London in June - Places to Stay, Things to Do

[Longtime Lurker]

I am back for more travel advice after getting such helpful input for our trip to Boston last May:

We were especially thankful for the hotel recommendation. We ended up staying at the Parker House hotel, an older hotel that was very centrally located. We loved both the hotel's character and its location! So we are hoping to stay somewhere similar in London. 

Here is our general plan: DD23 and I will be going to London for 5 days in early June, with a possible day trip to Oxford. I have been to both places before (in 1992), but DD has not. We love musicals (we plan to get tickets to Les Mis), eating out, extensive amounts of walking, interesting architecture, self-guided walking tours, and climbing towers. We do not love guided tours (except occasionally to places that only offer guided tours), most museums, and things that are too super touristy (although we would like to see the changing of the guard). We would also welcome advice specific to international travel as I have not left the country since 1993 and DD has only been to Canada. We did figure out already how to add to our cell service for those days so our phones will work there, and it appears that both of our health insurances will still work outside of the country but we will double check on that.

Thanks!

[Guest]

Hi. I have not been before but am leaving for London next week. On our London itinerary: having high tea; eating at Galvin La Chapelle (Michelin-star restaurant); seeing a play at Shakespeare Globe theater and hearing the pipe organ play at Westminster Abbey. Also doing the studio tour for Harry Potter but I know that is a specific audience and might not be for you. Be at The Shard for sunset one night. 
 

We have eSim cards for our phones and will use the app Airalo for phone activation overseas. 
 

Good luck on your trip! Should be fun! 

[mommyoffive]

We have been to London a few times. I am not sure your exact questions? Just a hotel rec? 

[Longtime Lurker]

46 minutes ago, Quill said:

Hi. I have not been before but am leaving for London next week. On our London itinerary: having high tea; eating at Galvin La Chapelle (Michelin-star restaurant); seeing a play at Shakespeare Globe theater and hearing the pipe organ play at Westminster Abbey. Also doing the studio tour for Harry Potter but I know that is a specific audience and might not be for you. Be at The Shard for sunset one night. 
 

We have eSim cards for our phones and will use the app Airalo for phone activation overseas. 
 

Good luck on your trip! Should be fun! 

Oooh, the pipe organ! We might want to do that!

[Longtime Lurker]

44 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

We have been to London a few times. I am not sure your exact questions? Just a hotel rec? 

Our biggest and most pressing question is a hotel rec. Other suggestions are welcome if people have favorite things they've done 🙂

[Bootsie]

We found the Design Museum Home - Design Museum very interesting for a smaller, different type of museum.  It's free and wasn't crowded; so it makes a nice place to pop in if you are in the area and have a bit of time. 

[Not_a_Number]

We stayed in an Airbnb in Battersea. It was connected by bus and water to most things we wanted to see, which was really fun with double decker buses. (Plus Battersea has some new construction, which meant that everything worked. DH assures me that’s far from standard in England.)

Edited April 15, 2023 by Not_a_Number

[kokotg]

These are marketed towards kids, but our whole family really loved doing these Treasure Trails in the UK a few years ago: https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk Throwing it out there particularly since you mentioned self-guided walking tours; it's a set of clues that takes you through a given area, and we found it great to sort of guide our wandering and take us to hidden places we never would have found otherwise. We ended up doing one in London, one in Bath, and one in Bakewell, and they were all great.

[Longtime Lurker]

9 hours ago, Bootsie said:

We found the Design Museum Home - Design Museum very interesting for a smaller, different type of museum.  It's free and wasn't crowded; so it makes a nice place to pop in if you are in the area and have a bit of time. 

Free museums are great because then we don't feel obligated to spend a lot of time there. Thanks for the recommendation!

6 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

We stayed in an Airbnb in Battersea. It was connected by bus and water to most things we wanted to see, which was really fun with double decker buses. (Plus Battersea has some new construction, which meant that everything worked. DH assures me that’s far from standard in England.)

