Iconic Sights and Wizardly Frights: Our Trip Across the Pond to London
Syd’s Story... For Kids!
“The first thing we did was go to the tallest tower in London. It was called The Shard. The next day, we went to get our hair done and we went to watch Matilda. We also went to get ice cream. We kicked off our morning with going to a cute restaurant called Sketch. After a good night of sleep, we went to a place where you could see how “Harry Potter” was made and some of the behind the scenes stuff.
My favorite thing we did there was the scavenger hunt. We also went to Oxford. The next day, we did a Harry Potter tour called the “Tour For Muggles.” Then we had afternoon tea. The day after that, we went to watch the Changing of the Guard. After that, we went to Westminster Abbey and then to St.Paul’s Cathedral. We climbed all the way to the top! Our last day in London, we took family pictures and then took a private ride on the London Eye.”
Mom’s Notes and Practical Tips
We spent a full 7 days in London and still didn't manage to cross everything off our "to do" list. In fact, we quickly realized that we could easily spend two weeks in this lively city without running out of things to do.
This portion of our trip actually came together a bit by happenstance as we had plans for a family reunion of sorts in Spain and the kids and I decided we would like to get to Europe a week early so that they could adjust to the time change and be fully acclimated before we met up with their cousins in Barcelona. British Airways' direct overnight flight from San Diego to London was simply too convenient to pass up, so our "where to go first" decision was made easy! As an added bonus, our dear friends decided to join us for this first leg of the trip so we had wonderful travel companions to share our journey with.
Our wild party of 6 in front of Buckingham Palace.
Arriving in London
The kids slept well on the redeye and arrived in London feeling as refreshed as they possibly could following an 11-hour flight. Our driver was waiting for us after we cleared customs and we had a smooth ride to our hotel. When we checked into our place at the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, we were extremely pleased with our accommodations. This hotel provides the best of both worlds as it has the conveniences of a luxury hotel (room service, daily cleaning and linen service, etc.) and the spaciousness of an apartment. I had my own king-sized bed in the master suite and the kids shared a room with two separate twin beds. The kitchenette, which had a compact washer/dryer for laundry was convenient for preparing early (and I mean EARLY) breakfasts for jet-lagged kids and afternoon snacks as we rested our weary legs after hours of walking the city.
The hotel surprised the kids with Queen's Guard bears and an adorable personalized welcome tray of treats!
Day 1: The Shard
Looking a little worse for wear after the long flight, we enjoyed fabulous views from the top of the Shard, including this one of the London Bridge.
And walk the city we did! In an effort to keep the kids awake (and simultaneously tire them out before bedtime), we traversed the city on foot shortly after our arrival. We had premeditated a trip to the top of The Shard, London’s tallest building, and it did not disappoint. This 95-story skyscraper provided us with fantastic 360-degree views of the city at sunset. From our perch over 1000 feet in the air, we were able to point out many of the attractions we were looking forward to visiting over the next several days.
Day 2: Buckingham Palace, St. James' Park, Covent Garden
We all slept surprisingly well that first night and woke early to tackle the day. Our hotel was located just a short walk from Buckingham Palace, so we made our way to her majestic gold and wrought iron gates. The kids loved learning about the Queen’s Guard and were delighted to see The Royal Standard flag flying high above the palace, a signal that Queen Elizabeth II was in residence!
We continued our walk through beautiful St. James’ Park and into the Covent Garden neighborhood where we saw a matinee showing of “Matilda the Musical.” The kids had never seen the show before and they loved it! Following the show, we ate dinner nearby at Tredwells, which offered the perfect balance of fine dining with a more relaxed (i.e. kid-friendly) atmosphere.
Day 3: Sketch, Hamleys, Carnaby Street, Soho
The next day, we had lunch reservations at Sketch, a restaurant known as much for its unique and whimsical interior design as its eclectic menu. I haven’t ever written rave reviews about a restroom before, but to prove that there is truly a first time for everything, I will say that you must take a visit to the co-ed loo if you make your way to Sketch! With full bellies, we walked just a few blocks to Hamleys, a multi-story toy store with a rich history in London that the kids could have spent days in if left to their own devices! We ushered them out after about a half an hour and headed to nearby Carnaby Street to explore. Located in Soho, Carnaby Street is home to over 150 shops and 50 independent restaurants.
