Mum daughter trip to London

[scatteredglitter]

Posting here for traffic, hope that s ok.
I a few weeks my 10 year old and I are going to London.
I need some help to plan what we should do. There s just so much, I m flummoxed.
We have a show booked. Staying pretty central (near central line tube).
I know London but would love to make this a special experience, dd has had a tricky few years. We never get to do something like this and unlikely to get the opportunity again for several years ! I really want to make it happy and memorable.
Thanks in advance

Harry potter studios!!

Is it a weekend visit? How many says will you have.

I was born, live and work in central London, love it. Happy to help.

What kind of things does your dd like?

M&M store
The Orbital at the Olympic Park
My DD, 11 loved these when we went.
The sky garden is lovely too

How long are you going for?
The Harry Potter Studio Tour is amazing but it's not in central London and you really need to spend a good few hours there. If you are going for a few days that is perfect though.
Have you been on the Eye, that's always fun. I see you have a show booked which will be awesome. Harrods is really interesting if your daughter hasn't been there before as well.

Harry Potter studios is Not central London at all.

Walk lots. Seriously more interesting than the underground and more opportunity for chatter. There are other apps, but google maps that most people have built into their phones is perfect for telling you the best public transport and walking route.

Mine love a wander into china town then down the the m&m store and lego store in Leicester Square then onto the street entertainers in Covent Garden.

Ive got one who loves the chinese buffet in shaftesbury Avenue. Both love the little plates going round at yo sushi.

Weve seen some awesome exhibitions out and about in London. The British Library still has the Treasures of the British library on and that is both free and incredible.

We also love a stop at forbidden planet and orbital comics for comic book and collectable browsing

Actually if you havent done london at all before you need to do the Eye (or some other means if getting up high) tower of london and science and natural history museum.

If you have two days (and it fits with the show) first day i would do the tower of london (with a beefeater tour) when your done there take a boat to the eye and do that. Eat on the southbank and walk along the southbank bank to the globe theatre. Second day do the science and natural history museum (do whichever you have a natural interest in first cos you may not get to the other). The stuff in the david Attenborough theatre in the natural history museum really brings it to life. Go onto theatre and china town/Leicester square/covent garden wander if you are still going

London Eye and London dungeons are great and also next to each other!

Boat trip along the river (We went to Greenwich and had a look around there)

Science museum

Buckingham palace, walk down the Mall/through st James park/look at Big Ben /houses of parliament

Just a few ideas that we've enjoyed.

Oh how lovely. My DD and I loved the night time open top bus tour but it might be a bit cold at this time of year. It was a fantastic way to see all of London lit up

@GreenEggsHamandChips

It's pretty damn easy to get to though since they run their own bus to it. And OP said they won't get another chance to do this for several years, so it was just a suggestion to take advantage of it while they are in the area. There's no need to be snippy and rude.

London Dungeon might be a bit full on for a 10YO depending on how sensitive she is.

At 10 mine loved dimsum in Chinatown, London Eye, Hands on exhibits at the Science Museum, Just walking or bus to Houses of Parliament/Big Ben, Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard), Libertys, Covent Garden if the mimes are out, travelling on the underground. If you aren't from a city the whole thing is quite overwhelming, as is the smell (which you don't notice if you visit daily or live in central London).

If you don't visit London often then for this trip, unless the weather is dreadful, I'd avoid the commercial activities and focus on the ones which showcase London itself. Have a great time

Thank you for the quick replies!
The Harry Potter tour is booked out. We did it a couple of years ago. She is a huge HP fan though. Sporty. Loves lego and teddies. will probably be delighted with anything to be honest as it s 1-1 time and an adventure away from home.

If she loves Lego and teddies take her to Hamley's toy shop on Regent Street. The wall of soft toys will blow her mind.

This company is good and they do a Harry Potter walk among others: freetoursbyfoot.com/harry-potter-tour-london/

Harry Potter Experience is just a theme thing, not really an experience of London but if you like that sort of thing and don’t mind a stuffy coach trip out there. I wouldn’t bother.

Covent Garden market and Neal Street shops are lovely - nice cobbled streets and quirky shops. Likely not for from whichever theatre you’re going to.

London Dungeons are by London Bridge Station but it’s v commercial and cheesy. Huge queues to get in. London Eye you have to book in advance, it’s near Westminster so you get to see the cathedral and Big Ben which always seems popular.

Agree with PP who said walk rather than tube - some tube stations are literally just around the corner from each other.

The whole South Bank area is lovely - you get a sense of the Thames, South Bank Centre itself has loads going on, lots of it free. Often there’s a fairground or market alongside the river.

If you head out to Kensington you’ve got the V&A, Science Museum and Natural History Museum but I wouldn’t go to the latter two on a school holiday or weekend unless you’re prepared for a long queue. British Museum, not far from Neal Street is v impressive and memorable for a first visit, especially the mummies.

Open top bus tours are great.

Afternoon tea?

Take a boat up river to see sights. Science museum is fun. We were underwhelmed by natural history museum tbh. She would probably like Covent garden at 10.

Harry potter no!!

Enjoy London.

Musuem of London, St Paul's, then walk across bridge to other side.. Tate musuem of art.. Modern really quirky.. Walk up to viewing platform, stunning views. Spend rest of day ambling down the Southbank( River walk) past Shakespeare globe.. Eventually coming to big wheel and Westminster. Walk over Bridge up towards trafalgar Square and finish at China Town.

Then after sit-down meal or relax.. Stroll around picadily circus and round soho to Covent Garden. Enjoy street performers.

Another day do science and or natural history and walk up to harrods...

But for 10 year old.. Musuem of London is fabulous.. It's got loads of interactive stuff, mock up victoriana shops, cobbles.. A faux regency Park gathering.. Stuff from plague, blitz... Suffragettes... And its in fabulous attractive area to walk around eg St Paul's.. And the bridge and glorious views to tate modern.. I would not miss that route.

Scatter there's a fabulous shop with all Harry Potter stuff in on street near Covent Garden

Also really unusual quirky restaurant I got off here years ago is called inamo. Several branches around soho, Covent g etc.

It's Asian food but you order yourself off interactive tables.. Set your own table ambience.. Beach, Japanese cherry blossoms... It's great fun and v different..

Me and my 12 year ol DD did this last year. We went to Peggy Porshchens bakery in Belgravia, it was just somewhere we both wanted to go and it was lovely. We went to Covent Garden and watched the performers and Leicester Square to M&M World, had some dinner and then went to see Matilda the musical.

Lego store in Leicester Square! Sounds like an odd one but if she like Harry Potter go to Primark on the corner of Tottenham Court Road/oxford street, they have a big HP section with flying letters, owls etc. It's fab

Harrods Ice Cream Parlour is lovely, we went around that age.

Either Lego store in Leicester Square or hamleys. Both are quieter early evening if you check closing times.

Download Citymapper app if you are not too familiar with bus/tube/walk

Agree entertainers on south bank or Leicester Square. We've enjoyed both

My main tip would be to plan timings a bit and book food tables ahead so you are not wasting fun times queueing up. We once wasted an hour and a half trying to find a table near a theatre

Don't try to do too much little legs get exhausted. Lots of great ideas on here eg museums but many could be a whole day out each.

I did the same with my DD at that age, we both still remember it fondly. I’ll echo the people who say walk - by far the best way to see central London. If not, get the bus - my DD loved going on the top deck at the front. She also adored the zoo, particularly the reptile and butterfly house. Loved the mummies at the British museum. Covent Garden is fun. Hamleys. We also did a ‘duck tour’ - I know there’s been some safety issues but we loved it!