5-Day London Itinerary for Women: Onna Ehrlich’s Stylish Guide

London is one of my favorite cities for mixing polish with personality. You can have tea in Mayfair, find something unexpected on Portobello Road, and end the night at the theater without changing your energy once. London rewards the woman who comes prepared, moves with intention, and knows how to pack light for weather that will not cooperate. Here is exactly how I do five days.

What’s in My Carry-On

The Miko Bag in Cognac is my carry-on for London. It transitions from the plane to the hotel to every day of the trip without missing a beat. My beauty essentials go into the Gift Travel Set — everything organized, nothing loose.

• Miko Bag in Cognac — carry-on, day bag, and the most polished tote in the terminal.
• Juliette Bag — crossbody for markets and museums, shoulder bag for dinner and theater.
• Desert Allure Perfume Oil — oil format means no spills, no TSA stress, all the scent.
• Eau de Parfum 100ml — meets TSA requirements exactly. Five days of your signature scent.
• Glow Oil Travel Size 50ml — London air is cold and dry. Apply on the flight. Land luminous.
• Shea Coco Butter Travel Size 50g — body butter for hotel mornings and dry London evenings.
• Hydration Mist — refresh face and hair mid-day, especially after the Tube.
• Packable Hat — London weather is unpredictable. The hat packs flat in the Miko.
• African Print Kimono Robe — non-negotiable. Hotel mornings in London are slow and worth dressing for.

Day 1 — Arrive and Find Your Footing

Afternoon: Fly into Heathrow, check into your hotel in Mayfair. My preferred area is around Grosvenor Square or Mount Street — walkable, quiet, and central without being tourist-dense. Drop your bags and walk straight to Hyde Park. After a long flight, an hour in a park does more than any amount of unpacking.

Evening: Dinner in Mayfair. Scott’s on Mount Street is one of the best restaurants in London — excellent fish, a room full of people dressed well, and the kind of energy that makes you glad you came. Book ahead.

Outfit: Tailored camel trousers, a crisp white blouse, ankle boots. Miko in Cognac carries you from the airport to dinner without a second thought.

Day 2 — Portobello Road and the Tate Modern

Morning: Take a black cab or the Circle line to Notting Hill. Portobello Road market is best before noon — antiques at the Golborne Road end, vintage clothing in the middle, and fresh produce toward the bottom. The neighborhood is worth the slow walk.

Afternoon: Walk or cab to Borough Market for lunch — the cheese, the bread, the ready-to-eat stalls. Then cross the Millennium Bridge on foot to the Tate Modern. The permanent collection is free. The turbine hall alone is worth the trip.

Evening: Drinks at Oxo Tower Wharf for the Thames view at dusk, then dinner in Southwark or back in Mayfair.

Outfit: Dark wide-leg jeans, a fitted knit, white sneakers. Juliette crossbody for the market — hands-free, stylish, nothing to worry about in the crowd. Packable Hat in case the sky turns.

Day 3 — Royal London and West End

Morning: Walk from Buckingham Palace through St. James’s Park to Westminster. The park between the palace and the Horse Guards is genuinely beautiful, especially in the morning before the tour groups arrive.

Afternoon: Afternoon tea. The Connaught, Claridge’s, or The Ritz — all require a reservation and all deliver exactly what you are imagining. This is not an optional item on a London itinerary. Book it before you travel.

Evening: West End show. The Lion King, Hamilton, or whatever is running that you have wanted to see. Pre-dinner at J Sheekey in Covent Garden — one of London’s oldest and best seafood restaurants, half a block from the theater district.

Outfit: A tailored midi dress or a sharp trouser suit for afternoon tea. Juliette converted from crossbody to shoulder bag for the evening — this is the exact transition she was made for.

Day 4 — Harrods, Chelsea, and a Rooftop

Morning: Harrods in Knightsbridge opens at 10am. Go for the food hall in the basement — it is genuinely one of the most extraordinary food spaces in the world. Browse the beauty floor, the fashion floors, do what you came to do.

Afternoon: Walk down to Chelsea. King’s Road and Sloane Street have excellent shopping; the neighborhood itself is quiet and residential in the best way. Stop into the Saatchi Gallery on Duke of York Square — it is free and always interesting.

Evening: Rooftop bar. Aqua Shard at the Shard has the best 360-degree view in London — book a window table. Dinner after at one of the Bermondsey Street restaurants below.

Outfit: A blazer over a silk top, straight dark trousers, heeled boots. Miko in Cognac for the daytime shopping — it holds everything and looks entirely correct on Knightsbridge.

Day 5 — Columbia Road, Shoreditch, Fly Home

Morning: If it is a Sunday, Columbia Road Flower Market opens at 8am and closes by 2pm. It is loud, colorful, and completely London. Buy yourself flowers even if you cannot bring them home. If it is a weekday, head to Shoreditch for brunch instead — Beigel Bake on Brick Lane has been open 24 hours since 1977.

Afternoon: Walk the Shoreditch street art. Brick Lane, Redchurch Street, and Rivington Street have some of the best murals in Europe. Then head back to your hotel, collect your bag, and get to Heathrow.

Outfit: Your most comfortable travel outfit. The Miko goes back on as your personal item. The Juliette sits inside it. Everything fits.

What to Pack — Three Outfits That Cover Five Days

• Travel / casual: Wide-leg dark jeans, a fitted knit or clean tee, white sneakers
• Daytime / smart: A tailored midi dress or trousers with a silk blouse and ankle boots
• Evening / theater: One clean dress that handles dinner, tea, and the West End without alteration

London weather changes by the hour. Layer everything. One good coat covers all five days.

Always Pack the Robe

The African Print Kimono Robe is my non-negotiable. After a West End show and a late dinner, a London hotel morning calls for something intentional. I wrap up in the robe, order room service tea, and let the city start without me for one hour. That is the luxury part.

London rewards the woman who shows up prepared. Know where you are going, pack what you need, and let the city do the rest.

Pack your trip from my Beauty Collection and handbag collection. Everything you need. Nothing you do not.