if you had 24 hours in London with an 18 year old female, where would you go?

[secondhoneymoon]

First time visit, likely won't be the last so stating the bleeding obvious is fine ... Not drip feeding just want people to say what they would do given time constraints and first visit ....

Depends on what the 18 yr old in question likes.

One thing I would do (and have done wth a 17 yr old) is make her direct the tube journeys.

We want to go to the V&A, it's at South Kensington. Where is that, and where are we? What tube should we get on? A blue one and then a yellow one you say? OK, lead the way.

(with 24 hrs I would do one museum and one visit to the biggest Topshop in the world - assuming she likes that sort of thing)

The one thing I def have in plan is for DD to learn how to use the tube! Beyond that and the obvious touristy places, where would you take your teenage DD?

I have an 18 year femail and go to london a lot cos we live on the edge. She would want to go to theatre, 5 guys or Shake Shack for lunch. Covent garden or Spitalfield Market and a trip to Forbidden Planet.

I'd show her

Free art galleries, so National Gallery, NPG
Then I'd walk down past Houses of Parliament for the sense of history
Then I'd show her more stunning buildings eg walking along the river, MI5 etc

Then, depends on her interests really. Ds loved the Churchill war rooms (Whitehall) and the South bank but if she's into shopping then Oxford St (I hate shopping so shudder)

Covent Garden is lovely for wandering around shops, and it's ever so slightly less manic than Oxford Street. If the weather is nice I would also recommend a stroll along the Southbank - from The Globe to the Tate Modern and the London Eye - there's plenty to see and lots of places to eat.

I'd finish up with glam drinks somewhere

Maybe the roof terrace radio bar at ME in Aldwych

A female what?

If your budget runs to it, I'd include either theatre or a show (depending on her/your tastes).

The ice bar is great!

My first choice would be:
breakfast around Carnaby Street area with a zip into Liberty
a show
dinner on the South Bank or around Covent Garden - maybe Wahacca

Otherwise it would depend what she's into. A wander around Spitalfields would be good, or along the South Bank, with coffee in the BFI. D1 likes the costumes in the V&A. D2 likes the Portrait Gallery.

I forgot the icebar keep meaning to take my dc there

For me at 18 it would have been the British Museum or Westminster Abbey.
Maybe a stroll through St James' Park or browsing the bookshops on Charring Cross Road.
Evening at Covent Garden Markets or going to a show (cheap tickets from the booth in Leicester Square).
And I much prefer a bus to the Tube - there's always so much to see just driving through central London.

Thank you all, lots of great ideas and all along the lines I was thinking.

Lazy questions, I know I could google .... We will be there Sunday night. What time do the shops close in Covent Garden on a Sunday (as we are eating near there that eve) and what time do the tubes stop running on a Sunday, need to get back to near Gloucester Rd tube. Thanks

Just a huge thank you to everyone for your suggestions, we had a blast. The Ice Bar - which I wouldn't have known about if it wasn't for this thread, went down particularly well.

Sounds like you had a fab time Second ;-)
Would anyone be able to say where the best place for independent shops would be? Just wanting to browse for different stuff, not chain stores. Tia.

Camden Market.

Sorry just realised you've already done it.

Note to self...read whole thread before posting.