Four days in
summer London

We did London twice. First in 2018 — winter, four days, perfect. Seven years later we did it again, in a completely different way: late July, four days, treated as the front porch of a British Isles cruise on NCL Dawn. The second version was the one that made us realize this might be the best way to start a summer cruise to anywhere in the UK or northern Europe.

Here's the journal — what we did, why it worked, and exactly how we'd recommend pairing a London stopover with a cruise.

The case for pairing London with a cruise —

If you're flying transatlantic to catch a UK-departing cruise, you should be adding London to the front of the trip. Three reasons. Jet lag. You will need a day to feel human again, and you'd much rather lose that day in a city you wanted to see than aboard a ship you paid for. Train logistics. Most UK cruises depart from Southampton, which is about a 90-minute train ride from London. Spending a few days in London first builds in a buffer if your transatlantic flight delays — and it makes the train journey to the ship feel like the start of the adventure rather than a stressful airport transfer. The contrast. Four days in a great old city followed by a cruise is one of the all-time-great vacation shapes.

It stays light past 9pm in London in July. We had three "second dinners" in pub gardens because we kept forgetting it was late. — Seanna, on day three

What we did this time —

Day 1 (arrival): Landed in the morning, fought jet lag with sunlight, walked through Hyde Park, ate at the first promising place we passed, slept like the dead.

Day 2: The big day. Westminster Abbey early. Walk along the Thames. Lunch at Borough Market (better than every restaurant we'd planned). Tate Modern in the afternoon — the kind of art museum where you can wander for two hours without picking up an audio guide.

Day 3: Day trip out to Kew Gardens (the Tube goes there; bring a book and lunch and stay all day). Back into town for theatre — same-day tickets at half price.

Day 4: Slow morning, train to Southampton, embark on NCL Dawn.

See all 303 photos from this trip →

Summer vs. winter London —

We've now done both, in 2018 and 2025, and they're both excellent for different reasons. Summer London has long evenings, pub gardens, parks at their best, and an almost vacation-town energy. Winter London has cheaper flights, smaller crowds, and a particular kind of dusk-at-4pm magic. If we had to pick one, we'd pick winter; if we had a cruise to catch in summer, we'd take summer in a heartbeat.

What we'd do differently —

1. Five nights, not three. A cruise pre-stay should give you at least one buffer day for jet lag, plus three real London days, plus your transit-to-ship day. Three nights is too tight if your flight is delayed.

2. Book one show in advance. Same-day theatre tickets are great but the headline shows go fast. If there's something you really want to see, book it before you fly.

3. Take the train, not a car service. The London-to-Southampton train is comfortable, on time, and a third of the cost of a private transfer. Every cruise terminal we've ever sailed from has been a 5-minute taxi from the train station.

Want to plan a London + cruise combo? —

This is one of our specialties — pairing a few days in London (or another European city) with a cruise that sails out of UK or European waters. We can plan the flights, the hotel, the train, the cruise itself, and the day-by-day so you don't have to worry about logistics.

Plan my London + cruise trip

Read the cruise this trip led into: Eleven nights around Ireland and the British Isles · or the winter version: Four days in winter London (2018)