1:30pm

Walk toward Tower Bridge / Thames

Boat to Greenwich

Painted Hall

Greenwich waterfront / Cutty Sark / market if time

Thu 11/26 – Canterbury
Day trip to Canterbury (train already booked)

Cathedral

Explore the medieval streets

Pub lunch

Wander/shopping

Back to London late afternoon/early evening

Fri 11/27 – Camden + Christmas Lights
Camden Market

Walk to Primrose Hill

Regent’s Park / Marylebone

Oxford Street

Regent Street Christmas lights

Carnaby Street / Soho

Dinner somewhere around there

Sat 11/28 – Notting Hill + Knightsbridge + Chelsea
Notting Hill / Portobello Road in the morning

Harrods

Walk down Sloane Street

Sloane Square / King’s Road / Chelsea

Dinner wherever I end up

Sun 11/29 – Fly home

I’m a solo female traveler and I’m comfortable walking and using public transport, but I don’t want to pack so much into each day that I’m just checking things off a list.
Main things I’d love opinions on:
Does the itinerary make sense geographically?

Are any of these days too packed or too empty?

Is Borough Market to Tower Bridge to boat to Greenwich realistic in one afternoon?

Does Camden, Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park, Oxford/Regent/Carnaby flow well?

Would you change anything about the Notting Hills day??

Any good pubs around Bloomsbury for watching Arsenal that aren’t insanely rowdy?
Or should I just bite the bullet and go to a pub near the stadium?

Anything obvious I’m missing for a first trip to London?

Would especially appreciate advice from Londoners or people who know the city well. Thank you!

This question has been asked a lot, but I never see the museum brought up in the recommendations.

I will be staying outside of the city and was thinking of driving in early and parking somewhere and walking all day. I don’t plan on stopping to eat breakfast or lunch since I want to maximize the day. I want to see as many sights and go into as many locations as possible (the museum and Tower of London ect). What time would you recommend starting my day (and ending) and what location should I start/end with? Which sites would you say are worth going into and which are ok to see from the outside. I plan and hope to be back one day with more time but want to do as much as possible. Thanks!

Hi, I'm a fat french woman -yes we exists! But the clichee is not completly wrong and it's hard to find nice clothes in my size here. I'll be in London for a week and am looking for small designers who cater to a literally larger audience, too. Not looking for any particular style, just not drab or colourful enough to be visible from Mars. If you know of any such shops, please let me know.

As the title suggests, quick trip over, primarily for the NFL games. Thinking we’ll just spend our time walking and exploring but if there are any must eats or must visit shops, I want to know!

Also - get in at 9pm, figure be to hotel by 12am - what does that look like for food?! I know we’ll be starving so hoping on a Saturday night we’ll find something by the hotel?

Thanks for all advice and guidance, we’re excited for this quick adventure!

F staying 1 night in London and looking for a place to shop a few clothes. Staying in Marylebone. Keen on timeless pieces made from natural fibres. Budget ca 150£ for jeans. 250£ for a knit jumper. Want to avoid Zara, Mango, Uniqlo and all H&M affiliates. Keen on independent brands but don’t know which.

I looked at TOAST which is nearby and looks like they have great items, so maybe a knit jumper from there but then would not buy anything else. Also wondering if the ~45 minute trip to visit APC Surplus is worth it?

Not really in London for touristing, just a layover. But I live somewhere that doesn’t really have nice shops so keen to use the opportunity. Like to shop quality on sale or second hand but with only an afternoon might not be so easy.

Looking for a hotel in the Bloomsbury/Soho/Convent Garden area that won’t break the bank for family of 4. Daughter is studying abroad. Looking to stay 6 nights, 400 euros a night. Maybe Airbnb might be a good option? Thoughts on…

1. Holiday Inn
2. Resident Soho
3. Montague on the gardens
4. Wilde aparthotels paddington
5. July London

6 clermont london

1. Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

Hey Guys,
I‘m planning a trip around Christmas (dec. 23.- dec. 27.).
Do you have any advice or tips for a cozy Hotel and some activities for solo travelers?
Thanks !

About a week ago I posted here to ask for advice for planning my trip. After a week full of tourism, pints and careful planning, I will give comments for each day and what I would have changed.

Extra time was defined as time to go for a pint with my friends who live there, and also joined me for much of the tourism as well.

This is the itinerary I went into it the vacation with:

Thursday 24th - Central London Day

AM:

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben 

Buckingham Palace

St James Park

Downing Street

PM:

British Museum

Evening:

Extra Time

Comments:

This day was great, really accomplished everything in the Westminster walk which I think was super beautiful, did not go into Westminster Abbey and downing street is a total 3 minute walk by.

Entered Buckingham palace state rooms that were absolutely incredible. Had the afternoon tea box in their cafe which I really enjoyed.

I did not go to the British museum that day as a result of poor phone battery management. Ended up going to Victoria Station, sitting there to charge for an hour and absorbing the train station atmosphere was quite fun in the end.

