London

London eye is worth a visit followed by a boat trip up the Thames - Madam tussauds be warned is horrendously expensive!!
(I was going to take my boys to Tussads last year but it was going to cost almost £100 to get 4 of us in we never bothered)
Greenwich is a good place to go the National maritime museum is free and the plantarium at Greenwich park is brilliant and not to expensive.
Most of the museums are free unless they have special exhibitions on which you normally have to pay for. The sience mseum and the natural history museum are good.
I personally love the National gallery at Trafalgar sqare which is free (but ask for a donation) can kill hours there and you have the National portrati Gallery They did have a Salvador Dali exhibition on next to the London eye which was great (i love a bit of Dali me ) just around the corner. Camden market is an intersting visit as is Greenwich Market.
I havent done the other things you asked about so I cant comment on those but im sure there are many here who can 🙂

Hi Jeanie,

I would like to add that Hyde Park is lovely, especially at this time of year. If you visit there is Winter Wonderland, which is amazing at night time to get into the Christmas spirit. There is outdoor iceskating, amazing fair and lots of stalls selling gifts and mulled wine. However, tickets have to be booked in advance and it can be expensive, especially if you have children.

The market at Portobello is brilliant, if you go early on a Saturday morning you can pick up some great bargains, and there is a lovely little pie'n'mash shop which is always busy and and a good price too.

I have never been to the roof gardens, but my younger sister goes there all the time and she thinks it's fab, so seems a good choice.

If you're looking for a b and b, Paddington, Queensway and Swiss Cottage all have some at reasonable prices. Sorry I couldn't be any more specific on that, they're all very central see.

A stroll down The South Bank would be great too, look on the internet for an events list, there is usually something going on and the views are lovely. As trinabeanbag says the museums are free and the London eye is a must, and that's all really.

I hope you have a lovely trip to London, take care.

MoonWillow

Agree with trina. Plus: Borough Market if you love food. Petticoat Lane market if you like Del Boy and bargains. Climb the Monument for a bit of exercise. Tower of London if you like history.

Well Jeannie, as a London Tourist Guide I guess I'm qualified to answer your questions. Firstly, I'd suggest you invest in an Oyster Card as soon as you get to London. You buy them in any tube station and load them up with as much money as you like. You have to pay £3 deposit but you get that back when you turn them in before you leave, together with any unused credit. You can also top them up with more money as you go along, either at a tube station or in some newsagents. Then you can use them for all your journeys on the tubes and buses, and your fare is half what it would be if you paid each time. If you do decide to take another riverboat, you can sometimes get a discount with them. I'd agree that maybe this time you should take the boat to Greenwich: there's so much to do there. Not only have you got the Royal Observatory with the zero meridian line at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park (where the equestrian events will take place during the Olympics) but you've also got the National Maritime Museum at the bottom of the hill, which includes the 17th century Queens House. Just across the road is the Painted Hall and the Chapel of the old Naval College. All of these are free. Then depending on the day of the week the Covered Market is usually on. is a super link if you want to know more.

I don't know what days you're going to be here, but the Kensington Roof Gardens are only open on certain days and you have to phone to find out if they're open. [url]This link[/url] gives you the phone number.

I have to agree with Trina that Madame Tussauds is horrendously overpriced and there's often a long line to get in. However, all the major museums and art galleries are free of charge. What kinds of things do you like? Tate Modern for modern art is a super place, also Tate Britain for all the British painters and of course the National Gallery for the Europeans, together with the National Portrait Gallery just around the corner. All free. The Courtauld Institute at Somerset House is free on Monday mornings and many famous French Impressionist paintings. There are two other free museums I'd recommend: Sir John Soane's museum, open only Tuesday - Saturday, and the Wallace Collection, open seven days a week.

The London Eye is great if it's a clear day but there can be a queue and again it's a bit pricy.

If you like markets, Covent Garden is touristy but very lively and fun (and central), just watch out for pickpockets. Lots of places to eat in and around the market. If you like Indian food - but not the vindaloo variety - try Masala Zone, either in Covent Garden or one of the other branches. The market you're thinking of at Notting Hill is known as Portobello Road and only really operates on Saturdays. It is fun but can get very crowded. Camden market is for quite a young and punky crowd. Good for buying things like chillums if you're a dope smoker. Borough Food Market is wonderful if you're a foody but the stuff on sale is not cheap. It's only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday and again gets very crowded.

Walking around Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens will take up quite a bit of time as they cover a large area. Kensington Gardens has the famous Peter Pan statue and also Kensington Palace where Queen Victoria was born. The Palace is very near Kensington Roof Gardens so you could visit both at the same time.

Don't forget to check out the Food Halls in Harrods and Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly. If you can be bothered to queue up there's a half price theatre kiosk in Leicester Square. Soho is an interesting area to walk around, it's not all strip joints!
There's Chinatown too, though that's only a couple of streets. I would suggest the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace but I know you're not fond of the royal family! St Pauls Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are fascinating but charge admission, though you do get an audioguide thrown in.

I'm afraid accommodation in London is horribly expensive. It might be an idea to look at the possibility of a double room in the Youth Hostel at Carter Lane, near St Pauls Cathedral. I understand this is becoming increasingly popular with older people, you don't have to be young! Otherwise have a look on the websites of Premier Inns and the Ibis and Novotel chains to see if they have any special offers.

Hope this helps. There's such a lot to see and do in London, I hope you enjoy this time more than the last.

xxx

What an interesting and informative reply Sunanda - have followed some of the links and bookmarked for my own use - thank you 🙂

Sunanda if ever I get chance to get back to London I'll deffo give you a shout lol! I bet you never get a dull day doing your job. It's years since I've been there but absolutely loved it! I stopped in the Cumberland on Oxford st, great base to wonder around, was lucky enough to stop there for free. London is so diverse and friendly, I wondered around for hours by myself, Kensington gardens are lovely, science museum I went to when I was a nipper but loved it, think next time I visit it will have to be a musical for me.

Thanking you all for suggestions, very much appreciated.

By way what is a chillum?

By way what is a chillum?

Celia and Clarice
If you ever come to London, be sure to give me a shout if you need any help.
xxx

PS The Cumberland hotel is terribly posh now. A free stay would be great.

I reckon London Tourist board should pay you for that post Sunanda it was that good it made me want to go......NOW!!

Love

Rebecca x

Me too Becky 😀

There are some fabulous ideas on this thread. Hpers have gone to a lot of trouble to offer advice.

Wow - Sundanda, that's a brilliant long, long weekend in London! Hope u don't mind - will paste it into my hard drive for future refernce - have an American friend coming over at Christmas.

l;ove and light

I love the museums there and architecture, partic near Euston. With more time I'd hit some of the specialist shops and different types of eating place. Oh and any of the free galleries and well-known suburbs with theatre.

is reasonably priced,in London terms , clean and safe.
It is a very short walk to Hyde Park /Kensington Gardens/

Portobello Rd /Market is within walking distance or a few stops on the bus

plus lots of buses nearby and its near to Lancaster Gate tube

tigress

Hi Sunanda

What a superb run-down of things to do in London. I'm keeping it on file! I go and visit my duaghter periodically and it's nice to have some new ideas of what to do. Thank you so much!