OhioStateBuckeye
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
Continuing on, we have now reached the London portion of the trip. I've got the very vague, rough outline, then I break it down further below.
Most of the activities below I discovered through YouTube London vlogs or Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/london-england/places?page=1
Fri Nov 25 British Museum, West End show
Sat Nov 26 day of sightseeing around city
Sun Nov 27 later start Harry Potter WB Studio Tour
Mon Nov 28 sightsee around the city, might focus on Greenwich area
Tues Nov 29 Leave by train for Paris, check into DLP hotel
Friday Nov 25
British Museum 10 am
Afternoon Tea
Transportation Museum open until 6 pm
Maybe a West End show
Our top priority, so far as museums go, is the British Museum. We are going to try to be there for opening at 10 am. I am going back and forth on whether to schedule afternoon tea for this day, but I think we will. We've had several recommendations on good places for afternoon tea but haven't picked one yet, though once we do we'll make a reservation: Marriott Grosvenor house or Sheraton Grand Hotel or Jubilee Tea Room at Fortnum and Mason.
The Transportation Museum was something we saw on a blog that looked interesting. It's open until 6 so I imagine we'd try to have at least an hour there.
I am very much into Broadway, so I want to see at least one show if not two. I think we also might enter some Broadway ticket lotteries (for the unsold seats in the front row or on the end of aisles), see if we get any good shows for really cheap.
I thought this might be a good night to do one show.
Right now I think our top choices are: Back to the Future, My Neighbor Totoro or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Not sure what we'd do about dinner, haven't researched too many dinner places yet.
Saturday Nov 26
Tate Britain 10 am
-Westminster Abbey
-Horse Guards Palace
-Churchill War Rooms
-Parliament
-St James Park
-Buckingham Palace
-Big Ben
-Trafalgar Square
-Piccadilly Circus
-Peter Pan statue
So these items are grouped on the same day because they are all relatively close, as you can see in the Google map below. The Tate Britain is kind of by itself far away, so it could be we take public transport from there to the rest of the activities.
We won't need more than two hours at the Tate Britain, we mostly just want to see the Van Gogh exhibit.
Besides the Churchill War Rooms, most of the places listed above will just be walk bys to get pictures and take a quick look.
We don't have any ideas for either lunch or dinner on this day yet.
Sunday Nov 27
Late start WB Studios Harry Potter Tour
West End show
I figured this might be a good day to sleep in and schedule our WB Studios Harry Potter tour for later in the day. We'll also need to get either train/bus or bus transportation.
If we are going to see Cursed Child we would most likely get tickets this day to make it a Harry Potter day.
Monday Nov 28
Tower of London
Roman/London Wall
St. Paul's Cathedral
Borough Market to walk along the South Thames. Food Market at Borough Market. Mon-Sat (wed-Sat has the most booths). Walk to the London Eye (Jubilee walkway), Globe theater is along the way. Gabriel's Warf, South Bank Book Market, London Eye.
-Greenwich Market, Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory
-take clippers along the Thames
Once again, I tried to lump together activities in the same area. These ones are a bit more spread out than the previous days so we might take some buses.
We plan to do the Yeoman Tour at the Tower of London. I am not sure if we'll really have time to do the Greenwich activities, but if we do we will most likely try to take a clipper along the Thames to get there and back.
We plan to have lunch at the Borough Market.
There are also a couple tours listed on Viator that I am considering taking. Most of them are at night which works better with our schedule. There are two Christmas light tours and I really am not sure what's different between the two. Obviously we would only do 1 of the lights tours.
Ghosts and Ghouls with boat ride: 7 pm $24.98
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Ghost-Tour-of-London-with-a-Cruise-on-the-Thames/d737-49063P4
On this evening walking tour, you’ll creep through London’s most haunted Royal Parks and see the city’s most haunted house. You’ll also cruise the Thames to take in the exquisite views and to visit the Tower of London. Learn about London’s dark, secret history with your group.
Christmas Lights Tour London: 6 pm $33
https://www.viator.com/tours/London...mas-Lights-Experience/d737-3302P26?mcid=56757
Capture the magic of the city on a London Christmas lights bus tour. See the famous lights that decorate the iconic streets of London on board The Original Tour’s double-decker buses. Sit back, relax and watch the city sparkling as our tour takes you past the capital's famous Christmas lights. See Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and more while our live guide entertains you with stories of Christmas past and present. Each ticket includes a complimentary Santa hat on board to get you into the Christmas spirit.
