Lived in London in 2007- What's New Today?

One change is that the Churchill War Rooms are now monumentally popular, so if you want to see them or see them again, you should buy your ticket ahead of time to avoid a most unpleasant line. On the other hand, on the day I visited in September last year the Imperial War Museum was a walk-right-in sort of place.

Some of the large museums (including the V&A) are open late one night a week. I don't know whether that's new, but it's handy. However, in at least some cases only part of the museum is open past the usual closing hours (sometimes just the ground floor). You should inquire at the information desk upon arrival so you know how to organize your visit.

I bet London Walks has some new itineraries.

The most popular sites have been around longer than a decade. The Sky garden is new. Some buildings will have been redeveloped, but much will be the same.

Westminster Abbey has a late opening one night a week (check which one during your stay - not sure if it changes because of Christmas services). It's worth going late as fewer people go then and its is hugely atmospheric when it's dark outside.

The evening meal at the restaurant (The Cloisters?) was good too, and excellent value. In our opinion 'ecclesiastical dining' is generally good value when compared to other London restaurants.

The Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

Do you ice skate? A number rinks set up to enjoy.

See a Christmas Panto.

Scaffolding all around Elizabeth’s Tower and Big Ben is silent.

There will be SANTA Runs.

Check to see when the Covent Garden Pudding Race is scheduled.

Bourough Market has become incredibly popular.

There are igloos along the Thames that you might be able to reserve. Research Coopa Club igloos.

My two favorite websites to seek new events, galleries, restaurants, etc are Time Out London and Londontopia.net

I enjoyed going to the London Mithraeum.
London Mithraeum It won't take long - unless you're like me, and can spend the day in one museum, but I thought it was very well put together. It opened last year, and it's free. You just have to book ahead.

Jodi- Thanks so much for mentioning the London Mithraeum!! My mom and I are visiting London in a few weeks and we are big fans of Roman ruins. I didn’t even know this existed until I read your post! And it’s free! I made reservations and I’m really excited! Thanks again!

It looks like a couple of museums have gotten some major renovations. The London Transport Museum was under renovation while I was last there, so I'll want to visit that. And the Churchill War Rooms have also been updated? I think?

I'll also add that there were no royal babies (let alone Royal weddings) when I was here last. So much has changed! Yet, of course, London is the fabulous place I've always loved.

One thing I'm finding is that a lot of sights now have discounts for advance online booking. In my non-comprehensive research, I found:

Churchill War Rooms £18.90 online /£21 in person
St. Paul's Cathedral £16 online /£18 in person
Royal Observatory Greenwich & Cutty Sark £19 online /£24.25 in person
Westminster Abbey £20 online /£22 in person
Tower of London £22.70 online /£26.80 in person
London Transport Museum £16 online /£17.50 in person
Kew Gardens £16 online /£17 in person

Kristin: You're welcome. Hope you enjoy it. If you don't - the price was right!

Emma: Just to give a different view, I was also really excited to visit the Mithraeum and was actually quite disappointed by it. ...... I probably also have a biased view as I was brought up in a roman town so a few roman stones don't cause me that much excitement anymore:-)

Lucky you to be surrounded by so much history. Nothing in Seattle older than the late 1800's. Is it no wonder we get excited?

BTW Emma: I've enjoyed, and been tucking away bits and pieces of your advice for my trip at the end of October.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey open earlier this year.

What I did like was the new fountain near it. It's not really a fountain, it's been designed to look like the pond that would have been there originally during roman times. Quite atmospheric on a quiet Sunday morning when I was there and nicely done.

Emma: That sound lovely. Thanks for the recommendation. If I'm in the area I'll have to take a look for that. I'd say I'm not sure how I missed it before, but I found out when I got back that I'd been traveling nearly two weeks with a non-displaced radial fracture so I may have missed some details along the way. (It hurt, yeah, but I didn't think it was that bad).

Note to jdlazo86 sorry for hijacking the thread. I did just think of something if it's up your alley. There is supposed to be a Sherlock themed escape room opening in October. The producers and cast are involved so it's not a fly by night operation.

Please don't have any hijacking worries! I love every bit of information I can read. And that escape rooms sounds amazing! I'm a big fan.

In 2017 the Charterhouse opened for tours for the first time since 1348. I enjoyed the guided tour and small museum:
http://www.thecharterhouse.org/visit-us/

You’ll just miss Billingsgate Roman Baths, open on Saturdays until November, but maybe for another trip. The Charterhouse guide told me about it but I’ve yet to see it:
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visit-the-city/attractions/Pages/Roman-Bathhouse.aspx

Also, the new (free) observation deck at Tate Modern:
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/viewing-level

Be sure and check the Christmas offerings at the Royal Albert. We attended two last Christmas and both were spectacular. We also booked a Christmas spectacular at St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, adjacent to Trafalgar Square. Of course there's the marvelous lighted Christmas tree with carolers nightly in Trafalgar Square, a gift from the Norwegians to the Brits for freeing them in World War II. We took in the Christmas markets at Southbank and also visited the Clink Museum, a medieval prison facsimile. Hence the name for someone going to the clink/jail. It's kinda sketchy but they have a website. We also booked a dinner at the cafe in the National Portrait Gallery, which was superb and priced right.