England in July, 2020

I was able to take advantage of a 2-for-1 deal at Kew Gardens last year. To do that you must either take a train (not the Undeground) to get there and hold on to your ticket, or you must get a paper weekly travel card for use on the Underground.

For the last two years I've been in London at the right time to see the exhibition of winners of the BP Portrait Awards at the National Portrait Gallery. A quick Google didn't turn up this year's dates, but if you have the opportunity to see that exhibition, do see it. There's no extra charge, and the works are fabulous. I love that they use blind judging.

Sounds like such a fun trip! Hate to start off with bad news, but I believe the National Portrait Gallery will be closed during the time you’re here: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/news2/inspiring-people

Not sure what you’ve done on prior trips, but for art gallery substitutes, the Wallace Collection is absolutely lovely and situated in Marylebone, a great central London neighbourhood for exploring. The Tate Modern is my personal favourite and they have great temporary exhibitions (people sometimes shy away from contemporary art but note that the Tate Modern also has modern art, ie art from the modernist era in the early 20th century - have seen great exhibitions of Picasso, Modigliani, etc there).

I personally find Kensington Palace to be too costly for the comparatively meagre amount to see inside. It’s the only historic place in London I’ve ever felt I wasted my money. Hampton Court or Windsor Castle would be much more interesting, but you may have seen those already or your mileage may vary regarding Kensington. Just my opinion.

I’d probably switch days 8 and 9 to break up all the museum going, but also you may want to be flexible to go to Kew during good weather.

Double check as I’m not sure if at 1/2 Price Ticket booth but throughly enjoyed Witness for The Prosecution at County Hall. It’s set in an actual courtroom.

If looking for a pub lunch following your Day 2 sojourn The Churchill Arms is a 20 minute stroll from Kensington Palace. Go just to see the flowers and plants which adorn the pub.

Day 3 lunch in the St Martins crypt after your Nat’l gallery visit.

2 Chairman Pub after Westminster Abbey then a stroll about St James Park.

Neighborhoods to explore;
Tube to Kings Cross and explore the Coal Drop Yards and Granary Square. Then walk along the canal path to Camden. Visit Camden Lock Market.

Tube to Turnham Green. Exit, walk under the over pass and walk about a block and a half to Chiswick High Street and explore. Have lunch or a coffee or a pint. Shop.

Tube to NottingHill Gate. Make your way to Portobello Road. Meander but if going on Saturday get there by 8am before the hordes.
Great fresh oysters at The Cow Pub on Westbourne Rd.

I will "second" acraven's suggestion to take the train to Kew and use the tickets to get 2-4-1 entry. To do this, you need a voucher for Kew from the Days Out website ( printed in advance from the website or found in a booklet of vouchers at the train stations). And you need paper tickets on a National Rail train, not the Tube or London Overground. The train goes from Waterloo Station to Richmond (London) station. Save your tickets to show at Kew: this means exiting through the manned exit, not the turnstiles( they will eat your tickets). You can get to the Kew Gate from there by bus ( cross the road in front of the station to gomthe right direction. I think it is the 68 but can check on that). Or walk a kilometer or so.

For Westminster Abbey, I recommend booking timed entry for the earliest slot---usually 9 am to 11 am. Those are entry times, not the total time you have inside. Arrive before opening and there will aleady be a short queue, but you will be among the first inside and can wander in relative peace before it becomes crowded.

I also recommend adding the Jubilee Galleries to your booking. It is an extra £5 but well worth it. The views as you ascend the stairs, both inside and out the windows, are very interesting. And at the top, you are in a large galley with views down into the interior of the Abbey, and various exhibits on display.

I agree that:
1. there's really not that much to see in Kensington Palace. I don't think it's worth the price
2. recommend to purchase a time ticket in advance to Westminster Abbey, including the Jubilee Gallery

Consider adding Hampton Court Palace to your Kew Gardens day. You can take a lovely boat ride on the Thames between the two.

Kew is huge. It's easy to spend essentially the whole day there. I think people have made a similar comment about Hampton Court. I wouldn't plan to visit both on the same day.

I think there's a 2-for-1 offer for Hampton Court, though some of those offers are blocked for certain days, and I haven't check on that one.

If you’re not familiar with London Walks, they’re excellent. Just show up and pay £10, no advance reservations required and no tipping. They cover all sorts of interesting topics, during the time of year you’ll be there you’ll have sunlight even on the night tours. Although I’ve certainly liked some more than others, they’ve always been well worth the £10.

www.walks.com

We did a great four week drive tour of S. Wales and England in 2017, visiting:
Oxford- We did a nice free walking tour, then did some more site seeing on our own.
Stratford-upon-Avon Highly recommend buying the five site ticket at the Shakespeare center (near the house where Shakespeare was born). Use the HoHo bus to get around to all five places.

Lake District -We stayed in Keswick for three nights. The Lake District is very scenic. Great for hiking, swimming in the lakes, or just taking in the fantastic scenery. We did the Rick Steves day drive around the lake that is near Keswick.

Are you staying in Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, or both? If you are staying in Oxford make sure that your hotel has its own car park. Driving in central Oxford is not recommended due to heavy restrictions on what streets you can use and limited and expensive car parking - if you are not staying in Oxford I would strongly recommend leaving the car at one of the Park & Ride sites on the outskirts and taking the bus into the centre.

Thank you all for your great suggestions, and we will take them into consideration!

RSE London guidebook self-guided walks will take you past the top sights which I highly recommend. Don't buy the Pocket guide though because it doesn't include the "City" walk which is London's birthplace. I would also spend a day riding the hop on hop off bus tour and see a play one evening. If there isn't a play that appeals to you, there's always Agatha Christies The Mouse Trap which has been playing longer than the others.
If you have a rainy day go to the must-see British Museum and enjoy a light lunch at its cafe.