London 4 day itinerary help

Old Sep 5th, 2010, 03:03 PM
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London 4 day itinerary help

Hello, I was looking for advice on my upcoming 4 days in London. I have an itinerary, but I think it needs to be tweaked and perfected a bit-especially because our first day there we probably won't get around to doing anything until at least 11am and there will be a tube strike going on that day. Please let me know if you have any advice on how I should move things around to best optimize the time and decrease traveling between each place.

current itinerary:

Day 1 (Tue):
11:00-Tower of London (crown jewels, beefeaters, white tower)
13:00-eat sandwiches while on Thames cruise from Tower to Westminster bridge
14:30-Westminster Abbey
16:00-self-guided Westminster walk (includes Westminster bridge, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben)
dinner

Day 2 (Wed ):
9:00-double decker hop on hop off bus tour (start at Victoria st. and hop off for changing of the guard)
11:30-Buckingham Palace
13:00-Covent Garden for lunch, shopping, etc.
14:30-tour British Museum
pub dinner before play, concert or evening walking tour

Day 3 (Thu):
9:30-British Library
10:30-St. Paul’s Cathedral (following the self-guided City walk) eat lunch along the walk
15:00-Museum of London
19:30-Shakespeare play at Globe theater
Soho for night scene and dinner

Day 4 (Fri):
10:00-National Gallery
12:00-lunch on or near Trafalgar Square and National Portrait Gallery
14:00-self-guided Bankside walk along Southbank of Thames (starts at London/Tower bridge)
dinner along the walk
-London Eye ride

possible things to add if time:
-Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
-Tate Britain (1 hr)
-Tate Modern
-Imperial War Museum
-Victoria and Albert Museum (90 min)
schmelode is offline  
Old Sep 5th, 2010, 06:01 PM
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You know your interests and reasons for grouping but here's my opinion:
I'd skip bus tours.
Why so long at Buckingham Palace--are you really going in?
I think you are toandfroing a bit too much, but maybe there's a reason. Don't mean to imply you haven't looked at a map closely, but if you haven't, do see what I mean. Some disparage "grouping sites by neighborhood" but that seems to me to be the only way; it takes a LONG time sometimes to get around London, so why waste time backtracking? It is walkable, and the Tube is great, and there are great maps and other resources, so I don't see the point in using time and money on a bus tour when you can get where you want and/or walk around and orient yourself.

Here's an idea for 4 days, not in any order.

Tower/Tower Bridge/South Bank/maybe Tate/London Eye OR being at the Globe make a good day. Do this on a day you CAN be at the Tower at opening time.

British Museum and British Library make a good logical day. And a full one.

Westminster Abbey/up to Trafalgar Square/National Gallery/Covent Garden make a good day. Or you could do the Abbey and then walk across Westminster Bridge to the Imperial War Museum.

St. Paul's/City walk/Museum of London make a logical day, too.
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Old Sep 5th, 2010, 06:05 PM
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I loved Imperial War Museum, and Victoria & Albert.
BTW, have been to the British Museum at least 10 times, and still have not seen it all in depth.
It is THAT good IMO.
Your itinerary sounds fairly vigorous, I do hope you can appreciate the wonders of London.
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Old Sep 5th, 2010, 08:13 PM
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Random thoughts:

• From your other thread you are going at the end of this month. Do you have tickets to tour the Palace or do you just mean looking at it from the outside? If you are touring the Palace -- is your ticket for 11:30? If so, you will not be at Covent Garden by 13:00.

• You can't just hop off the H-o-H-o bus and miraculously see the changing of the Guard, There will be a huge crowd so you need to be there early (I'd skip it myself -- but heck, everyone has to learn for themselves)

• What time do you land? Unless it is around 0600, I wouldn't plan on being to the Tower of London by 11:00 - and even then it will be a close thing. Clearing immigration, getting to your hotel and checking in or leaving your bags can take 4 hours. Plus you'll be jetlagged.