This sounds fun, although I think we want to stay within walking distance of the theatres if possible to make it easier/safer to get home after a show. We will definitely be sure to ride a double-decker bus, though!

5 hours ago, kokotg said:

These are marketed towards kids, but our whole family really loved doing these Treasure Trails in the UK a few years ago: https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk Throwing it out there particularly since you mentioned self-guided walking tours; it's a set of clues that takes you through a given area, and we found it great to sort of guide our wandering and take us to hidden places we never would have found otherwise. We ended up doing one in London, one in Bath, and one in Bakewell, and they were all great.

We don't object to things marketed to kids. For example, we are tempted to ride the "Mail Rail": https://www.postalmuseum.org/visit-us/what-to-expect/mail-rail/.

[elegantlion]

The Victoria and Albert Museusm and the Natural History Museum are wonderful. They are very close to each other. The Natural History Museum is great for just the building alone. 

If you're looking for something a bit non-touristy, try the London cemeteries. My hotel was very near the Brompton cemetery and I spent several days just walking around. There's even a coffee shop at the entrance. 

If you're interested a wonderful park with a 12th century abbey ruin, there is Lesnes Abbey located in Lesnes Abbey Woods on the east side of London (easy access via the Elizabeth line). 

Kew Botanical Gardens on the western side is supposed to great as well. I did not get a chance to visit while I was there but I was working just down the road at the National Archives. It's such a lovely area, some cute shops and restaurants. 

[Longtime Lurker]

1 hour ago, elegantlion said:

The Victoria and Albert Museusm and the Natural History Museum are wonderful. They are very close to each other. The Natural History Museum is great for just the building alone. 

If you're looking for something a bit non-touristy, try the London cemeteries. My hotel was very near the Brompton cemetery and I spent several days just walking around. There's even a coffee shop at the entrance. 

If you're interested a wonderful park with a 12th century abbey ruin, there is Lesnes Abbey located in Lesnes Abbey Woods on the east side of London (easy access via the Elizabeth line). 

Kew Botanical Gardens on the western side is supposed to great as well. I did not get a chance to visit while I was there but I was working just down the road at the National Archives. It's such a lovely area, some cute shops and restaurants. 

Thank you for these suggestions! And thanks for mentioning that the Natural History Museum is great for the building alone. DD and I tend to be a bit underwhelmed by museums but we love old buildings! I have been to the Victoria and Albert before (in 1992!) and I liked it. I remember, too, that they (Victoria and Albert) had a great story. I also appreciate the info on the cemeteries and especially the Abbey. We love old ruined buildings.

[Laura Corin]

5 hours ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Free museums are great because then we don't feel obligated to spend a lot of time there. Thanks for the recommendation!

This sounds fun, although I think we want to stay within walking distance of the theatres if possible to make it easier/safer to get home after a show. We will definitely be sure to ride a double-decker bus, though!

We don't object to things marketed to kids. For example, we are tempted to ride the "Mail Rail": https://www.postalmuseum.org/visit-us/what-to-expect/mail-rail/.

Most museums in London are free - a donation is recommended but not required. Check in advance to make sure about the charging.

A double decker bus tour of London is fun - you can jump on and off as you like through the day. There are various companies. 

My favourite site is the Tower of London. Layers of history but not too enormous. 

 

[Harriet Vane]

20 hours ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Our biggest and most pressing question is a hotel rec. Other suggestions are welcome if people have favorite things they've done 🙂

This was a long time ago, but we had a fabulous experience with The Blades in the Pimlico area. 

We absolutely loved the Tower of London. The guides are both informative and hilarious.

Also loved the British Museum.

London Eye is a nice start. Also recommend St. Paul’s Cathedral.

[Longtime Lurker]

5 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Most museums in London are free - a donation is recommended but not required. Check in advance to make sure about the charging.

A double decker bus tour of London is fun - you can jump on and off as you like through the day. There are various companies. 

My favourite site is the Tower of London. Layers of history but not too enormous. 

