First day in London

We usually arrive in the morning, too. And we always hit the ground running (so to speak). If you get some sleep on the plane, you would probably be fine doing the hop on/off bus in the afternoon, but if you are sleep deprived and get warm and comfortable, you could doze a bit or just get too fazed to really comprehend the comentary. I like to walk around, go to markets, etc. You could easily do a walk that takes you past Buckingham, dokwn Pall Mall, past Westminster and Parliment and Big Ben- even try a trip on the London Eye . I'd also suggesst you continue on up past the National Portrait Gallery to Leciester Square, Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden Market. Don't rush- just amble. It will help you orinent yourself, give the feeling of "really being in London" and the exposure to daylight will reset your internal clock.

Agree with previous suggestions. The Cabinet War Rooms should be seen wo jet lag. Evensong at Westminster is very worthwhile. You will have to decide what to visit while jetlagged-some are walkby sights. You could visit the Royal Mews along with Buck Palace-the horses have a good life there plus the Royal coaches are on display including the ONE that will soon be in use-a wall has to be removed to get it out.

We flew from Seattle to London overnight and arrived at Heathrow at 3pm. We got to our apartment at 4:30 and were out the door by 5:30pm. We took the tube to Victoria Station (we stayed in South Kensington) and walked from there around the local area for a bit until we felt hungry and went back to South Kensington and had dinner at 6:45 at the Pret A Manger. Then we took the tube down to Gloucester Road and did some grocery shopping at Waitrose and then went back to our apartment by 7:45. We stayed up until 9pm at which point we took a shower and went to bed. Were wide awake by 5am!! So I recommend walking around on your first day. Check out the South Bank for good views of London. Take the Westminster Abbey tour and check out Trafalger Square. Mostly stay outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight. Jet lag HATES that!

Jet lag is a real thing, so I recommend building some flexibility into the first day. Otherwise, if you push too hard on Day One, you'll pay for it on Day Two. That is, don't be afraid to just go back to the hotel and crash. Be sure to check the hours of operation of everything you want to visit, to avoid disappointment. Parliament is across the (very busy) street from Westminster Abbey. While you're there, walk across Westminster Bridge, turn left, gawk at the London Eye, and keep walking for a nice stroll along the Thames. Keep an eye for for places to stop for a bite. Early on acquire a map of the London Underground. It will come in handy. But, remember it is not drawn to scale. With a bit of organization, you can see a an awful lot of London in four days. I've done it.

Westmister bridge area gives you a good opportunity to just walk on your first day. I would do Westminster (tour the Abbey when you are fully awake)- Big Ben, up Whitehall to Horse Gurads, Trafalgar Square, possibly the Mall, St James park, past Buckingham palace, green park, Piccadilly back to Trafalgar Square OR through Hyde park to Marble Arch, along Oxford Street, South on either Bond Street or regent Street back to Trafalgar square. Stop anywhere you fancy for lunch. Back to your hotel. Good day for casual window shopping/London parks Alternatively from your hotel along Embankment OR South bank toward London Eye, Globe theater. I find first (part ) day is good for walking just to get the flavor of London. in afternoon, could do Hop On Hop Off bus, depending on how awake you are.

Jet lag ALWAYS wins if I go to a play first night go for a walk or have an expensive nap.

If staying near Westminster Bridge, you can easily walk to Houses of Parliament/Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and up Whithall to Trafalgar Square. If you are too tired even for this moderate walk and weather is nice, I'd get on a hop on hop off bus, which you can get on the bridge, and just relax and get a good introduction to the city.

We have been to London in May 2009 and 2010. We are going again this September. We have some jet lag pills we bought from the "Magellan Travel Store". (Magellan.com). There are two locations for the travel store. One is in Santa Monica, Calif. and the other is in Santa Barbar, Calif. You can pull up their catalog on line and order the pills on line We haven't experienced jet lag, since we discovered these pills. Even when we went to Australia, they prevented any jet lag. Elaine