Third time visitor in London

Have you been to Wimbledon? It was my husband's favorite London activity.
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/museum_and_tours/index.html

I have! Watched the Women's final there in 2019 and it was an amazing memorable experience!

Thank you! Please suggest more ideas!

Background: I'm the mom in an American family of 5 that lived in Royal Tunbridge Wells, south of London from 2017-2019. You didn't mention the British Museum so just in case, def do that of course. I assume you've visited it tho.
A day trip to Windsor is well worth it.. Easy train there and totally walkable. The castle was my favorite to take visitors to, as it has everything people tend to expect from a castle. You can also tour the chapel where the queen and other members of her family are entombed. (also where Harry and Meghan and Charles and Camilla were all married). Windsor itself has brick streets and quirky crooked old shoppes mixed with the British restaurant chains you come to expect. (Think Wagamama and Nando's-- both favorites of ours). There is a neat shopping area in an old train station area as well.
We also enjoyed the covent garden area, with Jubilee Market and the London Transport Museum.
Another day trip would be Dover Castle. It is extensive and we visited at least 5 times. I loved the WW2 tunnels and all the other areas of the castle to explore.
In general the end of July is a great time to visit London bc kids are still in school there and the flowers have had time to get beautiful. You will have long summer days.

You guessed right, I have done the British Museum, although I wouldn't mind doing it again.

I did not think of Windsor Castle so thank you! I will surely that this time round, especially after everything you've told I can explore. Also Dover Castle never occurred to me and it sounds lovely! I'm gonna go research it a bit now, but I like what you've told me so far! Jubilee Market and London Transport Museum also sound very cool!

Would you suggest a day trip to Oxford or Cambridge? I have long been fascinated by both (especially Oxford) from pictures and reading, but I wonder if I am building it up in my imagination too much!

Thank you so very much for the lovely suggestions, you have given me a ton of things to look up and figure out! I am so excited! :)

Perhaps not off the beaten path, but the National Portrait Gallery has recently re-opened and has a wonderful show of photos taken by Paul McCartney in 1963-64, including the Beatles first trip to the USA. https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2023/paul-mccartney-photographs-1963%E2%80%9364-eyes-of-the-storm/

There was a great preview of the show on CBS Sunday Morning a few weeks ago: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W3iGuYikiRQ&pp=ygUnQW50aG9ueSBtYXNvbiBpbnRlcnZpZXdzIHBhdWwgbWNjYXJ0bmV5

It kind of depends on your interests. I’m a museum gal so I loved:

Sir John Soane’s Museum
British Library ( Magna Carta is here)
Wallace Collection
Queens Gallery which is located down the side of Buckingham Palace but look to see if the current exhibition is of interest
Churchill War Rooms
Imperial War Museum

Day trip to Bletchley Park where the Codebreakers worked during WWII
Day trip to Hampton Court Palace

London Walks

Bletchley Park
Richmond Park to see the fallow deer
Hampstead Heath
Highgate Cemetery
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Welcome Collection
Leighton House
Mercado Mayfair
Visit The Mythraeum
Spitalfields Market
Viktor Wynn Museum of Curiosities
The Attendant or any other of the 5 public toilets converted into bars
Climb the O2
Tower Bridge Experience
Backstage Tour of the National Theatre
Tour Parliament

Been visiting London for 50 years. ALWAYS something new to experience and enjoy.

Use a tap debit or credit card. I’m old school and use an Oyster card. Personal preference as I wouldn’t care if I lost an Oyster card but would be livid if I lost a debit or credit card.

You should check the London Walks website. www.walks.com

I take one each visit. Most recent was Inns of the Royal Court. Knowledgable and personable guides, smallish group size and worth the money.

You can use a US contactless credit card which is easier than an Oyster. Just tap and go see TFL website for more info if you need it.

Excellent suggestions for visits. Any particular interests? I know some others, but may be geared to specific interests. Freud’s House,
Uxbridge Battle of Britain, lots of art type ideas if you want more.

Oxford is easy from London and a bit closer than Cambridge. The Ashmolean Museum is quite good as well as wandering the town. You can get guided tours of the Bodlian Library which I would book in advance or get there early.

Apple Pay works also for transport touch and go.

If you want to see the Churchill War Rooms, book in advance and I recommend start of day for fewer crowds. At least initially!

There are two types of travelcards

Physical ones that are for people in the suburbs that buy a ticket into London combined with Underground travel, typically £15 cost range. No use at all for someone staying centrally where the daily cap is £8.10

Non-physical ones that are for 7 days or more travel, typically 5 times a daily cap plus a tiny bit and valid for seven days. So, no use for you either by the sound of it.

You can use a contactless card or an Oyster if you want - but the latter means spending £7 on a card.

From Gatwick you can buy an Oyster at the machines - you can use your Oyster balance but it is not part of capping - it just deducts the fare from the balance. You can also use contactless.

No need to use the Express - it is 40% more expensive and saves two or three minutes. The regular train is a better option and there are loads every hour.

National Portrait Gallery has just reopened. The wall at Vine Street is new. Mentioning them as it is likely you haven't been to either.

Oh wow, now I wish I had more time in London! Thank you so much for the amazing suggestions, I am looking them all up right now!

English state schools finish for the Summer this Friday 21st. Private schools finished two weeks ago.
I doubt though that this will significantly increase visitor numbers. More families will head to the beach and rural areas or further afield and there will be less school trips into London.

Take a boat from Westminster Pier to Kew Gardens.

I was just in London last month for my 3rd visit (although it was just for two nights after a cruise). My husband is an aviation and military history enthusiast and found out that the Royal Air Force Museum is in London (although on the very outskirts). We went there and spent hours at the excellent and very large museum that spans several buildings. They also have a decent cafe there as well.

As Pam mentioned, the Imperial War Museum is another great option.

As far as transportation goes, we just used a credit card and did the tap and go at the tube stations and that worked out very well for us.

Another vote for Windsor Castle, The Churchill War Rooms, and The Imperial War Museum.

We just got back two weeks ago from london. Spent two weeks there. Have not had time to do trip report yet here is a few things we did.

Even song at Westminster
Windsor castle
Canary wharf and prime meridian
Loved imperial war room
Saw a musical jersey boys
Convert gardens
Piccadilly
Trafal. Square
Brass rubbing at st marten in the square
St. Louis/Cubs baseball games
Tour of Chelsea football stadium
Kensington palace
Buckingham palace
V & A museum ( so big you can’t see it all in one day)
Tour of Royal Albert hall
London walks - Beatles tour
Oyster cards for seven days.
Ifs cloud cable car over Thames
Harrods
Made sure we rode the new Elizabeth line

Can’t think of anything else we did.

Kim

I don't know if you have been there or not, try exploring neighbourhoods like Shoreditch or Camden town for their vibrant street art, markets. There are lots of Museums and galleries over there like Victoria, Albert Museum, Tate Modern or British Library. Take a leisurely stroll through Hyde Park, Regents Park, or St. James's Park.

You can also tour the chapel (in Windsor Castle)

Not the Sunday we were there. If you want to go on a Sunday, check first if you can visit the chapel.

Haven’t seen this mentioned much on here - and it might not be for you if you are the least bit squeamish - but we are planning on visiting the Hunterian Museum during our September trip.

It’s listed as a place to “discover the art and science of surgery from ancient times to the present day,” and is said to have a large specimen collection (ie lots of human remains) from an 18th century surgeon anatomist, John Hunter, for whom it is named. For us, it sounds like a museum we have near to us, in Philly, called the Mutter Museum, and one we find endlessly fascinating. Of course, ymmv. 😆