Need advice and critique of 5 Day London itinerary

It looks like you've got a lot of stuff lined up!

If either of you are Harry Potter fans, I really enjoyed the studio tour. My favorite museum was the British Museum, which I don't see on your list either. Also the treasures room in the British Library was also quite memorable.

On the day you arrive, I suggest getting out, even just doing a walk after dinner if you can, just to stay up as late as possible on your first evening.

Also take the bus instead of the tube unless you are really short on time. They are much less crowded and you see so much more riding above it all on the upper deck.

Looks like a good and sensible itinerary, all I'd mention is that Borough Market isn't fully open on Tuesdays, maybe swap your Tuesday and Wednesday plans.

August 18th - Tuesday:
Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace - Together, only Westminster Abbey takes any real time to see, assuming you go inside, which it's worth doing, get there at opening time. Maybe do BP early morning before going to WA, will be nice and quiet then. Walk through St. James's Park to get to WA. Big Ben and HoP are next to Westminster Tube.

Tube from Westminster to London Bridge.

Borough Market - around 1-2pm for a late lunch.

Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern - a short walk from BM but both close around 5:30-6pm... so you'll be short of time here, and nothing to do after 6pm.

Considering how busy you'll be, maybe Windsor will be less tiring than Bath.

Famous pub in Kensington, walkable from the Palace.

http://churchillarmskensington.co.uk/

Hope you have a great trip.

Saturday - are you landing at 1 p.m. or expecting to check in to your hotel then? Allow an hour to get through the airport, another hour to get to the hotel. The V&A is pretty big. Maybe have afternoon tea at the Kensington Orangery instead of lunch, tour the Palace before or after tea, and then walk around Hyde Park. Grab a snack for supper and get an early night. Planning on a late dinner is not the best idea for your first day.

Sunday - I don't know if you've listed the sights in the order you're planning to see them. I'd start with the War Rooms first thing when you're fresh and rested. It's hard to know how much time you'll want there. I was fascinated by the videos with interviews of people who worked there during the war and spent a lot of time watching them, but rushed through the section on Churchill. Later, if you start to flag at the others, they're free so you can always go back. You may even have time to go to the V&A. Leicester Square is around the corner from Trafalgar, have a walk through.

Monday - you may have free time here to fit in things you skipped on Sat-Sun

Tuesday - the full market open Wednesday-Saturday. If you want to experience it, go on Wednesday. Otherwise, why go? If you do go on Wednesday, it's best before lunchtime, when it gets really crowded. Are you planning to see the exteriors of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster or go in? If you are planning tours of them, I don't see how you can fit them in along with a tour of the Globe and a visit to the Tate. If you're going to tour Buckingham, I'd skip Kensington Palace (a poor second).

Wednesday - Bath is too far for your short visit. Windsor is a half-day trip. If it's high on your list, then you may have to drop something else.

Thursday - plan to arrive at the station an hour before departure. Have your passports handy, you go through French immigration in London.

You will not be able to see inside the theatre at Shakespeare's Globe on a Tuesday afternoon as there will be a performance taking place. The only times you can visit the theatre without having a performance ticket are in the morning and on most Monday afternoons.

When there is a play on you often get taken to see the remains of the Rose Theatre, which are the foundations of a genuine Tudor-era theatre that are preserved in the basement of a nearby office building.

Hi. I like your itinerary, both for what you chose and I don't think you are over-stuffing with too much. I'm sure you know that some things are "walk by's"...that is, you walk by and take pictures, no tour available. To that list I'd add Albert Memorial (across street from Royal Albert Hall) and the 7-7 Memorial, in the south-east end of Hyde Park.

You have things grouped well, geographically. I hope you like modern art, or skip the Tate Modern and add the Courtauld Museum. For your Tues, I encourage you to add the Royal Mews, right next to Buckingham Palace. For your Wednesday, check out an Evan Evans daytrip that does Windsor Castle/Bath/Stonehenge. For thoughts on sites to see -- and especially on places to eat in/around Kensington/EarlsCourt/South Kensington, check out my reviews (12 times to Wimbledon) on TA. I'm "nagled" I have good choices for pubs, Indian and Italian. If you go to Bistro Benito near the Earls Court tube stop, say hi to Simone the owner from me, the ESPN guy.

Enjoy!

