London itinerary

Hampton

I don't want to make assumptions, but am I right that you aren't here to buy a house?

Southampton is where cruise ships go from.

Northampton is near where I live and very famous for world leading handmade shoes.

Garrick's Temple is in the town of Hampton and hosts a free Sunday afternoon Shakespeare exhibition (14.00–17.00) from early April to the end October and a series of summer drama, music and exhibitions.

Hampton is the name of a train station.

I was at Hampton Court Palace on Wednesday. Great gardens and a decent house.

Alan Turing lived in Hampton and has a plaque on his house.

Which one do you mean?

I assume you mean HAMPTON COURT which is a bit out of the way but there are tour groups which go there, to Stonehenge and even Oxford for a fun day trip.

Yes. Start your London holiday with a walking tour. I loved walking past Parliament and Big Ben (even though it is now under construction) and then walking up to the Tate Britian Art Museum then you can use your Oyster card to go across the Thames and it leaves you at the Tate Modern. Another idea is to take the Underground to GREEN PARK and walk over to Buckingham Palace. Trafalgar is a nice enough place and you can enjoy the National Gallery and also walk, I think, to Piccadilly Circus.

Whatever you end up doing jswright5, enjoy!

There are also walking tours that last two hours and you just pay when/if you show up. It can be a more interesting way to see the city, learn something a guide book won’t tell you about, and see some of the many little hidden gems in London. Hampton Court is really worth the long trip out, and you can get a boat cruise one way to make it a little more interesting vs all by train. Check out “Eater.london” for some tips on places to eat. If you are in Notting Hill, check out Books for Cooks. They serve a three course lunch for £7. It is a fixed menu though, but very very good! They cook from the recipes found in their cookbooks for sale.

Get reservations for the main attractions to avoid long lines (London eye, Tower of London). If I had to pick I would go to Hampton Court over Tower of London. British Museum is not very well organized at all (just tons of stuff all crowded together and mobs of people in front of the major attractions). Go early or late. The Hampstead Heath is a great break from the city and you can go swimming in one of the ponds.

Enjoy yourself whatever you decide to do! You will have a great time! London is really easy to navigate and is much cleaner than many cities I have traveled to.

British Museum in my opinion is very well organised, especially if you go on one of the free tours given every day, or if you read and understand the excellent maps, both posted and given out. All rooms are numbered, and they follow a pretty logical flow. Granted that a lot of people take advantage of the free-to-enter world-class museum, and if they read tour books they will probably want to see the same things - probably the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone and the mummies. But those are just a tiny percentage of what is on offer. That's why I recommend the free introductory tours.

Here’s are options for easy arrival day walks.

1. After checking in, freshening up, buying your refundable Oyster card, then tube to Westminster. Mind the Gap, exit the train and walk out to Parliament Square ( Parliament, Elizabeth’s Tower (in scaffolding with Big Ben not chiming), Westminster Abbey.) From here you can stroll up Whitehall passing Number 10 Downing Street ( hasn’t been accessible to see in decades, the armed guards and wrought iron gate are the only reason you’ll know you are walking by it and then the Horse Guards On Up to Trafalgar Square.

Or

1. From Parliament Square walk up Birdcage Walk ( there’s signage) through St James Park up to Buckingham Palace. Then through Green Park over to Piccadilly Circus.

Or

1. From Parliament Square walk a block up Birdcage Walk and turn right and walk past the entrance to the Churchill War Rooms, then walk past the Horse Guards parade ground and then at the Mall turn left and walk up to Buckingham Palace.

Or

1. After taking photos at Parliament Square walk across Westminster bridge and then follow the Thames River path past the London Eye all the way to the Millenium bridge just near Shakespeare Globe. Or use the Blackfriar Bridge to cross back over the Thames and enjoy a pint at the gorgeous Blackfriar pub which is adjacent to the Blackfriars station.

All strolls I’ve enjoyed over the years.

If per chance you are staying near Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens then simply stroll there.

Use Google Maps satellite view to visually reference the walks I’ve suggested.

If you’ve gotten your Oyster card you’ll be able to hop on the tube at the closest station if you tire.

Great city. Have fun!

Thanks for all the tips! What do you think about this itinerary. First day, after an overnight 8 hour flight, just walk.. maybe the Westminster to Trafalgar, until we can get into our hotel. Day 2...Tower of London in morning, and bike tour in afternoon. Day 3...train out to Windsor.
Day 4....British Museum and Thames ride
(Hop on and off)
Wish we had more time to explore, but still think we can get a lot of area covered in 3 1/2 days.

Looks good.

After seeing the Tower take time before your bike tour to walk up to the glass covered Leadenhall Market. Rather unique especially since it butts up
against the futuristic Lloyd’s of London building and is also near the Gherkin.

One of the many things I enjoy about London is how the new and old architecture blend together. You’ll see it looking from the Tower of London to The Shard or the Gherkin.

The Art Deco Blackfriar Pub and the adjacent Blackfriar station also offers such a comparison, especially a visual treat at night.

I think if you grouped the Tower of London time with the Thames boat ride in the afternoon, it would be located closer together.
Looks like the bike tour could be combined with the Westminster sightseeing, just to be efficient with your time.
https://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/london-bicycle-tour.html?aid=788&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyYHaBRDvARIsAHkAXcvI8aBMVTGOlnCeszw5YtOnR3yTo4DxEVvYISnQ-ZO0bfJx6l6fcEMaAh1iEALw_wcB

I've heard of people seeing Windsor and then taking a shuttle bus to go see Hampton Court Palace the same day, but many also said they are both very large and it's not easy to do them in the same day. I've also heard that the boat ride down to Hampton Court Palace is longer than they thought, someone said it was nearly 3 hours, so it might be a nice boat ride one way, but maybe too much to do riding both ways.

The last time i was in London we had about the same amount of time you're describing, and it was not enough. We went on to stay in Windsor, thinking we'd return to London one of those days, but my daughter adored Windsor so we stayed. :) and shopped, and shopped.... Sales were good in Sept. For the trip from London to Windsor, I'd recommend the Green Coach bus from Victoria Station to Windsor, most direct, quickest and drops you right at their front door.

Have a great adventure!
-Alison