• If you DID manage to get to the Tower by 1100, you won't get to Westminster Abbey by 1430 -- especially if you go by boat. By 1100 the Tower will be crowded and just queueing for the Crown Jewels can take an hour. The best strategy is to get to the Tower just before opening time. Most people need a minimum of 3 hours at the Tower when they get there at 0930 when there are no queues.

• Arriving at the British Library at 0930, you won't be near St Paul's by 10:30. You'd maybe be leaving the Library by 10:30. And if you walk it and eat along the way you won't be to the cathedral until well after noon.

Basically you are cramming in too many major sites some days and not accounting for delays/transport/'whimsy'/stuff.


Some things are better gouped together geographically. British Museum & British Library; Buckingham Palace & Trafalgar Sq; or Westminster & Trafalgar Sq; The Tower & southbank walk starting from the east/Tower bridge/London Bridge end; (Going from the Nat'l Portrait Gallery to Tower/London Bridge to start your walk makes no sense);

Plus - on that walk you will pass right by the Globe - so that is the obvious time to fir it in.

Get out a map of London - you are criss crossing the whole of central London several times.
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Old Sep 5th, 2010, 10:15 PM
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Are you starting Day 1 after a transatlantic flight? If so, janisj is correct - no way will you be at the Tower by 11. Here's a little reworking. I took out the bus tour entirely, because you will see the majority of what's on the itinerary just while doing everything else.

These are really packed days, but personally I'm of the mindset that I can relax at home (within reason). I wouldn't bother picking specific times to do things - just have a general plan. You won't know how much (or how little) time you'll want to spend at each place till you're there.

Day 1 (Tue), all within easy walking distance of each other once you're in Westminster:
- Westminster Abbey
- Self-guided Westminster walk (includes Westminster bridge, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben)
- London Eye - very cool end to a first day in London, and right in the area

Day 2 (Wed ):
- British Library
- British Museum
- Covent Garden
- Pub dinner before play, concert or evening walking tour

Day 3 (Thu):
- Tower of London (crown jewels, beefeaters, white tower)
- St. Paul’s Cathedral (following the self-guided City walk)
- Self-guided Bankside walk along Southbank of Thames (starts at London/Tower bridge) (I'm iffy on whether you'd have time for all of it - depends on how long you spend at the Tower at St Paul's and how much you're willing to push)
- Shakespeare play at Globe theater
- Soho for night scene and dinner

Day 4 (Fri):
- National Gallery
- Trafalgar Square
- National Portrait Gallery
- Buckingham Palace (walk by - do you mean that you have tickets to go in?)

I would definitely add in the War Rooms here if you have time.

possible things to add if time (I don't think you'll have time):
-Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
-Tate Britain (1 hr)
-Tate Modern
-Imperial War Museum
-Victoria and Albert Museum (90 min)
-Museum of London

The Imperial War Museum, V&A and Museum of London are all fantastic, but if your priorities stay the same, I just don't think you'll have time on this trip.
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Old Sep 5th, 2010, 11:26 PM
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Thank you for your suggestions.
I was actually mostly following the 4 day plan outlined in the Rick Steves' guidebook, so I assumed it made more sense geographically and the timing estimates would be pretty accurate.
Yes, the first day would be after the international flight.
I could take out the bankside walk and national portrait gallery if it made sense time-wise and geographically to replace them with either the V&A, Museum of London, or Imperial war museum.
And no, I don't have tickets to Buckingham Palace-it would mostly be to look at it and possibly see the changing of the guard.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 07:22 AM
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The timing estimates may be accurate for Rick Steves, but if you are really into history (for example) you'll spend a long time at the Tower.

The changing of the guard takes quite awhile - not the actual ceremony, but to be able to see anything, you have to get there early and stand around to hold your spot. Maybe that's worth it to you, maybe it's not. For me it's not. Looking at the outside of Buckingham Palace only takes a few minutes, and it's a straight walk from Trafalgar Square down the Mall.

