Thank you for all these clarifications! It got me all excited and I would leave now if I could (if only I could...).

Nessa, we did the "highlights" tour of the British Museum using their audioguides. We were there for two or three hours and saw everything we most wanted to see.

Lee Ann

ElendilPickle-
I was considering doing that tour. Did they actually tell a lot of interesting stuff and explain what you were seeing?

Hello again!

So the way things are looking, I *might* have to postpone my trip to next May/June instead. I'm a little sad about it but hopefully everything will fall back into place and I'll be in London in January as planned!

I thought I might post my updated itinerary again.

Day 1 - HoHo Bus Tour & maybe London Eye

Day 2 - V&A + Natural History Museum

Day 3 - Day trip to Bath

Day 4 - Borough Market, Tate Modern (maybe Tate Boat to Tate Britain)

Day 5 - Old Hampstead Village Walk from London Walks + Camden Town

Day 6 - National Gallery, St. Martin in the Fields (lunch time concert) + afternoon tea at the Lanesborough (or some other hotel)

Day 7 - Day trip to Cambridge

Day 8 - Inns of Court Walk from London Walks + British Museum

Day 9 - History Greenwich Walk from London Walks + Covent Garden + Late night at the National Portrait Gallery

Day 10 - Spitalfields Market + British Library

Day 11 - Notting Hill Walk from London Walks (anyone recommends this or not?) + Portobello Market + Wallace Collection

Day 12 - Southbank Book Market + go back to any place missed

If I get one more day, which palace should I do: Hampton Court, Kensington, or Kew? Which one would be the nicest in winter or in early summer?

Hi nessa-

I suppose you're disappointed with postponing the trip, but the fact that you're postponing it from Jan to May/June you'll get MUCH BETTER weather! I just returned from London and it stays light out until 9pm! Much better than the 4pm sunset in January.

A few comments on your itin:

<< Day 4 - Borough Market, Tate Modern (maybe Tate Boat to Tate Britain) >>

Just be aware the Borough Market is only open 3 days a week.

<< Day 10 - Spitalfields Market + British Library >>

I visited Spitalfields Market a few days ago. It doesn't have much to see really, just a bunch of restaurants, a few shops, and stalls like flea market. Unless you're a huge shopper wanting to buy clothes and such, you won't spend more than 1 hour there. Nearby is the Dennis Severs House which is worth visiting - but it's only open on selected Sundays and Monday nights (many folks here recommend the Monday night candlelight tours which needs to pre-book). Another museum not too far is the Geffrye Museum which shows domestic interiors (think period rooms) from 1600s-present. It has a nice period garden as well.

Otherwise, British Library (1-2 hrs) + Spitalfields (1hr) will leave you with plenty of time for something else.

<< Hampton Court, Kensington, or Kew? >>

I really enjoy Hampton Court Palace, though I would love to visit Kew Gardens on my next visit.

don't be sad if you have to postpone your trip - Just about very single thing you listed will be nicer in May or June than in January.

Plus you'd have twice as much daylight . . . .

I like the Dennis Severs House suggestion. I will try to book for the Monday night. Thanks yk! I look forward to your trip report!

Sorry, Nessa, I just saw your question.

I thought the audiotour gave a good amount of information without being overwhelming. Actually, now that I think about it, we didn't do the whole audiotour - we skipped a few bits that we weren't as interested in seeing so we could have dinner and walk around a bit before we went to the theater that evening.

Lee Ann

ttt