I'd love some suggestions on an activity the afternoon we arrive in London. Something to help get our bodies adjusted to the time. We will be traveling in April '25 so plenty of daylight. Scheduled to land at 12:45 at Heathrow. Things move quickly in my experience so I estimate we will be at our South Kensington flat by 15:30. Ideally I'd like to take up about 3 hours. If we spend any meaningful time at the flat, I know my wife will get in to bed. Yes, a bad idea. FWIW, We have been to London before and have seen many of the major tourist sites.
Posted by
New England
701 posts
Hi normally I’d suggest a London Walks in order to stay on your feet, but the timing won’t work because their afternoon walks usually start between 2 and 230 pm. So consider a self-guided walk of some neighborhood that interests you. Or, you are near enough to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for a nice stroll and some people watching. There’s always the V and A, but being indoors won’t help you adjust to London time as much as being outside and exposed to natural light will.
Posted by
Seattle
302 posts
We walked through Hyde Park, Green Park, and then around the Palace and back to our hotel on our arrival to London in June, 2023. At a leisurely pace, it easily took at least 3 hours.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5492 posts
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it won't be raining. You could spend a lovely couple of hours strolling through the parks from Kensington Palace, through Hyde Park, past Buckingham Palace and through St James Park towards Parliament Square. And if you were still inclined, do Rick's Westminster walk up to Trafalger Square. That aught to work up an appetite for dinner.
Posted by
Land of La
9261 posts
View www.walks.com and see if any are of interest the day of arrival and if the timing is right for you to take.
Unpack, freshen up and get out to explore the neighborhood. Find the closest coffee, Boots, grocer for bottled water and snacks. Walk some more.
Posted by
UK (London - Chelsea Harbour)
176 posts
Hi! You have gotten some excellent suggestions here! I would just add Holland Park as a possible place to stroll to stave off jet lag while exploring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Park
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/parks-leisure-and-culture/parks/holland-park
There’s an ecology center, a restaurant, a gorgeous Japanese garden, a cricket ground and a little opera house, among much else. On the Kensington High Street side you can visit the Design Museum (might be an option if it is raining). https://designmuseum.org/#
High Street Kensington is a great place to stroll, window shop, and people watch. Lots of good places to eat, including The Ivy, quite close to the tube station. If you prefer to pick up groceries or picnic eats, there is a big 2-story Whole Foods, as well as an excellent M&S food hall also close to the High Street Kensington tube station.