 

Is it appropriate to give a smaller donation for a shorter stay (just to see the building) and a larger one for a longer stay?

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

This was a long time ago, but we had a fabulous experience with The Blades in the Pimlico area. 

We absolutely loved the Tower of London. The guides are both informative and hilarious.

Also loved the British Museum.

London Eye is a nice start. Also recommend St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Thanks! I will check this out!

[Jann in TX]

On 4/15/2023 at 9:21 AM, Quill said:

 Also doing the studio tour for Harry Potter but I know that is a specific audience and might not be for you.
 

My dd and I did this a few years ago-- it was SO MUCH FUN!  Make sure your camera is charged...

[Jann in TX]

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

A double decker bus tour of London is fun - you can jump on and off as you like through the day. There are various companies. 

My favorite site is the Tower of London. Layers of history but not too enormous. 

 

My middle DD attended Lancaster University for her Masters degree.  We HAD to visit her-- and we went in June (actually had great weather for most of the trip!). DH, youngest DD and I spent a few days in London before middle DD joined us.

We stayed in an AirBB 2-bed flat.  It was nice having a washer/dryer and full kitchen.  We had a nice view of a dog park and canal and loved staying in a more 'residential' area (But it was CLOSE-- just a few minutes--we could have walked but usually Ubered) to many attractions on our itinerary. This option was also less expensive than 2 hotel rooms.

The Tower of London was our absolute favorite. 

Getting a 'hop on- hop off' bus pass was also very nice!

Tea at the British Museum was also a fun outing.

We also took a day trip to Bath and Stonehenge --absolutely beautiful weather that day!

We spent 5 days total in London then another week visiting Lancaster (stayed in a house built in the 1600's!) and the Lake District-- rented a cute cottage across from a brook just outside of Kendall... This was such a relaxing week-- castle hunting and lots of scenic walks...

 

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

My dd and I did this a few years ago-- it was SO MUCH FUN!  Make sure your camera is charged...

I love this so much!

I made Ravenclaw robes to take on the trip. I even added a wand pocket. 
 

 

[Laura Corin]

3 hours ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Is it appropriate to give a smaller donation for a shorter stay (just to see the building) and a larger one for a longer stay?

Entirely up to you.  They usually suggest £5 per person. 

[saw]

Just a couple of thoughts -- British Museum can have quite long lines but there is a back entrance that is usually not crowded. London Walks (https://www.walks.com/) does good subject-specific walking tours. V&A has a gorgeous restaurant (cupola type ceiling with William Morris design) if you're going there anyway. Tea at Fortnum's is fun but there's lots of other places to do tea, including Mariage Freres in Covent Garden. Borough Market is horribly crowded but people like it a lot. I think it's okay but am not crazy for the crowds; however, it's a pleasant walk from there to the Globe. Pipe organ at the Abbey -- they sometimes have organ concerts otherwise your best bet is a service, and I'd recommend Evensong (but make sure it's a day the actual choir is singing). Have fun!

[wintermom]

Kew Gardens was my favourite part of London - I'm just not an urban fan. I love finding the green areas of cities I visit. 

It was quite a complex and long public bus ride to get there, but completely worth it!

[Laura Corin]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

Kew Gardens was my favourite part of London - I'm just not an urban fan. I love finding the green areas of cities I visit. 

It was quite a complex and long public bus ride to get there, but completely worth it!

You can also take a boat from central London,  or could years ago when I did it. There's a  train from London Waterloo to Kew Bridge too.

[PeterPan]

On the quirky side of things, there's a Call the Midwife tour. 

Have you seen the maps for a self-guided tour of the roman ruins in London? I thought I'd do that early in the morning before my other people wake up.

London Walks has a Brunels focused walking/river tour, something about bridges and sewers.

The Arcelor Mittal Orbit (slide) looks fun.

If I had time and my ds would stomach it, I'd take a day trip to Jane Austen's home. So many cool daytrip ideas.

