owdrai

Hi Everyone!

Im doing our london trip itinerary (for 2 people) and i just need some help with the logistics and flow of our 3 day vacation. It's the first time for both of us to London.

Mainly i'd love to get feedback on the flow of how i've arranged things:

MONDAY (arrival at 540 am)
5:40 to 8 am - arrival at heathrow, to london, leave bags at hotel
8:30 to 11:30 am - St Pauls / Museum of London (optional) / Shakespeares Globe / Tate Modern (optional)
12 to 1 pm - lunch at a pub
130 to 530 pm - Tower of London / Tower Bridge
6 pm - Borough Market (dinner & shop)

TUESDAY
8 to 3 pm - Buckingham / Westminster / Big Ben / Parliament / London Eye
then on to Trafalgar Square / National Museum (optional)
4 pm - afternoon tea
5 pm - Covent Garden (dinner & shop)

WEDNESDAY
- maybe half day trip to Hampton Court + if we missed anything during the past 2 days

other things to do if there's time:
- Hyde Park
- tea at OXO tower
- thames river cruise

leave London

I also tried looking for suggestions on a nice place to visit that has an authentic medieval feel to it.. any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!!

alanRow

Day 1 has enough for three days - even assuming you aren't jet lagged

Borough Market is only open for lunch on Mondays - and on other days it's closed by 5-6pm

No such thing as "National Museum" & Buckingham is 50 miles from London

PalenQ

Have you ever been to a West End theatre play? If not IMO it is one of the finest things to do in London at night (some matinees) - the ornate theatres - casual attire just fine and prices can be really cheap if you use the Discounted Ticket Booth in Leicester Square - sells that day left over tickets for a nice discount.

I'd swtich the first two days around as the 2nd day seems much more leisurely and the first day after landing just too hectic for most anyway.

No British Museum?

janisj

>>MONDAY (arrival at 540 am)
5:40 to 8 am - arrival at heathrow, to london, leave bags at hotel
8:30 to 11:30 am - St Pauls / Museum of London (optional) / Shakespeares Globe / Tate Modern (optional)
12 to 1 pm - lunch at a pub
130 to 530 pm - Tower of London / Tower Bridge
6 pm - Borough Market (dinner & shop)<<

Nope - not doable. Even w/o the 'optional' bits. My guess is you won't be at your hotel by 8AM, but you might. A LOT of overseas flights arrive in the early AM and immigration can take a while. Where are you staying? If right ON the Piccadilly line then yes, you could be there by 8-ish. Otherwise count on 8:30-9AM . St Pauls is a 'two hour site' so from say 9:30-nearly noon, before you have even set foot in the Globe or the Museum or the Tate. And as alanRow says -- Borough Market will be a no go on the Monday evening . . .

Is this a long haul flight? If so you'll likely be jet lagged so just managing St Paul's and the Tower will be a tall order. If you are only flying in from the Continent then St Paul's + the Tower is fine.

On Day two I assume you mean the National Gallery since you mention Trafalgar Square - right? Since Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Parliament will just be 'walk bye's' - this day is doable. Though I'd do the Eye later. Westminster Abbey and the National Gallery is a lot and you might consider doing the Eye at night.

>>I also tried looking for suggestions on a nice place to visit that has an authentic medieval feel to it.. any suggestions?<<

Well - the Tower and Westminster Abbey are the two major medieval sites in London and you are already going to both. There are lots of other churches and such . . . but you don't have time for them.

nytraveler

Agree that your first day really isn't doable. Likely not to get bags dropped at hotel until 9 am - and then you have an incredibly full day - not really leaving enough time to get from one place to another (London is a very large, spread out city).

I don;t see that you have listed the British Museum, the V&A - and think you really don't have time to see many major London sights (I would say 5 full days - 6 nights) is really needed to see the basics in London.

owdrai

Museums - the only ones im thinking of seeing are Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Gallery (sorry, not National Museum), and Museum of London. But these will all probably be last priority. Is British Museum well worth the visit? what are the highlights there?

Here's my revised itinerary:

MONDAY (arrival at 540 am)
5:40 to 9:30 am - arrival at heathrow, immigration, to london, leave bags at hotel
10 to 11:30 am - Borough Market (brunch & shop) or lunch at a pub
12 noon to 5 pm - Tower of London / Tower Bridge
*if we finish early, afternoon tea (cream tea) or city cruise to London Eye
5:30 to 7:30 pm - London Eye
8 pm - dinner
or St Pauls for evensong? -> is this worth visiting?

TUESDAY
8 to 4 pm - Buckingham / Westminster (tour)/ Big Ben / Parliament / lunch at a pub / then on to Trafalgar Square / National Museum (optional)
5 pm - Covent Garden (dinner & shop)
6 pm - West End play


WEDNESDAY
- St Pauls / Museum of London (optional) / Shakespeares Globe / Tate Modern (optional)
or
- maybe half day trip to Hampton Court

if theres time in the late PM:
- Hyde Park
- tea at OXO tower
- thames river cruise

owdrai

as for the medieval sites, i wasnt really thinking of visiting another church.. i think westminster & st pauls is enough. I was leaning more on medieval looking alleys or towns that are authentic and interesting.

jamikins

The City has some nice alleys etc so maybe a walk through there while at the Tower.

Borough market will be limited for lunch on Mondays as the full market doesn't operate

http://m.boroughmarket.org.uk/opening-times

PalenQ

I don't think the typical alley in London will fulfill you idea of a medieval alley or lane - they simply do not exist IME except for a few fragments.

BigRuss

<Is British Museum well worth the visit? what are the highlights there?>

Um, this isn't hard: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Planning which day to go on the Eye is always questionable considering the nature of London weather. Ditto for cruising the Thames. Maintain some flexibility.

Go to this website: www.daysoutguide.co.uk and print vouchers for the Tower and HCP and possibly the Globe and St Paul's and the Eye (hit and miss with those).

Go to the nearest national rail station after dropping your bags at your hotel on the day you arrive and get single day zone 1-2 travelcards for you and your companion from a manned ticket booth at the national rail station (e.g., Kings X, St. Pancras, Victoria, Paddington, etc.) for your Tower day and St. Paul's/Globe day (if the vouchers are available). The national rail ticket booths will be on the same level as the Boots pharmacy and M&S Simply Foods shop.

When you go to Tower, St Paul's, etc., you each present your travelcard and voucher and you get TWO admissions for the price of one. This saves $30+ on the Tower.

The HCP voucher is usable with your train ticket from Waterloo to Hampton Court station. Savings around $25.

janisj

10 to 11:30 am - Borough Market (brunch & shop) - as has been mentioned more than once . . . The market doesn't operate on Mondays.

janisj

>>as for the medieval sites, i wasnt really thinking of visiting another church.. i think westminster & st pauls is enough.<<

St Paul's has nothing to do w/ Medieval . . . It was built in the late 17th and early 18th century.