The Portrait Gallery is one of my favorite museums, but this is your trip and you should plan based on what your interests are. If you skip the changing of the guard on Friday, you can tour the National Gallery, walk down to Buckingham Palace and eat lunch in Trafalgar Square, then have your afternoon free to go wherever you like.

Don't overplan. Have a list of what you definitely want to see and a list of what you would like to see if you have time, then plan the "definites" in a way that makes sense with geography and your schedule (if you have play tickets, for example). Then if you end up with extra time, you'll have a "maybes" list of what you can do with it. (Or you can chuck the list entirely and hang out in a park all afternoon.)
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 07:42 AM
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I'd skip the changing of the guard as it's too time consuming for just a four day trip and although nice to see I'd never consider it a highlight.

With the National Gallery and even the Portrait Gallery, you can get a map and just hit the main attractions although, personally, I prefer to skip the crowded areas and look for the less familar. It's really up to you as to what and how much you see. Re: jent's suggestion to tour the National Gallery, walk down to Buckingham Palace and then lunch in Trafalgar Square, I'd do the gallery, lunch at the crypt in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields then stroll through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace.

The best advice I can give you is to plan for less but have fillers if time allows. And, please don't try to stick to a established timetable. It won't work. As for Rick Steves, he does offer expert advice for a number of places, but for Great Britain he's just not up to par.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 08:17 AM
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"I was actually mostly following the 4 day plan outlined in the Rick Steves' guidebook, so I assumed it made more sense geographically and the timing estimates would be pretty accurate."

That was your first mistake (not being mean -- RS is good for a lot of places/cities/countries -- but much of his UK advice is just plain nutty IMO)

Since you aren't visiting the Palace, it really is just a 5 minute walk-by and quite close to other places on your list (Westminster, Trafalgar Sq, the Cabinet War Rooms, etc) so you really don't have to 'schedule' it.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 08:19 AM
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I think Steves' plan assumes you will wake up in London on Day 1; not after a transatlantic flight. You really have to be at the Tower when it opens in order to avoid huge queues.

Jent103's plan makes much more sense and the sights are well-grouped by location. If you DID have extra time on Day 1, you could add in the Cabinet War Rooms which are very near Westminster Abbey.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 09:11 AM
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If you are reading Rick steves book then you will notice that he suggests going to the horse guard review rather then going to the Palace and he also suggests watching the guards leave their barracks before going to the the Palace. There will be 25% of the people at each of these activities compared to the crowd at the Palace. War rooms are right there, too. I can still see some of the ar room photos in my minds eye. Plus you will learn that Churchill conducted business in his jammies.

As far as the hop on/hop off--there are regular buses which will get you every where and are very easy to use. MUCH more cost effective, too.

You need to build in time to have a ploughman's lunch at a local pub and meet the locals. Locals spend hours eating. We went to the architect's society dining room--people who were working were there when we arrived and still there when we left! Food and the art of conversation are more important.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 10:09 AM
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I agree with the other posters about re-grouping your days more cohesively by location. I read the Rick Steve's book and used some of the info, but completely reconstructed the order of things. Jent103's itinerary looks much better.

Personally, I would switch Jent's Thursday and Friday, though, so you can see the Borough Market on Friday during the Bankside walk. I would also skip Buckingham entirely and see Covent Garden after the National Gallery. The Horse Guards is the better way to see a changing of the guards and you can time that on your Westiminster walk day on Jent103's plan before you cross over the bridge.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 10:24 AM
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Just to clarify what a lot of folks post (maybe after reading RS -- dunno about that) that one can see the guards leaving their barracks -- true. But the main feature of the Changing of the Guard is the band/music.

So watching the Guards march away from their Barracks is not at all a substitute for seeing the actual event in front of the Palace.

I still wouldn't invest the time for the Changing of the Guard, but if one decides to -- they should see the actual ceremony.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 10:41 AM
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Good point, Janis. I was initially more interested in literally just "seeing" the guards.

Later, I had the pleasure of watching the entire ceremony at Windsor and I have heard that it is a much better "close-up" experience than Buckingham, but the OP won't have that opp, so it's moot.

