First time 6 days in London

The military time format exhausts me (didn't like it in college either) but it's your way of traveling and it works, so good on you! London Walks are a fabulous way to see things. Smart of you to incorporate them into your visit. However, a couple of things immediately come to mind with the schedule. Lack of flexibility and a polite caution that it's not cool to eat on the Tube! I know you have only 6 days and want to see as much as you can but do give yourself flexibility in your daily jaunts. Weather might be a factor. In the Bayswater/Paddington neighborhood, try Tukdin on Craven Road. http://www.tukdin.com Malaysian. Casual. I'd also grab sandwiches from the Pret a Manager near the Marble Arch Tube Station for on the go lunches. Lastly, if you are going to enjoy Hampstead Village then you must explore the Heath. Might see if you can locate the Don Sahlin/Jim Henson Memorial Bench and enjoy a nice overview of London.

Thank you Claudia! I didn't know about the tube, (trying to utilize a 40 minute trip), and certainly don't want to commit a faux pas. I realize there isn't much flexibility, but I think I have researched enough to be able to substitute if something doesn't go per the schedule. Thanks for the suggestion of the Heath and the eats. Is it okay to munch on a snack on the top of a tour bus?

Haven't taken a tour bus so can't answer your question. Good to know you have fall back options if Plan A doesn't work out.
If weather is good you'll love the Heath. As far as breakfast spots close to your hotel, try Mimo's Cafe.

First, as a planner, I greatly admire your detailed planning!

Second, the one major missing piece here that would fit nicely into your open Day 3 is strolling around Buckingham Palace/Big Ben/the various parks nearby. It's long, but you could start at Big Ben, and head west back towards your hotel past the palace, through the parks, past Royal Albert Hall (and the Albert Memorial), then north across Kensington Gardens towards Bayswater (skip the Palace, I hear it's not worth it). You might even move your visit to Harrods into this hike (especially since placing Harrods between Westminster Abbey and the British Museum is some back/forth travelling). I would hope you have time, if it is of interest, to go to the Royal Mews, next to Buckingham Palace. Been there twice...is mostly about the various carriages and horses the Queen uses and I love it.

Unless you have extensive interest in Bath, I'd use that day for the Evan-Evans bus trip that has Windsor Castle/Bath/Stonehenge. I've done it. Great way to see various sights and have someone tell you about them. That would also open up most of your Day 6....maybe take the train to Hampton Court...or check out the sights in Greenwich?

Also, if you have time and they are of interest, I highly recommend the Imperial War Museum (free!) and a tour of the Fullers Brewery in the Chiswick area. Samples!

Enjoy!

We just got back a week ago and spent 6 days in London. I don't know how you can calculate a trip like this. You may spend less time in some things and more on others. Some days you just can't get out the door at the crack of dawn with adjusting to jet lag and all. Also we ended up on a boat trip to Greenwick on the day we were to go to Westminster Abby because the Abby was closed for two days for a ceremony. I would just make those a guideline and you may have to adjust as you go and maybe go back a second day to an area. Museums just seem to make the time fly by. And what about 4PM stopping and having tea or a pub for beer?

Day One: No problem. Allow 2-3 hours to get off the plane, through passport control, and into the city to your lodgings.

Day Two: Impossible to actually see the British Museum in two hours. You can see the Musuem's very striking lobby, etc., and, perhaps, take a quick look at a specific exhibit. The Musuem is very large and can easily consume a day or two. the Library, as I recall, has an exhibit room. One hour seems reasonable for casual visitors.

Day Three: St Paul's is not really within usual walking distance of "the palace" if that means Buckminister. Take the Tube.

Day Five: Bath is a nice day trip. You can leave early, spend a full day, have dinner, and return. (If you're going by train, the Bath station is just a few blocks off the city center.)

Borough Market is worth checking out if you are a bit of a foodie and don't mind crowds. I usually like a light breakfast at a nearby coffee place, or at the hotel/B&B. For evening, theater is always an option, as is music. Buy a copy of Time Out and/or check their site and see what's on offer. (Also, check musuem and art shows for evening hours.)

Seems lots of walking is in store. Enjoy!

It seems doable as long as you stay flexible for weather and unexpected opportunities. Looks exhausting all laid out like this, but not really. Except for the first day, with jet lag, when I'm pretty sure I'd run out of gas before Churchill. Might not want to be in a basement museum that afternoon, you might appreciate it more later.

Thank you all for your critiques and suggestions. I really appreciate it. - j.c., I need to clarify that I have chosen to do a London Walks tour through all of the museums and major historic sights (Except for the V&A, due to scheduling). The walks are 2 hours and will afford the highlights and hopefully some fun antidotes. I know I could spend much more time, and I am going with the attitude of "next time", I hope. I am looking forward to Bath almost as much as London, and considered the tour mentioned, but really didn't feel like it allowed the time we needed in Bath. I love the idea of the walk suggested for day three, and am considering the Hampton Court and Greenwich suggestions too. This is so hard to decide! If anyone feels passionate about one or the other please chime in, and again, thanks.

