London, Ontario, often called the Forest City, grew at the forks of the Thames River and developed into one of Southwestern Ontario’s key regional hubs. Its story mixes Victorian streetscapes, university energy, public markets, and a food scene that has become far more interesting than first-time visitors expect.

What makes London especially appealing for a weeklong stay is its range. You can spend one day browsing Covent Garden Market and nearby boutiques, another exploring Wortley Village’s indie spirit, and another tasting your way through downtown on foot. It is a city that rewards curiosity rather than rushing.

Practically speaking, London is easy to navigate by car, rideshare, and local transit, though having a car helps for outlet shopping and rural tasting excursions. Expect classic Canadian comfort food, strong coffee culture, craft beer, and an increasingly global restaurant mix; as of March 2025, the venues below are current, well-regarded options for a market, shopping, and restaurant-focused itinerary.

London, Ontario

London is not London, England’s namesake in mood or scale, and that is part of its charm. Here, grand old homes, leafy parks, student life, and independent businesses create a city that feels local first, with enough variety to keep seven days pleasantly full.

For shoppers, the city works best when approached by district. Downtown offers Covent Garden Market, Richmond Row, and nearby specialty stores; Old East Village brings creative energy and vintage finds; Wortley Village is ideal for a slower browse; and Masonville plus White Oaks cover mainstream retail. Food lovers will find everything from elevated Canadian fare to tacos, ramen, pastries, breweries, and chef-driven neighborhood spots.

Where to stay: For a full range of homes and apartment stays, browse VRBO in London, Ontario. For hotels in downtown, near Richmond Row, or by Masonville, check Hotels.com London, Ontario.

Getting there: If arriving from elsewhere in Canada or abroad, compare flights via Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com flights. If you are connecting through Toronto and prefer ground travel, compare rail and bus options within Canada on Trip.com trains; typical Toronto-to-London journeys take roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours by car or bus, and around 4 hours by train depending on schedule.

• Top local themes for this trip: Covent Garden Market, Richmond Row shopping, Wortley Village boutiques, Old East Village makers, craft breweries, downtown food tours, and relaxed riverside walks between meals.
• Best fit for: Travelers who like independent stores, strong café culture, and restaurants that feel personal rather than overly polished.

Day 1 – Arrival and a Gentle Introduction to Downtown London

Morning: This is your arrival day, so keep the morning reserved for travel. If you land early enough to be in town before check-in, grab a light coffee break at Reset Social Café, a stylish local spot known for carefully made espresso drinks and a comfortable atmosphere that eases you into the city without wasting energy.

Afternoon: Check in and settle into your accommodation, then head straight to Covent Garden Market, one of the city’s best orientation points. This indoor market is part food hall, part local institution, and part neighborhood meeting place; browse produce stalls, baked goods, prepared foods, and artisan vendors before taking a first walk through downtown streets around King Street and Richmond Row.

Afternoon: For a late lunch, try The Bag Lady Variety, beloved for generous sandwiches, salads, and soups served in a colorful, unfussy setting. If you want something quick but distinctive, look for market vendors offering pastries, cheeses, or small takeaway bites so you can sample rather than commit to a heavy meal after traveling.

Evening: Begin your culinary week with the Downtown London Walking Food Tour, an excellent first-day choice because it introduces both the city center and several restaurants in one outing.

Evening: If you prefer to dine independently instead, reserve dinner at Grace Restaurant. It is one of London’s most reliable special-occasion tables, known for refined seasonal cooking without stiffness; this is the place to order thoughtfully composed plates and start the trip with confidence.

Day 2 – Richmond Row Shopping and Excellent Casual Dining

Morning: Start with breakfast at Locomotive Espresso on Pall Mall, a local favorite for serious coffee, well-made toast, and pastries. From there, spend the morning on and around Richmond Row, London’s most established shopping corridor, where you will find fashion boutiques, beauty shops, gift stores, and a lively urban rhythm shaped by nearby students and professionals.

