Need London Sightseeing Advice

[JDY]

I am taking several students to London in March for 7 days and 6 nights. My plan is for them to have a varied experience in London. These are the things we plan to do or visit. Tell me what you think and any suggestions you might have. Thanks!

Hop On Hop Off Tour of London
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
London Dungeon
Globe Theatre
National Gallery
British Museum
Kensington Palace
Westminster Abbey
Day Trip to Oxford, Stratford, and Warwick Castle (FULL DAY)
Changing of the Guard
Lion King Performance
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Performance
Exploring Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Picadilly
Harrods (Any other good shopping areas? Antiques?)
The Britain at War Experience

Any thing else?
Maybe a park or something?

Thank you!

 

[Disney owl]

i can recommend the London Eye which is a big wheel with viewing capsules. The children I've taken on have all enjoyed it. It's next to the Thames & you get a great view.

 

[Olaf]

Maybe a trip to Hampton Court Palace or Windsor Castle. Stratford is not my favorite, but if you're going to Oxford, be sure and stop at Blenheim Palace. Looks as if you've got a pretty full schedule.

 

[WDWfan uk]

Phew! I'm exhausted reading your schedule! I agree that the London Eye would be a great idea - if you can go on this on a clear day, you will get a great view over London. It has become a major tourist attraction.

The students will definitely enjoy Covent Garden so if you don't have time for everything on your list, I'd definitely take them here. (Take precautions against pickpockets here and everywhere whilst you are out and about).

You have a great mix of fun and educational stuff on your list Have a great time

 

[Nick The Cat]

London Eye is good but make sure you have a guide with you so they can point out the landmarks.

I would also suggest a river trip from Westminster Pier, down the river to Tower Bridge, Greenwich and to see the Thames flood barrier. You can get off at Greenwich to go and see the observatory.

 

[cabmom]

Hi, you have a great agenda!
I did the London Eye on New Years day and it was packed. Be sure to have someone stand in the outside line while you get tickets in the inside line. It cost 11pds per person, sorry I don't have the pound sign on my keyboard. You can see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and a lot of other sights, so yes if your in a pod with someone who knows London it would be even better. You get your picture taken as your coming down, so stand in the pod closest to the Thames, it will be 5pds per photo and it's a great keepsake. Thankfully, my friends had been on it before and knew where to stand. I was a little queasy doing it, but it's so worth it!
Enjoy your trip!
Marilynn

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by cabmom
Be sure to have someone stand in the outside line while you get tickets in the inside line.

I also agree that the London Eye should be near the top of your list for places to visit. MUCH better than leaving someone to stake out your place in line is to book in advance by phone with a credit card. You collect your tickets from the booking office, then join the line at the front, at the 'flight time' on your ticket. Also note that each disabled person can tak one 'carer' free of charge and that there is a discount for seniors.

On a clear day, you can see most of the famous London sights, with the exception of the Tower of London, which is hidden around the bend in the river behind some office buildings.

BTW, there are TWO cameras, one at each end of the pod which will take your photo just before you come back in to 'land'. If you look down as come down, watch for the flash guns going off for the car ahead of yours to see where the cameras are!

If the weather is kind to you, it is a very pleasant walk to start out in Parliament Square (Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey), cross the bridge to the London Eye, then continue along the Thames Embankment, past the South Bank Arts Centre (theatres & art galleries), past the Tate Modern art gallery then a little further to the Globe Theatre. You can then cross the Thames on the 'wobbly' bridge to St Paul's Cathedral. (In all, about 2 miles walking plus however long you spend at the London Eye and other sightseeing stops along the way.)

Andrew

 

[JDY]

Thank you for responding. I had not even considered The London Eye as my wife is terrified of heights. I would love to do it, and I think the students would have a great time. Thanks again!

 

[TracyK]

You've already got some great suggestions. Two of my DS's favourites are The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. They are next door to each other and both have free entry. You have to pay for any special exhibitions.
I was in London last week and saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, it was brilliant. We also visited the British Museum. It is a wonderful place.
Have a great trip, it's a great city.
Tracy

 

[tiggerlover]

Having been in London for 5 days in October, I can say you have some great choices there. One thing that I would like to suggest with the hop on/off tour is this. Start your bus tour at mid day, the tickets are good for 24 hours, this way you can use it the first day, then in the early evening take the free boat tour on the Thames that is included with it and then you can use the bus again for half of the next day, getting off at a stop that is near where you want to go next. (Also, I recomend taking one line one day and the other line the next as you get two different perspectives, I also recommend the Original Sight Seeing Tour Bus).

