London Great Itineraries

LONDON GREAT ITINERARIES No Time to Spare? If you’re in a hurry, your best bet is to jump on a bus that is heading over the river. You can’t beat that combination of classic murky water and the city’s skyline. Crowning Glories This regal runaround packs more into a day than most cities can offer in a week. Hit Westminster Abbey early to avoid the crowds, then cut through St. James’s Park to catch the Changing the Guard at 11:30 AM at Buckingham Palace. (If the palace doors are open, enjoy a peek at royal life.) Take a quick detour to the Tudor delights of St. James’s Palace, old haunt of Charles I, before a promenade down the Mall past the Regency glory of Carlton House Terrace and through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square. After lunch, choose from the canvases of the National Gallery, the Who’s Who of the National Portrait Gallery, or a brass rubbing in the crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields if the children’s interest is flagging. This should leave time for a stately stroll down Whitehall—past Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, and Banqueting House—to the Houses of Parliament, where you have the option of prebooking a tour or trying to get in to see a debate. If you have any time or energy left, stroll through Green and Hyde parks to Kensington Palace, home to Queen Victoria in her childhood, and (for aspiring little princesses everywhere) the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Museum Magic London has one of the finest collections of museums in the world, and certainly no other comparable city offers so much for free. Many resemble state-of-the-art, hands-on playgrounds; others take a more classical approach. One of the latter is the British Museum in Bloomsbury, an Aladdin’s cave of artifacts from across the world that is ideal for either a half or full-day browse. If you want to bolt on additional visits, pop into the nearby museum of architect Sir John Soane, or the recently refurbished London Transport Museum. Alternatively, South Kensington’s “Museum Mile” on Cromwell Road houses the triple whammy of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum, any one of which would make for a substantial half-day’s diversion. Retail Therapy It’s not hard to shop ’til you drop in London’s West End. Start with the upscale on New Bond Street to save your frazzled afternoon look for nearby frenetic Oxford Street. Home to (take a deep breath here) Armani, Bulgari, Cartier, Cerruti, Chanel, De Beers, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Swarovski, Tiffany, and Versace, it’s an awesome sweep of expense and elegance. Oxford Street encompasses four Tube stations and is unbeatable for mass-market shopping. Run the gauntlet of high-street designers, cheap odds and ends, department stores, and ferocious pedestrians: it’s seriously busy, but you’re pretty much guaranteed a buy. A more sedate but utterly fashionable experience can be found in Knightsbridge, wandering between Harvey Nichols and Harrods department stores. Head south down Sloane Street to Sloane Square and head out along the King’s Road, home to boutiques galore and once capital of London’s swinging ’60s. To dip into the ever-expanding world of urban chic, try an afternoon in the Portobello street market in Notting Hill, where you can pick up remnants of various bygone ages: glassware, furniture, art, and clothes, from boiler suits to Vietnamese silk dresses. Portobello has wised up to tourist prices in recent years, so a trip out to Spitalfields (covered) market on a Sunday is worth considering, especially for a sample of the East End. For the younger crowd, Camden market still has clubbing wear in spades. Village People The easiest village to reach is Hampstead, 20 minutes from the city center by Tube, but a world away in character. It’s home to a thriving arts scene, a history of leftwing poets and writers (including John Keats), some of the most gorgeous Georgian houses in London (hence the occasional jibe of “Champagne Socialism”), and a great range of smart shops, bistros, and French delicatessens. To the west, leave Richmond behind to get down to the riverside, or head for the vast expanse of the park next door, which breaks all remaining links with city life. The fantastic views bestowed on Greenwich, southeast of the city center, ensure you never forget how close the city is—and yet this village’s nautical past creates an almost seaside feel. The National Maritime Museum and its collection of fine buildings, as well as two very good markets, make it a worthwhile day trip. To the east, Bethnal Green is a village in the midst of an urban renaissance. Visit the flower market of Columbia Road, the Children’s Museum, and the paths along the canal. .

Load more