One and half day in London

Baskaran,

You don't indicate from where you are arriving from so I'll assume you are arriving on an international flight.

It will take at least an hour, possibly two, to navigate border control and custom (especially if you have checked bags). It takes a minimum of 30 minutes (Heathrow Express) to over an hour to get to Paddington on the tube (fastest way). From Paddington, you still need to travel to wherever you plan to sight-see.

I would stay in the city for the convenience of sightseeing. Most hotels will store your luggage for a few hours after check-out (on the 13th).

You will need to allow for travel, check-in and security time on the 13th so you really only have about 8 hours of sightseeing time.

I'm not a big fan of the Hop-on/Hop-off buses in London. Traffic is so bad and convoluted that it just doesn't seem worth it. I recommend getting a tourist map of the city and just walking or taking regular buses or the tube between sites. Just my opinion...

If it were me, I would stay at a hotel close to Paddington, check in on the 12th to drop my bags, and walk across Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace and fan out from there. On the 13th, Check out, store you bags at the hotel reception, hit the sites you missed the day before and then pick your bags back up on the way to Paddington for your flight to Manchester.

Todd,

Thanks for your quick response, much appreciated. I am traveling from LA to London with my wife. Paddington seems a good suggestion.

Thanks/Baskaran

A Paddington hotel is a good idea if you plan to use the Heathrow Express train.
Ideally look for somewhere near Lancaster Gate tube station, on the Central Line (red).

Dec 12
After checkin at your hotel take a taxi past Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. View the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben. Make your way up Whitehall, past Number 10 and Horseguards, to Trafalgar Square.
Dinner in Soho or Covent Garden. Check out the Regent Street Christmas lights before tube home from Oxford Circus to Lancaster Gate.

Dec 13
09:00 Piccadilly Circus
09:30 Trafalgar Square
10:00 National Gallery
11:30 #15 Red Bus to Tower Bridge
12:00 Tower of London
14:00 #15 Red Bus to St Paul's
14:30 St. Paul's Cathedral
15:30 Return to your hotel for luggage by tube from St Paul's to Lancaster Gate.
16:30 Heathrow Express train from Paddington Station
19:30 Flight to Manchester

David,

Thanks again for your assistance here, much appreciated. This is truly a great help for someone not familiar with London and on a short visit.

Baskaran

Check out RIck's book for good self-guided tours for while you're walking around.

By the time you have caught the train out to Heathrow, flown to Manchester and then traveled into the city centre, it will be at least 9.30 or 10 pm. You could leave your hotel at the same time and catch the train from Euston and had dinner in Manchester before your flight will arrive. Flying doesn't make sense.