I went to Churchill was rooms instead after that which was not in the intinerary and yet was one of the things I wanted to see most. Ended up being a brilliant improvisation because it was very close and a terrific museum.

Friday 25th - North London Day

AM:

Kings Cross Station (Harry Potter)

Camden Market

Regent's Park

Abbey Road Crossing

PM:

National Art Gallery

Trafalgar Square

Leicester Square

Evening:

Les Miserables, Sondheim Theatre 19:30

Comments:

Kings cross harry potter shop is terrific. Don't stand in the line for the cart picture in my opinion. Camden market was underwhelming, regent's park is beautiful and abbey road is cool of course and it is totally worth it to recreate the pose imo.

The squares are really nice, ended up walking by trafalgar the day before, and came back there just for the museum, which was great and I did have enough time for. Leicester square was a perfect little exploration of lego and m&m just before les mis.

Les Mis is life changing and I absolute recommend it. Go watch a west end musical.

Saturday 26th - West London Day

AM:

Notting Hill

Portobello Road Market

Kensington Palace

Hyde Park

PM:

Natural History Museum

V&A Museum

Drive to Wembley 18:00

Evening:

Football Game 19:45

Comments:

Did not have end up going to Portobello Market (and Notting Hill as well) as it is only really worth to go early and I didn't wake up early enough.

Hyde Park is just a blast to walk in and Kensington Palace is nice and I did not go in.

Natural history museum is absolutely terrific and ended up spending hours there, so I didn't have time for V&A and actually missed it entirely. Poor planning that day.

The football game was insane - the energy, the Wembley experience, the pints before, if you can get tickets for a football game, prem or nations league, do it.

Sunday 27th - Birthday (Improvised + Chill)

AM:

Full English Breakfast

Imperial War Museum

PM:

Battersea Power Station (Pink Floyd)

Evening:

EXTRA TIME

Comments:

Had to try a Full English at least once, it also takes a while to enjoy with the tea which is why I considered it a full activity.

Imperial war museum was great but a little far from everything.

Battersea was great as a Pink Floyd fan, had to try and recreate the photo. Found a corner underneath Grosvenor Bridge that was pretty solid to recreate. Nice area with nice atmosphere, a lot of restaurants.

Monday 28th - East London Day

AM:

St Paul's Cathedral

Leadenhall Market

Tower of London

PM:

St Katharine Docks

Tower Bridge

HMS Belfast

Evening:

EXTRA TIME

Comments:

Went into St Paul's, stunning. Climbed all the way up which was incredible views, awesome London eye alternative in my opinion. Leadenhall was cute but just a very short walkthrough. City of London is a nice area to walk if you like formal attire. Lots of people with nice suits, watches, which is something I like. Tower of London was great (tickets were pricey). Definitely go to a Yeoman tour. The White Tower is terrific and the crown jewels are absolutely worth it. Went on a Monday which meant it was not busy at all, and I could look at for as long as I wanted, and believe me you will want to. Try to align this day on a weekday.

St Katharine Docks were a nothing burger, I don't know why I went there. Tower Bridge is beautiful and HMS Belfast was incredible and one of the best museums I went to in my life.

Tuesday 29th - Harry Potter Studio Tour Day and Misc

AM: 

Extra Time

Drive to Watford 14:00

PM:

Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour 15:30

Evening:

EXTRA TIME

Comments:

Ended up fitting some shopping and The British Museum into that morning. Shopping was always fun and I really likes Oxford street for that. British Museum was way too rushed and unfortunately I did not get to experience it properly.

Harry Potter tour was incredible as a superfan. Definitely do not take their shuttle from central London, just from Watford Junction is enough, and head there an hour and a half before your time. Entered a little earlier and spent the whole time there until closing at 20. I got to see absolutely everything no rush, had the time to wait in the extra lines that were not that bad, experience the shop (bought a lot of stuff too), and have a 30 minute Butterbeer sharing flight break.

Wednesday 30th - Greenwich Day

Check out morning but keep suitcases

AM:

Royal Observatory

Cutty Sark

Maritime Museum

Queen’s House

PM:

Chill until flight

17:00 Drive to Luton

Comments:

This day went completely off course. I did not end up going to Greenwich and unfortunately missed it entirely. Stressed me too much to do this before the flight. A reason to come back :)

Spent it shopping for gifts instead, having a bunch of pints and good food. Went to Covent Garden which was a nice area and worth it, ended up chilling and important before a flight.

