Please review/critique my 11 day London itinerary

Day 10- October 8th (Sunday)- London
Victoria tube to Euston, walk to Northern line to Hampstead, zone 2
London Walks- 10:30am-1 Hampstead Heath & Village (BOOKED), Highgate cemetery, Kenwood house 10-5 (booked, free) (FULL DAY)
Lunch-Wells tavern or other pub lunch
Overnight at Lime Tree hotel

Day 11- October 9th (Monday)- London
Food tour with EatingEurope of Borough Market 10:45am 89euros pp 3 hours (NEED TO BOOK) approx 15 min walk cross London bridge
Overnight at Lime Tree hotel

Day 12- October 10th (Tuesday)- London
Tower of London-see the Crown Jewels first, Yeoman Warder tour included with admission, tours every 30 min. $33.60euros 9-5:30daily (NEED TO BOOK) UNESCO site
Lunch
Overnight at Lime Tree hotel

Day 13- October 11th (Wednesday)- London (OUR ANNIVERSARY)!
Free day to wander the nearby Hyde Park, Apsley house, Sherlock Holmes museum, Charles Dickens house
Dinner at Sky Garden (Fenchurch, tasting menu $95pp) 6:30pm (NEED TO BOOK, 60 days in advance)
Overnight at Lime Tree hotel

Day 14-October 12
depart London

Day 12. Your schedule ends at lunch. Why not take a Uber boat from the nearby Tower Pier to Greenwich? Lots to see there. Cutty Sark, Naval Museums, Royal Observatory (prime meridian), nice park to walk in.

If you are interested in WW II history, mathematics, or computers, a day trip to Bletchley Park is a great deal of fun. If you discover that you are looking to change up your itinerary anywhere along the way, consider going there.

Carol, thanks for your reply. Actually, several of my days end at lunch, one because I don't want to overschedule and two because not sure how long the first and primary site will take. What do others do about this?

On Day 7 I would do a Mad Max tour from Bath, if they have one that day.

Tammy, the other thing I wanted to mention were the 2 for 1 offers that are often available in London. As a solo traveler they haven't worked for me and so I don't have any personal experience. I do know that others seem to take advantage of the money saving aspects of these.
https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

Another vote for a Mad Max tour from Bath. We really enjoyed the Special Access Stonehenge Tour.

If the weather is nice in Bath, you might want to consider following Rick's Canalside Walk to the village of Bathampton where you can have a nice lunch at the classic George pub.

Don’t bother with the Gatwick Express. It’s only a couple of minutes faster than the normal Southern Trains to Victoria but a lot more expensive

The Holburne (Art) Museum in Bath is excellent.
https://www.holburne.org/
The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath.
Walk from near the Abbey over Pulteney Bridge, then keep walking on that street to get there.
If you are a fan of the PBS Bridgerton series, it was used as the home of Lady Danbury.

I agree with Cala--do a Mad Max tour from Bath.
They have several that may interest you.
Do you and your husband have any desire to see a bit of the Cotswolds?

On "Day 8 October 6th (Friday)- Bath to London 2 hours".....
I would suggest taking a very short train ride from Bath to Salisbury.
If you wanted to spend one night, you could drop your bags at your hotel (I have a couple of recommendations) and then visit Salisbury Cathedral.
It is magnificent and has the best copy of the Magna Carta on display.
This is a small town with a medieval feel to it, which Bath does not have.
The Stonehenge Bus leaves from both the downtown area and from the train station, in case you're interested in seeing that.
Easy train trip to London from Salisbury.

"Day 12- October 10th (Tuesday)- London"
You mentioned seeing the Tower of London here. It's best to get there as soon as they open, as the crowds build up any later in the day, even an hour after they open. See the Jewels first. It won't take long. Then do the Beefeater tour. Then do The White Tower--the oldest part of the place. Explore/walk the walls. Then you could grab lunch at their excellent cafe, The Armories Cafe. Lots of choices; plate lunches, soups, salads, sandwiches.

The time to do a boat ride to Greenwich is right after you finish with the Tower. The pier is right behind the Tower of London where the Thames Clipper/Uber boats are docked. Get in line, tap your Oyster card on the pad when you enter the boat. Remember to tap out when you get off the boat in Greenwich. There are a number of good pubs in Greenwich where you can grab lunch if you end up not eating at the Tower of London. One even has a lovely view over the river.

If you do not want to go to Greenwich at that time, then you can catch the Number 15 bus in front of the Tower. It travels back to St Paul's Cathedral, then to Trafalgar Square. You could get out there @ Trafalgar Square to see the National Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields, or just do a walk in that area.

