London & Beyond

Our family week in London - the plan day by day, plus everything we picked grouped by theme.

Trip Map

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Attractions Museums Neighborhoods Food & Drink Day Trips Cars Shopping Audio Tours Good to know

Day by Day

Day 1 · Arrival & Thames Walk Day 2 · Bletchley Park Day 3 · Dover Day 4 · Westminster & West End Day 5 · Belfast & the Dungeon Day 6 · Palace, War Rooms & Museum Day 7 · The Tower & the West End Day 8 · St Paul’s Cathedral Additional Things to Do

Day 1 · Arrival & Thames Walk

A packed first day on foot, in the order we actually walked it: a morning coffee, then the covered markets - Old Spitalfields, Leadenhall, and Borough - lunch at the Art Nouveau Blackfriar, Lower Marsh market, the Leake Street graffiti tunnel, and the London Eye, ending along the South Bank at the Oxo Tower and dinner at The Alchemist Bevis Marks.
Walked: 8.8 miles.

Spitalfields MarketOld Spitalfields - a covered market of food stalls, vintage, and crafts. Leadenhall MarketThe ornate Victorian arcade - a Diagon Alley filming spot. Borough MarketLunch stop - London's best-loved food market. The BlackfriarA jewel-box Art Nouveau pub by Blackfriars - marble, mosaics, and lunch on the terrace. Lower MarshWaterloo’s characterful street market - indie food stalls and vintage. The Graffiti TunnelLeake Street Arches - London's legal street-art tunnel under Waterloo. London EyeThe riverside big wheel - panoramic views over the Thames. The Alchemist Bevis MarksA theatrical cocktail bar to end the day, back in the City.

Day 2 · Bletchley Park

The codebreaker day - ~40 minutes by train from Euston to Bletchley Park (Hut 8, The Mansion, and Museum of Computing) - then back to London for Camden Lock Market and an evening in the pubs.
Walked: 6.4 miles.

Bletchley ParkThe WWII codebreaking estate: Hut 8, the Mansion, and more, ~40 min by train from Euston. Museum of ComputingThe working Bombe and Colossus rebuilds, same campus. Camden Lock MarketBack in London - canal-side stalls and street food.

Day 3 · Dover

Train from St Pancras to Dover (~1 hr): the White Cliffs and Dover Castle with its Secret Wartime Tunnels, then back to London for dinner at Dishoom Shoreditch and a pub.
Walked: 11.5 miles.

White Cliffs of DoverThe clifftop walk past Langdon Beach - France on the horizon. Dover CastleThe great keep and the Secret Wartime Tunnels (Operation Dynamo) - book online for 10% off. Dishoom ShoreditchBombay-style dinner back in London - bacon naan rolls and black daal. The MinoriesA traditional pub by Tower Hill to round off the day.

Day 4 · Westminster & the West End

Westminster landmarks into the West End: Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, shopping on Carnaby and Oxford Street (with the giant LEGO store), The Clink, and drinks with a view at Sky Garden.
Walked: 7.8 miles.

Big BenThe clock tower and Houses of Parliament, best from the riverside. Westminster AbbeyThe coronation church, almost 1,000 years of royal history. Trafalgar SquareNelson's Column and the lions, with the National Gallery next door. LEGO StoreThe world’s biggest LEGO store, with M&M’s World next door. Carnaby StreetIndie fashion and streetwear in Soho's most colorful lane. SohoWandering the West End’s liveliest quarter - bars, cafés, and neon. Oxford & Regent StreetThe flagship shopping mile - Selfridges, Nike Town and every brand you can name. The Clink Prison MuseumOn the site of one of England’s oldest prisons, on Bankside (ticketed). Sky GardenRooftop garden 155 m up - free entry (book ahead), bars and restaurants at the top.

Day 5 · HMS Belfast & the Dungeon

A riverside day by the Thames: the London Dungeon and HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, and a stretch of the Roman London Wall - finishing with an evening walk around the Tower of London and Tower Bridge lit up.
Walked: 7.1 miles.

The London DungeonTheatrical, spooky-fun ride through London’s dark history. HMS BelfastWWII cruiser moored by Tower Bridge, nine decks to explore. Tower BridgeThe Victorian bascule bridge - up close on the evening riverside loop. London WallSurviving stretches of the Roman city wall near Tower Hill.

Day 6 · Palace, War Rooms & Museum

A royal-and-history day: Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, a wander through St James’s Park with a café stop, the Churchill War Rooms, and the British Museum - ending with a night walk along the Thames.
Walked: 7.4 miles.

