London trip

[notamummy10]

I'm taking my mum to London at the end of June for her birthday; we're going from the 28th June to 1st July, any recommendations for attractions? I'm taking her to see Wicked on her birthday, but I'm not sure what else to do!

Are the river cruises worth going on?

[cleanandclothed]

How old is your mum? Where are you staying? What sort of things do you want to do (main sights/good walks/quirky museums?)

[Ifailed]

the river cruises are a good way to see London, though the commentary can be bit cheesy, likewise the bus tours.
As to other attractions, what are you both interested in?

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

Sky Garden in the Walkie Talkie Building, it's free, but you have to book tickets...fancy bar up there and a viewing platform

Or you can book for either of the restaurants up there for a meal

Centrepoint is also fab for breakfast, and if the staff are feeling kind flirt horribly with them they will show you up to the viewing floor!

[tribpot]

Is your mum an adventurous sort? If so, I would highly recommend the Thames Rib. (To be clear, it's not that terrifying, I took my then 7 year old on it but if your mum is rather elderly I suspect she might not enjoy it). If more sedate then a regular river cruise is great too.

I tend to favour the City of London so my regular haunts are the Museum of London, St Paul's and the Globe, just on the other side of the river across the Millennium Foot Bridge. We also like HMS Belfast just down from the Globe (an awful lot of climbing ladders is involved) and there's a nice little exhibition in Tower Bridge, which now features a glass walk way between the towers.

For amazing views without the price tag of the Shard, the Sky Garden is worth a trip (the cocktails look bloody nice too).

[LizzieMacQueen]

The British Library would be interesting.

Afternoon tea somewhere like Claridges.

A meal out in Chinatown.

[notamummy10]

She's 47 (she'll turn 48 when we're there) and we're staying in Covent Garden.

We both like similar things - museums, sightseeing, adventures etc! We don't want to do things, we can do in where we live! There are a couple of things we are planning to do but we definitely don't want to do Madame Tussauds!

[ssd]

jesus I'm older than your mum and yo'ure on mumsnet

[Helmetbymidnight]

She's 47!!!

[scribblegirl]

Expensive but we took my MIL to Dans Le Noir and she loved it - on the phone so can't link but basically you have dinner in the pitch black. It's an adventure but you get fed too! May be cheaper at lunch than dinner.

[notamummy10]

SSD she's a real technophobe, she can barely use Facebook as it is- let alone a forum!

[notamummy10]

Yup! She's 47, I'm 23 (24 in September) and my brother is nearly 29 (next Monday to be precise); she was a young mum!

[tribpot]

Okay she's 3 years older than me, she can definitely do the Thames Rib if she fancies it! I had visions of a mum of my mum's age (68). She's pretty adventurous and has travelled all over the world, but I don't think she'd like the speed of the Rib. She is also a complete technophobe, has only really embraced texting in the last few years. If I ever phone her mobile I am amazed to find that it's switched on, that kind of thing.

[frikadela01]

Ooh thanks for starting this thread. I'm off to London in 3 weeks with DP and was wanting ideas. Going to check out the sky garden Deffo.

Btw my mum is also 47 and I'm 30. Probably explains why we're so close.

[cleanandclothed]

Covent Garden is a great base! If you like museums then round Covent Garden and Holborn there is Dr Johnsons House, the Dickens Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery. I also really like Greenwich for a day - maybe a river trip down there, look round the market, the Cutty Sark, and the Maritime museum? If it is a nice day you can walk up the hill to the 'time line' and the Royal Observatory. If you go on Tuesday or Sunday you can book afternoon tea at the Orangery in the Fan Museum in Greenwich.

[Ifailed]

if you like jewellery etc Covent Garden is closed to Hatton Garden, and The London Silver Vaults are interesting if you like looking at v expensive stuff. if you like something a bit more gross, the Hunterian Museum is cool if you like looking at lots of body parts! (Grisly history of surgery and medicine with gruesome instruments and preserved specimens)

[ssd]

have a fab time op!

[JapanNextYear]

Quirky smaller museums, sir John soames, Wallace, the old operating theatre. Borough market, great for a wander. We've done a couple of London Walks, in areas we wouldn't have gone to otherwise www.walks.com/london_walks_home/sundays_walks/default.aspx

[gerispringer]

Cross waterloo bridge to the southbank and have a walk to the London Eye, take her on that. The globe theatre has a nice cafe and restaurant, and there's loads of eateries there, the Tate Moderrn , cross the millennium Bridge to St Pauls, walk don to Tower of London. That's a couple of days activities. Agree Greenwich good for a day out of the centre. The Welcome Collection is a fascinating and free, museum , not crowded . If good weather have a walk through Regents Park or Kensington Gardens. There's loads to see and do . Dont do the horrible touristy stuff- london Dungeon, Mme Tussauds, rip off bus tours etc use google maps or walking maps rather than go on the tube. Walk London do free walks at the weekends which are good. A boat trip down the river can be good, you can see things you wouldn't see otherwise.

[fancyacoffee]

Marking my place! Some great ideas here x

[gerispringer]

Check out the events at the festival hall and southbank centre, they sometimes have free concerts and exhibitions, and the evening concerts are usually excellent. About 10 -15 mins walk from Covent Garden. They also have lots of street food stalls at the weekend.