Can you really fly to London and do a London day trip, pack in some of its biggest sights and attractions, and do it for less than €100 per person?
My eldest son and I decided to find out.
We flew from Shannon to Stansted early in the morning, spent one very full day exploring London and flew home again that night. I kept a running total of every cent we spent, including our flights, airport transport, food, treats and travel around London.
Our final total was €190.20 for both of us — or €95.10 each.
It was a long and extremely busy day, but it was also one of the best adventures we have had together.
Below, I have shared our exact route, everything we spent and some alternative stops to help you build a London itinerary that works for your own family.
The full cost of our London day trip
Here is exactly what we spent for two people:
- Return flights from Shannon to Stansted: €60
- Stansted Express return tickets: €60
- London Underground: €10.50
- M&S and Wasabi picnic: €23.50
- Chocolate-covered strawberries at Borough Market: €11.20
- Drinks: €4
- Panini stickers: €7
- itsu dinner: €14
Total for two people: €190.20
Total per person: €95.10
We did not include airport parking or the cost of travelling to Shannon Airport, as these will be different for every family. The cost of parking is €11 for the day if you are not getting a lift.
We also brought snacks and water with us and avoided buying food at the airport, which helped to keep the cost down.
An important reality check before you copy our itinerary
I am not going to pretend this was a relaxed little day wandering around London.
We walked approximately 35,000 steps — more than 25 kilometres.
That is a huge amount of walking, particularly for children. My son is older, enjoys walking and was fully committed to the challenge. This exact itinerary would not work for every family, especially with younger children, buggies or anyone who needs a slower pace.
We had also visited both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum before. So we were not attempting to see everything inside them. We had specific exhibits and highlights in mind, which meant we could spend a shorter amount of time in each museum.
Many families could happily spend four, five or even six hours in just one of these museums.
The purpose of sharing our full day is not to suggest that every family should walk 35,000 steps or visit every stop. It is to show you how many brilliant free attractions are available and help you choose the ones that would work best for your family.
Think of this itinerary as a menu of ideas rather than a checklist you need to complete.
Travelling from Ireland to London for the day
We flew from Shannon Airport to London Stansted.
When looking for flights, do not automatically assume the cheapest airfare will result in the cheapest day trip. You also need to consider:
- The cost of travelling from the airport into central London
- How long the airport transfer takes
- The arrival and departure times
- How early you need to leave the city for your return flight
- Whether public transport is running at the times you need it
Stansted can often have very affordable flights, but the airport is a considerable distance from central London. Our flight left at 6am and we arrived back to Shannon at just after 12am. As we were flying from a smaller regional airport we were limited with flight times, days and which London airport we could fly into.
Gatwick may sometimes work out better overall, depending on the airfare and train prices available on your dates.
Getting from Stansted Airport into London
We used the Stansted Express, which cost approximately €60 return for the two of us.
This was one of the biggest costs of the day, but speed was important because we only had a limited number of hours in London.
There are coaches from Stansted that can be cheaper, but they generally take longer and can be affected by traffic.
Some people also suggested using local or off-peak train tickets. However, the cheaper off-peak options were not suitable for our early arrival time. When you only have one day, it is important to compare the saving with the amount of time you could lose.
For us, the Stansted Express was the most practical option for this particular trip.
Our exact London itinerary
You can download a printable copy of our itinerary here to give you an idea of timings.
1. Science Museum
Our first stop was the Science Museum in South Kensington.
Entry is free, although it is a good idea to reserve a free ticket in advance, particularly during busy periods.
The museum is enormous and could easily fill most of your day. Because we had visited before, we focused on a few sections that my son particularly wanted to see rather than trying to cover the entire museum.
This is a brilliant option for children who are interested in space, transport, engineering, technology or hands-on exhibits.
Cost: Free
2. Natural History Museum
From the Science Museum, we walked to the Natural History Museum, which is located next door.
Again, entry to the main museum is free but I recommend booking your free tickets in advance to avoid queing.