Another vote for the Holburne Museum in Bath. I also liked the Museum of East Asian Art there. It's in a row house and focuses on decorative art.

There have been positive comments about the MadMax tours of the Cotswolds that depart from Bath.

It's a quick trip to Bristol by train. The much smaller town of Wells is about 1-1/2 hours away by bus.

I'm not a big fan of Bath-the-town because of the sameness of the architecture--which I know many people just love. I'd want to have a long list of options for things to do there, because there wouldn't be much to interest me just wandering around. I was super glad of the two museums I mentioned above.

For your time in London: Part of the Highgate Cemetery is accessible only via tour--or at least that used to be the case. I think tours are infrequent; I don't know whether there's a schedule on the website or not. I took the London Walks tour of Hempstead, which didn't actually go inside the cemetery, and then visited the cemetery on my own. I recall that the Hempstead [<< Correction: I meant Highgate there] walk started with a considerable uphill slog that a couple of the walk participants really struggled with. I don't know whether that's something you'd face if heading straight to the cemetery, but thought I'd mention it since you will already have done the Hampstead walk.

I'd suggest arriving at the British Museum 15 or 20 minutes before opening rather than at opening time, because I faced a 30-minute wait when arriving around opening time; perhaps being a bit earlier would help--though I offer no guarantees. The museum is at its most crowded on weekends, and the exhibits of most interest to you are the most crowded of all. Conditions won't be particularly pleasant, and it can be hard to even see the Rosetta Stone, because it's fairly small. I really don't know a solution to that, but I will mention that the museum is open until 8 PM (more like 7:45 PM, because they start chasing people out early) on Friday nights. It's usually less crowded late on Fridays--just don't expect to find anything to eat if you show up at 4 PM or so.

Quarters are very, very tight at the Sir John Soane Museum. If you are at all concerned about COVID or anything else that might be floating around, you may want to mask there.

I wasn't aware it was necessary to pre-book Kew Gardens. I was there in September 2019 during a major Chihuly exhibition, and we just walked right up to the ticket window. As of 2019 Kew Gardens participated in the 2-for-1 entry scheme. I think you'd need to take a train out there (and hold on to your train tickets) to qualify. 2-for-1 Days Out program Some of your other stops might also have 2-for-1 offers, but you need a ticket bought at a rail station to qualify. I think procedures have changed a bit since I took advantage of the program in 2019, but the savings can be substantial when you're going to places with high entry fees.

Why Dishoom Kensington? There are two closer to you considering where you are spending the day. Near Carnaby Street and in Covent Garden.

Thanks all for your help and replies!
@Frank-Dishoom in Kensington because typically after a full sightseeing day we go back to our hotel and rest up before dinner and this location is closest to our hotel in Belgravia.
@Cala & Christine-yes a Mad Max tour is something I have been considering, just wasn't sure if there was enough in Bath to keep us busy for our two days and whether we should again "travel" to another place. Also, there is the weather factor........my Cotswold fantasies all take place in the sunshine!
@Johnew52-I will look into the other train to Victoria, but I was planning on purchasing the Gatwick Express tickets in advance and I believe they are cheaper then.
@Rebecca-wonderful tips, thank you. We hope to get back to England and do a deeper dive into other places and towns, so I was kinda thinking of saving Salisbury for another time. There is so much to see, we can't do it all and this trip is focus on London.
@acraven-great tips as well. We will get there early at the British Museum! We hate waiting in lines, which is why I was thinking to pre book Kew, but maybe not necessary.
Thanks!

Would love some restaurant recommendations near our planned attractions.

Near your hotel, I recommend a wonderful French restaurant, La Poule Au Pot,
http://www.pouleaupot.co.uk/
http://www.pouleaupot.co.uk/downloads/La-Poule-au-Pot-TDH.pdf
231 Ebury Street. Roughly 3-4 blocks south of your hotel.
The chicken in the pot is wonderful.
The French onion soup is delicious and plenty filling if paired with a slice of quiche.

Forgot to mention earlier;
I highly recommend Cafe In The Crypt, in the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields
https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visit/cafe-in-the-crypt/
Good lunch menu, plus music there on some evenings.

Hi Tammy

I'd agree with acraven about the wisdom of the British Museum on a Saturday, even early. Everybody crashes into exactly the halls you have mentioned immediately. And Saturday is the busiest day of the week there.

It is free but everybody has to go through security and bag check, and it not a particularly quick process. I've seen pre-opening queues all the way along the outer (street side) wall most of the way down Great Russell Street and around the corner into Montague Street. Paradoxically the crowds can be worse on rainy days and better on sunny ones.