We're booked for the Globe (of course) and Mousetrap. I thought about doing Hamilton because it's a value compared to tix in NYC. The cast seemed strong, where the reviews for Les Mis right now were poor. Well that and I had this side infatuation with the voice of Alfie Boe for a while, meaning anyone else is a disappointment.

Just to be radical, nothing says you have to be in London. We're spending most of our days this trip in Salisbury and another small town. Salisbury has the Water Meadows that Constable painted. I plan to walk them early each morning. I've seen loops where you can do the Cotswolds entirely using public transportation. I guess I'm saying I know us and we just don't need a ton of time in London. There's a lot more to do if you find yourself fighting it. 

[wintermom]

4 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

You can also take a boat from central London,  or could years ago when I did it. There's a  train from London Waterloo to Kew Bridge too.

The boat ride would be fun! 

[Longtime Lurker]

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Entirely up to you.  They usually suggest £5 per person. 

Oh, that's less than I expected! We could do that even for a short visit.

[Longtime Lurker]

17 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

My favourite site is the Tower of London. Layers of history but not too enormous. 

 

12 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

We absolutely loved the Tower of London. The guides are both informative and hilarious.

 

9 hours ago, Jann in TX said:

The Tower of London was our absolute favorite. 

Sounds like the Tower of London is a must-see! That is high on our list already. Is it necessary to book in advance?

7 hours ago, saw said:

Just a couple of thoughts -- British Museum can have quite long lines but there is a back entrance that is usually not crowded. London Walks (https://www.walks.com/) does good subject-specific walking tours. V&A has a gorgeous restaurant (cupola type ceiling with William Morris design) if you're going there anyway. Tea at Fortnum's is fun but there's lots of other places to do tea, including Mariage Freres in Covent Garden. Borough Market is horribly crowded but people like it a lot. I think it's okay but am not crazy for the crowds; however, it's a pleasant walk from there to the Globe. Pipe organ at the Abbey -- they sometimes have organ concerts otherwise your best bet is a service, and I'd recommend Evensong (but make sure it's a day the actual choir is singing). Have fun!

We are considering a day trip to Oxford and I was hoping to go to evensong at Magdalen College, but I'm not sure if the timing is going to work out. So we may go to evensong in London.

3 hours ago, PeterPan said:

On the quirky side of things, there's a Call the Midwife tour. 

Have you seen the maps for a self-guided tour of the roman ruins in London? 

Both of these sound awesome! Thanks for letting me know they exist!

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Sounds like the Tower of London is a must-see! That is high on our list already. Is it necessary to book in advance?

They are by date, not timed, and I need to buy ours. The curious thing is the brief amount of time you spend if you do a combo tour (Tower of London plus Tower Bridge) where they compel you to leave vs. what people spend if they just go and follow their interests and stay. I've seen people saying 4-6 hours in their reviews. My goal was to allow 6 hours.

Nobody said it but it was so obvious they didn't need to. Windsor Castle would be a must. We're not going but the 20something female I'm taking is going to go. Also on certain days you can get tours in some of the castles and palaces. You can go on the trust websites and look for tickets and all that. There's also crazy nice shopping a girl might be into. With my ds, it will be the Churchill War Rooms and food, lots of food. 

Westminster Abbey has this extra Jubilee gallery right now with some gowns, etc. I signed us up for a tour with the London Walks people I think, only because it doesn't seem helpful to stand in a big building and look at a bunch of junk and not know what you're seeing. I don't like history *at all* but I do try to facilitate. 

Back to the Tower of London. They have the queen's jewels area you walk through and that can have lines. You're looking at summer break so I would anticipate things taking a while. Haven't been there, but just seems logical. Maybe you have a loose plan for what you'll do after you're done. Arriving early seems to be the most recommended thing and we can't because of our schedule that day. You might as well buy your tix ahead so you at least don't have that wait.

Edited April 17, 2023 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace

The dates didn't work out for us, but snoop around and you might find something unique and interesting.

