to ask for help in scheduling 2 nights/days in London for a teenager?

[whatyadoing]

She arrives Monday 20th August
Leaves Wednesday 22nd August.

13 year old girl.

Monday - I'm thinking check into hotel (Walthamstow) on arrival, and schedule a musical for Monday night (Bat out of Hell looks interesting?) Not sure of arrival time so don't know whether we can include anything else.

Tuesday am - Oxford Street shopping - she won't want Primark - she is a teenager though so likes labels - would I be better bringing her to Westfield?

Tuesday pm - cruise on Thames? Any one in particular you would recommend for a 13 year old?

Tuesday night - no idea

Wednesday am - again not sure of flight times - but could maybe reschedule shopping to this day if there are better suggestions of what to do when I have allotted the time for shopping?

Anyone with 13 year olds who want to comment on what she can do, where would be good to go to?

It's a treat, so money is an issue but not a massive one if I think it will be worth it.

Please help?

My 12 year old dd loves wandering along the south bank, Covent Garden, St James Park etc. She also loved the London Eye and enjoys other sights like Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Sq and Houses of Parliament - all the iconic stuff. She loves shopping but we don't tend to shop in London as we have all the main shops in our home town. I guess it depends what this particular 12 year old is into!

Any YouTubers that she's into that might have a shop or whatever in London?

For example a few years ago we went to a pop-up merchandise store for various vloggers that DD desperately wanted to go to. Or there's some cupcake bakery run by some other YouTube personality.

Why would you come to a city that offers pretty much everything you can think of and go to a shopping centre exactly like the ones in every other part of the UK?

Agreed!

Our last trip was on a budget, apparently the best bits for my 11 yr old daughter were the graffiti tunnel next to waterloo station as she loved taking photos and selfies in there (recommended on another mumsnet London thread, so Thank you!) , and the cable car ride in the evening from Greenwich. I also loved both!

I am so sorry for not getting back in terms of what she likes doing, I was out.

She is into traditional music but also pop music (no artist or genre sticks out)

Again, traditional dance but other dance forms.

She loves musicals.

She's 13 so labels are a must. Not a massive shopper.

Harry Potter fan. Reads books by the tonne - maybe a book a day (hardback and kindle).

Very sociable and likes absorbing people culture and new experiences.

Not terribly interested in historical places or things though I have an element of trying to get a bit of history in to reinforce things in her brain for exams lol.

More of a do-er than an observer I would say.

Now will read back. Thank you for all the suggestions, i just saw a lot of questions asking what she is into so thought I should answer asap.

She is from a very rural part of Ireland so a shopping centre or Oxford Street is a must.

I don't think that she is into vloggers - I will ask.

If she's into musicals and dance, 42nd street is incredible!!

I could when I firm up the schedule give her a list of maybe 10 things we can do and she can pick 4 or something. I've a month to book stuff etc. Need to get flight details.

Just saw labels are a must - Selfridges for browsing, not buying unless you are minted!!

Wicked is a fantastic musical if you can book it, my daughter loved it

42nd street was the first one that came up when I searched earlier. Another question - how expensive do I need to go with the seats to get a decent experience?

Is Selfridges more of an older persons labels? She's into Superdry, Nike, Apple etc.

"Can I recommend one of the Thames jet boats on the Thames instead of the rather more sedate and somewhat duller standard boat trips? They both do a speedboat tour from Westminster to Docklands - slow enough to see the sights until after Tower bridge, then a thrill ride round Docklands and slow back. Brilliant!"

Thanks - I am going to book that.

If she likes musicals (or even if she didn’t...) please, please don’t take her to a shitty jukebox one like Bat Out of Hell. Go to an actual musical - all the other suggestions upthread are good. In terms of price, I always go cheap. Apart from restricted view seats the theatres are so well designed that it doesn’t matter.

Hi

What about the Harry Potter Studios (Warner Bros.) in Hertfordshire or The Cursed Child Theatre tickets or the Potion Room Afternoon Tea in Cutter and Squidge or Tour for Muggles (Walking tour in London of HP film locations) or Harry Potter Escape Room (Enigma Quests) or (if you're feeling flush) The Wizarding Chambers at the Georgian House Hotel for a sleepover?

Can you tell I have a Potterhead in my house?

Ok, reading again, the Harry Potter walking tour sounds like an absolute must for her - I know Primark Oxford street stock some HP stuff, so I will get a bit of Primark in.

Gets As in Science so might be interested in Science museum - what exactly is there - is it interactive?

NotEnoughTime - could you provide links to what you're mentioning? She will love anything HP

I saw 42nd st sat in the stalls. Those right at the back will have missed a bit due to the overhang from the circle above but we were slightly under and it was fine. You may still be lucky and get kids week tickets for it if she's here in August, worth checking. It was just gorgeous!!

Another vote for Southbank. My 13 year old loves it. Street food from the market behind the festival hall; watch the buskers, skateboarders and street artists and maybe see a show at Udderbelly.

I’d definitely do Westfield over Oxford street. And if you go to Stratford then you could combine it with a swim or aqua splash in the Olympic pool. Have lunch at Yo Sushi. I’m not a fan but if I was a thirteen year old from rural Ireland I think I’d love it.

Hi whatyadoing

I'm so sorry I don't know how to do links that is why I put the names of the companies.

The HP walking tour is actually called "Tour for Muggles". We went on it in the Easter holidays (two adults and a 15 year old and an 11 year old ) and all thought it really good fun. The tour guide is dressed as a HP character.

The Cursed Child is on at the Palace theatre so if you look up their website then that should help.

Good luck-let us know how the weekend goes.

OK here is one suggested itinerary to give you an idea what could be done

Oxford Circus for the big Niketown shop
Walk down Regents St via Apple Store to
Piccadilly Circus for photos etc
Short walk to Leicester Sq for more photos
Out on to Charing Cross Road and down to Trafalgar Sq - National Gallery / Portrait Gallery
From there walk down Whitehall past Horseguards (Household cavalry in horses); Downing Street and the Cenotaph to Parliament sq.
Parliament Sq has Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
Go to Westminster Pier and pick up your speedboat.

That would bepretty full on but would cover a lot.

I'm taking dd 11 and 8 year old ds on the 5th August for 2days staying at travelodge at Walthamstow so also looking for ideas. I've booked to see school of rock could only afford restricted view tickets, hoping it won't be too bad. We're arriving on a Sunday day might be a silly question but do all the shops close at 4pm on Sunday's? Is the London eye worth a visit or would a tour bus be better?

@jmh

Save your money on the sightseeing bus and use it for the eye.

Pick a normal double decker bus which covers the area around Parliament and you can see most of the major sites. Sightseeing buses are very very expensive I think

@jmh

Most of the major shops in areas like Covent Garden and Oxford Street will be open until around 8, 9 or 10 on a Sunday evening. some others may close earlier but there will certainly be lots and lots of night life going on.