Buckingham PalaceThe exterior and the free Changing of the Guard (most days ~11:00). St James’s ParkThe royal park’s lake and pelicans, with a lakeside café stop - the classic view back to the palace. Churchill War RoomsThe untouched WWII bunker under Westminster. The British MuseumRosetta Stone, mummies, the Parthenon sculptures. Free. Thames Night WalkAn evening stroll along the river - the city lit up on the water.

Day 7 · The Tower & the West End

The last full day: Covent Garden, the Tower of London, dinner at SUSHISAMBA, and Les Misérables in the West End to finish - with Piccadilly Circus lit up along the way.
Walked: 6.5 miles.

Covent GardenThe piazza and covered market - street performers and the Apple Market. Tower of LondonCrown Jewels, Beefeaters, and ravens (best early afternoon). SUSHISAMBA LondonDinner out - Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian sharing plates. Les MisérablesThe world’s longest-running musical at the Sondheim Theatre (Delfont Mackintosh). Our evening finale. Piccadilly CircusThe bright lights - the West End’s neon crossroads.

Day 8 · St Paul’s Cathedral

A final morning before heading home: St Paul’s Cathedral and lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen.
Walked: 5.3 miles.

St. Paul’s CathedralWren’s dome - the climb to the Whispering Gallery and city views. Bread Street KitchenGordon Ramsay’s all-day restaurant at One New Change, right by St Paul’s.

Additional Things to Do

Nothing here has a fixed day - these are the if-there’s-time extras and flexible stops we pick from as we go. Markets and food happen wherever each day takes us.

National GalleryFree world-class art on Trafalgar Square - including the Skyfall painting. Abbey Road CrossingThe Beatles crosswalk outside Abbey Road Studios. V&A MuseumThe world's greatest design museum. Free. Tate ModernModern art in a colossal former power station on the Thames. Free. Portobello RoadAntiques market along pastel streets - full market Saturdays, go early. GreenwichPrime Meridian, Cutty Sark - the Thames boat ride there is half the fun. Kew GardensThe great Victorian glasshouses and a treetop walkway. Supercar SpottingKnightsbridge & Mayfair, best in the evenings - July is peak season. Brooklands MuseumThe world's first banked race track, plus a Concorde (~40 min). London Transport MuseumBuses, tube trains and posters, right on Covent Garden. MI6The Bond films' SIS headquarters, best seen from Vauxhall Bridge. The View from The ShardThe viewing deck at the top of western Europe's tallest tower. Platform 9¾Free trolley photo op at King's Cross, Harry Potter shop next door. 007: Shadow of SpectreA GPS spy treasure hunt through Bond's London - pre-book a start time. Sherlock Holmes Museum221B Baker Street - the Victorian townhouse museum devoted to the detective (ticketed). Hyde ParkThe Serpentine, Kensington Palace, perfect bike territory. Harry Potter Studio TourThe real sets and Diagon Alley (Watford) - sells out weeks ahead, book early. Battersea Power StationShopping center inside the iconic power station - plus the Lift 109 ride up the chimney. Liberty LondonA department store in a Tudor landmark; worth it for the building alone. HarrodsThe legendary Knightsbridge department store; pairs perfectly with supercar spotting. HamleysThe world's oldest toy shop, seven floors on Regent Street.

Attractions & Experiences

Tower of LondonThe historic fortress - Crown Jewels, Beefeaters, and ravens. Tower BridgeWalk the glass floor 42 m above the Thames. Buckingham PalaceThe exterior and the free Changing of the Guard (most days ~11:00). St. Paul's CathedralWren's dome - the climb to the Whispering Gallery and city views. Trafalgar SquareNelson's Column and the lions, with the National Gallery next door. MI6The Bond films' SIS headquarters, best seen from Vauxhall Bridge. Westminster AbbeyCoronation church of England's kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. Big BenThe postcard cluster with the Houses of Parliament, best from the riverside walk. Sky GardenFree rooftop garden 155 m up - book ahead. The View from The ShardThe viewing deck at the top of western Europe's tallest tower. National GalleryFree world-class art on Trafalgar Square - including the Skyfall painting. Platform 9¾Free trolley photo op at King's Cross, Harry Potter shop next door. Abbey Road CrossingThe Beatles crosswalk outside Abbey Road Studios. 007: Shadow of SpectreA GPS spy treasure hunt through Bond's London - pre-book a start time.

