Sabyasachi_Gupta

Hello friends, I am planning to travel to London from 7-15th September for attending a research conference. While the conference is on 10th september, I want to visit london tourist attraction all other days. I planned to buy London pass of 6 days (8-13th September) (2for1 not helpful as I am travelling alone) and 7 day zone 1-2 travel card (please confirm if I am right by not taking the zone 1-6 travel card suggested by London pass by checking my plans.). I will be staying at Hotel at Fitzroy street, close to British museum, Regent park, Madam Tussaud and London zoo.

Please help me to finalize the plan and suggest me if any change is required. This is my first visit abroad and I am really looking forward to all your suggestion. ( I know some of the museum I am doing in hurry, actually I don't like museum much.)

Day 0 (7th September Saturday) Reaching Heathrow airport at 6.30 pm--->hotel---->dinner--->Rest

Day 1 (8th September Sunday) Greenwich by Red rover cruise (back to westminster pier) , Tower Bridge experience, Harrod

Day 2 (9th September Monday) Big-ben (quick look) , Westminster Abbey 9.30-11 , Buckingham Palace change of gaurd (if time permits, otherwise see change of gaurd at windsor castle and enjoy more time at westminster abbey) 11.30-12pm , Churchill war room 1.30-3.00 , Banqueting house+household Cavalry Museum (3.30-5.30) , London Eye experience at night

Day 3 (10th September Tuesday) Conference (The whole busy day with my work, can accommodate only afternoon for tour) , London zoo (afternoon)

Day 4 (11th September Wednesday) St. Paul Cathedral , Shakespeare Globe theater tour , Tower of london , HMS Belfast (if time permits)

Day 5 (12th September Thursday) Cambridge independent tour with National express coach (River punting 1 hour, Walking tour 2 hour and enjoy the place rest of the time)

Day 6 (13th September Friday) Wimbledon Tour and Museum (big tennis fan, so cant miss this) 10.00 am-1.30 pm , Trafalgar Square , National Gallery , British Museum (open till 8.30 pm, as Friday)

Day 7 (14th September Saturday) Windsor Castle , Eton College tour at 2.00 pm , Madam Tussaud in evening

Day 8 (15th September Sunday) Last day of my tour. Will check out some free museum as no London pass. As flight is at 10.30 pm my tour is till 5.30 pm today ,

Portobello Market (9.00-10.30) , Victoria and Albert Museum (11.00-1.30 pm) , Natural History Museum (2.30-5.30)

sparkchaser

Skip Madam Tussaud's. No, really.

I think your schedule looks ok. You know what you want to see (!) so my only suggestion is to skip Madam Tussaud's and to allow at least three hours to the British Museum, more if you want to see the special exhibits.

kleeblatt

I liked Madam Tussaud's but I loved just hanging out on the South Bank.

Sabyasachi_Gupta

Thanks for the suggestion. British Museum at Day 6 three hours is possible if I do not spent more than 2 hours on National Gallery as both are open till 8.30-9 pm.

Can u guys suggest me which day and when should I put some good markets of London (Borough, Camden Lock market Harrod or Portobello market). I like to few of them visit them.

Avalon2

Portobello on a Saturday and Borough on a Thus,or Fri
Harrod's any day

jamikins

The London pass is generally bad value so add up the entrance fees you expect to use it for and see IC it makes sense - it probably doesnt!

You will just need zone 1-2 plus a bit extra to get to and from the airport - just explain this when you buy your oyster at heathrow / assuming that's where you arrive.

BigRuss

You need to check prices. The London Pass likely will cost more than just admission at Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, Tower, etc. Add it up. There is no admission fee for the British Museum, British Library, or National Gallery.

Is there no zoo near you? If not, fine. If there is one that's decent, skip the zoo and go to one of your other choices.

Skip changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace - you'll be crowded out from the action and the action's not a thrill either.

Harrod's can be any day. Ideally, the day you go to the V&A because it's close by.

Sabyasachi_Gupta

jamikins and BigRuss

Guys I calculated the total entrance price which costs more than 200 GBP and compared to 6 day london pass 102 GBP (10% discount is often with london pass so it may be 91 GBP when I will buy)

I am sure London pass will be beneficial for me if I can make this plan successful.

Sabyasachi_Gupta

BigRuss

That is a nice suggestion to think about.. As zoo I will be doing on the conference date I have to be close to my conference venue (225 EDGWARE ROAD), So It can be replaced by British mueseum or British library may be

Sabyasachi_Gupta

Also I would like to know if the above plan is doable without too much rush or not.. or some small changes is required?

kleeblatt

Don't forget to sign up for the London 2 for 1 offers that Days Out Guide offers. You'll find some truly amazing deals.

