London with kids - must see/do?

[middleagedandinarage]

We're planning a trip to London with DD's 8 and 5 years old. Any tips? Must see's? Where to stay?

Natural History Museum
Science Museum
Hyde Park
Buckingham Palace.

Thank you 👍🏻

Natural history museum
horrible histories boat tour on Thames
Tower of London

would be my top 3 at that age

London Eye

How long is a piece of string.....
Sorry 😂 But London has so much that it's almost an impossible question to answer without knowing a few more details like what your children's interests are.
What are they interested in?

Avoid the rainforest cafe unless you like overpriced horrible food!

Would recommend: China Town. The horrible histories river boat. Hamley's. The tower. Choosing a Christmas decoration each from Liberty's. Going on the front row on a double decker bus. The wizarding escape room near Liverpool St.

With a 5 year old, I did Natural History Museum and Kensington Palace Gardens as our priority. Very short stay.

The Young V and A have an excellent Wallace and Grommet exhibition. You have to book. You also have to book an entry slot for the Science and N History. The Science M has an excellent bit you pay for - Wonderlab - book in advance and the 3D cinema. Boat to Greenwich - great park and museum and cutty sark.

Take them to see the view from 8 Bishopsgate or 22 Bishopsgate (free- very high!), then Bank of England museum near there (also free- my kids were interested to see the old notes and things like the security features on the notes, learn about the vaults, and to feel the weight of a gold bar worth as much money as our house- it was very heavy!). Then I would walk to the nearby Roman Amphitheatre- also free- where you can see some of the Roman ruins found beneath an art gallery. These things are all very close to each other. I would then maybe finish off with a look around the HMS Belfast on the Thames (impressive warship) or the Tower of London (crown jewels!) or Leadenhall Market/ Borough market. The Monument to the Great Fire of London is there as well. My son had studied Romans and the Great Fire of London at school so was very interested in both.

Took DS7 in the summer for 2 days.

We went (not in this order)

• to see My Neighbour Totoro
• had lunch in Soho
• saw the changing of the guard
• walked over tower bridge and saw the tower of London
• borough market for breakfast
• took a boat to Greenwich to see the ball drop/stand on the meridian line
• took the boat back the other way to see the houses of parliament
• had an ice cream on south bank
• watched some street artists in covent garden
• played in the playground at the bottom of the London eye

and that was basically the time filled!!

Considered going to museums and things but we didn't want to feel rushed and the museums are so vast I think you'd need a good hunk of time to fully enjoy them. It was lovely to just meander, soak in the sights from the outside and enjoy some delicious food! Plus the theatre of course 😁

the highlight for my kids is the underground! Might as well saved my money and just travelled around all day!

I don’t think the horrible histories boat tour is still running? But I took my DS 6 last year and we booked the London eye and Thames cruise and to be honest the boat tour from the London eye was good value and he found a lot of the facts interesting and the view from the river was amazing

We also did (and I know this could be ANYWHERE but my DS LOVED IT) The immersive game box paw patrol and Batman game on southbank. Expensive but he said it was his highlight

Peppa Pig do a London bus afternoon tea which was also fun but you need to be on the top deck. Theres also various themed afternoon teas if you look: science, Charlie and the chocolate factory, Alice in wonderland etc

Southbank has lots on - Paddington bear or shrek experience, depending which is their fave, the London eye and the aquarium is good for a rainy day especially or the London dungeon if the 5 year old is brave. Then an uber boat trip from Westminster to the Tower of London or Battersea power station for Lego shop and dinner.

Mine loved The Postal Museum when they were that age, really fun as something different. Not sure when you're going but the new Museum of London is opening at the end of November and should be great.

Also loads of playgrounds and parks. Coram's Fields is really lovely and adults can only visit if accompanied by a child, it's near the British Museum. And Granary Square fountains at Kings Cross depending on the weather.

We did the Aardman Wallace and Gromit exhibition back in July. I loved it, the kids really liked the interactive bits, but were indifferent to some other bits. They are a bit older than the ops kids.

We always stay at a Premier Inn, particularly liked the one at Aldgate East that we stayed at most recently. Had various eating options close by. I had bed bug like bites after staying at the one at Bank monument on a different trip, do not recommend that one. Lots of things in London are quite pricey, like the London Eye/musical tickets /high tea, but my kids usually do enjoy these things. Mine quite liked touring the houses of parliament one trip we did, pre booking required. Lots of the museums are free and you can dip in for just a short while given you are not paying for it, sometimes need free reservations to enter and in the science museum the best bits require payment. If you check the schedule for opening of tower bridge, it is possible to climb the nearby monument to the Great fire of London to time it to be at the top for the opening of the bridge. We learned it was going to be opening during a visit to the tower bridge museum and did exactly this. The museum at tower bridge was also good. The sky garden has free tickets, have to book them, and the views are great from there.

Thanks for all the replies, some great ideas.
It's not somewhere we'll likey visit very often so want to get the best bits

What do they like? Transport museum is a must for those so-inclined. Tower of London is good for castle fans and sparkly jewel lovers (and travelator botherers of which I am one). Hamleys Toyshop is a wonderland for people with pocket money.

I would skip a lot of the classic tourist landmarks unless you specifically know your children are interested in them - Buckingham Palace, Tower of London etc may not be that interesting for them yet, and they will always be there.
I would want to go to the Paddington experience, the postal museum and the Diana Memorial playground as priorities at that age. Maybe a boat ride on the Thames. Maybe transport museum, maybe the zoo. Definitely go for travel lodge or premier inn for affordable but reliable accommodation.

Transport Museum in Covent Garden (not free - unlike the Nat History and Science museums)

I don't know what your budget is but we always stay in either Euston or King's Cross premier inn and use the bus and tube to get around the buses are regular if you just want to go localish and the tube is close.

Get a Blue Peter badge. We saved over £600 at various places because each child had one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Katie-London-James-Mayhew/dp/1408331934/ref=asc_df_1408331934?mcid=437c1e03186537ea9341770216f5e8e4&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697299527030&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8571389400348618178&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045129&hvtargid=pla-464060548696&psc=1&hvocijid=8571389400348618178-1408331934-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

Theres a really nice book, ‘Katie in London’ which features some of the sights. Maybe you could use it as a basis for your trip?

How long are you going for?

Hop on/Hop off bus is an option to see the main sites if short of time, otherwise the tube or regular buses are fine. London is easily walkable, but with young kids, they might find it tiring for a whole day.

It hasn't bee mentioned, but I'd avoid Madame Tussauds. Might have changed but I went when I was 8. They had a dungeon part underneath with decapitated heads and mannekins chained up and screaming which freaked me out. Its also very overpriced IMO.

The aquarium is really good. I would put that top of my list for their ages I think.

Some of the themed afternoon teas are very cool but also very ££!

Science museum good.

Some of the natural history museum is good for them but it gets so busy!

Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, agree with a bus idea. If you are going at Xmas time there is one that does the Xmas lights.

The Diana Park is very good too!