I arrive at Heathrow at 2:30 pm so will have the remainder of that day, plus the following day (which is Victoria Day by the way). We would like to see as much as possible of course and are most interested in things like Big Ben, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Pauls, perhaps some gardens and of course Harrods. We hope to go to the theatre that evening.
Any suggestions on an itinerary and the best means of getting about to see these things would be appreciated. Is this too ambitious?
Thanks

I suggest choosing 3 things that you absolutely want to do and then find a way to add the others if there is time. Westminster Abbey and the Tower are must sees. You can see Big Ben, gardens and Buckingham Palace by simply passing by. You might get a ticket on the Big Bus, good for 24 hours, and hop on and off at the sights you want to see.

Visit first Harrods and Trafalgar Square on the day you arrive. See a West End show that evening. You can buy discount tickets the day of the show in Leicester square, but you don't really have the time and should book a show in advance.

The second day... Start at St. Paul’s, it opens at 8:30AM, and tour on your own.

Then on to the Tower of London. Book your tickets in advance at http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/content.asp?id=228 so you will not waste time waiting in line. Take the Yeoman Warder tour. It is included in the price.

From the Tower you have a good view of the Tower Bridge. There is a ferry stop right there. Take a ride on the Thames to Westminster. Along the way you pass many things including H. M. S. Belfast, the new Globe Theater, Millennium Bridge, London Bridge, and British Airways' London Eye.

At Westminster you are right next to Parliament and the clock tower that holds Big Ben. Go past it to Westminster Abbey. Tour on your own. The Verger tours are very popular, but you will not have time to wait for one to start and take it.

From Westminster Abbey walk over to St James Park. Walk the length of the park to Buckingham Palace, then back.

Depending on your timing, you may now be able to attend the Dismount of the Horse Guards at 4PM.

Then visit the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. The last admission is at 5PM, but you can stay until 6PM.

If you haven't collapsed yet, you can walk back past Big Ben to the London Eye (the big wheel) and take a "flight."

Or if this is a Thursday or Friday, go across town to the British Museum, which is open until 8:30 on those days. It if free and wonderful. You will only see a tiny fraction of it, but you might see the Elgin Marble, Rosetta Stone and the mummies (for example).

I have just described what many people on this board would hate, but it is doable, and the right person could have a ball.

Keith

This is great advice and exactly what I was looking for - now if you could possibly suggest a nice hotel or B and B that is well situated for this itinerary, but not too expensive, that would be great...
Thanks

Forget Harrods, whilst it is one of the world's finest stores with superb ranges of everything, I just wouldn't bother with shopping if you've a very short time in London. Do the Tower, you can't go up Big Ben withouth prior arrangements (more complex than buying a ticket), Westminster, perhaps take a boat ride along the Thames to combine the two, and a bus tour of the city - this will maximise your exposure and give you a good taster of London.

And the prettiest time to see Big Ben is after dark. So that can be done in the evening.

There are other people on this board better able to recomend a hotel or B & B, but it will help them if you suggest your budget and how many will be staying in the room.

Keith

Thanks - for anyone who can recommend a hotel or B and B - we'd like something well situated and don't want to pay a fortune. However, there will be 3 adults sharing so 100 to 150 GBP might be an approximate budget - is this do-able?

I agree about Harrods...it is just a store afterall. For a slight change you may want to do St Pauls for the evensong services. We really liked the Hop on Hop off bus tours. Make sure you get one with a real tour guide. SOme of them just have recordings and it is not as much fun. We took the tour during the day and at night, after rush hour. It was very different and we really did enjoy the second trip.

Christia, not sure if you already have a play in mind but my sister and I just returned from a 4 day visit to London and we saw Festen (its at the Lyric) and really enjoyed it. Its very dark, but wonderfully acted. I will third the opinions of m_kingdom2 and allanc on Harrods - with just a day and a half I would not use up valuable time there. Have a great trip!