We went in to see some of our favourite highlights rather than exploring every gallery. The dinosaurs, enormous blue whale skeleton and the building itself make it worth visiting, even when you only have a short amount of time.
For a more relaxed family day, I would choose either the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum rather than trying to properly explore both.
Cost: Free
3. M&S and Wasabi picnic
Instead of eating in one of the museum cafés or sitting down for a restaurant lunch, we picked up food from M&S and Wasabi near High Street Kensington.
We spent €23.50 on lunch for the two of us.
This included enough food for a proper picnic rather than relying on a collection of snacks to keep us going for the entire day.
Buying lunch from a supermarket or casual takeaway is one of the easiest ways to manage the cost of a London day trip.
Cost: €23.50
4. Kyoto Garden in Holland Park
We brought our lunch to the beautiful Kyoto Garden in Holland Park.
This peaceful Japanese garden has a waterfall, pond, colourful fish and roaming peacocks. It’s small but felt like a little hidden oasis in the middle of London.
It was also a lovely contrast to the crowds and noise of the museums.
There is no entry fee, so it is an ideal picnic stop when the weather is dry.
Cost: Free
5. Westminster, Big Ben and the London Eye
After lunch, we travelled towards Westminster to see some of London’s most recognisable sights.
We walked around Westminster, saw Big Ben and crossed the area near the London Eye.
We did not pay to go inside an attraction or ride the London Eye. Simply walking around this part of the city gave my son the experience of seeing the landmarks he associated most with London.
This is a great way to include the famous sights without adding expensive attraction tickets to the day.
Cost: Free
6. Leake Street Tunnel
We then visited Leake Street Tunnel, sometimes known as the Graffiti Tunnel.
It is a legal street-art space beneath Waterloo Station, filled with colourful murals and constantly changing artwork.
It is a little different from the traditional tourist attractions and was a fun, quick stop to include along our route.
Because the artwork changes regularly, no two visits will look exactly the same.
Cost: Free
7. Borough Market
Our next stop was Borough Market.
You do not need to buy anything to enjoy walking around the market, but it is definitely one of those places where it is easy to be tempted by all the food.
Our chosen treat was the famous chocolate-covered strawberries from Turnips.
They cost €11.20, so they were certainly not a budget snack, but they were something Luke particularly wanted to try and we had deliberately allowed room for one memorable treat.
For me, budgeting does not mean saying no to everything. It means deciding which things are worth spending money on and skipping the things that do not matter as much to us.
Cost: €11.20
8. Tate Modern
We walked from Borough Market to the Tate Modern.
Entry to the main collection is free, although some temporary exhibitions require paid tickets.
We specifically wanted to see an original Andy Warhol artwork. This meant we were able to have a quick, focused visit rather than attempting to explore the entire gallery.
The Tate Modern is another attraction that could take several hours, but it also works well as a shorter stop when there is a particular artist or artwork you want to see.
Cost: Free
9. Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral views
From the Tate Modern, we walked across the Millennium Bridge.
The bridge gives you brilliant views along the River Thames and towards St Paul’s Cathedral. It is another completely free way to experience some of London’s most famous scenery.
Cost: Free
10. St Dunstan in the East
We continued to St Dunstan in the East, the ruins of a historic church that have been transformed into a public garden.
It is a beautiful and unusual place, with greenery growing through the remains of the old stone walls.
It does not take long to visit, but it is a lovely hidden gem to add when you are already exploring this part of London.
Cost: Free
11. Hamleys
No London trip with Luke would have been complete without a quick visit to Hamleys on Regent Street.
Obviously, Hamleys has the potential to become a very expensive stop. However, you can also enjoy the demonstrations, displays and general chaos without buying anything.
We treated it as an attraction rather than a shopping trip.
Cost: Free
12. Panini sticker stop
My son wanted to look for Panini football stickers, so we included a small sticker stop and spent €7. This Pop Up Shop was in Selfridges on Oxford Street.
