Ultimate 7-Day Itinerary: Explore the Best of London, England
Experience Windsor and London, England in a 7-day adventure filled with historic landmarks, family fun, and vibrant culture.
Day 1: Arrive and Settle In – Explore Windsor
Depending on when your flight arrives, make your way to your accommodation, and settle in. Do not have a nap if you can avoid it, instead go for a walk, stock up on groceries and check out the town as you make your way around the castle grounds. There is a great little park for the kids called Bachelor’s Acre. Check out a local pub for dinner and get to bed as close to normal in your new time zone as possible.
Day 2: Legoland Windsor
Hop on the city bus or take a park shuttle to the gates for park opening. Opening hours vary throughout the year so be sure to check this in advance. Our favourite rides were Pirate Falls Treasure Quest, Laser Raiders, Mythica Flight of the Sky Lion, and the Haunted House Monster Party. Make sure you dress to get wet as the Pirate Falls is a wet one, no jeans. After lunch, we ate at Farmer Joe’s Chicken, check out Miniland and the interactive building centre. Finally, take the funicular back up the hill at closing and wander through the big Lego store for a souvenir or two.
Day 3: Sites of London
From Windsor Eaton take GWR to Paddington Station (about 40 mins) and then make your way on the Tube to either Bank or Monument Underground Station and a short walk to Sky Garden where you can take in the Monument to the Great Fire of London on your by.
Sky Garden
Check out the view from this amazing roof-top garden; a great stop on your first day of sightseeing. From London’s highest public garden, you can see all the sights and orient to the city. My favourite views were looking out at the amazing architecture of the Gherkin, the parliament and the panoramic views across the river. Best of all it’s free to visit but you do need to book tickets online in advance three weeks before your visit.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge
A 10-minute walk from Sky Garden to the Tower Millennium Pier for some great photos and then an interesting walk around the Tower of London before making your way across the River Thames on Tower Bridge. If you are interested in the history of the Tower, there are several tours available that include a look at the Crown Jewels, similarly, you can make your way up Tower Bridge to a glass floor to look down on those travelling below.
Borough Market
A 15-minute walk from Tower Bridge along the Queens Walk, you will pass the Shard and London Bridge before making your way to Borough Market. The market is a great stop for lunch with all of its local produce and street food vendors, grab a few different tastes to share.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
A 10-minute walk from the Borough Market will have you at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to soak in the history and take in a performance at this open-air theatre originally built in 1599.
Millennium Bridge
Make your way back across the River Thames on the pedestrian-friendly Millennium Bridge built in 2000. This bridge has been featured in several movies, including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Head towards St Paul’s Cathedral North of the bridge to take in the site of royal weddings and historic funerals. While it is free to enter the working church, sightseeing does require ticketed admission. Make your way to the St Paul’s Underground Station, a 10-minute walk from Millennium Bridge.
British Museum
Take the Underground from St Paul’s to Tottenham Court (about 15 mins) and then walk the remaining 10 minutes to the British Museum. Entry to the museum is free but they do recommend booking a timed ticket in advance. This massive museum is home to the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, and Parthenon Sculptures.
Day 4: Road Trip: Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath
Rent a car for the day or hop on a bus tour to check out the historic sites surrounding London.
Stonehenge
Depending on traffic a trip to Stonehenge from Windsor will take you about an hour and fifteen minutes. Open from 9:30-5:00, 7 days a week. The price of admission includes a shuttle to the site and access to a fantastic visitor’s centre. Arrive for opening to beat the tour busses, head straight to the site and then end your visit with a trip to the museum and gift shop. You can access the site for free by walking from the car park, but the museum is well worth the price of admission.
Salisbury Cathedral
Twenty minutes past Stonehenge, stop for lunch in Salisbury known for its historic Cathedral, which has the tallest spire in Britain and is home to one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta (1215). Enjoy lunch at the Cathedral’s Refectory Restaurant, which has a glass roof to take in the view. The village around the Cathedral is also worth a stroll with lots of local shops housed in historic buildings.
Bath
An hour past Salisbury, Bath is an interesting city to visit in that it is a mix of both beauty and history while at the same time feeling quite modern and touristy. Wander around for the afternoon in the UNESCO World Heritage Centre after leaving your vehicle at one of the many car parks around the city and bussing into town. Check out the Roman Baths, timed tickets must be purchased ahead and include a free audio tour. It takes just under two hours to return to Windsor.
Day 5: London: Food and Theatre
From Windsor Eaton take GWR to Paddington Station (about 40 mins) and then make your way on the Tube to Waterloo. Walk towards the Thames to the London Eye.
London Eye, Big Ben, and the Palace of Westminster
Enjoy the view of the iconic clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom from across the river beside the London Eye.
Cleopatra’s Needle and Embankment Gardens
Return to Waterloo, take the Underground to Embankment and walk a couple of minutes along the River to Cleopatra’s Needle. The Egyptian obelisk is a spectacular monument that was gifted from Egypt in the 19th century. It sits on the edge of the River Thames on Victoria’s Embankment and backs onto the beautiful Embankment Gardens.
Covent Garden
A ten-minute walk gets you to Covent Garden which is a great area to spend the afternoon wandering around. Take in the Apple Market, listen to live music and check out Neal’s Yard. Stop for a snack at the Seven Dials Market and try the waffles at Deekenek.
Leicester Square
In under 10 minutes, you can walk to Leicester Square. This pedestrian-friendly square has buskers, music, movie theatres and shops. Visit the huge Lego store, get your fill of interesting flavoured M&Ms at Europe’s biggest sweet shop, and take pictures with some of the bronze statues around the Square.
Dinner and a Show
If your kids are old enough, have dinner in Covent Garden and take in a show at one of the many Theatres in the area. Check out Ave Mario for dinner, it has a great menu and fun atmosphere.
Given we are big Harry Potter fans, we thought it only right to invest the better part of a day and see the Cursed Child at the Shaftsbury Theatre. The show runs in two parts, each about two and a half hours long with a dinner break in between. You can watch the show over two days if the thought of that much sitting has you squirming in your seat.
Day 6: Warner Brothers Studio Tour and Windsor Castle
Hire a car to take you to Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Leavesden, about 30 minutes by car from Windsor. Get an inside view into the magic behind the movie, enjoy some butter beer and learn how to fly. Plan for a half day with travel; tickets should be purchased ahead online as they sell out quickly.
If you still have energy, take in a market (Portobello) or a museum (Tate Modern) in London or take a tour through Windsor Castle. We were done for the day and had a relaxing afternoon wandering around Windsor and grabbing a few souvenirs.
Day 7: Travel Day
Pack up, have a great breakfast, and grab a few snacks for the flight as you make your way home or to your next adventure. Check out Gail’s Bakery in Windsor.
Do-overs?
While there were still a few things we didn’t get to see that were on our list we felt like we had a great visit to London and saw all the highlights at a good pace. If we had longer, we might have checked out another play and visited a couple more of the markets and museums, many of which are free.
We found the British Museum to be very busy when we went in the afternoon and after an already full day of walking this was a bit too much. Much of our visit was spent soaking in the air conditioning and people-watching from our seats on the floor of the museum, the other half was spent waiting in line for the women’s bathroom. If we had a do-over for this one, we would go right at opening in the morning when the crowds are lighter.
Our two full London days were heavy on the walking with our first day coming in close to 18K steps. While we made good use of the Tube, London is a big city and I would consider a hop on and off bus tour as a good way to see the sights without all the walking, especially with young children.
See Experienced It for our family’s favourite things to do in Crete and Good Eats for our favourite restaurants.
