The Royals/Downton Abbey/Help me prioritize?

I'll weigh in on palaces.

Take Kensington Palace off the table unless the current exhibit on royal fashions is a must-see for you. The permanent exhibits on Queen Victoria's childhood and William & Mary's apartment are under-whelming. (and I have studied British history extensively so could see these with some context) The jewelry exhibit is similarly not the best use of time on a first visit. (see the Crown Jewels at the Tower instead) My opinion, of course, but others have also been underwhelmed: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186338-d187550-Reviews-Kensington_Palace-London_England.html

The other options are all winners, in my opinion:

Buckingham Palace, seen so often on TV, was a treat for me, but might not be everyone's choice. I visited in 2019, but it looks like the offerings haven't changed. I had a visit to the Palace combined with Gardens. It made a nice half day. The art collection in the Palace is very good - definitely enhanced the visit for me. Obviously, in contemporary use, as opposed to Hampton Court.

Hampton Court - quite good for those interested in history. Henry the VIII's tennis court! Out of town, but transport isn't too onerous.

Windsor - I'm actually planning to introduce a younger relative to Windsor this June. Castle and strolls in the town. My companion has been to Hampton Court; if not, I would find it hard to choose between the two.

St James Palace - tickets sold out for 2025. Rarely open.

I have been to London many times - never witnessed changing of the guard. I'm interested to see if other responders think I've missed something! (I have seen guard changing in other countries.)

In addition to the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, look at the websites for the Courtauld Institute, the Wallace Collection, Tate Britain, and Tate Modern. Those are obvious "majors" for art museums. As you note, hard to choose between all the art options in London. I love the V&A - I suggest studying a map before arriving to pick the areas of most interest. (My favorite - the jewelry exhibits!)

I've not been to Highclere - looking forward to any reviews from other posters. If you aren't certain on Highclere, but wanted to include a "stately home", have you considered Blenheim - Chruchill's family home? Near Oxford and could be combined with a visit.

Westminster Abbey? St Pauls?

Have a great time!!!!

“I'm 5-3. If I have to look at shoulders, or get to Changing of the Guard early for a long wait. I'd probably skip.”

Horse Guards instead of the changing of the guard: hands down, for me. Thrillingly full of pomp, color, and horses! Not slammed like the changing of the guard. Search this forum for lots more info and reviews.

The V&A is, IMHO, a must - yes! But another cool option for your 2nd and 3rd museum is the Tate Modern and the Tate Britain. The Tate Modern is in an awesome old gasworks (I think?) building. They specialize in (duh) modern art. The Tate Britain has oodles of pre-Victorian art, with tons of famous works. The coolest part is that you can see one, then take a £5 shuttle boat/ferry across the river to the other - so you get a bonus boat ride on the Thames!

Windsor and Hampton Court are different experiences, and both are fab. Hampton Court is Tudor and Baroque in two different sections, with magnificent grounds and awe-inspiring history but not much to do in the surrounding town. Windsor Castle is a fabulous ancient pile in a gorgeous setting, also with lots of history going back centuries - and is still a royal residence, so - living history. Windsor is a cute village, but to me the huge coolness is that you can walk through town and over the river (be sure to notice the swans!) and into Eton! Eton is an adorable village, and Eton college is there. It is swoonworthily beautiful.

I will be going to Highclere in May and will report back after my trip. I booked a spot on a small-group tour that will visit Bampton (Downton Village), Cogges Farm (Yew Tree Farm), and Highclere Castle. It's an all-day event, and I expect it will be fantastic. Everyone who has visited Highclere raves about it. The only negative I've heard is that the food there isn't great, if you need a snack. Mrs. Patmore isn't in the kitchen, after all. Beware though: Downton tours sell out quickly. I booked mine back in January for a May tour. I know you can take the train/catch a taxi to the castle, but a bus tour sounded easier and more fun to me. If all you want is the castle, the train/taxi may be the way to go.

If you like the V&A, be sure to check out their exhibits. I think the Cartier exhibit will still be on in September. It's opening in April. Again, book early. I just got one of the last spots for a mid-May visit.

And given that you like historical churches, you may want to contact Westminster Abbey to be notified when their Abbey Unlocked tours go on sale in September. They are offered on random days but always early in the morning, when no one else is there (tours are limited to 10 people). The tour is pricey (£120 per person) but may be worth it if cathedrals are your thing.

