LONDON 2-4day advice

When are you going? Month. Where else are you going before London?

Some time in May or June

Assuming this year.
Interests?

First time in London?

I’m just looking for ideas perhaps beyond the obvious to kick off the trip in London with a slow pace.

Walk in Richmond Park. Look for the herd of fallow red deer
Walk The Line Art path from the O2 to the Thames Barrier
Grant Museum of Geology
Horniman Museum
Paddle Boat in Richmond Park
Alexandra Palace Ice Skating Rink

A good first day walk is to tube to Westminster Station, exit and enjoy Parliament Square. Walk over to the Horse Guards Parade by 10:30am to watch the guards get ready to participate in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Palace. They’ll exit the area and will make their way up the Mall for the ceremony.

Walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then off to Leicester Square, then onto Chinatown and lunch at Joy King Lau.

Walk off your lunch by heading from there to the British Museum.

Just a suggestion to allow your senses get used to the hustle and bustle, the sights, sounds and smells of London.

Arrival day - take your time departing the airport to your hotel/Airbnb. You’ll need to purchase your Oyster card and withdraw GBPs from an ATM. After you drop off your bags where you’re staying explore the neighborhood that you’re sleeping in by getting to know where a laundromat, ATM, pharmacy, parks and eateries i.e., restaurants, cafes, pubs and markets are located.
Day two - ride the hop-on hop-off bus tour but buy your tickets before leaving home. To learn more, buy Rick Steves London guidebook. The 24th edition comes out in Aug. The pros and cons of taking a bus tour are:
Pro – London’s top sights are plentiful and the bus takes you by most and if it doesn’t the narrator will tell you to where to hop off to see Buckingham Palace, etc. The shorter bus route is best.
Con – the traffic makes it a long day so get off at the Buckingham Palace stop only but don’t stick around for the changing of the guard ceremony.
When you return to London plan to spend time at:
Westminster Abbey – and rent the audio guide unless you know British history.
Churchill War Rooms - buy tickets before going and also browse Churchill’s Museum.

British Museum - if it rains go and if you’re lucky not to have rain still go but do so on your last day there. Grab a bite to eat at the cafe if needing a break.
Tower of London – and visit Tower bridge afterwards.
Victoria and Albert Museum
However, the best way to discover London is to take Rick Steves self-guided walking tours which are complicated but exceptional in quality. I recommend:
The City Walk – London’s heart and birthplace.
Westminster Walk – this is when you want to tour Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms.
West End Walk - you may want to break this up over two days and go to the theatre afterwards. Do check out what’s playing before going. A co-worker saw dames Judy Dench and Maggie Smith in The Breath of Life and said when they appeared on stage the audience remained silent during their entire performance. She said it was so riveting that you couldn’t turn your head from the stage. These were not tickets you could buy at the TKTS booth.

National Gallery, both Tates, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Ye Olde Mitre Pub, Gordon's Wine Bar, see a West End musical, have a martini at DUKE's Bar.

Go to "Little Venice" near Paddington. Walk the canal to the Zoo or to Camden Market. The exercise will force oxygen into your sleep deprived brain.

You can go by boat instead if your legs are not up to the walk, but you risk falling asleep instead.