Does this London itinerary look ok?

Others can correct me but I believe most of the food vendors in Borough Market are not open on Mondays. Some of the closeby ones like Neil’s Yard Dairy is but it isn’t enough reason to go and there are other locations.

Not sure how many "we" includes - adults and kids, or just adults.

But presuming just adults, we did a really good pub walk on a Friday evening last year with London Walks. Went to three pubs and heard history and architecture in between. We really enjoyed this and would recommend it.

You could do Borough Market on the Sunday - go to Tower of London in the AM, walk across Tower Bridge, and go to Borough Market. Then make your way to the Shard (is there a specific reason for The Shard?)

If you do Borough Market on Sunday, that frees up your Monday. If you want to do the London Eye (I have done it twice - did the option with champagne, lol), then you could do that and the Tate Modern if that is of interest.

For Friday evening you could consider seeing a play. I think the ticket prices in London are pretty reasonable.
I wouldn’t center other plans on doing London Eye. It’s ok, but not worth a huge chunk of time for. If you happen to be nearby and want a rest, go for it.
Not sure where you are planning on Afternoon Tea, but I would NOT recommend Kensington Palace. It used to be in The Orangery and was fantastic. Now, they’ve moved it to another building (that is sort of like a tent) and it’s just an overpriced tourist trap.

The British Museum is open on Fridays until 20:30

Thanks everyone for taking time and responding. Based on the responses above, seems like a good idea to do Borough market on Sunday itself. No special interest in Shard. Tickets to Sky Garden are gone. So, Shard seemed like an interesting alternative.

Kids want to do the London eye. May be that is something we should On Friday evening, We are staying close to Hyde Park. Travel to London Eye does not seem too bad and there is a direct tube based on what Google maps says.

Friday: London Eye or British Museum
Saturday: we can do Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square
Sunday: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Millennium Bridge and may be St. Paul's cathedral
Monday: Greenwich seems like an interesting option. Family is interested in visiting Prime Meridian.

Any other suggestions for afternoon Tea? Fortnam and Mason was suggested on this forum and elsewhere. Any suggestions to fit that into the itinerary? It is located at the Piccadilly street. Any other suggestions for afternoon tea? We definitely want to do that in London.

Thank you.

Hi! Others have made excellent suggestions, so I will just add at random:

*) Greenwich is lovely! It has a cute villagey feel, a covered Victorian market, cute places to eat, the naval college and its majestic buildings, and the AMAZING observatory. Easily a full day, and taking a Uber boat either there or back is super fun!

*) As others have advised, Borough Market is closed on Monday. It is pretty darned fabulous and I recommend it highly - but be warned. If you do not get there early you will be jammed in cheek-by-jowl with FAR too many other people. It can get pretty miserable - there is barely room to walk. So my advice is to get there when the stalls open, which is 10:00am except on Saturday, when it opens at 9:00.

If you start getting overwhelmed by the volume of folks piling in, you can duck into magnificent Southwark Cathedral. It’s lovely and always calm.

*) Hop On/Off Bus: not worth it, IMHO. Traffic is almost always dismally snarled in London and you risk getting stuck for a long time next to something that is boring or ugly.

If you do want to take a bus so you can see something of the city while seated comfortably, I recommend taking one of the regular TFL buses on what they call a “leisure route.” Check out the options here: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/experience-london/bus-leisure-routes Big bonus: this option is MUCH less expensive.

No matter what you decide, London is amazing and you will have a blast! Enjoy -

Borough Market will be open on Monday 26th August for the bank holiday.

If you do decide to go to Greenwich do not miss the Painted Hall in the Naval College - one of the outstanding sites anywhere in London.

The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square is also open late on Fridays, until 9 pm.
Have a wonderful trip!

Consider the Wolseley for afternoon tea. It is well regarded and has a lively atmosphere.

Not sure where you are planning on Afternoon Tea, but I would NOT recommend Kensington Palace. It used to be in The Orangery and was fantastic. Now, they’ve moved it to another building (that is sort of like a tent) and it’s just an overpriced tourist trap.

When did they change that? We were there 9 months ago, it was not in a tent, it was a lovely outdoor terrace (indoors was also an option) right by the gardens. It was a beautiful setting, the food and service was wonderful, and it was a highlight of our time in London.
ETA: I just checked the website and it states that afternoon tea is indeed in the Orangery.

Greenwich is a great idea! Fun fact: the actual Prime Meridien is not where the big line on the pavement where everyone takes a picture. It's actually 334 feet away.

@maryellenhowen - I am now wondering if the place I visited in October 2023 was a temporary site while the Orangery was restored. When I searched online for the Orangery Kensington Palace last year I found that the actual Orangery site had been closed and was redirected to the building I described previously. However, when I search now, it shows the original building and the interior I remember from my 2004 visit. It says it has been recently restored. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your visit. I hope the service has also improved since this change.

We have enjoyed afternoon tea at both The Orangery and The Wolseley.