Edited April 17, 2023 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/roman-london-ruins/

[PeterPan]

https://www.walks.com/popular-walks/village-london/  Some of the London Walks go through the gardens, etc. This is also where I got the Westminster tour.

Edited April 17, 2023 by PeterPan

[Melissa in Australia]

Since seeing this thread title this morning I can't stop singing "I'm in London still" 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Melissa in Australia

[MEmama]

Another vote for Tower of London. It was the first thing we did when we got off the train in the city, and we spent nearly the entire day. It was far, far better than anticipated.

The British museum was another place we spent hours and hours. Just fabulous. I can't say London is my favorite city but they do museums exceptionally well. DS highly recommends the War museum and the V&A museum as well. 
 

I do not recommend the "Roman ruins" walk. There are a couple of cool parts to see, but mostly it's just tramping through construction zones in the downtown financial district (City of London). 

[Laura Corin]

7 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I do not recommend the "Roman ruins" walk. There are a couple of cool parts to see, but mostly it's just tramping through construction zones in the downtown financial district (City of London). 

You are right - there really isn't much Roman London that is visible or evocative - Bath is a fun day trip by train if one wants to do Roman (and Regency).

Edited April 17, 2023 by Laura Corin

[Rachel]

+1 for the Tower of London and British Museum.

I actually stayed in Windsor, it’s a lovely town but about 30 minutes from London, depending on where you are going in London.
 

If you go to evensong at St. George’s (the chapel at Windsor castle) you will also be able to go past the Queen’s resting place. I went to evensong at both Westminster and St. George’s, Westminster had way more tourists that didn’t seem to realize they were actually at a church service and ignored instructions not to take photos. I did enjoy both services though. 
 

If you have never gone to a castle, I did enjoy Windsor Castle immensely. 
 

Almost all the museums sell a nice  guide for around £5 that is quite detailed. 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, MEmama said:

I do not recommend the "Roman ruins" walk. There are a couple of cool parts to see, but mostly it's just tramping through construction zones in the downtown financial district (City of London). 

Since the Bank of England would be on my interested to see list, I'm not sure that's a negative, lol. We were going to stay over by the Tower of London, so we could have just popped to the pertinent parts. Instead we're staying near Waterloo, which messed up all my logistics and theories anyway. 

For op, you can prewalk any of your ideas using the street view in google maps. It was in doing this that I decided *not* to spend as many days in London as originally planned.

2 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Bath is a fun day trip by train if one wants to do Roman (and Regency).

Yup, already booked. We also have a trip to Italy booked for later in the year, so I'm trying to make connections and get a bigger picture. I didn't think it made much sense to bring him to England and have him come away with very vague impressions. We've been trying to read McCaughrean's Great Stories from British History which I think someone here recommended, but it's sort of a mixed bag. (adorable but in the weeds) I found the statue of the Boudiccan Rebellion that we read about in the book. I'm trying to make connections like this so he can get a bigger picture of their story and where they're coming from. I'm taking him to a smaller town to stay in a cottage so he can eat in a local pub, be on the river, and see how they really live. We're going down to Portsmouth to have a private tour of the Mary Rose, which should give him connections with the Tudor stuff he sees in London.

There is a brief Mithraum museum/exhibit in the financial district of London which would mirror Mithraum things we will see at the archaeology museum Naples and Pompeii/Herculaneum. I think these connections are good, not bad, and I'm not sure why we'd avoid them. He'd certainly find them more memorable than doll houses, china, textiles, the Victoria and Albert, or even gardens, lol. 

We can now get tickets to London on the cheap ($250 premium economy) so I don't consider this a once in a lifetime. I'm trying to go in and do some targeted things he can tolerate, eat interesting food, and get out before he goes crazy from the big city congestion and traffic. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, Rachel said:

I actually stayed in Windsor

What else did you do there besides the castle? Did you use it as a launching base to go into London or were you doing other things there? I mapped out a day for the other person joining us on our trip but I didn't realize there were things to fill more than a day. I think my ds could enjoy it and staying there might be just the thing. Better to stay in one place 1-3 days and really DO it and be there. 

