Thoughts on Itinerary Scheduling/Logistics?

Tuesday - I do the Tower in the morning, get there as it opens and see the popular parts (eg Crown Jewels) first

Friday- I don’t think this is doable. Hampton Court itself will take more than half a day and you’ve got to get there and back (by train??j. There doesn’t seem a quick route from there to Kew Gardens (goggle maps suggests about an hour) and these are, themselves quite extensive. Hampton Court and Kew in a day is too much for one day, let alone a morning. You could easily spend Saturday at Hampton Court, particularly if it’s a nice day when the gardens, grounds (and maze) are lovely.

The Rick Steves Guidebook suggests you can do Hampton Court and Kew in the same day (train to Hampton and then taxi to Kew) which is why I had planned it that way. I'll reconsider though!

You could just about do both Hampton Court and Kew Gardens in a day, although I think you would be short changing both. There’s no way you could do St Paul’s as well.

Friday is not feasible even if you did only two and really rushed through.

Okay, given the consensus on Friday being too much. Should I do Hampton and Kew on Saturday? Or St. Paul's? How would you rearrange it?

You could potentially do Hampton Court and Kew in the same day- travelling between by taxi. It may only be 8 miles, but even at 6pm on a Sunday night that will take you 30 minutes.

Whether you are doing justice to either place by combining them into the same day is a distinctly moot point.

However to then add St Paul's in as well is really pushing the boundaries of time. Last entry to St Paul's is at 4.00 pm and the Cathedral closes at 4.30pm for sightseeing. Irrespective of the price of entry St Paul's in 30 minutes is somewhat cursory. Evensong follows at 5pm, and you cannot sightsee during or after the service.

I agree with the others and would do Hampton Court Palace one day and Kew Gardens the next since you've got Saturday open. I'd do St Paul's one of those afternoons, probably the Kew day.

I also vote for Tower of London in the AM in case it's hot. That's a lot of outdoor time. The British Library will be good if the afternoon is hot.

Depending on how well you travel, you might be able to do St. Paul's on your Monday arrival day.

I agree with others who have posted - do the Tower first thing in the morning. Buy your tickets ahead of time, aim to get there 30 minutes (or more, if you are feeling up to it) before opening, and then make a bee line to the Crown Jewels. This is what we did last July and we were among the first 100 or so to enter. Even the ticket checkers were telling us to do the Crown Jewels first!

Could you then do St. Paul's after the Tower, get lunch, and then head to the British Library? It would be a full day, but I believe the Library is open until 20:00, so you could even get dinner in the area and then have a nice evening look at the Library. Unfortunately we couldn't get in (there was an unlisted private event going on the evening we tried to go), but my understanding is the Library is really only two rooms of artifacts. That wouldn't take more than an hour, right?

Have a wonderful trip!

On Tuesday, if you do the Tower first thing, would suggest after you finished, then head off to St Pauls - which is nearby. First see the Crown Jewels, before queues develop, and then join a Beefeater tour. After that, how long you stay there depends on your level of interest. Then go to St Pauls next.

The British Library is not large. Unless there is something there that is of special interest to you, I would suggest it would not take more than an hour.

If we knew where you were staying we might be able to help a bit better with the logistics.

Thanks all, revised below:

Monday
Arrive in the morning, Hyde Park in the afternoon

Tuesday
V&A Museum in the morning, Westminster Abbey + Parliament in the afternoon

Wednesday
Oxford in the morning/early afternoon, Covent Garden in the late afternoon/early evening

Thursday
Tower of London in the morning, St. Paul's Cathedral in the afternoon

Friday
Hampton Court and Kew Gardens

Saturday
British Library

Not sure the revised itinerary is right. The British Library will take 1 to 1.5 hrs so would be better in an afternoon. Also, Friday says Kew in the morning??

Also, I’d keep an eye on the weather. Kew, in particular, and also Hampton Court benefits from a good day. In my view, Kew on a wet day wouldn’t be a lot of fun. So you may want to be able switch days around at short(ish) notice.

Kew Gardens is a lovely place but it’s not a must visit for me as someone who loves to wander outside in beauty but has no particular passion or knowledge of gardening. There are plenty of great parks in London that you could explore instead for free. The taxi from Hampton Court will be expensive and Hampton Court also has extensive grounds to explore. Both in one day is a lot.

I’ll throw something else into the mix. Hyde Park and then evensong at St Pauls that evening.

I will second the suggestion of attending Evensong at St. Paul's - it was enough for us, and it's a relaxing way to end a day. Plus it's free - although you should throw some cash into the collection plate [are they still passed around?].

I'm surprised no-one has questioned the time you've alotted for Oxford - if you intend to spend so little time there, I'd say it isn't worth the train trip. There is much to see, and you need time to soak in the ambience. I would want to stay through an early dinner if just visiting for a day.

For me, Hyde Park is nice to walk through if the weather’s good but not an attraction in its own right. It’s - well, it’s a huge expanse of grass and pathways.

Obviously you’ll be jet lagged on the Monday so staying outside is a good idea. But it might be worth having a neighbourhood stroll somewhere, or having an indoor option in case of rain. And/or, as others suggest, Evensong at St Paul’s.

I like Kew Gardens but went for the first time in my life two years ago, having previously lived in London for three years and hundreds of other visits/stays in the city. I liked it well enough but it doesn’t strike me as an absolute top tier place if you’re short of time. Whereas Hampton Court very much is (note: not just “Hampton”) and could take at least three-quarters of a day.

I think Oxford followed by Covent Garden could work but only if you look at Covent Garden as your late evening destination. You may be enjoying Oxford so much that you decide to stay there and come back to London late evening. It’s a lovely city.