Best way to spend Arrival Day in London?

Good news: you can get a big breakfast in London.
Most sources recommend avoiding a nap, but different things work for different travelers.
Between arrival at hotel and 3:00, stay outside and get some walking in (nothing strenuous), if weather permits. Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are in the neighborhood, so lots of walking opportunities for you. Will be easy to find places to walk, head toward Hyde Park. You're also allowed to take the Underground over to Parliament, then go up above ground and take a quick look from the outside at Parliament and Westminster Abbey, then along the river or up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, and then if you're still feeling peppy and you don' really need that 3pm nap, walk on over the Buckingham Palace.

Expect that some of you may go to sleep at 9:30 and wake up at 2am and not be able to get back to sleep. Rick, in his latter years, has been known to recommend 1/2 an ambien at 2am, but that will depend on your health preferences and whether your doctor will give you a prescription. (This will be the time when the anti-med section will chime in, see below). Depends on how many days of feeling tired you want and how much you like to sleep.

You say you will be arriving at 6:00 AM. I assume you mean you will be arriving at Heathrow at that time. You will find a lot of cafes at Heathrow where you can have breakfast. Cafe Nero, Giraffe, are just a few of the places at Heathrow that serve either croissants/pastries or full breakfast. After arriving at your hotel, look for a Giraffe Cafe on Kensington High Street. I highly recommend Giraffe for breakfast or lunch, not expensive.

Since you say you don't really care for museums or art galleries, I would recommend a walk in the sunshine to keep jet lag from setting in. You could walk east through Hyde Park from your hotel, keep walking, and then on past Westminster Abbey and Parliament. Then walk across the Thames on Westminster Bridge and turn north walking along the riverbank. You will come to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Continue walking along the riverside, and you will come to Tower Bridge and will see Tower of London across the river. This would be a good time to take a break, find a seat on a bench, and enjoy the view and people watching.

I agree with Kent. Ask your doctor if he thinks taking some Ambien sleeping pills with you would be a good idea, just in case you need them. Talk with your doctor about whether it would be a good idea to take half an Ambien on your plane flight over, just to take a nap. This is what I must do if I want any sleep at all while on the plane.
Again, this is something for you to discuss with your doctor. Jet lag can have you pretty turned around the first couple of days after a flight, and this may be a way to combat it.

Another good thing to do on your first day would be one of the London Walks by the London Walks Company. You meet your guide at a certain spot, usually beside a tube entrance, or at a landmark. Your guide will take you on a walk around a neighborhood and share some history of London. They also have themed walks; architecture, Roman London, Beatles, Harry Potter, etc. Take a look at their website to see what suits you. Maybe one of these walks will keep you awake and jet lag at bay. www.walks.com

About your plan to head back to your hotel room at 3:00 and take a short 1-hour nap; you probably will not be able to wake up. You also mention, later, forcing yourselves to stay awake until 9:30 p.m. or so. You may be better off just to make an early night of it, and go to sleep right after an early dinner. You may as well sleep it off the first night and get it over with. Hopefully, you will be caught up on sleep by the second day, and over your jet lag!

You don't say which day you're arriving, but if it's a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you might like to try Ffiona's for breakfast/brunch. She runs an independent cafe on Kensington Church St, and the food is very tasty. Booking recommended. Www.ffionas.com

You'll also be near the big Whole Foods on Kensington High St; you could pop in and pick up some snacks.

For more exploring in Kensington, head up to the roof gardens. There's a restaurant up there that may be worth a visit (I can only speak to the cocktails!) http://www.virginlimitededition.com/en/the-roof-gardens

An afternoon walking tour sounds like just the thing to keep you upright....there are many companies offering a variety of topics so you're sure to find one of interest.

If your hotel is near Kensington Palace, a walk through Hyde Park seems ideal, weather permitting. Start at Kensington Palace, walk past the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall, past the Diana Memorial Fountain to the Lido Café on the Serpentine, and get a 'Full English' and a cup of Tea.

You could then keep going through the park, past the most expensive apartment block in the world, One Hyde Park, to Hyde Park Corner, cross the road and under Wellington Arch. If it's open, you could walk to the top for a nice view. On from the arch into Green Park, along Constitution Hill to Buckingham Palace for a quick look. Onwards into St. James Park for a nice view from the bridge, onwards to Horse Guards Parade saying hi to the almost Prehistoric looking Pelicans on the way.

