Limited time in London with students- is it worth a half day to go to Hampton Court?

There is so much to enjoy save hmpton ct for another time. It is very beautiful but on a short visit stay in london. So much time is lost in transport to an from hampton ct.

I love Hampton Court but with just 2 days, I agree that you should spend it in London. There are so many blockbuster sights to see there. I would not look to do a day trip.

With just two days, you need to stay in London proper. You'll have difficulty even hitting all the must-see sites in town.

With only 2 days, I'd avoid leaving London, so much to see and do. Why not allocate some time to just wandering around London, particularly a walk along the South Bank (Westminster to Tower Bridge), where there is less chance of students wandering off from the group. There are loads of new things and historical things to see, and also many new foods available which they may not have tried, particularly in Borough Market which is en route.

Remain in London. Take them to the British Library to see the Sir John C Ritblatt Gallery, a.k.a. The Treasure Room. Tower of London, Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, British Museum and Leadenhall, Borough or Camden Lock markets will EASILY fulfill 48 hours. Personally I'd drop the British Musuem. Why see Egypt? It's London! Focus your 48 hours on enjoying it's glory. You'll need early starts each day. If possible visit a Pret a Manger early one morning, buying sandwiches for later in the day. after seeing Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey walk into St James Park or farther into Hyde Park for a picnic. Then off to see Buckingham Palace.

Is the Tower of London already on your schedule? It is one of my "must sees" for London. Westminster Abbey is awesome. And how about a river boat ride to Greenwich? I think they'd enjoy that. Lots to see in Greenwich. Have you considered a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre? If you cannot get tickets, how about a tour of the Globe?

Another fun thing to do is the hop-on-hop-off bus tour around London. You see all the sights if you stay on for the full 2-hour loop. A great time to munch on a sandwich. Your ticket is good for 24 hours, so you can ride from museum to museum, hop off, take a look, hop back on. You can ride the 2-hour loop again after dark, so you get to see all the landmarks lit up. Your ticket also includes a short boat ride on the river.

As far as going to Canterbury or Oxford, you already have plenty to do in London. I would not leave town, with the very short time you have there. Just my two cents.

I'm a fan of Hampton Court and would recommend it if you had more time, but with just two days I'd stay in London. I wouldn't consider Canterbury or Oxford either, for the same reason. Plenty to do in the big city and you don't want to spend time on trains if you can help it.

Totally agree with Claudia. I was going to add to my post "drop the museum" but decided not to, but i personally dont really do musems.

I have been to the British Museum, Natural History, Science Museum, etc. and they are all great, but i live here and can go anytime.

If i was visiting London for a couple of days, i definately would not be spending it inside a building looking at old stuff... You can do that anywhere!

Pret is also a reliable suggestion with great food.

Thank you so much, everyone. I really appreciate your input and great ideas!

Nope, I would skip day trips outside the city with only two days. Plenty to do and see in London in two days. We only had 3 days for our last trip to London and while I adore the Tudor monarchs, I gave Hampton Court a miss. Instead, we took in a special exhibit of Tudor portraits that was being held at the National Portrait Gallery.