I realize a lot of people consider Buckingham a must-see, whereas I'd rather be in those museums he/she listed as add-on options. It's a matter of preference.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 11:14 AM
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You will be on vacation. Slow down and enjoy. Leave your stop watch at home. Really, much fun just winging it. Have a ton of fun and hoist a pint for me.
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Old Sep 6th, 2010, 11:27 AM
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sap, the Borough Market is open on Thursdays too, till 5 (just an hour later on Fridays, till 6). I'm not sure how much they'd have time for after the Tower *and* St Paul's on that day, whichever day it is, but I agree with you that the market is a fun stop if the OP is able to do it.

Either way, as far as I can tell, nothing prevents you from swapping days around except 1) not doing the Tower on day 1, since you'll be getting there midday, and 2) whatever play tickets you've already purchased. Adding in the War Rooms on day 1 does make a lot of sense, if you end up having the time and inclination. (I'd put it after the Abbey but before your walk and the Eye - the War Rooms have a relatively early closing time, but the Eye is open pretty late and of course your walk has no time limit.) Depends on how much you're affected by jet lag!
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Old Sep 7th, 2010, 10:56 PM
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I agree with the first couple of comments.
London is a a very big city. London is a great City and four months would not be enough to see the many things it offers. Trying to see it all in a few days runs the risk of not seeing any quality. minimize your time traveling around. Use good weather to cover ground and outdoor stuff. Rainy days for museums and such.
some thoughts...
If you get to the Tower when it opens at 9AM, you can see the Crown Jewels without a line-up. At 11AM, or later, you may have to wait hours. Besides, you will want more time as it is a huge complex with several interesting 'museums'. Take the Beefeater's Tour, (they are free, except it is good to give these veterans a nice tip after). I think that it takes about 40 - 60 minutes.
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/...t/default.aspx

If you like, there is a decent pub "Liberty Bounds" on Tower Hill to the west side, across from public Execution Site. It offers good breakfast and lunch specials, (typical pub fare, OK, not great, but affordable).
Nice idea, the boat ride, but ...

Spend the remainder of Day One, (after the Tower of London), walking through 'The City of London'. Despite the great damage done during the BLITZ, there are many many gems throughout this "square mile. Check out the Roman Ruins that stretch from the Tower of London up to the Barbican and educate yourself at the Museum of London. Check out 'Bank' and Guild Hall enroute. If you have time & energy, there is Smithfields Market, (Braveheart), the two St Barts' and St Paul's Cathedral.

I'd do Westminster on another day. Westminster Abbey has long lines so I would start there when it opens, say Day 2 or 3. Take the Vergers Tour. Not only do you get the best information, but they have extraordinary access that you would not have on self guide one.
then hike over to birdgace walk and get to the Wellington Barracks to see the Guard start the change, or pop into the Cabinet War Rooms across Parliament Square at Horse Guards Road. Make you way up to Trafalgar Square...

Do Buckingham Palace on a Day that they Change the Guard (every other day), the schedule can be found at http://www.changing-the-guard.com/ch...les-times.html
This is not far from Westminster Abbey.