The Churchill War Rooms are there if they take your fancy. Past the War Rooms to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, you can see Westminster Abbey across the road too.

Cross the Thames, walk past the London Eye and keep going along the South Bank to Tower Bridge, loads to see, eat and do along the way. Gabriel's Wharf, the Tate, the Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe, a pub or two, London Bridge, The Clink Prison, The Golden Hinde, Borough Market, The Shard, The Hays Galleria, a few more pubs, HMS Belfast, City Hall, etc.

Walk across Tower Bridge and past the Tower of London and jump on the Tube at Tower Hill, take the Circle Line (yellow) back to Kensington High Street and your hotel for 3pm to check in.

That's a walk of around 6miles and could be as fast or as slow as you wished. If you get tired at any point, jump in a Black Cab back to wherever you fancy. With 4 people, Black Cabs are quite good value for shortish distances.

Hoping you have good weather and a great time :o)

Hi Ladydee,

Since you're not interested in the museums and art galleries, the best thing you could do is walk off that hearty breakfast - you'll have no trouble finding a pub that offers the classic English breakfast in your area - The Windsor Castle on Campden Hill Road is one my favorites. Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park should be close enough.
You could also pop into one of the Waterstones bookshops to start the day off slow.
If any of you are Whovians, go take a picture with the Tardis Police Box down at the Earls Court tube station! :)

Have fun!

Thank you all.... I'm loving the ideas! It never ceases to amaze me how helpful and kind the people are on these forums towards people they don't even know.

I will check on the Ambien suggestion. Normally if I take any kind of medication like that, even motion sickness tablets, I feel quite "off," for awhile, but a 1/2 tab may be a better idea.

I think a nice walk out in the fresh air and sunshine (hopefully) will be just the thing for us. Obviously, there is plenty to see and take in, without too much fuss and expense.

We're arriving on a Wednesday, so it sounds like Fiona's will not work, but thank you.

Ladydee, you're welcome! We are all glad to help you enjoy London and think you will love it as we do!

Take a good map of London with you or buy one when you get there. While you are on your walk I described in my above post, several blocks after you pass the Globe Theatre, turn south onto Stoney Street. Walk south a couple of blocks and it will take you to Borough Market. There you can spend a couple of hours walking among the food stalls, sampling farm cheese, and there are several good restaurants/cafes there.

I recommend Le Pain Quotidien at the corner of Stoney Street and Winchester Walk.

At the corner of Stoney Street and Park is a Monmouth Coffee Shop; good coffee and baked goods and sandwiches. Around the corner on Park you will find Neal's Yard Dairy.

Across the street from Monmouth Coffee is the restaurant Roast; great for lunch and dinner.

About one block south is Brindisa Cafe, also very good.

Pick up a bus route map (and a tube map) at one of the tube or train stations. There are many buses that run along the Southbank area that can return you to your hotel area. The London bus RV1 can be caught on Tooley Street. If you travel east on the line, it will take you across Tower Bridge to Tower Hill. If you travel west on the line, it will take you to Covent Garden, another very interesting area for walking and exploring shops and cafes. From Covent Garden, you can walk back to your hotel, or catch another bus or tube to take you there. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/RV1

The other bus route in London that is most useful is the Number 15 Bus. You can catch it at Tower Hill/Tower of London and ride west past St. Paul's onward to Covent Garden. Both the RV1 and the 15 bus are great routes for sightseeing.

Have a great trip!