The London Eye was wonderful and the view of the city was well worth waiting to see. The Tower of London tour was tops, a favorite among my family, but my DS chickened out of the Dungeon tour. As for the changing of the guard, I suggest you arrive early and get close to the fence, we followed a guide books suggestion of where to stand and it was awful, if you aren't by the fence you won't see much. We much preferred the changing of the horse guard that happens at the Horse Guard's Palace.

Another thing of interest on the Thames would be the HMS Belfast, you can tour this British ship. Yet another thought is to go to St. Paul's Cathedral, this is the church where Prince Charles and Lady Di were married. The Lion King performance was wonderful and I highly recomend it, you can buy advance tickets at www.ticketmaster.co.uk - this worked well for us as we had friends go to London to get tickets and they were sold out for the time they wanted to go, with ticketmaster you have your paper confirmation and just go right into the box office and get your tickets with your reserved seats.

Have a great trip, I am sure you all will have a wonderful time as London is a fabulous city.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by JDY
I had not even considered The London Eye as my wife is terrified of heights.

The cabins on the London Eye are fully enclosed bubbles with a substantial handrail around the inside. The ride is slow and very smooth. You just make one revolution and that takes about 45 minutes. It is no worse than standing at the window of a tall office building.

As an aside...

If you decide to take a boat ride along the Thames, check the tides first. At low tide your view will be of mud flats and the Embankment walls.

Andrew

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by JDY
IExploring Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Picadilly
Harrods (Any other good shopping areas? Antiques?)

Maybe a park or something?

Covent Garden - fun market & shops - centrally located. Touristy

Oxford Street - London's prime shopping street, but much like every other city in the world! One end is Selfridges, large department store about same size as Harrods (a tad bigger?) less 'touristy' and more reasonable prices. Harrods has high prices on all goods (even before the $ fell against the £), but you do need to visit their Food Halls. Also visit Libertys on Regent Street.

Camden Lock market is a short tube ride away from the centre. Very crowded on weekends. Appeals to the younger crowd. Lots of shops & stalls selling crafts and (fake?) designer clothes. Boat rides along Regents Canal from Camden Lock through Regents Park to Little Venice & back (including dinner rides).

Camden Passage (actually in Islington) short tube ride - antiques & jewelery street market & shops.

Portobello Road, antiques & furniture fairly central (featured in that film with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant that I can't think of the name right now)

My favourite Park is St James;, running from Buck Pal towards Trafalgar Square & Parliament Square. Green Park ...green but boring. Hyde Park big but pleasant (Serpentine lake- Princess Di -Peter Pan) Regents Park (London Zoo & Open Air Theatre)

Andrew

 

[JDY]

Thanks for the comments. I'll be sure to check out many of places suggested.

Has anyone been to the "Britain at War Experience" near London Bridge station? I've looked at it on the internet and I think I will enjoy it; I'm not sure if my students will.

Thanks Again

 

[gadb1]

I son't know of anyone else has mentioned it but many of the museums are free entry.

Also there is a ticket you can buy that gives entrance to a number of London attractions and essentially saves quite a lot of money

Check out www.londonpass.com It gives entrance to 50 attractions for £12 a day. Some friends from NJ used this and they found that it was great

 

[profdsny]

Hi, look into the Original Walking Tours site. They have a lot of really good tours, and with a group, you would get a fairly good rate per person. Also very interesting, depending on what your students are studying, is the Dicken's Museum, and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Also, as I understand, the courts in the Old Bailey are open for visitors. Good be interesting as well. Looking again at your list, I've heard the London Dungeon is pretty gory, and not intended for younger viewers. More for the shock value then anything else. Might want to rethink that one.

 

[Hilary]

Just wanted to wish a you a successful trip
You've got some great ideas for your itinerary.

 

[leise]

Since you seem to be an HP fan, you might want to pop up to King's Cross station, and have a look for Platform 9 3/4! It is there, but between platforms 8 & 9 . They actually film it on platform 3 and 4. You'll also recognise next door St Pancras station from CoS movie.
Hope you have a great trip.

 

[JDY]

Thanks...It's getting close. I can't wait.

 

[vernon]

I'd second ( or fourth LOL ) the London Eye as a worthwhile visit. You have a lot of good ideas already, again depending on final choices I would say a visit to Hampton Court Palace is worth thinking of, it can be reached easily on the train services. The British museum is a HUGE area, it's unlikely you'd cover it all in a one day visit.

The younger members of the group would like Campden Lock market IMHO and it's pretty cheap. Harrods is definately worth a visit to look around , but it is a very expensive shop.