Museums & Exhibitions

Most of London's great museums are free - the ones without a spot in the day plan are our extra ideas for whenever there's time.

British MuseumRosetta Stone, mummies, the Parthenon sculptures. Free. V&A MuseumThe world's greatest design museum. Free. Tate ModernModern art in a colossal former power station on the Thames. Free. Churchill War RoomsThe untouched WWII bunker under Westminster (ticketed). HMS BelfastWWII cruiser moored by Tower Bridge - nine decks to explore (ticketed). The London DungeonTheatrical, spooky-fun ride through London's darkest history - book online, it's cheaper. Sherlock Holmes Museum221B Baker Street - the Victorian townhouse museum devoted to the detective (ticketed). The Clink Prison MuseumOn the site of one of England’s oldest prisons, on Bankside near the Thames (ticketed).

Neighborhoods

Covent GardenMarket halls, street performers, boutiques. Piccadilly Circus & SohoThe bright lights, then Soho's lanes for dinner - heart of theatreland. Hyde ParkThe Serpentine, Kensington Palace, perfect bike territory. Portobello RoadAntiques market along pastel streets - full market Saturdays, go early. Leadenhall MarketGorgeous Victorian arcade - Diagon Alley in the films. GreenwichPrime Meridian, Cutty Sark - the Thames boat ride there is half the fun. Kew GardensThe great Victorian glasshouses and a treetop walkway.

Food & Drink

Borough MarketLondon's best-loved food market - cheeses, street food, produce. Camden Lock MarketEclectic street food and canal-side stalls - a teen favorite. Spitalfields MarketA covered market of food stalls, vintage, and crafts. Leadenhall MarketThe ornate Victorian arcade - cafés and a Diagon Alley filming spot. Lower MarshWaterloo's characterful street market - indie food stalls. Dishoom ShoreditchBombay-style dinner - bacon naan rolls and black daal. SUSHISAMBA LondonJapanese-Brazilian-Peruvian sharing plates, high above the City. Bread Street KitchenGordon Ramsay's all-day restaurant at One New Change, by St Paul's. The BlackfriarA jewel-box Art Nouveau pub by Blackfriars - lunch on the terrace. The MinoriesA traditional pub by Tower Hill to round off the day. The Alchemist Bevis MarksA theatrical cocktail bar back in the City. Sky GardenRooftop garden 155 m up - bars and restaurants, free (book ahead). SohoThe West End's liveliest quarter - ramen, small plates, pre-theatre dinners. Covent GardenThe piazza and covered market - cafés and street performers.

Day Trips

Harry Potter Studio TourThe real sets and Diagon Alley (Watford) - sells out weeks ahead, book early. Bletchley ParkWWII codebreaking - Turing's Hut 8, plus the Museum of Computing next door (~40 min from Euston). Dover CastleThe Operation Dynamo tunnels, then the clifftop walk with France on the horizon.

Cars 🏎

The petrolhead program (for the 15-year-old - and let's be honest, everyone).

Supercar SpottingKnightsbridge & Mayfair, best in the evenings - July is peak season. Brooklands MuseumThe world's first banked race track, plus a Concorde (~40 min). London Transport MuseumBuses, tube trains and posters, right on Covent Garden.

Shopping

Battersea Power StationShopping center inside the iconic power station - plus the Lift 109 ride up the chimney. Oxford & Regent StreetClothing - the flagship mile: Selfridges, Nike Town and every brand you can name. Carnaby StreetClothing - indie fashion and streetwear in Soho's most colorful lane. Liberty LondonCool store - a department store in a Tudor landmark; worth it for the building alone. HarrodsCool store - the legendary Knightsbridge department store; pairs perfectly with supercar spotting. HamleysCool store - the world's oldest toy shop, seven floors on Regent Street. LEGO StoreCool store - the world's biggest LEGO store, with M&M's World next door.

Audio Tours

VoiceMap LondonPaid - GPS-triggered audio walks by local storytellers; buy per route in the app and it plays automatically as you walk. Rick Steves Audio EuropeFree - London city walks and sight guides in one app; download the tours before you fly.

Good to Know

Santander CyclesPedal bikes OK from age 14; up to 4 per adult account, ~£3.50/day. Avoid the e-bike models (lightning symbol). E-Scooters18+ and a driving licence required - not an option for the kids. Free MuseumsMany museums are free, and kids under 11 ride the Tube and buses free with a paying adult.