One of the most requested post on my Instagram: our 8-Day London Itinerary with Kids in London!
Before We Start:
This is our 8-Day itinerary catered specifically for our family. This means, our itinerary was made in consideration with our interests (F1 fans anyone?), the fact that we are homeschoolers (museums and art galleries!) and our kids’ sensitivities (I have a child with anxiety and refused to do Tower of London, for example.)
Also, something to remember as you browse through our itinerary, you might wonder why we skipped a lot of fun things (like the Harry Potter tour or Stonehenge). Actually, this is our (mine and my husband’s) 3rd time in London, so we skipped a lot of things we’ve already done.
Also, this is just a quick overview! I will try to make a more detailed post in the future on some of the attractions.
Feel free to use this as an inspiration as you make your OWN personal itinerary in London! Have fun!
Day 1:
- Explored Earl’s Court
- This is the area where we stayed at
- Breakfast at Blackbird Cafe – Highly recommended!
- Took a photo at the Doctor Who Tardis box in front of the station – Must for fans!
- Selfridges
- Went specifically to see the SmartTech Formula One display – Hoping they still had the F1 car on display, but they didn’t anymore
- Met Daniel Ricciardo’s ex-Tire Mechanic (!!) – Surprise of the day and the kids were excited to learn from him!
- Tried the F1 simulator they had in the shop
- We spent hours here, but we are big F1 fans so my boys were very happy
- Alphatauri Store
- Dropped by the Alphatauri Flagship in London to see the shop and Pierre Gasly’s F1 car on display
- TIP: Ask the sales people for hidden merch they don’t have displayed in store 😉
Day 2:
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Just took photos outside.
- Dropped by only because it was beside our next stop.
- F1 Arcade
- Sim racing for my F1 addicts 😉
- We also had lunch here. Pricey but convenient since we were there.
- TIP: They give out coloring materials for little kids!
- Walked the Millennium Bridge on the way to our next stop
- Tate Modern
- Afternoon tea at The Swan at the Globe
- They were the only ones I found that didn’t charge afternoon tea per person (which is super impractical if you have children)
- Great experience if you love Shakespeare! The theme we had was Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Dropped by for photos and gift shop only.
- No time for the tour and won’t be appreciated by my 4 year old.
- Uber Boat to Covent Garden
- Dinner at Covent Garden
- Ate at Palm Court Brasserie – Pricey but very good!
Day 3:
- Sweet Escape Photoshoot
- Had it at the Westminster Bridge, highly recommended! Beautiful spots!
- It also served as our sightseeing activity 😉
- Find out more about booking Sweet Escape experiences here
- SOHO
- Lunch: Gordon Ramsay’s Heddon Street Kitchen
- Other noteworthy places to visit include: House of MinaLima (for Harry Potter fans!), Gail’s Bakery, Bilmonte Gelato
- Dropped by Dover Street Market for shopping
- Fortnum & Mason
- Waterstones
- Dinner at Poppies – THE BEST fish and chips in town, seriously! Must try!
Day 4:
- Hyde Park
- Spent the entire morning here. This kids loved the playground, we enjoyed the views!
- Lunch at Serpentine Bar & Kitchen, al fresco! So beautiful.
- Natural History Museum
- Couldn’t spend a long time but my eldest and I LOVED going through the Treasures Gallery
- Don’t be like us, alot at least 2 hours or more to enjoy all the exhibits leisurely
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Had to rush because we arrived when it was almost an hour left to closing time
- Came for Beatrix Potter’s original illustrations!
- Back at Covent Garden
- Met friends and was supposed to have dinner at Seven Dials Food Market but it was PACKED
- I do not recommend going on weekends!
Day 5:
- British Library
- British Museum
- Had late lunch here and spent the entire afternoon exploring
- The kids loved playing outside the museum after the museum closed
Day 6:
- Jubilee Gardens Playground
- Such a beautiful (but busy!) playground, highly recommended
- Lunch at “Between the Bridges”
- Saw it along the way and decided to stop here for lunch
- Outdoor seating with a cute vibe! Lots of food stalls to choose from
- Kensington Gardens Playground
- It’s playground day! Another busy one but it was worth it!
- Diana Memorial Playground: Peter Pan themed with sand and a pirate ship!
- There’s a queue outside sometimes but the wait was not long.
Day 7:
- Buckingham Palace
- Watched the Changing of the Guards
- Visited the Buckingham Palace shop after
- Couldn’t do a tour inside because it was closed; we came before summer
- Lunch at Burger and Lobster
- Mayfair branch: Less busy and food + service was amazing!
- National Gallery
- My favorite place in the world and wish we spent more hours here
- Dinner at Bancone
- Michelin starred restaurant but reasonably priced!
Day 8:
- Bicester Village
- Outlet shopping for designer brands
- Shopping was good if you’re into that thing, but for the kids: they have a nice playground, which the kids loved!
And that’s it! Day after that, we had to leave for the airport. There was so many things we wished to do but couldn’t anymore because of time constraints. I really wish we could’ve spent a month in London but alas, no budget nor time for that. Haha.
Some places we missed that you might wanna consider are as follows:
- The Making of Harry Potter
- Sherlock Holmes Museum (you can also just visit the shop, it’s great fun!)
- Hampton Court Palace
- Windsor Palace
- Tower of London
- Wallace Collection (for art lovers, I loved this place!)
- Stonehenge
- Bath (especially for Jane Austen fans)
- Silverstone (for F1 fans)
- Highcleare Castle (for Downton Abbey fans, wanted to do this but they were closed for tours the week we were there)
—
- For travel posts on London, both from this trip and my previous visits, click here: LONDON & UK