It really depends on what you are excited to see. I really enjoyed seeing Westminster Abby, and the Tower of London (get there early and go first to the jewels then back for the Beefeater Walk). Changing of the Guard was not worth it for me. We were able to get into the Buckingham Palace tour and I thought that was worth seeing but it’s mostly a lot of gilded rooms. Kensington was more to see Diana’s garden. I really wanted to see the British Museum, Egypt section and it was fascinating for me. The guys, including my 10 year old grandson did the War Museum, the grandson still talks about it. As I mentioned, it’s all about your interests. Have a great time!

I love Hampton Court Palace and Windsor both, and plan on going to both this trip with my grandkids. And I agree with Wray about Eton—such a lovely and cool place to visit! You might see some of the students hanging around on the streets dressed in their unique tailcoats.

Westminster Abbey is always a must for me, as I love that place with a passion. Take one of the verger tours if you go for £10 or book the Unlocked Tour, although it's pretty pricey at £120 pp, although that does include admission.

The British Museum is a wonder as is the British Library, and I also love the V&A. If you like architecture, take a walk to the St. Pancras Railway Station, which is unbelievably beautiful.

Have you heard about the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower? It's an 800+year old tradition that takes place every night at the Tower of London at 9:30 pm. Tickets are only £10 but must be reserved in advance and are limited in number. They are always released the month before. See this site for details: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/ceremony-of-the-keys/

Greenwich is worth a visit, and you can take a Thames boat down to see it. It is home to the Prime Meridian, the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory. St. Paul's Cathedral is really beautiful and worth visiting in the early evening for Evensong.

I'm another fan of the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern. Check to see what exhibits are there. I happened to be there when the Tate Britain had a John Singer Sargent exhibit, and it was incredible.

-----Which were disappointing?
NONE!

Loved them all. I'm a big fan of Windsor and our day at Highclere was so wonderful. I was blown away in the sense of I can't believe I'm here! Changing of the Guard at Windsor is easier to view and if you've seen enough you can move along. Loved our tour of Buckingham Palace and the Gardens!

"St James Palace - tickets sold out for 2025. Rarely open."

I understand jules is asking about the chapel. There are actually two - the Chapel Royal within the grounds of the palace, and the Queen's Chapel, which while technically part of the palace is on the other side of Marlborough Road opposite Friary Court. Services in Sept will be in the Queen's Chapel, and I believe they're open to the public (times are posted on the sign board outside). Not open for tourism though.

jules, you asked about Royal “Others.” I have two to suggest, both seen on our last trip, which was about this time last year.

First is the Royal Mews. Mews are stables, and London’s modern street plan is full of cul-de-sacs with “Mews” in the street name, from back when horses and carriages filled the streets of London, and there needed to be places to keep them, feed the horses, hook up the harnesses, etc. Those “commoner” mews are now mostly back alleys and parking lots. Well, the royal horses, ponies, and carriages are still in use, and this is where they are kept and cared for. You get a useful audio guide with your admission, but Rick Steves’ London guidebook also includes a Royal Mews written tour. After you’ve seen some horses in pretty immaculate stalls, you can see fancy carriages, up close, that have been used for Royal transport. The most extravagant is the massive gold coach commissioned by George III, and that Charles and Camilla rode in after the coronation. There are also some Rolls Royces that Elizabeth II used when she wasn’t going by horse, and maybe Charles is still using them from time to time.

Just down the road from the Royal Mews, and practically adjacent to Buckingham Palace, is the King’s Gallery, which shows to the public a tiny portion of the King’s personal art collection (one of the largest, if not THE largest, private art collections in the world). Some map apps still show it as the Queen’s Gallery, and that was still the name carved into the heavy stone at the entrance last spring, but it’s the King’s Gallery now. There was a temporary exhibit of portraits of nobles by Hans Holbein (Henry VIII’s court artist) when we were there, and the collection changes, so it’ll be different for your visit. When we arrived, there was a long line stretching outside, but if you book an entry time, you can waltz right in, past the line.

Neither of these is particularly inexpensive, but each was worthwhile, especially if you appreciate Royal fortunes.