Morning: This district works best unhurried. Pop into independent retailers and lifestyle stores, then look for Canadian labels, accessories, stationery, and home goods rather than focusing only on major chains; the pleasure here is in the mix, not in one blockbuster attraction.

Afternoon: Have lunch at Hunter & Co., a downtown staple that serves globally influenced small plates in a relaxed, contemporary room. It is a smart midday stop because the menu invites sharing, which lets you taste more broadly; expect dishes with bright seasoning, smart technique, and enough variety to keep a shopping day interesting.

Afternoon: After lunch, continue browsing downtown and duck into specialty food shops or bookstores nearby. If you want a break from retail, walk a section of the Thames riverfront paths to reset before dinner; London’s green corridors are one reason the city feels calmer than many places of comparable size.

Evening: For dinner, book David’s Bistro, one of the city’s enduring neighborhood favorites for polished but comfortable dining. The menu often leans French-inflected and seasonal, making it ideal if you want attentive service and a meal that feels carefully cooked rather than trendy for its own sake.

Evening: If you still have room, finish with a drink at a nearby craft-focused bar or return to Covent Garden Market area for a quiet post-dinner stroll. Downtown London is compact enough that an evening walk becomes part of the pleasure rather than a logistical chore.

Day 3 – Wortley Village, Old South, and a Slower Local Side of London

Morning: Head to Wortley Village in Old South, one of London’s most appealing neighborhoods for independent shopping and village-like atmosphere. Start breakfast at Black Walnut Bakery Café, well known for beautiful pastries, breads, breakfast plates, and a room that fills quickly with locals; it is exactly the sort of place that tells you a neighborhood is worth lingering in.

Morning: Spend the rest of the morning browsing Wortley’s boutiques, gift shops, and small specialty stores. The appeal here is not volume but character: windows are personal, the streets are walkable, and the area feels lived-in rather than curated solely for visitors.

Afternoon: Stay in the area for lunch at The Church Key Bistro-Pub, a long-running favorite in a converted church hall known for elevated pub fare and one of the city’s strongest beer selections. It is a particularly good recommendation on this itinerary because it combines history, local loyalty, and a menu broad enough to satisfy both comfort-food cravings and more composed tastes.

Afternoon: After lunch, continue into nearby Old South streets for residential architecture and a more relaxed walk. If you want a second shopping district today, make your way toward Old East Village for a different feel—more creative, more eclectic, and often better for vintage pieces, record hunting, or maker-led shops.

Evening: Have dinner at Craft Farmacy, a chef-driven local restaurant known for seasonal ingredients and thoughtful cocktails. This is where London’s dining scene shows its depth; the kitchen tends to balance comfort and precision, making it a memorable choice after a day built around neighborhood discovery.

Day 4 – Masonville, Mainstream Retail, and an Easygoing Night Out

Morning: Begin with coffee and breakfast at Asmara Coffee House, a warmly regarded local option with a welcoming atmosphere and a menu that makes a practical start before a retail-heavy day. Then head to CF Masonville Place, the city’s most convenient destination for concentrated shopping, especially if you want fashion brands, cosmetics, footwear, and department-store variety in one stop.

Morning: Masonville is not the city’s most atmospheric shopping experience, but it is efficient, weather-proof, and useful if you have specific purchases in mind. It pairs well with your market-and-boutique days because it covers the mainstream side of London’s retail landscape in a single outing.

Afternoon: For lunch nearby, consider The WORKS Craft Burgers & Beer if you want a hearty, playful menu with stacked burgers and creative toppings, or choose a lighter café-style meal within the Masonville area depending on appetite. After lunch, continue browsing or visit adjacent big-box and lifestyle retailers around the shopping district.

Afternoon: If you would rather avoid a full mall afternoon, split the day by returning downtown for additional browsing around Richmond Row or Covent Garden Market. That gives you the practical satisfaction of larger retail alongside the more distinctive feel of London’s local core.

Evening: Keep dinner lively but unfussy at ANNDining or another downtown favorite, depending on mood and availability. If you want something more casual, a ramen, taco, or pizza night works well here; by Day 4, giving yourself one lower-key meal can be a relief between the trip’s more elaborate restaurant experiences.

