First day in London after a long flight?

Sure. I do this same traditional jaunt each visit after my overnight flight from LAX. Once you get to the hotel, unpack, grab your digital cameras and head right out back out the door. Will you have arrived via the Tube? Sloane Square or Victoria. If yes, walk the few blocks to either and hop on the District or Circle line train to Westminster. Very short ride. Exit. Mind the Gap. As you wander through the modern, sleek station follow signage toward Exit 1 (says Westminster Bridge) Climb up the few steps into the light. Before you will be the London Eye and the Thames. Turn to your right and look up. You'll be impressed!! Climb up those steps on your right. Turn right again. Start snapping your photos of Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey. You can either follow Birdcage Walk into St James park on up to Buckingham Palace (7-8 blocks) or walk up Whitehall passing #10 Downing Street, the Horse Guards up to Trafalger Square. VERY walkable city. Now from there you can head over to St Martin's of The Field Crypt Cafe for dinner or continue walking or use the tube to get to Covenant Garden. Grab a bite at Rock n Sole 47 Endell Street, Covent Garden, London. That should do it for the evening. Then back to the Morgan House for a good nights sleep.

We do pretty much what Claudia described, except that our hotel is right near Westminster Bridge so can start right out walking. Sometimes we walk the south side of the Thames as far as the Tate Modern before turning back. We cross on the Millenium Bridge and head to Wagamamma ( the one near the Transport Museum) for a quick bite, easy on the tummy and the wallet. Then we walk back via the Strand and if it still light out, through St. James Park. And after all that we go to sleep knowing we are really in London.

My first evening in London, I love doing a ghost or pub walk with London walks. Last time it was a Literary Pub tour, this time (in August) my daughter and I are doing a ghost walk. I am usually too excited to go to sleep early even after an all night flight. She wants to do the London Eye after our walk, guess we'll see if we are still awake.

Belgravia is a good location near Victoria Station. If you want a light start to your trip to work-out the jet lag - you may want to stroll to Buckingham Palace. The Palace is not far from Belgravia. There is a side street that leads to it. (Can't remember the name.) Then, walk through the grassy green park in front of the Palace and head out the other side. The impressive black horses with guards are there. From there, it's an easy walk to trafalgar square and the National Gallery of Art. If the Gallery is open, enjoy a leisurely visit.

You are getting very good suggestions. The best thing after a flight is a walk. The best cure for jet lag is a walk in the sunshine. If you are too tired to walk when you get there (it's possible) take a double decker bus ride and watch London go by.

I usually do something similar to what Claudia suggested. however from your hotel you could walk to Sloane Square and window shop down Kings Road (not as trendy as it used to be, but still pleasant), some good pubs and interesting restaurants. Or from Sloane Square go North to Hyde park or harrods. its good to stretch your legs and get some outside air.

I agree with all the above except the art gallery. The trick is to stay active and awake as long as you can that afternoon, at least through dinner. Fresh air and daylight work best. I'd avoid indoor settings for very long, or evening tours, or anything that involves too much heavy thinking or contemplation. We walk around, maybe just in the hotel neighborhood, get our bearings, have something to eat, then wait till it starts getting dark, if possible, before crashing. The next day we're pretty much OK, ready for the heavy thinking and contemplation part of the trip.

I'd say take a walk along the Thames past parliment and find a pub to grab a bite and a pint at. Get a good night's rest and you'll be fresh and ready to go next morning. enjoy!

Just realized your accommodation is close to one of the better and untarnished pubs in London. Untarnished as in hasn't been turned into a gastro pub or had the traditional pub elements refurbished as a sleek and modern venue. Duke of Wellington on Eaton Terrace. Very traditional. A respite to consider sometime during your visit. Cheers.

Since I do most of my Europe planning with a Rick Steve's book, my first day fresh off the plane plan is usually doing one or more walks he lists for that city. I get my bearings and become familiar with my surroundings and take in a recommended walk with some external site seeing.

Is it really that difficult to do anything on your first day in London? Because I'm taking my first trip abroad in July, and since we're getting in around noon, I was hoping we'd be able to see both St. Paul's and possibly the Museum of London before getting dinner and crashing at the hotel.

Kathy: It's not that it's "easy" or "difficult." It's that jet lag hits each person differently, and I find further that it's different on each trip, and that it's getting worse with age. For me, I have minimal problems if I stay outdoors, and much bigger problems if I'm indoors for an extended period (longer than a meal), which most museums require. I certainly would not plan on any personal "must see" sights for the first day, just in case. The ideas here of a walk and a nice pub/restaurant are good ones. I also find that I have to be wary of the second day. For the first one, I'm sometimes flying on adrenaline, and then really crash on the second day. That is, unless the first day is a total washout. I have learned to set my alarm (on my cell phone), no matter how the first day goes. Once on day 2 I slept until noon, when I was awakened by the front desk calling to ask if the cleaning person could come in!

Hi Debbie,
I just returned from London and we actually had a really nice first evening there. We landed about 2:00 in the afternoon, got to our hotel, settled in/unpacked, had a little dinner then went on a Greyline Tours Illuminated bus tour. It was the big double decker bus with an open top. It was really exciting to see the "big sites" for the first time all lit up. It was a nice orientation to the city. Took about an hour or so, was nice a cool on top the bus and there were only 6 other people on the bus. Of course, we went back to all of the big sites to visit them up close and personal, but it really was thrilling to drive by Big Ben and the Tower Bridge for the first time. It was a perfect first night!

I agree with most of these suggestions. Get out and walk. Stay outside if possible. If you aren't getting to your hotel until mid afternoon, you might not have much time to tour the interiors of dark places like Westminster Abbey. Take note of any sites you might be interested in for a more indepth visit. Try to have your dinner at a "normal London time"; and go to bed by 10pm. It's the second day that jet lag sets in. What works for me is to schedule a day bus trip out of town, at least 2 hour or more away. Stonehenge and Canterbury are about the right length trips. The tour guides usually start talking about the sights you will see as the bus is leaving London. By then you can hopefully drift off to sleep for a bit before the guide starts talking again. The comfortable couch bus will help to sooth bodies which which might be achey from jet lag and and your long walk the day before.