London in 3 Days
Our 3-Day London Highlights Tour
 Many of our houseguests pass through London on
their European excursions. Often it is for as little as 3 days. They
say, “We have 3 days in London; is that enough
time?” At which point we laugh and say that we have been here
over 10 years and have not seen it all yet. So rest assured that no
matter how long you stay there will still be things left to see the
next time and the time after that.
If our guests have no expressed special
interests, here's what we do. Go to Trafalgar Square (or any of the
many stops) and hop on the Original London Sightseeing Tour.
This bus is a double decker narrated tour bus hitting all of the major
sites. It gives you the flexibility to get on and off at the sites you
want to see in more detail and it runs into the evening (check with bus
on times as they vary with the seasons). We make sure we do the whole
route but also use this mode of travel to stop at the Tower of London, where admission is
included with The London Pass  . And if you want a tour with a
bit different mode of travel, join the Amphibious Duck Tour - it will take
you on a fun filled narration of the sights and drive into the water
for a cruise on the Thames as well.
In case you are in a hurry,
here is a summary of the links found on this page:
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 Day
1 is your chance to take a trip through almost a thousand
years of history at the Tower of London, and you do it with a
Beefeater as your guide. The tours go very regularly so be sure to wait
for one of these before you explore on your own. It is not only
informative but dramatically entertaining. You will also see the crown
jewels, tour the white tower with a variety of exhibits, see the Chapel
of St. John, and view the cells where many famous prisoners were held
prior to their execution. After the tower, cross the street going east,
you will come upon a charming area called St. Catherine's dock.
The Dickens Inn there is a great stopping point for lunch. If you
haven't finished in the Tower you can get your hand stamped and go back
in after lunch. If the weather is good we may hop on a boat from the
docks (included in the BIG BUS tour price) and take it back to
Westminster where we resume our bus tour. Seeing London from the River
Thames is an interesting perspective. If the weather's bad stick with
the bus. Depending on when you get started, you may be able to include
a quick trip into St. Paul's (London Pass includes this site, as
well) this day as well. Depending on your zest to see things, some of
the museums are open one evening a week, check for times or ask your
concierge. (For evening restaurants check back later –
we’re working on a new restaurant suggestion section.)
Day 2 starts at Westminster Abbey. If you have only
time for one church, this is the one to see. This church witnessed
numerous coronations and many other important events such as royal
weddings and most recently, the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. It
has an exceptionally diverse array of architectural styles, and is the
final resting place of countless monarchs and famous public figures
ranging from politicians to poets. There is an audio tour of this
national treasure, which will give you the most comprehensive tour. If
you are ready for a low cost, quick lunch, stop at one of our
favorites, Pret a Manger. They pride themselves on the freshest
ingredients in their sandwiches and their cappuccino is better than
Starbucks! If it's August or September, we now head to Buckingham Palace for a spectacular
tour of one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe, full of the finest
art, architecture and antiques in the world. Be sure to book ahead at
Buckingham Palace for it's only open for 6 weeks a year!
From here we head to Covent
Garden where that famous flower girl from 'My Fair Lady"
Eliza Doolittle sold her flowers. Also in this area are the National
Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the Courtauld
Gallery/Somerset House are all worthy of a stop if art is of interest
to you. (And, these latter two are also included with London Pass!).
See our museum section for more details. Covent Garden is chock full of
shops and restaurants as well as a famous piazza and central market
open during the day and surrounded by many entertaining street
performers. You are now in the heart of the theatre district and the
royal opera house. Every trip to London should include a trip to one of
those venues. In order not to miss your selected play reserve in
advance at Tickets.
 Day 3 starts at the finest
archaeological museum in the world, the British Museum .
You can easily spend a day here (and it's free!), so if time is limited
do take a look at the free museum layout available at information and
be sure to go to your places of interest first. But make sure you stop
in the Reading Room, recently restored to it's original splendor, it is
an architect's dream. The British Museum has everything from the
ancient world right through the North American Indian and a fine
collection of oriental art as well. We usually start at the library,
then proceed to Greece to see the Elgin Marbles, going on to Egypt to
see the mummies and the Rosetta Stone. Along the way you will see many
of the artifacts and even pieces of buildings and temples from the
ancient world. Lunch above the library is a good bet.
The next stop is Harrods
for the ultimate London shopping experience. Even our son, who hates to
shop, loves it there. Harrods has something for everyone; it's a fun
place to shop. The food halls alone are worth the trip. You will see
food of every type with mini restaurants and eating bars set up to
sample your favorites for lunch. We particularly like the tapas bar set
up on the lowest level down the escalator from the pizza bar. Be sure
to also take in the Egyptian Room. Their floor dedicated to every kind
of sporting clothing is great for your sports enthusiasts and there's a
super toy floor as well. If you've never done it before, go to the
Georgian Room and have high tea. We've found that one order often
satisfies the two of us, unless we haven't eaten during the day. On
your way back down be sure to take the Egyptian Escalator and stop on
the antiques floor if you like antiques - these are some of the best
quality you will ever see! Harrods is open untill 7 pm most nights, but
they are only open on Sunday for a few weeks in July and before
Christmas, so check times. When you leave Harrods, you are in walking
distance of Hyde Park. This is a lovely spot and if the weather is good
and the gardens are blooming you couldn't have a more tranquil respite
from the buzzing city around you.
If the thought of a department store really turns you off, here's
another fun alternative, incorporating boating, sightseeing, shopping
and great seafood. If it's the weekend in the summer, head to London's Little
Venice and lunch at Jason's, located on Blomfield Rd. Call
ahead for a lunch reservation 020 7286 3428 (it's also a great place
for dinner); the seafood is outstanding, and the atmosphere is fun. You
will be at Jason's Wharf where the long boat canal trips run up the
Regent Canal. It's a scenic and relaxing trip past the London Zoo and
many beautiful residential homes in the area. Take the boat after lunch
to Camden Lock, an eclectic multi-story market. And
if you bought a London Pass, the ride is included!
If you like classical music many of the
churches like St. Paul's and St. Martin of the Fields on Trafalgar
Square to name a few offer recitals in the Churches at night, sometimes
for free or for a small charge. They are truly excellent and the
atmosphere is beyond compare.
Here is a summary of the links found
on this page:
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