If you want a good spot to see the event, check out my blog...
http://londonsherpa.blogspot.com/
Everybody loves the Original Bus Tours, or the Big Red Bus Tours or whatever, and its a good way to see (drive by) all these things you've mentioned in a few short hours, but with a good knowledge of London, just get a London Transit Oyster Card and hop and off any old bus. I love seeing London by the real deal.
Definitely do Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, (again, read the blog).
Pop into the National Portrait Gallery, and then across the street to St Martin's in the Fields.
Try to plan it so you can have lunch in the Crypt, and hear some concert music in the Church.
Walk Whitehall and the Embankment, (check out Villier Street if you can).
Do Covent Garden and the British Museum, (that can all be done in a third day).
The Churchill War Rooms are near Westminster Abbey, across from St James Park, at the east end, across from Buckingham Palace.
Imperial War Museum is isolated from most things, but very interesting.
The Tate Britain is a short distance from Westminster Palace, (the house of parliament).
The Tate Modern, (Bankside) is practically next to the Globe Theatre, and across the Millenium bridge is St Paul's. The Temple Inns, and other Inns of the Court & Royal Courts, Fleet Street, Somerset House all stretch west towards Trafalgar Square from St Paul's. There are some great and historic pubs along this route. Also in that area is St Bride's Church where the original wedding cake concept came from. They have an excellent little museum in the basement.
Albertville, with the V&A, Natural History, and Science Museums, (not to mention other important institutions founded in Prince Albert's name), are all southwest of Harrods, well beyond High Park Corner and Buckingham Palace.
You have not included St James, or Mayfair (Shepherd's Market is a favourite enclave), Oxford Street, or any of the Royal Parks. And London's Churches are most incredible.

I would recommend taking a Heritage Bus, Route 9, and/or Rout 15, if your hotel is near one of these stops... see URLs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...te_9_(Heritage).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...e_15_(Heritage)
I also love the 24, from Camden Town, (an awesome place to start a walk towards Little Venice along the canal), to the Embankment looking across at Battersea Power Station (as Pink Floyd's Animals cover).

I would recommend a good look at the London Transport website...
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
as it has maps and all sorts of great assets.

My final recommendation is that the grand food halls of Fortnam and Mason (on Piccadilly), Harrod's, and the many Mark's and Spencer's are a great place to pick up picnic lunch essentials, and can be fun as well.
Cheers, Bon Voyage and Good Luck sorting it all out

and please check my Blog for websites that offer good info on London.
http://londonsherpa.blogspot.com/
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Old Sep 8th, 2010, 12:33 AM
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My recommended 4 day itinerary
Day 1
Start at Traflagr Square
Walk north up St Martin’s Lane and look for alleys leading west towards Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square. This is the hearty of the book shop district. Make your way back to St Martins Lane by way of lane or street. Look for the intersection of Long Acre and go to Stanford Travel shop, http://www.stanfords.co.uk/ at 12-14 Long Acre for any maps you might want to get, London maps are in the basement. Exit by way of the back door and find Covent Garden all around you. The Plaza is by King Street, so back track to Rose St, then make your way through that alley. To Garrick, then King.
There are places to have lunch between Covent Garden and the British Museum. The British Museum is several blocks NNW.
After that, check out Soho by way of Shaftesbury Avenue.
If you have the energy, continue along Piccadilly where many great houses have been replaced by all manner of luxury.
Mayfair stretches out to the north, St James to the South. Eventually, you would pass green Park, then Hyde Park Corner, (Shepherd's Market is a great enclave nearby).
Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Kensington can be found beyond that, not to mention dozens of other great places.

Day 2
Westminster Abbey, http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us , has long lines so I would start there when it opens at 9:30. Take the Vergers Tour. Not only do you get the best information, but they have extraordinary access that you would not have on self guide one. 

Then hike over to Birdgace Walk and get to the Wellington Barracks to see the Guard start the change.

Do Buckingham Palace on a Day that they Change the Guard (every other day), the schedule can be found at http://www.changing-the-guard.com/ch...les-times.html
If you want a good spot to see the event, check out my blog...
http://londonsherpa.blogspot.com/
Head over to Trafalgar Square. On the northeast corner, find St Martin's-in-the-Fields and have lunch in the Crypt. With any luck, you might be able to hear some beautiful music in the Church, http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.o...home/home.html .

After lunch, check out National Portrait Gallery across the street, and the National Gallery, (again, read the blog).

