Great Itineraries in London

Crowning Glories

This regal runaround packs more into a day than most cities can offer in a week. Hit Westminster Abbey early to avoid the crowds, then cut through St. James's Park to catch the Changing the Guard at 11:30 am at Buckingham Palace. (If the palace doors are open, enjoy a peek at royal life.)

Take a quick detour to the Tudor delights of St. James's Palace, old haunt of Charles I, before a promenade down the Mall past the Regency glory of Carlton House Terrace and through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square.

Get an early start and a hearty breakfast, as this selection of treasures will likely keep you on your feet all day.

After lunch, choose from the canvases of the National Gallery, the Who's Who of the National Portrait Gallery, or a brass rubbing in the crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields if the children's interest is flagging.

This should leave time for a stately stroll down Whitehall—past Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, and Banqueting House—to the Houses of Parliament, where you have the option of prebooking a tour or trying to get in to see a debate.

Her Majesty's mounted guardsmen make a great photo op—you may even see Prince Harry, a member of the Regiment of the Blues and Royals, responsible for his grandmother's personal protection.

If you have any time or energy left, stroll through Green and Hyde parks to Kensington Palace, home to Queen Victoria in her childhood, and (for aspiring little princesses everywhere) the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.

Museum Magic

London has one of the finest collections of museums in the world, and certainly no other comparable city offers so much for free.

Many resemble state-of-the-art, hands-on playgrounds; others take a more classical approach.

One of the latter is the British Museum in Bloomsbury, an Aladdin's cave of artifacts from across the world that is ideal for either a half- or full-day browse.

If you want to bolt on additional visits, pop into the nearby museum of architect Sir John Soane, or transport yourself to the London Transport Museum.

For a structured visit or if you're short of time, hop onto one of the British Museum's nine freebie 40-minute "eyeOpener" tours, join one of the three 90-minute "Highlights" tours, or grab an audio tour.

Alternatively, South Kensington's "Museum Mile" on Cromwell Road houses the triple whammy of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum, any one of which would make for a substantial half-day's diversion.

Retail Therapy

Shopping 'til you drop in the West End is almost a national sport. New Bond Street—an awesome display of top names and sartorial finery—is the main stomping ground of the well-heeled and fastidiously dressed.

Nearby Oxford Street is more chaotic and department store-led, but finds itself at the very heart of London's commercial hubbub.

Men should not pass up a chance to browse the shirts and suits on show at nearby Savile Row (famed for its high-quality tailoring), and accessories on Jermyn Street.

Oxford Street encompasses four Tube stations and is unbeatable for mass-market shopping.

Run the gauntlet of high-street designers, cheap odds and ends, department stores, and ferocious pedestrians: it's seriously busy, but you're pretty much guaranteed a buy.

A more sedate but utterly fashionable experience can be found in Knightsbridge, wandering between Harvey Nichols and Harrods department stores.

Head south down Sloane Street to Sloane Square and head out along the King's Road, home to boutiques galore and once capital of London's swinging '60s.

To catch a glimpse of how to design your home to match your new couture clothes, visit the Conran Shop at 81 Fulham Road, parallel to the King's Road.

To dip into the ever-expanding world of urban chic, an afternoon in the Portobello street market should deposit remnants of bygone eras into your arms: glassware, furniture, art, and clothes, from boiler suits to Vietnamese silk dresses.

Portobello has wised up in recent years to tourist prices in recent years, so a trip out to Spitalfields (covered) market on a Sunday is worth considering instead, especially for a sample of the East End.

For the younger crowd, Camden market still has clubbing wear in spades.

Village People

The easiest village to reach is Hampstead, 20 minutes from the city center by Tube, but a world away in character.

It is home to a thriving arts scene, a history of left-wing poets and writers (including John Keats), some of the most gorgeous Georgian houses in London (hence the routine jibe of "Champagne Socialism"), and a great range of smart shops, bistros, and French delicatessens.

If you're in Hampstead, don't miss the chance to get out onto the Heath, moodier and wilder than many of London's other open spaces.

To the west, leave Richmond behind to get down to the riverside, or head for the vast expanse of the park next door, which breaks all remaining links with city life.

The fantastic views bestowed on Greenwich, southeast of the city center, ensure that you never forget how close the city is—and yet this village's nautical past creates an almost seaside feel.

The National Maritime Museum and its collection of fine buildings, as well as two very good markets, make it a worthwhile day trip.

Also in the southeast, leafy Dulwich Village possesses a delightful and genteel charm, with soaring horse chestnuts, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and the green expanses of Dulwich Park.

Up the road in Forest Hill, the outstanding Horniman Museum is ensconced in exquisitely tended grounds. To appreciate fully how tribal London's villagers can be, try asking which part of the city they come from or live in. The responses you'll get—"Haggerston," "Tufnell Park," "Turnham Green," "Camberwell," "Battersea"—indicate a dizzying array of identities, often consisting only of a few neighboring streets.