If there's something in particular you want to see at the Victoria & Albert, then you should check to see whether that gallery is open on the late evening. I didn't do that the last time we were in London (first time to the VA), and was disappointed to find several galleries closed during the late hours. We had a fine time (there's a lot to see), but I might have scheduled differently if I had known.

It would be easy to under-estimate the enormous geographical size of the "tourist areas" of London that contain the sights on your itinerary (compared to, say, the tourist area of Paris). So take the tube between area, when you can, instead of walking when you could save your feet.
This is London, so the October weather may be fine, or it may be rainy--check weather sites closely in the last day or two before your trip.

I've been looking at your itinerary since you first posted it. I was hesitant to post as I am not an expert on London, but then decided I would go ahead since I am a huge planner as well.

I agree with Dick that I might not have enough energy for the Churchill War Rooms on an arrival afternoon. As you may know it is an underground bunker so absolutely no windows. The lighting is dim-ish, keeping it in character, I presume, for the WWII era. There is a huge amount of information in there both to read and to listen to (great oral histories from people who worked there) Even if you skip the area devoted to Churchill and his life and just do the Cabinet War Rooms it may be a lot and you may be flagging a bit by then. I find them very emotionally draining as well. The work ordinary people did there alongside World leaders was incredible. And it was all in a secret location right in the middle of London. The War Walk thru Westminster will be good as you will be outside in the (hopefully sunshine) to help adjust to jet lag. I will tell you that the War Rooms are a favorite of mine, but I think you should also be kind to yourselves! (I've got my eye on the Westminster at War walk when I go the end of the summer!)

I am also thinking you should make the Day 2 Old Westminster Gaslight Walk very tentative. Even if you cut the British Library, I would actually not plan to do the evening walk, but have it in reserve in case you are still bursting with energy. The museum walk will probably really be the museum shuffle which is sometimes more tiring than just heading out and clocking some miles. You might be better served to head back to your hotel, then have a nice dinner in the neighborhood.

Bath is one of my favorite destinations so I very much hope you enjoy it. I love the Roman and Georgian things side by side.

Thanks again for all your suggestions! David, we are coming from the the east, Cincinnati to Toronto to Heatthrow. I am really getting great information to tweak the plan. Skip the Tower? I thought it was a must see, or is it okay just to "see" it from afar?

For me, I find the Tower of London unmissable. I traveled to London a lot in the 80's and now am back traveling again. I go every time I go to London. I can never get enough of it or Westminster Abbey. The free tours provided by the Yeoman Warders are excellent and then there are hours of other stuff to see after that!

Looks like you've had some thoughtful suggestions. Happy planning!

I am only making this suggestion because you are clearly a planner. I have found it helpful to actually create a chart of options for each day of my trip. Because if you wake up one morning to glorious sunshine in London, and that is the day you've "scheduled" to spend indoors at multiple museums.....don't you think you might want a good Plan B right at hand?

What I found to work really well on a past London trip was to create a physical chart, with a column for each day and a row for morning, afternoon, and evening. Within each box of the chart, I list all the info I need (hours of operation, tube stop, etc.) for several options. Everything you have planned already could be option 1. But you'll want an option 2 (indoor for outdoor/outdoor for indoor) for each time period as well. Know your top "must see" priorities and place them on the chart multiple times, wherever they fit. You can even color code things that fit together.

Also, London Walks are great, but not critical for a number of places on your list (such as the Tower, where the Beefeater Tour and audio guide will work just fine), so I wouldn't limit yourself to the times that London Walks visits specific attractions. If you can combine the attraction with London Walks, great....if not, you'll be fine on your own.

Ruth, great idea. I have already made a calendar/chart with plan A and included tube stations and time frames for travel. I found a site where I could punch in where I wanted to go and it gives detailed directions with tube changes and times. I have made tentative plan B plans, but really need to spend more time on that. All of the suggestions have really helped, and I feel more confident that I am on the right track. Thanks!

This looks awesome! I'm headed to London with my son in October for the 1st time. I will using part of your itinerary. Thank for sharing

We loved the Tower so I think you should keep it on your list. One possibility since you are looking for more evening options and you have plenty of lead time (you have to order the free tickets at least 6 weeks ahead)- consider doing the Ceremony of the Keys one night early in the week - maybe day 3. That will give you an overview of the Tower history and the Yeomen. If you like it, you can go back for a longer daytime visit. That's what we did. Or you may feel that the Ceremony was enough which will free up time for another sight.

Happy planning and have a great trip!

Kathleen, the ceremony of the keys sounds awsome. I will have to google it and find out how to order the tickets. Thank you for the suggestion! All of the suggestions from everyone have been a great help! I have tweaked and changed some things, and will also remember that the world won't end if things don't go exactly as planned.

The big time-consumer at the Tower is the Crown Jewels. If you can bear to miss them (I can) you'll save a lot of time in line.