OK, so a unique church - Saint Michael Cornhill, on Cornhill Street. While Ebenezer Scrooge is a fictional character, he’s an intriguing one, and one theory is that Dickens spotted a real church across from a real (now dingy and depressing) cul-de-sac passageway opening, Newman’s Lane, as inspiration for the church with the bell that looked down on Scrooge’s counting house in A Christmas Carol.
https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/secret-london/newmans-court.htm

I walked down Cornhill and Cheapside streets, and finally found the church, very narrow at its front door. Hunting for the church, and Newman’s Lane, was a quest I completed last year.

With the important proviso that I've never been and probably never will, I would say that all I have read about Highclere Castle has been underwhelming. It was primarily used in Downton Abbey for exterior shots - the great majority of the indoors filming was done in studios. Before Downton Abbey it was very much in the lower level of British stately homes - there are far better choices around if you want to see a stately home. But if the connection to Downton Abbey is the driving reason for the visit then I guess that you need to go. Personally I would have a day trip to Greenwich way above it. Or Hampton Court for that matter.

Highclere Castle has limited opening in September, which could make your decision for you. The main summer opening finishes in August but there seems to be some special event opening in September. You’ll need to check dates and prices.

I don’t think you’ll be blown away but if you’re a big fan of Downton Abbey then I guess it will mean something to you if you can book a visit.

My favourite of those you’ve mentioned is Hampton Court Palace.

The V&A is lovely (and my favourite museum) but note it’s applied art - jewellery, textiles, sculptures etc. For painting, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are right next to each other. I also love Tate Britain.

Highclere Castle is not a patch on places like Blenheim Palace, Hatfield House, Woburn Abbey etc, but I actually quite liked it. Aside from the Downton Abbey connection, it's relatively small and has a human scale which is quite nice. And there's the Egyptian connection through the 5th Earl. I wouldn't sacrifice somewhere else for it, but I did enjoy visiting.

I've been to the Changing of the Guard once as part of a tour but don't remember it at all. I wouldn't waste my time on it. I have never been to Buckingham Palace because it's never been open when I was there(and I've been to London at least 6 times), so if it's open while you're there, you should prioritize it, I really enjoyed the National Gallery. You might want to go to the Imperial War Museum.

If you are really interested in Churchill, you could substitute a visit to Chartwell (his personal home) which is in Kent and houses a lot more his memorabilia. Google “Chartwell” and a link to the website will clear up.

The easiest way to get there without a car is probably train to one of the nearby stations and then a taxi. It’s a large family home but not a mansion and is set in very attractive countryside.

You’ve gotten lots of good advice and I don’t want to be repetitive, so I will just add since you mentioned an interest in tennis, the guided tour of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (Wimbledon) is absolutely brilliant and well worth it for tennis fans, especially if you enjoy watching Wimbledon each summer.

A lot of great advice here! One I wanted to add, since you are interested in WWII- Hidden London does tours into disused tube stations (or parts of stations)- many include stories of people sheltering down in the station during the Blitz. However, Down Street in particular may interest you as it's where Churchill kept his office. I love these tours- they are given by really knowledgable guides and are a unique way to see London. You would need to check the links below for availability on the dates you are travelling- it looks like Down Street dates haven't been released yet.

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london
https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/hidden-london/down-street

Frequent London visitor. Excellent advice and suggestions so far.

Given your interests the Churchill War Rooms and Bletchley Park are so worth your time.

Ignore waiting for the Changing of the Guard at the Palace. Instead walk along Birdcage Walk from Parliament Square up to the intersection of Buckingham Gate and Spur Road on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday at about 11:30am. With proper timing you’ll catch the Kings Guard band marching back to the Guards Museum from the ceremony.

Also peruse the London Walk website. I take one almost every time I’m staying in London. Very well organized, inexpensive, small groups and knowledgeable guides. www.walks.com

EDIT: if any interest see the WW2 memorial to women on Whitehall. On July 9, 2005, five military helicopters—an Apache, Sea King, Lynx, Chinook, and Merlin—flew above Central London. Later, two Tornado F3 jets thundered overhead. All were flown by female pilots. It’s a fairly “ new “ memorial given the length of time between the end of the war and the installation of the memorial.

https://www.npg.org.uk/visit/walking-tour/st-james-tour/stop-5

I am a huge Downton Abbey fan and Highclere was on my must see list. I was pleasantly surprised by the castle. I thought it was more lovely in person than on TV. I spent the entire day exploring the castle and the grounds. I also splurged and had a wonderful tea during my visit. A highlight was also getting my picture taken on Lady Mary's bench. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, I think you will really enjoy it.
Happy Travels!