London by Night Open Top Bus Tour with Christmas Lights: 5 pm $30
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-by-Night-Christmas-Lights-Open-Top-Bus-Tour/d737-5461P157
Experience a panoramic tour of London’s most remarkable regions and landmarks. Take a seat on the top deck of our open top bus and get ready to be spellbound by some of London’s most famous sights. The sun will have set on the city but the best part of the day is yet to begin! The bus will weave its way through London and past a number of celebrated attractions and landmarks. View iconic attractions like Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and many more. A live guide or multilingual audio guide will be on board the bus to tell you all about the parts of London the tour passes and share some fun facts. Sightseeing in London on Christmas has never been so stunning!
There two are during the day so would be harder to fit in. We wouldn't do both, we would pick either or.
Small-Group Tour: Historical Pub Walking Tour of London: 2 pm $31.24
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-Literary-Pub-Crawl-and-Tavern-Tour/d737-9279P1
Discover ancient ale houses and literary drinking dens on a 3-hour afternoon pub tour of London. Centered on the area in and around the City of London, the tour visits at least four of London’s finest historical pubs, your guide will recommend different ales in each (not included). Hear the history of the pubs, learn the differences between Elizabethan coaching inns and Victorian gin palaces, and visit the watering holes frequented by legendary British novelist Charles Dickens. Numbers are limited to 14 on this small-group pub tour, ensuring you’ll enjoy personalized attention from your guide.
Literary Pub Crawl and Tavern Tour: Saturday only 5 pm $37.23
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-Literary-Pub-Crawl-and-Tavern-Tour/d737-9279P1
Explore the writers pubs, secret members clubs and venues of Soho and Fitzrovia with Charles Dickens (Deceased)! Every Saturday at 5pm
I definitely want to do one of the Christmas light tours. Might do the ghost one. I like the sound of the pub tours but wonder if we can't do that on our own.
Tues Nov 29
Leave by train for Paris, check into DLP hotel
I still need to figure out the train schedules and figure out the timing for this. We would like to leave pretty early in the day.
Most of the activities below I discovered through YouTube London vlogs or Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/london-england/places?page=1
Fri Nov 25 British Museum, West End show
Sat Nov 26 day of sightseeing around city
Sun Nov 27 later start Harry Potter WB Studio Tour
Mon Nov 28 sightsee around the city, might focus on Greenwich area
Tues Nov 29 Leave by train for Paris, check into DLP hotel
Friday Nov 25
British Museum 10 am
Afternoon Tea
Transportation Museum open until 6 pm
Maybe a West End show
Our top priority, so far as museums go, is the British Museum. We are going to try to be there for opening at 10 am. I am going back and forth on whether to schedule afternoon tea for this day, but I think we will. We've had several recommendations on good places for afternoon tea but haven't picked one yet, though once we do we'll make a reservation: Marriott Grosvenor house or Sheraton Grand Hotel or Jubilee Tea Room at Fortnum and Mason.
The Transportation Museum was something we saw on a blog that looked interesting. It's open until 6 so I imagine we'd try to have at least an hour there.
I am very much into Broadway, so I want to see at least one show if not two. I think we also might enter some Broadway ticket lotteries (for the unsold seats in the front row or on the end of aisles), see if we get any good shows for really cheap.
I thought this might be a good night to do one show.
Right now I think our top choices are: Back to the Future, My Neighbor Totoro or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Not sure what we'd do about dinner, haven't researched too many dinner places yet.
Saturday Nov 26
Tate Britain 10 am
-Westminster Abbey
-Horse Guards Palace
-Churchill War Rooms
-Parliament
-St James Park
-Buckingham Palace
-Big Ben
-Trafalgar Square
-Piccadilly Circus
-Peter Pan statue
So these items are grouped on the same day because they are all relatively close, as you can see in the Google map below. The Tate Britain is kind of by itself far away, so it could be we take public transport from there to the rest of the activities.
We won't need more than two hours at the Tate Britain, we mostly just want to see the Van Gogh exhibit.
Besides the Churchill War Rooms, most of the places listed above will just be walk bys to get pictures and take a quick look.