[Rachel]

If there are any tourist sites that you decide you definitely want to see, make sure to book ASAP, things do  sell out even when it’s supposedly not the busy season. Most tickets can be prebooked online. 

[DawnM]

I haven't been in decades!   But we are planning to go back to Africa in a year and will be in London a few days on our return, so I am following along.

Ours may be a bit more unique though as I will have a party of about 15 and 6 of them I need to pay for! 

[PeterPan]

Just now, DawnM said:

Africa

What will you be doing there? It hasn't been on my hit list/bucket list, but hey... 

I was totally skunked when I realized adding one person made hotels a lot more expensive/complicated. That might be the thing to figure out first. Maybe an apartment/airbnb with lots of beds.

[Rachel]

Just now, PeterPan said:

What else did you do there besides the castle? Did you use it as a launching base to go into London or were you doing other things there? I mapped out a day for the other person joining us on our trip but I didn't realize there were things to fill more than a day. I think my ds could enjoy it and staying there might be just the thing. Better to stay in one place 1-3 days and really DO it and be there. 

We were there for a work conference. I wouldn’t stay there only for sightseeing  as it isn’t super convenient. I enjoyed the little coffee shops and pubs, before/after all the tourists arrived/left for the day, walked down to where the Magna Carta was signed, saw the JFK memorial, walked to Eton.  We did a little boat tour. I saw the changing of the guards, just like at Buckingham. I did also use it as a launching pad into London. 

[DawnM]

7 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

What will you be doing there? It hasn't been on my hit list/bucket list, but hey... 

I was totally skunked when I realized adding one person made hotels a lot more expensive/complicated. That might be the thing to figure out first. Maybe an apartment/airbnb with lots of beds.

I grew up in Kenya and we are finally taking a family trip to see Mom's (my) home.   I will be showing them the area I grew up in, the area where their grandfather (my dad) had a building named after him, we will also go to my boarding school, climb Mt. Longonot, go to Mombassa, go on safari, and do some things around Nairobi.   3 of our party want to climb Kili, but yikes!   It is now $2k to climb, so they can do it while we go to Mombassa.   Mt. Kenya is only $350 but I think they really want Kili.   Just to clarify, I am not climbing anything but the day hike to Mt. Longonot.

Edited April 17, 2023 by DawnM

[marbel]

Re: Tower of London - I've been twice (long ago, 1992 and 2005) and it would still be a must on a trip for me. And, we almost shunned the Crown Jewels but my 6-year-old would not hear of that (after all, her 8-year-old brother got to see the armory) and it was so worth it. I though, ugh, looking at jewelry, how dull, but it was so worth the extra time (and money, maybe? - it was a long time ago). 

[MEmama]

I forgot to mention the British Library as a must see. We spent hours there, it was simply fascinating.

[easypeasy]

Our favorite things were:

visiting the Victoria and Albert museum. In fact, we left it til the LAST museum and almost didn't go bc everyone *else* (lol) was museumed-out by then. Once we walked in, however, everyone said that if/when we go back V&A's needs to be our first stop and that it was one of the most interesting museums they'd ever been to.

and, the opera. We try to go to the opera anytime we are out of the country (or near one of the US operas). It's always memorable and this was no exception.

We also visit the symphony/orchestras for at least one performance. LSO is - obviously - amazing and always worth the time to go!

If you like Harry Potter, there's the Harry Potter place with some of the movie sets and things set up. We didn't make it to that, but I've heard good things.

Next time I go, I am definitely going to do an author's tour BY MYSELF. No one else in my fam will enjoy it like I will, so I am taking that time to myself. 😄

Oh, and definitely the Tower of London. Was more interesting than I expected.

We stayed in an area (Air BnB) that had so many shops and restaurants in a walkable area - so we also wandered quite a bit without a plan in mind.

