Day trip no2 to London. Where should we go?

[chocolateshoes]

We are planning on spending a day in London during the Easter holidays. We will be staying with family in Reading. We did this a couple of years ago and went on the London Eye, a tour of the houses of parliament & saw Buckingham palace.

So what should we do this time? Ds is 8. I'm worried that the museums will be horrendously busy and that we don't manage to get there in time to beat the queues. Maybe theres no way round that. We will be there either or Monday or a Tuesday. I'd be really grateful for any advice or recommendations. Thanks!

Do you mean you going to be there during Easter school break?

Go for one of the smaller museums, Grant Museum of Zooology, the Wallace Collection (my DC's love trying on the armour), the Transport museum....they should be quieter. Alternatively it is pretty easy to spend most of a day on the South Bank, start at hms Belfast and work your way west., see the Golden Hinde, the Clink museum (may want to check not too scary), loads of places for lunch, pop into the Tate Modern, wander over millennium bridge for a look at St Paul's....

Yes we will be there during the school holidays. Not the Easter weekend.

Thanks Sleep. Hadn't thought about hms Belfast. Will research the Clink museum

Bump

How about a trip to Greenwich, the park is lovely and you could visit the Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark.

I suggest you go on the Tuesday as it should be quieter - no tourists doing long weekends & traveling home on the Monday night.

When my boys were young they enjoyed going upstairs on the london tour bus. It takes about 2 hours to go all the way round and we went round one and a half times. They enjoyed listening to the commentary too.

You could combine the great suggestions fromsleepwhendie and creamycooler by hopping on the river bus to Greenwich from Westminster. Just wrap up warm as its very chilly mid-river!

What a good idea, I may have to try out that combo with my boys.

we did a behind the scenes thing with the NHM a while back...it was a bank holiday though, and there were no workers there to see, but the tours go on regardless...phone for details..it is on the website, but very hard to find.

we saw the GIANT squid in its giant vat of formaldhyde! :D Ds2 was very impressed :D

Museums should be okay on a weekday... It's half terms you really need to avoid!

The behind the scenes tour at NHM is called the Spirit Collection tour, it only takes small numbers but is fascinating so be sure to book.

Science Museum is better for children and usually has more on in the way of shows/tours etc.

Also check out the Wellcome Collection for something a bit different.

Enjoy!

Oh wow, just caught up with all your brilliant suggestions. I didn't know there was a river bus, DS would love that, and really useful advice about going on a Tuesday. And I hadn't thought about Greenwich. It's embarrassing how little I know about London.

Thank you all for your advice & suggestions. Will enjoy talking it through with DH over a bottle glass of wine later.