We don't have any ideas for either lunch or dinner on this day yet.
Sunday Nov 27
Late start WB Studios Harry Potter Tour
West End show
I figured this might be a good day to sleep in and schedule our WB Studios Harry Potter tour for later in the day. We'll also need to get either train/bus or bus transportation.
If we are going to see Cursed Child we would most likely get tickets this day to make it a Harry Potter day.
Monday Nov 28
Tower of London
Roman/London Wall
St. Paul's Cathedral
Borough Market to walk along the South Thames. Food Market at Borough Market. Mon-Sat (wed-Sat has the most booths). Walk to the London Eye (Jubilee walkway), Globe theater is along the way. Gabriel's Warf, South Bank Book Market, London Eye.
-Greenwich Market, Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory
-take clippers along the Thames
Once again, I tried to lump together activities in the same area. These ones are a bit more spread out than the previous days so we might take some buses.
We plan to do the Yeoman Tour at the Tower of London. I am not sure if we'll really have time to do the Greenwich activities, but if we do we will most likely try to take a clipper along the Thames to get there and back.
We plan to have lunch at the Borough Market.
There are also a couple tours listed on Viator that I am considering taking. Most of them are at night which works better with our schedule. There are two Christmas light tours and I really am not sure what's different between the two. Obviously we would only do 1 of the lights tours.
Ghosts and Ghouls with boat ride: 7 pm $24.98
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Ghost-Tour-of-London-with-a-Cruise-on-the-Thames/d737-49063P4
On this evening walking tour, you’ll creep through London’s most haunted Royal Parks and see the city’s most haunted house. You’ll also cruise the Thames to take in the exquisite views and to visit the Tower of London. Learn about London’s dark, secret history with your group.
Christmas Lights Tour London: 6 pm $33
https://www.viator.com/tours/London...mas-Lights-Experience/d737-3302P26?mcid=56757
Capture the magic of the city on a London Christmas lights bus tour. See the famous lights that decorate the iconic streets of London on board The Original Tour’s double-decker buses. Sit back, relax and watch the city sparkling as our tour takes you past the capital's famous Christmas lights. See Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and more while our live guide entertains you with stories of Christmas past and present. Each ticket includes a complimentary Santa hat on board to get you into the Christmas spirit.
London by Night Open Top Bus Tour with Christmas Lights: 5 pm $30
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-by-Night-Christmas-Lights-Open-Top-Bus-Tour/d737-5461P157
Experience a panoramic tour of London’s most remarkable regions and landmarks. Take a seat on the top deck of our open top bus and get ready to be spellbound by some of London’s most famous sights. The sun will have set on the city but the best part of the day is yet to begin! The bus will weave its way through London and past a number of celebrated attractions and landmarks. View iconic attractions like Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and many more. A live guide or multilingual audio guide will be on board the bus to tell you all about the parts of London the tour passes and share some fun facts. Sightseeing in London on Christmas has never been so stunning!
There two are during the day so would be harder to fit in. We wouldn't do both, we would pick either or.
Small-Group Tour: Historical Pub Walking Tour of London: 2 pm $31.24
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-Literary-Pub-Crawl-and-Tavern-Tour/d737-9279P1
Discover ancient ale houses and literary drinking dens on a 3-hour afternoon pub tour of London. Centered on the area in and around the City of London, the tour visits at least four of London’s finest historical pubs, your guide will recommend different ales in each (not included). Hear the history of the pubs, learn the differences between Elizabethan coaching inns and Victorian gin palaces, and visit the watering holes frequented by legendary British novelist Charles Dickens. Numbers are limited to 14 on this small-group pub tour, ensuring you’ll enjoy personalized attention from your guide.
Literary Pub Crawl and Tavern Tour: Saturday only 5 pm $37.23
https://www.viator.com/tours/London/London-Literary-Pub-Crawl-and-Tavern-Tour/d737-9279P1
Explore the writers pubs, secret members clubs and venues of Soho and Fitzrovia with Charles Dickens (Deceased)! Every Saturday at 5pm
I definitely want to do one of the Christmas light tours. Might do the ghost one. I like the sound of the pub tours but wonder if we can't do that on our own.
Tues Nov 29
Leave by train for Paris, check into DLP hotel
I still need to figure out the train schedules and figure out the timing for this. We would like to leave pretty early in the day.