I would love ANY advice, critiques, suggestions about our upcoming trip to London. Does this itinerary look doable? Too much? Missing something? I am trying to incorporate a little bit of everything. We are horse people (thus the emphasis on the horses). Would love any advice you can provide.
Day 1
6:30am
Arrive Heathrow
Clear customs, get bags, Tube passes etc 30 minute train ride
9:00 am Arrive Chelsea-Flat— Relax, unwind, Get some breakfast
11:00 Walk to Kensington Palace Kensington Gardens, Princess Diana Memorial- Hyde Park
2:00 Get lunch (Need suggestions)
3:00 Hop on 24 hour Double Decker Bus Tour- Tour Kensington/Hyde Park
Bus past Big Ben- Westminster- Bridge (just to give everyone an idea of what is in store)
5:00 London Eye
6:00 Back to Flat
7:00 Dinner at Traboudour
Day 2
8:30 Breakfast at the Flat
10:00 Tower Of London (opens at 10am) Beefeater Tour and Crown JewelsDistrict or Circle Line to Tower Hill Station- 5 minute Walk
12:30 Tower Bridge 1:45- Hop on/off Bus to pass London Bridge/Shard
2:15 Lunch at Borough Market or Wright Borthers seafood restaurant or Pub (if eating at Market go to Southwark Cathedral where there was an opening into the courtyard of the church.
The Market is located next to London Bridge station which is serviced by the Jubilee and Northern Lines 8 Southwark St and Borough High Street
Pick up food fruits and veggies at Market for the week
(Watch Tower Bridge raise from Thames River side)
3:15 Tour Globe Theater (Shakespeare)
4:15 Walk across Millennium Bridge
4:45 St Paul’s Cathedral—Sunday Organ Recital (4:45-5:15)
6:00 Return to Flat—Dinner at Flat- BBQ—or out locally
Day3
Breakfast at Flat- Starbucks
Tour to Stonehenge/Windsor/Bath
Day4
9:00 Royal Mews (45 mins-1 hour)
St James Park
Birdcage Walk
Trafalgar Square
11:00 Horse Guards (Changing of the Guards)
11:30 Covent Gardens for lunch—suggestions??
1:00 Buckingham Palace (2 hours)
3:15-4:30
Westminster Abbey (last person in for viewing at 3:30)
4:30-5:00
Abbey shop, museum-
5:30 Harrods
6:00 Dinner --suggestions around South Kensington
7:30 Chelsea- back at Flat
Day 5
9:00-1:00
Walking tour with Jonnie (Bowl of Chalk)
around Westminster, Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, Parliament West End –GET tickets in queue for Wicked
1:00 Lunch at Pub—suggestions???
2:00-4:30 Victoria and Albert Museum of Art and Design
4:45-5:45 Chelsea/Flat—get ready for dinner and show
6:00 Dinner near Apollo Victoria Theatre -- suggestions???
7:30 Wicked
Day 6
Leave at 10:45 for
12:30 Harry Potter- Warner Bros Studio
5:00 Back at Flat- Dinner relax-

Day7
7:30-8:30 Horseback Riding in Hyde Park
9:00 Notting Hill- Portobello Market—shopping, gifts, souvenirs
12:00 Lunch in Notting Hill or Market
1:00-4:30 British Museum
Day8
Morning-TBD
2:00 Departure out of Heathrow

Things to possibly fit in
London Bike Tour
London Duck Tour on Thames
Regent Square or Oxford Street
Chocolate Tour
Afternoon tea—ANYWHERE but Orangery, unless it’s gotten better from 3 years ago—Suggestions???

Commented on your other thread

London is a large city with sights spread out all over. You do not seem to have allowed any time to get from one place to another. If you have to walk to a tube station, get downstairs, wait for a train, get to destination, get upstairs and walk to next sight - it will not take 5 minutes. You need to allow 30 minutes for any of these trips. And even your walking times are off - you really need to look at distances on a map. Based on your schedule you will have to be jogging between sights.

Also you are WAY overscheduled - and don;t seem to be allowing time to actually see many of the sights you have listed. If you look at a Michelin green guide it will give you an idea of how long it takes to actually see any of the major sights. Esp with 2 kids you will want to leave some downtime - just sit in a park for a while. Have a look at the water fowl. Sit down in the afternoon to have a small tea (no need for a very expensive hotel, but there are many casual places).

And you don;t appear to have thought things out. On Tues you talk about picking up fruit and veggies for the week in some market - and then carrying it all around though several more sights that afternoon - a major pain. Much better to get whatever food you need in at the market closest to your apartment and just take it right back there.

Day tour - don;t see how this works at all. Just not enough time to see all 3 places and for travel in between.

Also you don;t seem to have incuded the British Museum, National Gallery etc - which would be top choices for me - certainly much more interesting that looking at the works of a bridge.

And I don;t see any boat trips at all - would definitely do one - either to Greenwich or Hampton Court Palace.

I know there is the temptation to see everything - but think you will just end up exhausted and never get to many of the places listed for the afternoons just due to lack of time.

I have to say, you seem to be way way overbooked. I am traveling in September and my top 3 sights "Royal day out", Windsor castle, Tower of London. I have tickets purchased but I i spread them out and am planning on fitting other things on days in between. It was suggested to me by a tour guide to go to the crown jewels first at Tower before taking the Beefeater tour because of the late morning afternoon crowds, that makes a lot of sense to me, also I am not that interested in the Queens gallery as much as the Royal Mews and Buckingham Palace. I also know someone who traveled there in May and claimed Orangey @ KENSINGTON was excellent for tea, But i'm guessing its all subjective. Have a great time. Also buying an Oyster card ahead of time was suggested because the buses don't take cash, you need the card

11:00 Horse Guards (Changing of the Guards)....You might want to skip this...Please see below.

Remember, you have been warned

<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-three-champagne-at-buckingham-palace/</B>

The OP has another thread w/ about 35 responses . . .

Hi KRISTADEE,

First day:

"5:00 London Eye
6:00 Back to Flat
7:00 Dinner at Traboudour"

Whoa! The London Eye ride is about 30 minutes if I recall - not counting waiting in line, disembarking, etc.

And you expect to return by public transportation to your lodgings then keep a dinner reservation by 7? Too much!