If you have any questions, feel free :)

Hi, I'll be in London from the 13th - 19th of October, mainly for a thing in Poole on the 16th. I'll be traveling solo and was hoping to get some insight on the following:

• I'll be landing at ~2PM and am planning to take the SL7 bus from Heathrow to my stay in Sutton. The TfL app tells me its a straight shot with no changes (I'm not worried about travel time). Is this a sound plan or should I stick to an uber?
  • I'm worried whether I'll have enough space for luggage without getting in people's way (1 larger-than-cabin-sized trolley bag and 1 small backpack, which is reasonable I think but not sure).
• I'm planning to travel to Poole (luggage remains in Sutton) sometime around noon on the 16th via national-rail. I'll check into my one-night stay there (20-min walk from station), before heading for the event in the evening (10-min walk from station). I'll head back to Sutton on the 17th (national-rail again). Anything I'm missing in this plan? Any tips for out-of-London travel that I should keep in mind?
• Where can I get my hands on an Oyster card the earliest after landing? I have contactless cards but don't want to whip them out all the time (and would also like the oyster card as a souvenir). I've read the megathread but the article there says that I can't purchase a visitor's oyster card after I've arrived in London, and the website selling that visitor's card says its currently unavailable.
  • Surely there must be some way to get an oyster card (visitor variant looks cool, but otherwise works too)?

Unrelated but during the rest of the trip I'm hoping to visit the following and would like opinions as to whether I'm missing any obvious holes (stuff that's closed this time of year, any tips, etc.):

• the Big Ben, walk around the Parliament Square/Buckingham Palace areas, the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square/Covent Garden,
• the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Kensington Gardens,
• the British Museum, the National Gallery and (possibly) the Tower of London,

I'm thinking of covering one bullet point per day (14th, 15th, 18th, not necessarily in order), starting and ending each day at my stay in Sutton.

I'm super flexible with these items because I'm mainly there for the event in Poole and I don't mind missing out on some of these other things due to time constraints or whatever.

Thanks a lot for reading all of that!

Would love recommendations for:

1.Cool independent bookshops (we visit one in every city)

2.Great coffee shops, kid-friendly if possible kids 8 and 10 yr old kids

3.Clean public toilets near major sights (Tower, Westminster, St Paul's, Greenwich)

4. Kiddos birthday, any restaurant that does cake/sing song?(will call ahewd)

5. Anything underrated we shouldn't miss ?

Hi everyone, I’ll be traveling to London at the end of October and staying until the second week of November. The main purpose of my trip is to attend my graduation, but since I’m traveling all the way from Southeast Asia, I’d also like to do some sightseeing and make the most of my time there. This will be my first time in London, and I’ll be traveling solo, so I’d really appreciate some advice from locals or anyone familiar with the city.

I’ve put together a rough itinerary although I'm pretty sure I may have packed too much into some days. 😅 I basically just researched places that looked interesting and tried to fit everything in! A little bit about me: I'm a Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes fan, and I'm also interested in history and paintings so I wanted to visit some of the places that have these in London.

Here's what I currently have planned:

• Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Park, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden
• Day trip to Oxford
• Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Thames Riverside
• British Museum, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Leicester Square, Chinatown
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
• Day trip to Windsor
• Kensington, Hyde Park and Notting Hill
• Day trip to Stonehenge and Bath
• Sherlock Holmes Museum, Regent's Park and Marylebone
• Day trip to York

I’d really appreciate any feedback on the itinerary. Are there any places here that you think I could skip, or attractions that deserve more time? Are there places where it's perfectly fine to just see the outside rather than pay for admission? I’d also appreciate advice on which attractions I should book in advance, especially anything that tends to sell out.

For the day trips, would you recommend booking an organized tour/package, or is it generally easy enough to do them independently using public transportation? I'm comfortable traveling on my own, but I'm wondering if there are certain places where a tour is more convenient or worthwhile.

One other thing: I'm hoping to buy a good winter coat while I'm in London. Where I'm from, proper winter coats are either quite expensive or difficult to find, and I'd like to get something that I can also use when traveling to colder countries in the future. I am not looking for anything too fancy, just something good quality, warm, durable, and reasonably priced. Are there any shops or brands in London that you'd recommend for this?

Thanks so much for any advice. 😊

I’m a new uni student in London, living in Wimbledon area. My boyfriend is coming to me for nye and we want to do something with fireworks, obviously the main option would be the big fireworks at the London eye and we want to know if the areas you can view without a ticket is worth it or if we can find other fireworks? We’re probably going somewhere nice for dinner first so recommendations for that would be good too. We could get a hotel for the night if we think we need to, but since I have the flat in Wimbledon anyway it’d be good to stay there if we can.

I'm looking at doing a 7 day UK travel trip this summer and currently have 4 days in London and 3 in Edinburgh

I've been reading a ton about things to do in London and somehow my list has gotten ridiculously long. Big Ben, museums, Tower of London, markets, neighborhoods, pubs etc

I'm starting to wonder if trying to fit all of that into a 4 day London itinerary will make the trip more stressful than enjoyable. Id have about $1,800 total and would be flying from the Northeast US so I'm also trying to keep accommodation and transportation reasonable

For a first time in London what would you consider must do versus skippable?

And is 3 days in Edinburgh enough after?