London, England (2017) Details
Our first trip to Europe as a family was to London in the Summer of 2017. We arrived in the afternoon and went straight to check into our apartment. We ate dinner near the apartment and then took the underground to Westminster to walk and look. We walked by Buckingham Palace, St James Park, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament that evening.
Big Ben
St James Park
The next day we went to Borough Market, but it was closed, sadly, due to bombing the week before. We walked over the London Bridge and past the Tower Bridge. We went to Leadenhall Market and to explore filming sites from Sherlock Holmes.
Leadenhall Market
Sherlock Holmes shop
Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral
The following day we visited the Tower of London (tickets with LondonPass), a former royal palace, prison and armory and the home of the queen’s crown jewels. We went to the Tower Bridge (tickets with LondonPass) and walked across the glass floor while catching fantastic views of the River Thames. We also walked across the Millennium Bridge, then made our way to St Paul’s Cathedral (tickets with LondonPass), an iconic landmark that sits at the highest point in London and offers panoramic views of the city from the dome.
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
St Paul’s Cathedral
Windsor Castle
The next day we took at train to the small charming town of Windsor. We toured Windsor Castle (tickets with LondonPass), the favorite weekend residence of the Queen where we saw St George’s Chapel, the State Apartments, and the Changing of the Guards. We would’ve walked around the cute little town more, but we had to get to Harry Potter!
Windsor Castle
Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Later that evening we had tickets to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour. We bought the tickets in advance on this website. This is where the movies were filmed over a period of about ten years. It displays the original sets and props and the original costumes. You can step into the Great Hall, walk down Diagon Alley, onto Platform 9 3/4 and through the Forbidden Forest. It’s as authentic as it gets and is a must-do for any Harry Potter fan!
Great Hall from Harry Potter
Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4
Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms
Our next stop was Kensington Palace (tickets with LondonPass). This has been the residence of many royals over the centuries including Queen Mary, Queen Victoria, Diana, Princess of Whales, and now William and Kate, the Duke of Duchess of Cambridge. It is an magnificent palace with acres of beautifully manicures gardens. Later we went to the exquisite Westminster Abbey (tickets with LondonPass), the location of many royal weddings, including William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the coronation church of the British monarchy since the 11th century. Our afternoon was completed at the Churchill War Rooms (tickets with LondonPass), Churchill’s underground headquarters during World War II.
Kensington Palace
Westminster Abbey
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus
We made our way to Buckingham Palace the next morning to see the Changing the Guard ceremony at 10:45am. It is a 45-minute ceremony of British pageantry that occurs when the New Guard takes over from the Old Guard outside the palace. There is no charge for this event. We visited the British Museum later that day, which houses a vast collection of art and artifacts dedicated to human history, art and culture. There is no charge for this museum. That evening we went to Piccadilly Circus, an area of London’s West End, and saw “Wicked”, one of my all-time favorite musicals that I’ve seen twice. The kids had seen it, and we were happy to see it again. I bought the theatre tickets on my phone at todaytix.com. They usually have really good theatre prices, especially on last-minute tickets. I’ve used it in New York as well.
Queen’s Birthday, Covent Garden, James Bond Museum
The Queen’s birthday is celebrated every year in June at the Trooping the Colour, a traditional ceremony full of military pageantry. We were lucky enough to be there during this time. We were among thousands of others outside Buckingham Palace as we watched the royal family enter the palace in a parade and then appear on the balcony to wave to the many spectators. It was a thrilling event to behold! That afternoon we had lunch at Covent Garden, a shopping area known for luxury fashion and award-winning restaurants. Not far from there was the London Film Museum, Bond in Motion, which houses the largest official collection of original James Bond vehicles. The boys (all three) had to go in! We bought tickets at the entrance.
Trooping the Colour (Royal family on balcony)
Covent Garden
City Bus Tour
Toward the end of our trip we had seen many of the things on our list, but there were still others that we hadn’t gotten to. London is very big city that is spread out over a large area, so we decided to take an open-air city bus tour to get a better layout of the city and see a few more things, even if from the outside. We also enjoyed being able to just sit back and see the sites.
Hampton Court Palace
A big follower of all things related to royal families, I couldn’t pass up a tour of the palace of the ostentatious King Henry VIII. Hampton Court Palace was home to Henry and all six wives. The striking palace, the surrounding gardens, and the enormous Tudor Kitchens are all very much worth a visit. Tickets are included with the LondonPass, but we didn’t go during one of the three days of our pass, so we bought tickets on this website.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
We had a wonderful ten-day trip and checked many things off our bucket list, but, as I said, London is a big city full of culture and history. There’s still more to see, so until next time! 🇬🇧