London itinerary-asking for review&help
 

After I got so many nice tips on special things to do in London I put together an itinerary...but it is not finished by now and hopefully you all help me with more tips and comments. Here it is:

1. Day (Sunday):
Arriving from Heathrow at hotel (hopefully) around 10 in the morning.
Little walk around Knightsbridge, lunch and shopping at Harvey Nichols.
St Martins in the Fields to get ticket for concert on tuesday.
Visit to Portrait Gallery and tea at the Café there (thanks for the tip, forgot about this).
Selfridges.
Walk around Covent Garden and have dinner there.

2. Day:
Victoria & Albert museum to see Vivienne Westwood exhibition.
Sloane Square or Duke of York Square for lunch and window shopping.
Royal Hospital Chelsea (I thought the museum may be interesting, was anybody there and can comment on it, anything else in this area to see?).
Bond street window shopping.
Try the ticket office on Leicester Square for theatre ticket in the evening (any interesting play or concert or Opera to see?).
If no ticket: Queensway for dinner.

3. Day:

St Pauls.
Cabinet war rooms.
Westminster Abbey.
Harrods.
Concert at St Martins.

4. Day:
Queens Gallery to see George III and Queen Charlotte exhibition (alternatively Apsley House: The Wellington Museum).
Picknick in Green Park (if the weather is ok)
Museum in Docklands (I am interested in the history of this area, is it good?).
Museum of London.
In the evening (late night opening) National Gallery (El Greco exhibition and doing an audio tour).

5. Day:
Daunt`s bookshop.
Lunch at La Galette.
Tate Britain.
Libertys.
Train from Paddington to Heathrow.

I would love to fit in a boat trip, but when? I have been to Greenwich and Hampton Court before.
Please tell me where my plan needs alteration or if something isn`t worth seeing and if you think there is something I simply have to do or see.

Hi
maybe this was deliberate on your part, that you scheduled St Paul's and the Museum of London for separate days.
They are very close to one another.
It would also mean that you're not trying to combine the M of L with the National Gallery, for me that would be a lot of museum time in important museums all in one day.

Try and do St P and the M of L on a weekday. Since it's the financial district, I noticed last time that on weekends many of the cafes are closed,if you wanted to stop for lunch in between.

I agree - you should try to schedule St Paul's and the Museum of London on the same day - they are walking distance from each other.

I really feel your day 3 is pretty scattered and probably not easily doable. W/o St Paul's it works out a lot better so moving SP's and the M of London to the same day will fix that. Besides, visiting St Pauls and Westminster Abbey on the same day is a little like seeing multiple major museums on the same day - spread them out and you'll get more out of both places.

If you don't change that part of the schedule, After St. Paul's. you could go to the Tower and take the ferry up to Westminster.

Keith

Thanks for the help-day three would really a bit too much. I changed it:

Day 2:
Westwood exhibition,
lunch at Sloane Square,
Cabinet War Rooms,
Bond street,
maybe ticket for theatre.

Day 3:
St Pauls,
Museum of London or Museum in Docklands,
Lunch (any tips on restaurants in this area? Elaine, as you know the area, do you know a nice place?)
Harrods,
Concert at St Martins.

Less stressful more relaxing! I always try to put too much in my itinerary and end stressed and frustrated.

Day 4:
Queens Gallery for exhibition,
Green Park Picknick,
Westminster Abbey or (thanks for the tip Keith) boat to tower and then to Museum in Docklands,
National Gallery late night.

I think this is better!?

Another comment

Cabinet War Rooms and Westminster Abbey are also pretty close to each other and it's an interesting walk from one to the other, the heart of the area of W'minster. Make a stop along the way at the Banqueting House, or the Horse Guards where they do a changing of the guard.

And the National Gallery is practically next door to St Martin's, but maybe you can't work out the concert and the late evening for the museum.

Harrods and the V&A are also quite close to each other.

Sorry I don't have recs for pubs in the City, but someone else here will I'm sure.

Are you sure you can pick up your concert tickets on a Sunday?

Thanks Elaine, as I am not sure if I want to go to Westminster Abbey I will see if I am in the mood for it after Cabinet War Rooms, it would fit in better there, you are right.

The Concert in St Martins is on tuesday, NG late night opening on wednesday, so no chance to combine.

As my hotel is in the Kensington area it wouldn`t be a problem to seperate V&A from Harrods...and when I am doing Harrods in the evening I do not have to take my shopping (if i can afford some) with me all the time.

If I can not pick up my ticket on sunday I will do it on monday, as Leicester Square is so near to St Martins-no problem.

Luigi's of Covent Garden is an exceptional Italian restaurant. In Sloane Square, Simply Nico's is a nice spot for lunch.