London Plan (and day trips)

London Eye, Tower Bridge - you can go up in the towers

How much time do you have?

Thank you for the ideas.

After completing all of the above, I have two more extra days to fill with anything that isn't already on the list.

You might consider taking a relaxing boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich to see the Cutty Sark, the Observatory, and the Fan Museum (which is fascinating and serves a nice afternoon cream tea). Depending on what day of the week you have free, stop into Borough Market; and while you're in the Trafalgar Square area, take a look at the National Portrait Gallery or the Banqueting House which is the only remaining original building of the Palace of Whitehall.

Have a great time,

Mary

Greenwich, Kew, National Gallery come to mind, depending on interests. I spent a very pleasant day in Richmond. Many day trips are possible, again, depending on interests. Canterbury? Dover? Rye? It's impossible to list day trips because there are do many possibilities.

Windsor Castle; quick day trip out and back. Not far from London.

Don't see any of the fun and fascinating markets on your list. Boroughs, http://boroughmarket.org.uk , Old Spitafield's. http://www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com, The glass covered Leaden Hall Market or Camden Lock, http://www.camdenlockmarket.com. After the later you could enjoy walking along the Regent's Canal. Or MudChute Farm? http://www.mudchute.org Don't see any theatre other than Shakespeare's Globe. Loads of options there. http://www.tkts.co.uk I'd also add the Natural History Museum. You might also add another of the London Walks. The Olympics, Ghost Walks, Hidden London. Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks everyone. These are neat suggestions and I will see how to incorporate them in the two extra days we have.

I did mean Westminster Abbey when I said Westminster.

I will let you all know how it goes when we are done.

Your kids might enjoy the Museum of London. It seemed pretty kid-centric when I visited last year and there were lots of school groups enjoying themselves. I don' t think that was on your list.

Hello again, Pepita. You have a good list, I've done most of them across 11 Wimbledons. The main things you don't have (and you have two small kids, right?) are Windsor Castle and Stonehenge, which you can do (along with Bath) on a nice day trip via Evan Evans Tours, as I did once. All 3 stops are good for kids. You also might consider another E-E trip I've done: Wawrick Castle, Shakespeare's home in Stratford-on-Avon and Oxford.

As for art....You have Tate Britain...I assume for your kids one art museum suffices, and you chose it over the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery or Tate Modern. All four have their fans. Haven't been to the two Tates, yet, but I'd think National Gallery has the best collection of notable works.

Just be sure you are at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards...you should get their in enough time to stake out a good spot. And your walk around Kensington Gardens needs to include going by Prince Albert Hall, with the Prince Albert Memorial across the street. Gorgeous.

My main suggestion for the other two days to fill was already mentioned -- a day trip to Greenwich via a river cruise. The buildings are gorgeous, the maritime museum very kid-friendly, the view from the top of the hill is the best, and be sure be spend plenty of time in the market.

And maybe it's not kid-friendly, but if it interests you, do the Fullers Brewery Tour. Is fun, and there's free samples!

If you are considering going to the outside of the fence at Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the Guard, be sure to get there a long time in advance if you want to have any chance of seeing much.

You might want to consider where you and the children would be most comfortable -

In a large crowd outside the fence outside the Palace, where you may have restricted sight lines watching soldiers with assault rifles and hearing music from the band, but you will be THERE,

or

in a much smaller crowd right in the action at the changing of the Horse Guards at Horse Guards Parade just down the Mall from the Palace - seeing Horse Guards wearing shining silver breastplates and the rest of the magnificent uniform of both the horses and the men, on and off their beautiful horses, with live brass band, and close enough to the horses to just about touch them. You can get there much closer to the time because the crowds are so much smaller.

Personally, I far prefer the pageantry and pomp of the Horse Guards changing of the Guard.

Maybe its because I love horses?

It is sometimes less frequent than at Buck House (Buckingham Palace) - is that what you meant by "Walk by Buckingham"? - it is important in Europe and the UK to say what you mean - there are many Buckinghams in London let alone in the country. Even a whole market town and its county....

You can find videos on YouTube of both ceremonies which should give you a flavour of how they go...

Pepita,
I have one London and one out of town suggestion for you. While you are at St Paul's, why don't you walk across the Millenium Bridge and spend an hour or so viewing the art at the Tate Modern gallery?

For an outside of London trip I would highly recommend York. With it's Minster, wall, Roman, nd Norse site it can easily fill you other two days. It is easily accessible by train.

I found a blog site that has quite a few tips for London, and other places in Europe. You might check it. ladyrelocated.com

Tate Modern rivals the Tower as a top tourist draw, partly because the gallery was converted from a power plant, partly because it is conveniently located across the Millennium bridge from St. Paul's, and partly because Londoners have a real appetite for seeing what outrages are winning contemporary art prizes this year. http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

Imperial War Museum, we spent almost six hours there, obciuosly you would spend less with kids. They do have various programs for children though.