There's quite a lot there and it might be an idea to thin out the days a little. As to pubs near where you're going, I'd recommend The Old Shades on Whitehall (Trafalgar Square, National Gallery etc)--a little pricey but nice food and a good range of unusual beers--The Blackfriar near Blackfriars station (St Paul's, Tate Modern) -- food not bad, beer good surroundings wonderful--or The Sanctuary House on Tothill Street (Wesminster, Churchill War Rooms) -- basic but good food and one of the best pints of London Pride you'll find anywhere.

I'm guessing you are on the Delta flight that lands at 1PM. It will probably be no earlier than 3PM before you get to your hotel, maybe later depending on the line thru Immigration. I would not do the V&A that afternoon but I like the suggestion for tea at the Orangery. If it's pretty weather, definitely walk in the park. To me the V&A is kind of dark inside and that is not what I want when I am tired and jet-lagged.

During your visit, the State Rooms are open at Buckingham Palace, so you might consider getting advance tickets to visit there. I am one that loves Bath, but with your schedule I would go for Windsor Castle over Bath for this visit. I would not take one of the bus tours that does both.

Recently there was a discussion on the Eurostar and I believe it was some of the UK posters who indicated you need to plan to arrive an hour ahead of your scheduled train time whereas the prior suggestion was 30 minutes ahead.

Have a wonderful time!

My friends and I enjoyed walking through Hyde Park on the way to Kensington Palace. On the way, we stumbled upon a sign that said "Princess Diana Memorial Fountain" so we wandered over. It's not your typical spouting fountain. It was more like a gently sloping water slide with signs that actually invite you to take off your shoes and splash your feet in the water! We thought this was so playful and so indicative of how unpretentious Diana was and such a fitting tribute to her. So what do 3 grown women do on a cold afternoon in October? We took our boots and socks off, rolled up our pants and went in! It was truly memorable and I recommend a visit esp if you and your mom are Diana fans.

Seattle1984,

I think you have a little too much on your plate. The larger venues (Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, etc.) take several hours, not including any queueing, to take in. Incidentally, Buckingham Palace IS open for tours this time of year but you’ll probably need to book advance reservations online in order to be assured of the date/time you prefer.

If you like carriages, the Royal Mews is right around the corner from the Palace and is a worthy short stop.

Kew Gardens is a really nice half day as long as the weather is nice. And a bonus of Kew Gardens is Kew Palace…

I wouldn’t miss going to the Museum of London, even at the expense of one of the other museums/galleries. And, it’s close to St Paul’s.

I really like the pubs in London as a place for lunch or dinner. I’ve visited several in the Earl’s Court and South Kensington areas and haven’t been disappointed. (You might want to google “Pub Etiquette” and read up. i.e. look for you table number, order at the counter, etc.)

If you decide to go to the British Museum, keep in mind that it’s impossible to see everything in a day. Plan on spending several hours to see just one or two galleries. Just do some homework and pick the one or two that interest you the most.

For a blitz of London like you plan, I would suggest having a smart phone with a data plan. This will allow you to get public transport directions on the fly (google map or the GREAT London Transport (TFL.gov.uk)) to make travel more efficient. I recommend a local SIM card in a personally owned unlocked GSM phone.

Good luck,
Todd

This is my 'Best of London in Three Days' ...

Day 1
09:00 Hyde Park
11:00 Buckingham Palace (check for Changing of Guard schedule)
12:00 St. James's Park
12:30 Horse Guards & No 10 Downing Street
13:00 Westminster Abbey
14:30 Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
15:00 London Eye (alternatively, Banqueting House or Churchill War Rooms)

Day 2
09:00 Trafalgar Square
10:00 #15 Red Bus to Tower Bridge
11:00 Tower of London
13:30 St. Paul's Cathedral
15:00 Tate Modern (closes 1800 / 2200 Fri+Sat)

Day 3
09:00 Piccadilly Circus
10:00 National Gallery
13:00 Covent Garden
14:30 British Museum (closes 1730 / 2030 Fri)

I think your plan sounds great, and I concur that The Churchill War Rooms should be given priority. You will not want to leave as there is so much to see and learn.

I also recommend an evening of theatre while you're in London. The theatre scene is lively and you can get discounted tickets in Leicester Square. It's cheaper than New York, and many shows originate in London. You can get there easily from Kensington via Tube.

I highly recommend three pubs in Kensington.

The Churchill Arms on Kensington Church Street (just up from High Street Kensington). The flowers on the outside of this pub are outstanding, and the pub has great food and a lively interior
The Devonshire Arms on Marloes road (short walk from Churchill Arms) wonderful food and great outside patio
The Queen's Arms on Queens Gate Mews. This "local" is nestled into a pretty mews.
Have a lovely trip