mlnews

My daughter and I will be visiting London in late June. She is excited about our "girls only" trip and I want to make it as memorable as possible. Any suggestions would be sincerely appreciated! BTW, she's a very serious Harry Potter fan-atic!
Thanks!

adamhornets

I'm not the person to ask about shopping (!) but you should certainly have a wander around Covent Garden with it's shops, restaurants and street entertainers. On a nice day it almost feels continental!

A good website run by the tourist board and aimed at kids is www.kidslovelondon.com. Useful info and up to date news.

A company called British Tours offer personalised Harry Potter tours in London and outside but they are NOT cheap. Options at www.britishtours.com

Premium Tours run a full day coach tour that takes in Christ Church College Oxford as well as Warwick & Stratford. Not strictly speaking Harry Potter but an interesting day out and I sure your daughter will love Warwick Castle - www.premiumtours.co.uk
Hope that hets you started and have a wonderful trip.
Adam C
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alya

Google 'Harry Potter Tour UK' and you'll have lots of options to choose from. Day trips and overnights as well.

Have Fun!

bob_brown

My son had just turned 16 when we went to London. He enjoyed a comedy play and The Mousetrap. He also loved his solo trip, with others in our tour group, to Bath and Stonehenge. (The tour was escorted and left from the hotel door and returned to it.) Madame Taussaud's Wax Museum was also attractive to him.

I think he enjoyed Westminster Abbey because by then in his education he had heard of some of the famous people buried there.

He also liked the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower, but it was in the dark whereas in late June, I think you will have daylight. The lantern will not be needed!!

It was all new stuff to him, and he enjoyed the trip very much.

I let him pick some of his objectives and we went with him or we let him go with a group from the hotel.

The tour to Bath worked well. Of course we prediscussed it before he left.

papagena

As Harry Potter fan your daughter would probably appreciate a day trip to Oxford if you can fit it in. Several of the buildings in the town centre are easily identifiable as parts of Hogwarts (they filmed a lot in Oxford).

Offhand I know that the Christ Church cloisters are used in a scene in the first film where it's snowing and Hedwig sits on Harry's arm, the stairs up to the Christ Church dining room are the stairs the first years come up to meet Professor McGonagall when they arrive, Christ Church dining hall is Hogwarts dining hall, and the Bodleian library viewed from east of the Radcliffe camera is part of the castle exterior. If you can go inside the Bodleian the ?Duke Humphreys? library is Hogwarts library, and worth a visit on it's own (I think there are tours of the Bodleian for non university members). I'm sure there are lots more that I've never noticed.

I'm slightly embarrassed to know all this at my age!

papagena

Sorry for the double post but I forgot to say - for shopping Topshop at Oxford Circus (cheap trendy clothes) and the surrounding shops and Accessorise (all over London; sparkly jewelry, hair accessories and bags) are good for 15 year old girls.

mlnews

Wow! Thanks for the great ideas! Bath and Stonehenge were seen on our last trip, but you are right...they were memorable for the kids even at a much younger age. And papagena, you RULE with your superb knowledge of Potter sites. Guess I'd better read the books by then.

Geckolips

Harrods would be great. Be sur to visit the food court! You can find some of the same items, like cookie tins, etc. at the duty free stores at the airport.
Try to find a fairly reasonable hotel that serves High Tea some afternoon. The changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is fun. The Tower of London and the crown jewels are a must! Have her get on line and see some of the places listed and find out what interests her. Go to ricksteves.com along with this one.

oldie

Just another reminder that high tea is the equivalent of supper and is served around 6pm.
The dainty meal with cakes and small sandwiches is called afternoon tea and is served around 4pm. High means substantial, not posh.

nfkura

If you are interested in having your daughter know a little about London during WWII, be sure to visit Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms on Whitehall. This site is one of my favorites in London, both to visit and to introduce to friends traveling in London. It has been kept exactly as it was during the War. This, and an explanation of life in the Underground stations during the Blitz, seem to me to be an important part of understanding London.
Also, let me second Oldie's response about the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea--terms that are frequently confused in this country. Harrod's offers a nice afternoon tea, although heavy on sweets. A really elegant tea is available at the Goring Hotel on Beeston Place, but many hotels have good offerings. But be prepared for an event that may replace dinner, unless you are planning to eat very late. You will have a good offering of tea sandwiches, scones, a variety of tarts or other small dessert items, and a slice of cake, and, of course, tea. It also will probably be pricey- but fun! Enjoy. Another suggestion for you and your daughter is to seek out some of the out-of-the-way "markets." Some of them are lots of fun and may provide affordable souvenirs.

MaureenGP

My daughter went with us to London between her junior and senior years of high school and her favorite thing was the Tower of London, and we also went back for the Ceremony of the Keys. We also saw a play at the Globe Theatre---but she really likes Shakespeare. She also liked tea at the Ritz, a stop at the original Hard Rock Cafe, Westminster Abbey, and Covent Garden. We are going back together this summer, between her junior and senior years of college, and she wants to re-visit the Tower. We are also going to see a few plays, and do some of the London Walks tours, including the famous Jack the Ripper tour, this time around.