The first place I like to visit in London is always the Tower--not just because I am nutty about the ravens, but because it is truly one of the most unusually fascinating places and I never tire of it. Of the palaces--I have visited Windsor twice, and it makes for an easy trip just slightly out of London. Hampton Court is also quite spectacular, you'll want most of the day but could get back in time to do other things, and Buckingham is worth a look inside if you will be there when they offer tours. Kensington was a lovely little palace to explore in a couple of hours, and I liked being able to walk in the room where Queen Victoria was born. If you include a trip to Kew Gardens you can tour the charming Kew Palace, home of King George III and Queen Charlotte.

My most favorite day ever was in early September of 2018 when I did the long guided day trip to Highclere Castle--it included time at Cogges Manor Farm and Bampton, a pleasant ride through the countryside and then all afternoon to explore the Castle and grounds. I had lunch there and they offered a variety of locally-sourced things like sausages, salads and sandwiches. Downton Abbey remains a favorite show of mine and if you love it as much as I do you'll not be disappointed, whether you visit on your own or do a guided trip. The Castle is not open year-round, so do check for opening dates on their website.

Such great information from all you London experts! I think my next step is to visit the website of these places to get hours and also determine if they will be open when we are there.

Was definitely planning to visit Wimbledon. Was just leafing thru a guidebook. There is a Wimbledon museum which is of windmills! Then there is the Wimbledon Lawn and Tennis Museum!

Anyone tour Parliament?

We definitely plan on taking at least a few tours. Some possibilities would be related to WWII, resistance and pubs.

The Imperial War Museum is definitely on the list. In terms of WWII, I'm a bit interested in battles and strategy, and really interested in code breaking, resistance, espionage, etc. My husband is into the battles/strategies/armaments and vehicles. Might I be better off going to Highclere or an art museum while he goes to the art museum?

Many clever ideas. Carry on, please!

The website explains how you can visit a parliamentary session. I have done that, quite interesting. https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/watch-committees-and-debates/debates/

I have also had tours of Westminster Palace. Very good. https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/

So many great choices! Really hard to prioritize.

IWM - I find it fascinating with much more than battle strategy.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london/whats-here

Seconding that the Parliament tour is excellent. I just took some visiting family members this past weekend. I’ve done both the guided and audio version; try to book the guided tour if you can but audio is still very good if it’s sold out (tickets for the guided ones go fast).

I have done 2 Parliament tours, and both were excellent. The first was guided through the Houses of Parliament, very knowledgeable guide who explained quite thoroughly everything we were seeing--took about 2 hours. The other was a tour of the State Apartments of Speaker's House--I really loved being able to see where they live, the tour covered 2 levels and included the common rooms, office, dining room and the State bedroom where the monarch can sleep the night before the coronation (though Charles did not). 1 1/2 hours, and again, led by a very humorous and informative guide--I came away with lots of interesting tidbits of knowledge. I would love to do the Big Ben tour but the amount of stairs and claustrophobia are sticking points--and it's a difficult ticket to get.

Another museum I really enjoyed was the Museum of Transport in Covent Garden--if you are at all intrigued by the various means of public conveyance in London through the years you'd enjoy this museum. When I visited they had a special display of the wonderful posters from the early 1900s on.

Sounds like parliament is a must do, if open. Anyone been to the British Library?

So, after a lot of angst this is what we have so far. Oh, and for day trips from London, we've agreed on Windsor, Hampton Court and Bletchley Park. All travel via public transportation

Arrive Heathrow, go to Kings Cross/Covent Garden area, 2-3 nights
Kings Cross to York for 4 nights
York to Yorkshire 3-4 nights
London 4-5 nights

*Primary reason for splitting London is to allow us to purchase cheaper tickets to get to York.
*We don't typically have a problem with jet lag, and this will be a shorter flight than what we've done in the last few years.
*While in Kings Cross area, we'd like to see the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, what is typical timeframe we can expect for these museums? We have a moderate interest in art.
*We'd like to explore Chinatown a bit, and have dinner. How much time to explore Chinatown and any worries about nighttime safety?
*Any other places we should get to while staying in King's Cross/Covent Garden?

