London wears its 2,000 years lightly. Roman walls still poke up beside glass towers, a medieval fortress guards the river within sight of a skyscraper shaped like a shard of glass, and the same Thames that carried Tudor barges now ferries commuters past the London Eye. It is a city of villages stitched together, each with its own character, from the bookish squares of Bloomsbury to the canal-side cool of Notting Hill.

The draws are almost absurdly concentrated: the Crown Jewels, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum's Rosetta Stone, and the changing of the guard, all reachable on foot or a short Tube ride. But the real London reveals itself in the in-between moments, a flat white in a Borough alley, a pint in a 17th-century pub, a curry on Brick Lane, a West End matinee. Food here has come a long way; this is now one of the world's great eating cities.

Getting around is easy: tap a contactless card or phone on the Tube and buses (daily fares cap automatically), and walk wherever you can. Pack a light raincoat in any season, book the big-ticket sights online to skip queues, and aim for spring or early autumn for the kindest weather. This plan front-loads the icons, keeps a full day free for a countryside escape, and winds down gently before your departure.