Planning four days in London can go one of two ways. You either try to cram everything in and end up exhausted by Saturday afternoon, or you plan nothing and spend half the weekend trying to decide what to do. This itinerary aims for the sweet spot: enough structure to make the most of the Easter bank holiday, enough flexibility to go with the flow.

Easter 2026 runs from Good Friday 3 April to Easter Monday 6 April. This itinerary mixes West End shows with sightseeing, riverside experiences and some quieter moments, with practical timings that actually work.

Day 1: Good Friday - South Bank and an Evening Show

Start your long weekend on the South Bank, one of London's most walkable and rewarding stretches.

Get to the London Eye (from £33) for a mid-morning ride. Booking a 10:30am or 11:00am slot means shorter queues than the afternoon, and the light is usually at its clearest in the morning. The 30-minute rotation gives you a stunning overview of the city you're about to spend the weekend exploring.

Walk east along the South Bank towards Borough Market, which is open on Good Friday. Stop for lunch here. The market's street food stalls have everything from fresh oysters to slow-cooked brisket rolls, and you can eat well for under £15. Allow about an hour to wander, eat and soak it up.

After lunch, continue east along the riverside path to the Tower of London (from £36). This is a solid 20-minute walk from Borough Market, passing Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Tower Bridge along the way. The Tower is best visited in the afternoon when the morning crowds have thinned. Join a Yeoman Warder tour for the stories you won't get from a guidebook. Allow two to three hours.

Head back to your hotel to freshen up, then into the West End for an evening show. Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre (from £32, curtain 7:30pm) is a powerful way to start a theatre weekend. Grab dinner in Soho beforehand. Aim to be seated at a restaurant by 5:30pm for a comfortable pre-show meal.

Day 2: Saturday - Exploring and a Matinee

Saturday is your day to combine a big attraction with an afternoon matinee, leaving the evening free.

Morning: St Paul's Cathedral (from £25) opens at 8:30am on Saturdays. Arrive early to beat the crowds. Christopher Wren's masterpiece is one of the most beautiful buildings in London, and climbing to the Golden Gallery at the top of the dome gives you a stunning panoramic view. Allow 90 minutes.

From the Abbey, walk through St James's Park towards Buckingham Palace (10-minute walk). The park should be full of spring blossom in early April, and the lake is lovely. Watch the world go by for half an hour, then head to Covent Garden for lunch. Neal's Yard and the surrounding streets have excellent cafés and restaurants.

Afternoon: Catch a 2:30pm matinee. The Producers at the Garrick Theatre (from £32) is pure joy and the ideal antidote to any lingering weekday stress. The Garrick is right in the heart of Covent Garden, a short walk from lunch.

Evening: With no show to rush to, Saturday evening is yours. The View from The Shard (from £19) is open late and particularly atmospheric after dark. Or explore Chinatown and Soho for dinner at your own pace. The area comes alive on Saturday nights.

Day 3: Easter Sunday - Parks, Culture and Something Different

Easter Sunday is a day to slow the pace slightly and enjoy London without a packed schedule.

Morning: Start with a walk through one of London's great parks. Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens is a beautiful route in spring, or head north to Regent's Park and climb Primrose Hill for a panoramic view of the skyline. Either walk takes about an hour at a relaxed pace and costs nothing.

Late morning: Visit the Tate Modern on the South Bank (free entry for the permanent collection). The building alone is worth seeing, and the collection spans Picasso to Warhol. The upper-floor restaurant has river views if you want to stop for a coffee or early lunch.

Afternoon: Do something unexpected. Frameless (from £28) near Marble Arch projects famous artworks across vast walls and floors in an immersive experience that's unlike a traditional gallery. It's the kind of place where an hour passes without you noticing.

Evening: Easter Sunday is a good evening for a show that feels like a proper event. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (from £38) transforms the Playhouse Theatre into a 1930s Berlin nightclub and the immersive atmosphere makes the evening feel like more than just a theatre visit. Or for something lighter, Titanique at the Criterion Theatre (from £36) is 1 hour 40 minutes of pure fun.

Day 4: Easter Monday - A Final Day Out

Your last day. Make it count without overcomplicating it.

Morning: Kew Gardens (from £22) is at its most beautiful in early April. The cherry blossom and magnolias should be in bloom, the glasshouses are spectacular in any weather. The treetop walkway gives you a completely different perspective on the gardens. It's a full morning out. Take the District line to Kew Gardens station (about 30 minutes from central London).

Alternatively, if you'd rather stay central, a Thames afternoon tea cruise (from £52) is a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours on your last day, drifting past the landmarks with scones, sandwiches and tea. The tea cruise runs on Good Friday and Easter Monday over the bank holiday.

Afternoon: If you have time for one more show before heading home, a Monday matinee is a lovely way to end the weekend. MAMMA MIA! at the Novello Theatre (from £19) sends you off on a high. The finale is guaranteed to leave you smiling, which is exactly the energy you want to carry into Tuesday.

Insider Tips for Your 4-Day Itinerary

Book all your shows and timed experiences before you arrive. Easter is peak season and spontaneous tickets are hard to come by, especially for Saturday matinees and popular evening shows.

Plan your Tube journeys in advance on bank holidays. Some lines run reduced frequencies and there may be planned closures. The Elizabeth Line runs normally on most bank holidays and is the most reliable east-west route across central London.

Keep your evenings flexible where possible. Having one evening without a show or activity gives you breathing room. Use it for a spontaneous dinner, a walk along the river at dusk or just an early night.

Don't try to do more than two big activities per day. London is a walking city and you'll cover more ground on foot than you expect. Factor in travel time, queuing time and the energy required to actually enjoy what you're doing.

Book everything through tickadoo for instant e-tickets on your phone. With multiple shows and experiences across four days, having everything in one place saves real hassle. Join the free tickadoo+ membership and every booking earns you rewards.

Your Easter Weekend, Day by Day

This itinerary gives you three shows, four major attractions, at least two riverside experiences and time in the parks, all across four days without feeling rushed. Adjust it to suit your pace. If you need a slower Sunday, drop Frameless and extend the park walk. If you want more theatre, add a Saturday evening show. The long weekend is yours.

Browse all West End shows and London experiences on tickadoo, and join the free tickadoo+ membership to earn rewards on every booking.