This was another expense that was very specific to his interests.
When planning a one-to-one trip with a child, I think it is worth building in at least one stop that is entirely based around something they love.
Cost: €7
13. itsu dinner
Before beginning our journey back to Stansted, we picked up dinner from itsu (located across the way from Liverpool Street Station).
Dinner cost €14 for both of us.
Choosing a casual takeaway-style meal helped us avoid the cost and time involved in a sit-down restaurant.
We also made sure we ate before returning to the airport, where the options would likely have been more expensive.
Cost: €14
Travelling around London
Our total Underground spending was approximately €10.50.
Children under 11 can travel free on London buses and the Underground when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Contactless payment is generally the easiest option for adults, as daily fare caps can help limit the amount you spend.
It is still worth planning your route carefully. London may look compact on a map, but distances can quickly add up. We walked between many of our stops because the walk itself included sights we wanted to see.
With younger children, using the Underground or buses more frequently would make the day much more manageable.
Other free London attractions to consider
You absolutely do not need to follow our exact route. Other free or low-cost places that could be included in a family itinerary are:
Sky Garden
The Sky Garden offers brilliant views across London and entry is free, but tickets generally need to be reserved a few weeks in advance.
This could be a great alternative to paying for one of London’s observation decks. We have done it before with the kids and it was a big hit.
Imperial War Museum
The main museum is free and can be particularly interesting for older children and teenagers who enjoy history. Again, we had done this on a previous trip to London.
London parks and playgrounds
London has plenty of parks that can provide a break from sightseeing. Depending on your route, you could include Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park or another local green space.
Changing of the Guard
This can be a brilliant free experience, but it requires careful planning and can become extremely crowded.
More time at one museum
Rather than visiting several attractions, you could choose one museum and allow the children to explore it properly.
That would create a much slower and more relaxed day while still keeping attraction costs very low.
Check for London theatre offers
It is also worth checking whether any family theatre offers are available for your travel dates.
London’s annual Kids Week promotion can make West End shows much more affordable for families, with selected child tickets offered free or at a reduced price when booked with an adult ticket.
Availability, eligible shows and dates vary, so this is something that would need to be researched and booked in advance.
A show would completely change the structure and budget of the day, but it could be a brilliant option for a special one-to-one trip.
What helped us keep the cost down
The biggest thing that helped was choosing mostly free attractions.
London can be extremely expensive, but many of its best museums, galleries, parks, markets and landmarks can be experienced without paying an admission fee.
We also:
- Booked inexpensive flights
- Brought snacks and water
- Avoided buying food at the airport
- Bought supermarket and takeaway food rather than eating in restaurants
- Chose one bigger treat instead of buying something at every stop
- Used walking as part of the sightseeing
- Focused on specific museum highlights
- Avoided paid attractions such as the London Eye
- Ate dinner before returning to the airport
Was our London day trip worth it?
Absolutely.
It was a bucket-list adventure that my son and I had talked about and we loved the challenge of spending as little as possible! It was not something we do every weekend, and it was not “cheap” in the sense that it cost nothing.
However, €95.10 each for return flights, airport transfers, transport around London, meals, treats and a full day of experiences felt like excellent value to us.
We saw world-famous landmarks, visited museums and galleries, had a picnic in a Japanese garden, explored Borough Market, found street art, saw an original Andy Warhol and squeezed in a very necessary trip to Hamleys.
More importantly, we had a full day together that we will both remember.
A budget trip does not have to mean removing everything fun. For us, it meant spending intentionally, choosing brilliant free attractions and deciding which treats were genuinely worth including.
Use our route as inspiration, remove half the stops if needed and build a version that suits your own children, their ages and the things they are most excited to see.
Would you attempt London in one day with your child, I’ve linked our full itinerary with timings here if you fancy giving it a go!
If you are planning a weekend in London with kids, you can read my London family trip post and what we got up to on that trip.