Walk south on Whitehall. There are some decent pubs along here. Continue down Whitehall and check out Horse Guard’s where the Beach Volleyball will be held on the Parade Ground for the Olympics. Backtrack trough Horseguards and walk east past Banqueting House towards the Embankment. This area was once all part of Whitehall Palace, with Scotland Yard on the north side. There are only a couple of relics remaining. Note the staircase in the Garden before Crossing the Busy Embankment Road. It was the river entrance for the Palace just before it burned down.
Cross the road and walk south. The London Eye is obvious. Look for the new monument celebrating the heroics of the Battle of Britain. http://www.bbm.org.uk/prog-location.htm
The London Eye is an Excellent way to end the day. As you proceed towards the Bridge, note the monument to a woman on a Chariot. It is of Boudica, a Queen who fought the Romans and burnt their city of Londinium. It mark the western end of the bridge.
You can’t help to notice Big Ben, right there. There is a nice pub call St Stephens Tavern to the west.
Crossing the bridge to the east, towards County Hall and the London Eye, notice the white Lion at the East end of the Bridge.
It is the Coade Stone Lion and represents a fascinating chapter in English Architecture, not to mention brewing Beer.
Notive the old buildings to the south. That is St Thomas Hospital and includes the Florence Nightingale museum, http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/cms/ .

Day 3
9AM, Tower of London, See the Crown Jewels without a line-up. http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/...

 Take the Beefeater's Tour, (they are free, except it is good to give these veterans a nice tip after).
Lunch, then a full afternoon…
If you like, there is a decent pub "Liberty Bounds" on Tower Hill to the west side, across from public Execution Site. It offers good breakfast and lunch specials, (typical pub fare, OK, not great, but affordable).
Note all the interesting things here on Tower Hill and All Hallows Church.
Check out the Roman Ruins, and statue of Roman dude near Tower Hill tube station, then back track west finding Seething Lane off Muscovey St., and Seething Lane Garden which dates back 400 years. Turn left at Crutched Friars to Mark Lane, (turn right), passing St Olave Hart Street where Dickens was inspired a part of... Uncommon Traveller, renaming it "St Ghastly Grim". There are buses on Fenchurch if you like, but here, you approach the heart of the City of London. Notice the gerkin as you walk up Mark Lane. Continue east on Fenchurch towards Bank, then northeast on Prince’s St. turn left on Gresham and find Guild Hall north of King Street. With any luck, you will be able to into the Great Hall. Here history has no limits. The sad story of Lady Jane Grey was determined here. Also of note, the Art Gallery, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Clock Museum and the Library.
Continue west on Gresham to Noble Street. Notice the Goldsmith’s Livery Hall, the Garden across the Street, and the Roman ruins that extend north across London Wall into the Barbican Complex. The London Museum is above off the Highwalk. The Barbican is perhaps the most significant post war development in the UK. It is a fine mix of roman, mideival and modern construction, trimmed with terraces, highwalks, gardens and water features. It well worth a good look. Postman’s Park and leads towards St Paul’s is to the south. The two St Bart’s, and Smithfield Market is to the northwest. Other places of interest near here are nearly infinite, but Giltspur St. takes you past St Supulchre without Newgate and Old Bailey.
From St Paul's Cathedral, it is fairly easy to get to wherever you need by bus.

Day 4
There are too many choices to make a firm decision for this last day.
The Churchill Cabinet War Rooms, St James Park, and Westminster Palace, (the house of parliament) are all near each other. The Tate Britain is just a short walk south of that.
and/or
The Tate Modern, (Bankside) is practically next to the Globe Theatre, and across the Millenium bridge is St Paul's. The Temple Inns, and other Inns of the Court & Royal Courts, Fleet Street, Somerset House all stretch west towards Trafalgar Square from St Paul's. There are some great and historic pubs along this route. Also in that area is St Bride's Church where the original wedding cake concept came from. They have an excellent little museum in the basement.

and/or
Albertville, with the V&A, Natural History, and Science Museums, (not to mention other important institutions founded in Prince Albert's name), are all southwest of Harrods, well beyond High Park Corner and Buckingham Palace.

and/or
Mayfair and Oxford Street,
or any of the Royal Parks.
Camden Town, (an awesome place to start a walk towards Little Venice along the canal).
please check my Blog for websites that offer good info on London.
http://londonsherpa.blogspot.com/
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