Are you staying in the Bayswater/Nottinghill neighborhood, Holland Park neighborhood or Knightsbridge neighborhood? All are near Kensington Palace. Merely asking in an effort to narrow down possible cafe/restaurant options although you've gotten great suggestions from other posters. Especially the idea of having breakfast at Heathrow. That way you can avoid the commuter rush on the tube if that's the transport you were taking into London and fuel your body. Will also bolster your spirits in case you do have to queue or find yourself stressed by the clamor of London once you are in route to your accommodaiton. My flight is always the red eye as I arrive from LAX. I'm not a sound sleeper on the plane but I do find relaxing music on my iPod or iPad thru headphones is helpful and that's combined with a 1/4 tab of Valium. Once I hit Heathrow and am through customs I am raring to go. It's London, I love everything about it and I want to immerse myself immediately. Usually store luggage at where ever I'm staying, head out the door and explore the neighborhood I'm staying in. First thing is to Locate the closest tube stop, bus stops, ATM's, (get cash), pub(s), coffee shop and market. I grab a cuppa to go and by foot start exploring. If there's a park close by I walk through it. Otherwise I just explore, looking at window displays, peeking into shops and stores, cutting down alleys and passageways. I think your family would enjoy wandering as well. Maybe feed the water fowl in Hyde Park, then walk over to Buckingham Palace. Or if you've gotten your Oyster Cards hop on the tube to the Westminster stop, getting out and enjoying Parliament Square. Could then walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square and over to Covent Garden, or walk along the Thames. Do a Google map bird's eye view search of what's near your accommodation, print it out to take with you. Walkable city and the absolute best option to curtail jet lag is to get outside after being cooped up in the plane. Have a great trip.

Claudia, there are so many names of neighborhoods that I find it overwhelming. I am staying at the Hotel Indigo London Kensington - Earl's Court (is how its named). I'm not sure exactly what neighborhood of London that put me in. It didnt look too far away from Kensington Palace.

We often go to markets on our arrival day. Covent Garden is a favorite. It has different vendors each day, with a different focus. We also would walk around and get oriented (even after more than 40 trips). Wandering around Parliament, Westminster, The Mall, Buckingham Palace and St. James Park, up to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square are nice walks. A couple of times we did quick day trips by train- once to Cardiff when we got in really early, sometimes to Windsor. We didn't do the nap thing either. Just powered through until 10:00pm or so.

I second the suggestion of getting something to eat at the airport- as stated, plenty of choices from full English (toast, beans, broiled tomato, eggs, bacon that is more like ham, or sausages, and maybe potatoes) to rolls and pastries or even American fast food. That will also put you a bit later getting on the train or tube and you'll not be quite in the middle of morning rush, as you would if you head straight to the tube (or train) after clearing customs that early in the morning. Maybe your room will be ready by then, if you are really lucky and you can freshen up a bit. If not, before you head out, pull out your toothbrush and washcloth and visit the restroom (loo, WC) to brush your teeth and wash face and hands and you'll feel better- then tuck them in a ziptop bag and back in your suitcase. For lunch you might want to grab a sandwich deal at Boots The Chemist (a ubiquitous drug store that is fun to browse, too)- a sandwich, crisps (chips) or fruit, sometimes a biscuit (cookie) and water or soda or juice- at a good price. Marks and Spencer's food courts are good too as are Waitrose and Sainsbury groceries. Then have a picnic in one of the parks or Leicester Square (great place to people watch, with plenty of benches and green space).

40+ visits to London Toni? That must be some kind of record :o)

We just returned from a London/Paris trip with a similar arrival. Best thing for us was walking from our flat up Piccadilly, and then through Hyde Park, watching swans & people, letting the sunlight reset our body clocks. In July, the open air hop-on buses would be a great intro to the city as well.

Know that from Heathrow you are very close to Windsor Castle and you could be there when it opens to tour. It is very impressive with all the pomp & pageantry that you expect from a royal castle. You would easily make it to your hotel in the afternoon.

A suggestion for a walk. From your hotel walk north on Earl's Court Road to Kenway Road on the right. Follow Kenway Road to Cromwell Road. Cross it and head north on Marbles Road, turning right(east) on Lexham Gardens. At the first intersection, where Lexham Gardens splits, turn left and follow it around the park. At the end of the park look for a path between the buildings (Lexham Walk) on the left. Take this to Cornwall Mews West and then east on Cornwall Gardens. After 20-30 meters look for a small walkway on the left. Take it to Stanford Road and continue north. Follow Kensinghton Court bearing right to High Street Kensington

This will put you at one of the major shopping areas. Follow High Street Kensington east (right) to the edge of Kensington Gardens and enter the park and wander. Kensington Palace is to the north. See if you can find the Peter Pan statue in the park.

To get back to your hotel either pick your own route, backtrack to the High Street Kensington tube (District Line) to return to the Earls Court station. An alternative is to take the tube to the South Kensington station (via the Circle line from High Street Kensington) and walk back to your hotel via Old Brompton Road, where there are a number of restaurants, a small supermarket, post office, ATMs, etc. The area around the Gloucester Road tube also has a number of restaurants.