Day 5 – Market Culture, Local Food Stories, and a European-Flavored Evening

Morning: Return to Covent Garden Market for a deeper visit, this time focusing on breakfast snacks, specialty vendors, and the rhythm of local life. Pick up coffee, pastries, or a simple breakfast from market stalls and take time to browse ingredients, floral displays, and artisan goods that you may have rushed past on Day 1.

Morning: Then explore surrounding downtown streets with a shopper’s eye: kitchen stores, gift shops, beauty boutiques, and independent retailers often reveal themselves better on a second pass. London rewards repeat wandering because the scale is manageable enough to let you notice details you missed the first time.

Afternoon: Make lunch a destination at Thaifoon or another strong downtown restaurant serving bold, satisfying flavors. A weeklong food trip benefits from variety, and this is a good point to pivot from Canadian bistro fare to something more aromatic and spice-driven.

Afternoon: Leave a little time for rest, because tonight’s recommendation is built around eating. If you still want activity, a riverside stroll or short museum stop downtown keeps the day balanced without overcommitting.

Evening: Book the European Evening Walking Food Tour in London, Ontario. It is especially well suited to your brief because it combines interesting restaurants with storytelling, contrasting regional cuisines, and the pleasure of moving through the city between bites.

Evening: If the tour is unavailable, substitute dinner at Dolcetto, a polished Italian option loved for handmade pastas, warm service, and a room that feels celebratory without trying too hard. It is the kind of place that reliably pleases both devoted food travelers and diners who simply want a very good plate of pasta and a glass of wine.

Day 6 – Southwestern Ontario Tasting Excursion

Dedicate today to the Private:Brewery, Winery, and Cider & Spirit Tastings Tour in SW Ontario, a worthwhile contrast to your city-based market and shopping days.

This outing takes you into the back roads and tasting rooms of Southwestern Ontario, giving you a broader sense of the region around London. It is a strong choice for travelers interested in local producers, scenic rural driving, and a slower day centered on beverages and conversation rather than urban sightseeing.

If you prefer to remain in the city instead, use Day 6 for outlet-style shopping, additional neighborhood browsing, or a self-designed café crawl. In that case, start with breakfast at a local café, take a final serious shopping loop through your favorite district, and reserve dinner at one restaurant you most want to revisit.

For your evening back in London, keep dinner comfortable and satisfying. A return to Hunter & Co., Craft Farmacy, or The Church Key Bistro-Pub would all be justified; repeat meals on a successful food trip are not a failure of imagination but proof that you found somewhere worth remembering.

Day 7 – Final Purchases, Brunch, and Departure

Morning: Spend your last morning picking up anything you wish you had bought earlier—market goods, coffee beans, baked treats, small design items, or gifts from Wortley Village or downtown. For breakfast or brunch, choose Early Bird, a local favorite with a fun, retro-inspired spirit and substantial brunch plates that suit a departure day.

Morning: If you would like one final structured activity, the A Remarkable Scavenger Hunt: Exploring Forest City offers a playful way to revisit central London and spot a few corners you may have missed.

Afternoon: Enjoy a final light lunch before departure, ideally somewhere easy and central such as Covent Garden Market, where you can tailor your meal to your timing. Then collect your bags and make your way onward, comparing departure options via Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com flights as needed.

Evening: Departure day concludes this itinerary, but if your flight or train is later than expected, one last coffee stop at a downtown café is a civilized way to say goodbye to London. The city’s strengths are subtle at first and satisfying by the end: good food, easy neighborhoods, and shopping that feels rooted in place.

Over seven days, London, Ontario reveals itself as far more than a stopover city. It is a rewarding destination for travelers who like markets, shopping districts with personality, and restaurants chosen with care rather than hype.

This itinerary gives you both structure and breathing room: iconic local anchors such as Covent Garden Market, strong neighborhood browsing in Wortley Village and Richmond Row, and enough memorable meals to make the city stick in your mind long after departure.