Nearby Kingly Court is a legitimate foodie hub and boasts a bustling three-story cafe courtyard with offerings ranging from cocktails & doughnuts to chicken & waffles. As the evening approached, we navigated the tube and spent the final hours of our day admiring Kensington Palace (home to the younger royals) and playing in the surrounding gardens. We were ready for bed when the sun finally set, which wasn’t until about 10:00 p.m. on these summer days!
Day 4: Harry Potter Tour
On our fourth day in London, we had no trouble rousing the kids from their beds as a car was waiting to take us to the Warner Brothers Studio “Harry Potter” tour! My kids are on the younger side for Harry Potter and they scare somewhat easily, so we had made a point to read the first book and watch the first movie as a family prior to our arrival. Despite their limited knowledge of the characters and plot, they loved everything about this experience. We were amazed by the collection of authentic sets and props, as well as original costumes worn by the actors in this cultural phenomenon of a series. Both of my kids got a kick out of all of the hands-on experiences, including teaching their brooms how to fly, wand school, sitting on the benches of Hogwarts Express, and flying on mechanical brooms in front of a green screen. Besides geeking out on all things Harry Potter, we learned a lot about how movies are made, which was interesting for all of us. A visit to this studio is a must for Harry Potter enthusiasts of any age!
That afternoon, we continued a bit further out of the city for a quick visit to the University of Oxford. Many Harry Potter scenes were actually filmed on the Oxford Campus and we figured it’s never too early to start planting the seed for a study abroad! Each of the kids selected a book at Blackwell’s Bookshop and we grabbed a quick snack before making the drive back to London. We spent the evening relaxing in our jammies and the kids practiced casting spells with their newly acquired wands!
Day 5: Sky Garden, "Muggles Tour," Afternoon Tea
The following morning, we had breakfast at Darwin Brasserie, which is located on the 36th floor of the Sky Garden, London’s famous glass-domed public garden. The food here was fantastic! The kids devoured their fluffy nutella-topped pancakes and the adults enjoyed a delicious avocado toast topped with poached eggs. We were fueled for the day as the girls walked across the Thames River via the London Bridge to meet their group for a “Tour for Muggles,” which featured an enthusiastic Hagrid look-alike tour guide and countless behind-the-scenes looks at areas within the city where the Harry Potter series was filmed. Once back at the hotel, we cleaned ourselves up for a traditional English afternoon tea. We selected the Alice in Wonderland Tea at our own hotel and had a wonderful time sampling various teas and tasty treats!
Day 6: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral
On the morning of our 6th day in London, we hustled to Buckingham Palace to get in position for the Changing of the Guard. I am unapologetic about my love for pomp and circumstance and the kids really enjoyed watching the Queen’s Guard perform this traditional ceremony. It was then a short walk from the palace to Westminster Abbey. The kids were able to check off several boxes in their “Mission: London” scavenger hunt books as they learned all about the royal church, a World Heritage Site with over a thousand years of history.
We tubed from the Abbey to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where the kids insisted that we climb up the hundreds of steps to the top of the dome. The effort proved to be worth it as we discovered breath-taking views of the city from our perch.
Day 7: Flytographer, London Eye
We spent our final day in London meandering through the city past some of our favorite spots with a professional photographer we had hired to capture a small glimpse of our visit. We are so grateful to Jimmy from Flytographer, a company that has vetted professional photographers in destinations all over the world, for the wonderful photos he took. As a mom who always finds herself behind the lens and rarely in the frame on family vacations, I cannot recommend this service enough. We will treasure these photos and memories of our trip for years to come.
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We capped off our trip with one of our big splurges of the trip. We had booked a private capsule on the London Eye, complete with beverages (both adult and kid-friendly!) and snacks, for a sunset spin above the Thames. This was such a wonderful grand finale to our week in London and I would highly recommend it!
There is so much to see and do in London that we could not possibly “do it all,” even with a full week in the city. The kids were troopers, walking several miles each day on their little legs and navigating tube and taxi rides like pros. We hope to return soon, perhaps after the massive renovations to Big Ben are complete and the clock tower rings again!