Other questions/thoughts
*Suggestions for well located, moderately priced if possible, second base for London?
*We will do at least 2 London Walks. Anyone done a London Walk related to Westminster or St. Paul's? Others we are looking at related to espionage and WWII, and pubs.
*Other high priority sites, Churchill war rooms, Imperial War museum, Tower of London, V&A, parliament, St. Paul's, Westminster,

I love art and I think I spent 2 hours in the National Gallery, but it was on our arrival day and I wanted to get back to the hotel for a nap. I think you would enjoy the chapel at Windsor.

The British Library is in the Kings Cross area. The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery are in the Trafalgar Square area.

Thank you Cala, Gerry, thanks for the clarification, my guidebook had Kings Cross and Covent Garden areas together, depending on what hotel we pick, looking at Google maps, you are correct, in terms of walking distance, they are not all that close.

6 visits to London…and counting…and I visit the British Library every time. It’s free, and I love to see what’s on special display in the Treasures gallery…handwritten Beatles lyrics, manuscripts galore, Jane Austen’s portable writing desk, the Magna Carta, and once there was a display on Terence Rattigan. The book/gift shops are wonderful too and I have a weakness for their series of vintage mysteries and women writers.

While in Kings Cross area, we'd like to see the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, what is typical timeframe we can expect for these museums? We have a moderate interest in art.

They're both big galleries with lots to see. You're under no obligation to see everything. The beauty of free entry to the UK's national museums is that you always get your money's worth, no matter how long you spend there.

We'd like to explore Chinatown a bit, and have dinner. How much time to explore Chinatown and any worries about nighttime safety?

Chinatown is a small area of the west end, maybe half a mile square? There's several streets to walk, Gerrard Street being the main one for restaurants. Do your homework on where you want to eat (or take recommendations from others more knowledgeable than I on here) as not everywhere is great. It's a very touristy area, as well as being where local Chinese people go to eat, so you might get somewhere very poor or fabulous.

No fear about personal safety as such, but I'd always be quite cautious (within reason) about having my phone in my hand these days in the west end as theft is quite common.

Anyone been to the British Library?

Yes, for The Treasures (free), full of historical documents, maps, recordings, etc. There’s a case with Beatles items, Magna Carta (how could anybody possibly read that tiny handwriting, done before glasses existed?), and manuscripts from famous writers. Last time we went, there was a separate (paid) exhibit on Beethoven.

Multiple visits to the British Library. It can be as short or long a visit as you want. 15 - 20 minutes to see every case briefly or longer to study the contents. Unless you are touring in Kings Cross (or staying in the area), it may not fall neatly into a touring schedule. It is walkable to British Museum if you are a walker. Close enough to Kings Cross or St Pancras Stations that it could be a stop before or after a train if the timing works.

I love the National Portrait Gallery, but I wonder if it helps to know many of the individuals? Perhaps someone can weigh in - I’ve studied a lot of English history so felt it was like meeting friends. Not sure if the typical non-Brit visitor would have that reaction. (Just trying to help with another data point to use when weighing options.)

National Gallery - consider how long might you spend at any major art museum. Their website says at least 3 hours - I know I spent 3 hours last visit. It wasn’t my first time and it was my arrival jet-lag day. Tate Britain has a lot of British art and Wallace Collection is smaller than National Gallery, but excellent if you want an alternative.

We will do at least 2 London Walks. Anyone done a London Walk related to Westminster or St. Paul's?

We did the London Walk for the inside of Westminster Abbey. Good experience and I’d recommend.

If you’re talking about the Westminster area, not the Abbey, (near Big Ben, etc) we used the walking tour from the RS Audio app. Worked well too.

I thought my last post mentioning Chinatown was less than useful, so I'll post a couple of videos from one of my favourite restaurant review channels Gary Eats.

One I remembered watching some time ago was this - his review of Lido in Gerrard Street. Britain's oldest Chinese restaurant.

https://youtu.be/H3y861tWn8c?si=MtdXHhwkSkS0Ee8U

I just watched his review of Wong Kei in Wardour Street today. Britain's rudest restaurant (spoiler: they're not that rude).

https://youtu.be/qwEjV4bSxZk?si=Z-kL_9_c6S1jSfnl

I think the thing with Chinese food is that China is so diverse culturally, every region has its favoured dishes. In Chinatown there's a restaurant for every Chinese diaspora, knocking out favourites from back home to the local Chinese population. I think these two videos give you a good idea of what you can expect.