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

Sabyasachi_Gupta

schuler

That can be availed if more than one person are travelling..I will be travelling alone.

kleeblatt

You may think that but they are lots of willing people standing in line who'd love to share one of your coupons with you.

janisj

Some tweaking:

Day 1 - makes almost no sense. Greenwich and Harrods are on opposite sides of London and the Dungeon is not worth the time/expense.

Day 3 - the London Zoo is OK but definitely not a 'must see'. If you have any zoos near where you live (or have visited other large zoos you've likely seen as good or better.

Day 4 - is quite full. You'll want to visit the Tower very first thing. Then you can take the #15 bus from the Tower to St Paul's. Then walk across the millennium bridge to the globe, and finally walk down river to HMS Belfast.

Day 6 - the Wimbledon tour and National gallery/Trafalgar SQ=q would be enough for that day -- w/ maybe a walk through Covent Garden or something like that. But to do a time intensive tour AND the National Gallery AND the British Museum on the same day is an awful lot.

day 7 - skip Mme Tussaud's . . . Just do. This might be the day you hit Harrods when you get back from Windsor instead of day one.

BigRuss

Yeah, because you're going alone and want to hit so many places with admission fees, the LP may make sense. It usually doesn't if you're able to do the 2for1 discounts.

Check on advance purchases and web discounts too before committing on the LP. But your first instinct is definitely right, you only need zone 1-2 access, not zone 1-6.

burnie

why don't you get on a hop on off bus tour and see what's on offer before you decide? Any of those sites have either online booking which you can do the day before or you can pick up pre-bought tickets from most of the hop on/off bus companies.
also have a good look at the lists of free museums and galleries available to you.

Sabyasachi_Gupta

Based on all your suggestion I changed few things

I changed few things. Firstly interchange between Day 5, 6 and 7 places to ensure Cambridge on Day 7 and so London Pass will be used from Day 1-6. Also deleted Madame Tussaud and inserted British Museum on that day

I also like the suggestion of skipping London zoo as I understand it is not must see. But please let me know where else I can go on that afternoon as I have 4 hours from 1 pm to comeback to Fitzroy street by 5 pm.

Day 1 (8th September Sunday) Greenwich by Red rover cruise (back to westminster pier) , Tower Bridge experience, Harrod

Day 2 (9th September Monday) Big-ben (quick look) , Westminster Abbey 9.30-11 , Buckingham Palace change of gaurd (if time permits, otherwise see change of gaurd at windsor castle and enjoy more time at westminster abbey) 11.30-12pm , Churchill war room 1.30-3.00 , Banqueting house+household Cavalry Museum (3.30-5.30) , London Eye experience at night

Day 3 (10th September Tuesday) Conference (The whole busy day with my work, can accommodate only afternoon for tour) , London zoo (afternoon)

Day 4 (11th September Wednesday) St. Paul Cathedral , Shakespeare Globe theater tour , Tower of london , HMS Belfast (if time permits)

Day 5 (12th September Thursday) Wimbledon Tour and Museum (big tennis fan, so cant miss this) 10.00 am-1.30 pm , Trafalgar Square , National Gallery.

Day 6 (13th September Friday) Windsor Castle , Eton College tour at 2.00 pm , British Museum in evening (open till 8.30 pm, as Friday)

Day 7 (14th September Saturday) Cambridge independent tour with National express coach (River punting 1 hour, Walking tour 2 hour and enjoy the place rest of the time)


Day 8 (15th September Sunday) Last day of my tour. Will check out some free museum as no London pass. As flight is at 10.30 pm my tour is till 5.30 pm today ,

Portobello Market (9.00-10.30) , Victoria and Albert Museum (11.00-1.30 pm) , Natural History Museum (2.30-5.30)

jamikins

As Janisj said day 1 ones not make sense...Greenwich to Westminster, back to tower bridge back to harrods is crisscrossing London 4 times...

BigRuss

Pair up the Tower Bridge Experience with the . . . Tower. Or dump Harrod's into either another day so you can just go Greenwich and Tower Bridge thingy on that day instead of having to bounce all around the bloody city that day.

You can go to Harrod's on your free Tuesday so you can wander the food halls and just buy foodstuffs. Better yet, go to Jermyn Street and shop there.

kleeblatt

No Borough Market, the glorious market near London Bridge and South Bank?