Express visit to London with dd. What are the Most Dos?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Dd is nine and we are going up to London next week arriving 11am day one and leaving 7pm day two. It's her first trip, and while I have been a couple of times before I've never gone with dc in mind.

I'm thinking natural history museum, she will want to see Buckingham Palace. Any great parks we can have lunch in/with stuff to do? Want to keep fairly central so didn't fancy going out to say Camden Market etc unless it's recommended. She isn't a shopper.

Does she want to do the natural history museum?

If she's keen to go- great, but it's very big and busy so I find it quite exhausting. I can't imagine wanting to see anything else on the same day.

The Skygarden is worth a visit and it's free - you just have to book a ticket. Great free way to see the London skyline from the other side of the river. Skygarden.london/booking

Thanks will look at the sky garden. I can understand about being overwhelmed at hamleys. That’s exactly why I would avoid it!
What is close to the science museum that we could do on that day please? . Don’t want to spend all day in the museum really.

Does she want to do the natural history museum? ooh gosh I really don't know, the whole trip is still a surprise for her. I just figured it was a must do activity. Are there better museums? I figured we would only do one.

Take her to the ice cream parlour above Fortnums - but make sure you book as it gets busy - then order her an amazing sundae. My daughter LOVED it.

Camden is dirty and awful - steer well clear. I wouldn't get too excited about Coal Drops Yard - I was there with DD the other day and it's good for adults but not much fun for children IME.

Chinatown is fun - my DC thought they were abroad when we went there! Ditto Covent Garden - nice burgers and chips at Shake Shack.

Museum of childhood in Bethnal Green?

Imperial War museum?
British Museum

I'd suggest Covent Garden too. Always some kind of street theatre when I've been there. Yes to Tower of London rather than Natural History museum. Would you consider a very touristy hop off hop on tour?

Borough Market isn't great for kids mine don't like it, extremely crowded and kids aren't that bothered about food markets. I'm surprised people think its on their must do list for 9 year olds!
St James Park handy for Buckingham Palace. I personally would do bat trip down Thames to Tower of London, you will see many iconic sights on the river. Tower of London is excellent for kids with child friendly trails et. Then walk up the south bank, see houses of Parliament, St James Park then Buckingham Palace.
Skip hamleys.
Natural history museum is surprisingly old fashioned and not that kid friendly imo.

I think the Postal Museum looks good for children. But I haven't been.

There's also the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.

@Alakazam8 yes there is a cable car across the Thames from North Greenwich to Excel centre.

www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/25549367-emirates-air-line-cable-car

The Thames Clippers are accessible for wheelchairs and it's easy boarding/disembarking. I think the buses will be better than the tube. Quite often the lifts are out of use and it can be like getting out of a rabbit warren when using lifts at stations such as Bank. So check for maintenance works on TFL's website before travelling.

The cutty sark is excellent but not in central London so you'd need to spend the day in Greenwich which you could easily do.
The cable car is a bit boring tbh.

I wouldn't bother with any of the markets, tbh - I can't imagine a 9 year old caring about amazing cheese or whatever.

Museums are great so depends what she's into, but I can't not recommend any of them. V&A is beautiful if she's into art and design. British Museum just wow, also (not central but I really really recommend) the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

And, of course, the Tower of London.

Don't do Hamleys. Or Harrods.

The cable car is fantastic! DD has been on it 3 times and loves it. You can do a loop around and tie in the DLR which is always fun for kids.

I thought she would really enjoy Tower of London - worried about volume of people and queues etc. She loves royalty history and jewels so figured it ticked all of those boxes.

After visiting Natural History museum visit Hyde Park. We often went and chose a cake each from Harrods amazing food section and ate it in the park. We used to sit and watch people on their horses. Lots to do in the park too.

Is the dlr wheelchair accessible at all do you know? Why is it more fun for children also?
Would it be possible to get a boat to the cable car and a dlr back to somewhere central?

I honestly don't know but the TfL website should tell you.

It's fun because they are driverless trains and so if you get the front seat you get to pretend you're driving the train!

and yes, I think you can combine the DLR with the boat.

DLR and tube trains themselves are wheelchair accessible. The problem is not all the stations are (both in terms of getting up and down to the platforms and across the gap from the platform edge onto the train) and, as another thread shows, passenger assistance can not always be relied on. DLR should be better as it was built more recently.

DLR would possibly be more fun because they are driverless, so you can sit right at the front (as you can on the river boats) and overground so more to see.

Check whether the river boats (there are different types and companies) will definitely accept a powered wheelchair, if that is what you use, and if there is a limit to how many wheelchair users they can accommodate at once.

The queue to see the crown jewels at the Tower of London was absolutely bonkers last time we went.

Or you could go to the V&a museum they have an amazing jewel/gem part and walk past Kensington palace through Hyde park to Buckingham Palace

Is the Tate Modern worth a visit?

Kids love running about the turbine Hall. At the tate modern and the cafe and shop. Bit the actual art? Have a look at what's on on the dates you go. Mine aren't fans and I'm Not either tbh.

@Alakazam8. Yes you can. Boat to North Greenwich and DLR back from Royal Victoria dock. DLR is good because you can sit at the front and "drive the train" as PP mentioned. When it's travels through Docklands it's overground so you'll see the sky scrappers. It terminates at Tower Hill (Tower of London and Tower Bridge) or Bank (10 minutes to St Pauls Cathedral and take the Millennium Footbridge across to Southbank, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre).

Greenwich can still get busy as is still a tourist draw, but will be less busy than in central London/West End tourist spots. Tower of London is in the City so the area will be quieter at the weekend.

www.google.com/search?q=nearest+tube+station+emirates+air+line&oq=closet+tube+station+emi&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.9450j0j7&client=tablet-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=kcfPGltZzhLKlM:

Tate Modern is OK, don't know if a 9 year old would be that fussed about zipping around the Turbine Hall. I'd do National gallery or Tate Britain if she's into art. Or the Design Museum?