to ask for guidance on what to do for 3 hours in London on a Tuesday afternoon

[friendofminniemouse]

I'm meeting my son in London (Trafalgar Square area) but I'll arrive about 3pm and he'll not arrive until about 6pm. I'm not at all familiar with London and would like some guidance about how to spend my time, other than sitting in a coffee shops. Any ideas?

Visit the national gallery, it's on trafalgar sq and is free

See I love sitting in cafe in London, people watching

Or the Portrait Gallery, which is also free
If its nice you could take a stroll in St James Park and wander along to Buckingham Palace for a quick look.

Or walk up Charing Cross Road...plenty of shops and cafes.

I'd walk down Whitehall towards Parliament Square. You get to see some of the classic iconic sights of London within a half hour walk (including Horse Guards, Downing Street, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Bridge, the London Eye).

You are in a thriving area there - China Town is a few steps away, The Strand, Theatreland .... world is your oyster....St Martin In the Fields Church usually has art displays on the go and exhibitions. National Gallery, Walk along the Embankment, Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus.... take a river boat up and down for the fun of it!

I heart London!

Which station do you arrive into OP?

National gallery and then the cafe. Lovely.

oh! Go to the british museum :)

Should you change your mind about the coffee shop I heartily recommend Notes, on St Martin's Lane.

But you're right in the middle of the sites, Covent Garden is one thing close that's not been mentioned yet.

Wildlife photography exhibition at national history museum.

I second the british museum...and it's coffee shop!

But if you are not used to London best to avoid rush hour on the tube for sure!

Queue for Rain at the Barbican.

I'd be able to spend three hours happily wandering round that area just taking it all in, but I love being in London as its where I grew up.

I think there's a big waterstones book shop there, (could be wrong, my memory is crap) so if you're the sort of person that likes spending time in book shops, you could easily kill time in there.

covent garden, leicester square easily kill 3 hrs.

Oh you could kill many hours around there, as others have said. I'd start on the road between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, which I have forgotten the name of. There is a great geographical book stop, which has a tiny Sacred Cafe (Aussie coffee shop) at the back. There is a Joules and a White Company just across the road and a Muji a bit further down, all of which are nice for a mooch. And then The Portrait Gallery and the National, and St Martins Crypt for coffee.

One of the TATEs
Or you could go the whole touristy hog and go on the Eye
Or knock around the South Bank if the weather's fine

I second the BBC Wildlife Photography exhibition. I went the other day and it was brilliant and very thought provoking. If you come on the train and show your ticket you can get in half price if you show them a voucher you've downloaded. And go in St Martin in the Fields - it's beautiful and there's a lovely cafe underneath.

National Portrait gallery followed by Covent Garden and I second a coffee in Notes. whispers I find the British Museum really really boring

How about a matinee at a theatre? Trafalgar Square is so close to theatreland that you could probably take your pick in the afternoon.