Is there any way you could rejig the order a bit to get it off the Saturday?

I’ll make a suggestion for your day when you are seeing Six. You are way younger than me but I’d move one of your London sights days to that day and do Hampton Court on a day when you are not pressed for time to get back to town. If you do decide to keep with Hampton Court on the Six day I would not take the boat back. To me the boat is soooo slow.

@Rebecca, thank you for the restaurant recommendations. That french place looks awesome!
@Nigel-yes, I realize the ground floor of British Museum with my listed focus is the most crowded. I'm not sure where else to put our visit here as other places like Tower and Westminster Abbey also the most crowded on Saturday. Since I don't need to book a timed entry in advance, I may just play it by ear and see if I can get there another day or time.

Tammy - yes, you can save a little on the standard £19.50 Gatwick Express tickets by buying in advance. But you can pay with a contactless card on any other Southern train to Victoria for £9.50 with no need to pay in advance or even buy a ticket.

@Pam, yes I thought about that, but thought it would be cool to go to Hampton Court and then see that musical. But now, I may move the British museum there and Hampton Court to Saturday. Thanks!

Hampton Court can get busy too, but there is miles and miles of the place so lots of space for people to spread out. Kids will be encouraging their parents to take them to the ancient Maze and the Magic Garden.

Food is good at the Tiltyard Cafe.

We are regulars at Hampton Court Palace. I'm sorry to say that the little riverside Banqueting House (not to be confused with the one in Whitehall) is closed for the foreseeable.

The Great Vine may still have some leaves by October, but the grapes will be all harvested and usually the last of the grapes are sold by the third week of September..

Studying the maps, both the built palace in various styles and the gardens before a visit is very worthwhile. The website is full of great information https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/

Hampton Court Palace is under the care of Historic Royal Palaces who also have Kensington Palace, the Tower of London and a couple more. They do a great job. (long time Member).

What I most like about your plan is that you don't have every minute of every day committed to a specific activity or attraction - you allow time to just savor the city and have spontaneous discoveries.

Do you love the Lime Tree Hotel? Would a change of hotel upon your return from Bath give you the opportunity to experience a different part of the city?

Is day 11 the only time you're on the South Bank? You get a different perspective of the city while walking along that side of the river - maybe extend your walk and cross a different bridge? Maybe tour the Globe after lunch?

Sounds like a wonderful trip.

“but thought it would be cool to go to Hampton Court and then see that musical.”

😂😂 I KNEW that was what was on your planning mind!! 😂😂

Well, for that matter you could do Tower of London doing the Yeoman Warder tour so you can go into the chapel Saint Peter ad Vincula to see the graves of 2 and 5, lol Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard or Windsor Castle to see St George’s chapel and Henry VIII’s and 3 (Jane Seymour) grave.

That leaves 4, Anne of Cleves, who’s at Westminster Abbey and 1 and 6 who are buried out of London.

HA HA Pam! Great minds think alike! Thanks for the Westminster Abbey tips. I want to see it all! I have never been inside the abbey on my two previous trips to London. On my first trip, we were waiting outside in a crowd to see Prince Charles come out and then I got pickpocketed! But, we got the rascal and I got to accompany him to the police station and make a statement. Learned my lesson on my first trip to Europe!

To complete the set, Wife #1, Catherine of Aragon is buried at Peterborough Cathedral, and
Wife #6, Catherine Parr, is buried at Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe, in the Cotswolds.

One more sight to maybe add to your London list.
The V&A Museum (Victoria and Albert) is excellent. Go first to the jewelry exhibit, because it gets crowded as the day goes on.
Lots to see at the V&A.
I highly recommend the lunch room at the V&A. Great food; plate lunches, salads, sandwiches, cakes and afternoon tea.
You can take a break from the museum, have lunch, and then go back to seeing more.
To take a break mid-afternoon for tea is fun, too.
The V&A cafe is in a lovely room with a gold domed ceiling.
Sometimes they have a pianist there on a baby grand piano playing lovely music, or a harpist, during afternoon tea.

Many of the museums in London have good lunchrooms, so no need to go outside the museum to look for a lunch place.
The British Museum has a couple of cafes inside.

Enjoy your trip to London!!

The upstairs restaurant at the British Museum (which will require a reservation on busy days) offers lunch and then afternoon tea. I enjoyed the tea, but I think it works better as a shared meal, with the second person just ordering something like a beverage. It's not larger than other teas I've seen, but still it's a lot of sandwiches and sweets for one person if said person isn't a growing teenager.

I’m curious to hear how putting Bath in the middle of your trip worked out as opposed in starting in Bath and ending in London, as I often see suggested.