[PeterPan]

34 minutes ago, DawnM said:

climb Mt. Longonot, go to Mombassa, go on safari, and do some things around Nairobi.   3 of our party want to climb Kili, but yikes!   It is now $2k to climb, so they can do it while we go to Mombassa.   Mt. Kenya is only $350 but I think they really want Kili.   Just to clarify, I am not climbing anything but the day hike to Mt. Longonot.

What an amazing trip to go see your childhood places!!! And you're right, the things you're describing are things my ds would enjoy. Do you have to take extra precautions to go to Kenya? Is there a particular time of year that is more desirable? I guess I'm thinking mosquitoes here.

I hope you have an AMAZING trip!!! 

[PeterPan]

7 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

Victoria and Albert museum. In fact, we left it til the LAST museum and almost didn't go bc everyone *else* (lol) was museumed-out by then. Once we walked in, however, everyone said that if/when we go back V&A's needs to be our first stop and that it was one of the most interesting museums they'd ever been to.

Ok, I will go look. Did you all do the Imperial War Museum? I'm trying to be kind and only do *1* of anything he might not like. One museum, one cathedral, etc.  I don't count the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, or the Churchill War Rooms as museums because they're sort of junk in context, not rooms of junk with signs. I think we have time for one more thing and I don't think the V/A was on my plan for our later trip either.

12 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

the Tower of London.

How long did you spend? I've seen estimates of 4-6 hours with tours often spending only 2. It seems to be a place that can suck as much time as you want to give it. I haven't figured out our logistics for that day but I don't think we're going to be there for opening. So I don't want to cut our time short by being close to the closing but I don't want to be stuck in the tail end of morning rush crowds either. We're coming from waterloo (which I may live to regret, I like your airbnb idea) so we need to make our way over. Where was your airbnb that you liked so much? We have another stop later for a couple days and I haven't decided where to stay for that. This trip is already booked/paid and nonrefundable. 

[PeterPan]

20 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

Victoria and Albert museum.

Ok, this is way weird. Cher, Raphael Cartoons... I have no clue what I'm seeing. What in the world?? Y'all liked it because it was crazy? I mean, my son my laugh. I don't know. Definitely not little bits of junk with signs. I thought it was going to be more doll houses or something.

[Jann in TX]

15 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Westminster Abbey has this extra Jubilee gallery right now with some gowns, etc. I signed us up for a tour with the London Walks people I think, only because it doesn't seem helpful to stand in a big building and look at a bunch of junk and not know what you're seeing.

You can purchase self-guiding tours-- pre-recorded audio tours-- (this is what we did at Westminster Abbey).

Also note-- the floor of Westminster Abbey is a graveyard-- you HAVE to walk across marked graves--- no way around.  Some people can't handle this!

[Hannah]

The Sky Garden is free and worth a visit. It's an indoor garden on top of a skyscraper with spectacular views of the city. Tickets are released 3 weeks in advance.

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, PeterPan said:

What an amazing trip to go see your childhood places!!! And you're right, the things you're describing are things my ds would enjoy. Do you have to take extra precautions to go to Kenya? Is there a particular time of year that is more desirable? I guess I'm thinking mosquitoes here.

I hope you have an AMAZING trip!!! 

Thanks, it isn't for another year, but I am busy planning.   I can only go in the summer due to my job, but July 1-mid Aug is a great time to go as the animals are migrating and the rainy season is over.   The weather is great (the plains will be around 75-80 as will the beach.   Then the higher elevation, where I grew up, will be around 50-65.)

Lots of mosquitoes and malaria.   I haven't looked in to what shots we may need, I think these days everything is recommended but not required, but I need to look.   I DO NOT want to get yellow fever shots but I guess it is still better than getting actual yellow fever.

And my goal is to keep the 2 weeks in Kenya to $3k per person, including airfare.   I have some good leads.   

[DawnM]

https://www.tiktok.com/@loveandlondon?lang=en

 

OP, you may want to take a look at this woman's TikTok.   She lives in London as an American and has some interesting ideas that I will be looking into.