So, we have a day-trip to London, dcs are 8, 7 and nearly 2........

[cadelaide]

....not sure what to do.

I'm thinking an open-top bus tour, and/or maybe boat trip, or do we try something like the science museum?

Sightseeing tour and museum maybe?

What I don't want is to be dragging them around with limited time, they'll find just the tube pretty exciting tbh, so we're talking low key.

thanks

Hello. Would strongly recommend a Duck Tour. These are fantastic ww2 tanks painted bright yellow which give you a child friendly non boring tour of London ending by rolling into the Thames and floating downriver. Takes about an hour in all but seems like about 30 mins. My dcs loved it and we have recommended it to lots of friends non of whom have been disapointed. If you google duck tour, the website will come up. You have to book in advance and it is a bit pricey but worth every penny.

We were at the science museum last week, with DD's (5 and 2.5). We arrived at 11 and were thrown out at closing, and we only made the basement, ground and 3rd floors!

We all really enjoyed ourselves, I was a little worried that DD2 would get bored and tired, but not at all, she had a fab time.

Would recommend the deep blue cafe for lunch, it was all delicious.

Have a great day.

The 7 and 8 year olds will love the hands-on 'Launchpad' section of the Science Museum - it is amazing. Get there early before it gets crowded. You sometimes have to queue to get in, but it's worth it. Follow the signs for 'Launchpad'.

It's next door to the Natural History Museum too - a visit to the Dinosaurs is always a success.

OR

Start at the Aquarium at County Hall, (2 hours?) then a trip on the Eye, then a boat down to greenwich - or even just a few piers down river to the Tower, past the Globe, Tate Modern etc, or a Duck Tour 9but i'm not sure where they leave from - DS has been on one and loved it.

Aquarium and Eye are expensive, though.

cadelaide - how will you be travelling to London? If you are going by train, there are usually 2 for 1 entry offers available. Also, type 'discount vouchers' and the place you are thinking of going to into google - often there are discounts available. have a fab time!

Hi smiling, we're driving over from the SW and staying overnight in a hotel, (Legoland the next day).

So would you all say the Duck tour is sort of like a bus and boat tour combined? Sounds great.

I'm off to google it.

Hi cadelaide. Duck tour really is fab. Bus/boat/tank thing dcs loved it as I said in my previous post. Really witty tour guide lots of fun facts for the children and a few funny over their head comments for the adults. It was recommended to us by friends and we have told countless other people about it. My friend did it this weekend and loved it has recommended it to her friends! The website has all the info.

Duck tour is fab. Near the London Eye too so you can do "up in the air" and "on the water". Also have a bit of a wander along the South Bank round there - usually buskers etc for the kids and sights e.g. Big Ben for the adults. And there's good reatuarants for lunch e.g. Giraffe/Wagamama/Strada If you can fit in the Science Museum that would be a tremendous day out.

DO NOT fall for the Madame Tussauds/London Dungeon hype - TOTAL waste of money.

Duck Tour
Duck Tour
Duck Tour
Duck Tour
Duck Tour
Duck Tour

I'll find a link in a min...

Here

And it starts from a road very close to the London Eye, so you can go to Westminster Tube and see Big Ben, then walk over the bridge and along by the eye. There are usually street performers there, too.

Told you it was good!!!

Thinking about it... look on the Army's Buckingham Palace website to see if they're doing changing of the Guard that day. I think it's at 11am. Then you could walk down the Mall to Horseguards Parade. If you walk through the archway to Whitehall there are soldiers standing on guard with their shiny breastplates. Then some on horses outside. Walk along Whitehall past Downing St, see Big Ben. Stop off in Tesco Metro just before the bridge (opposite side of road to Big Ben) to buy stuff for lunch. Cross the bridge to the London Eye and eat picnic on the grass or a bench. Go on Duck Tour. That would be LOADS for kids that age.

Thanks all.

I've booked the duck tour (amazingly almost fully booked for that day already!).

Still pondering plans for rest of day.