The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary for first time visitors to London who have Little Kids
As many of you know, we have been planning our summer move to London for months now. This move started because of my job, and instead of flying back and forth a bunch, we decided to make it a summer in London. We had planned to move into our London apartment on May 1st but we got a great deal on flights for 6 of us to fly from DC->London on April 29th we were going to have to stay in a hotel for 1-2 nights (which the pricing made sense with how cheap if flights I found). So we decided to be tourists in the city for the first couple days and stay really close to the touristy area and sites,
If you want to see as much as you can in London while visiting for the first time, but don't want to push your kids too hard and want to avoid melt downs, this itinerary is for you! Including where to stay, what to do, and where to eat!
We cannot recommend the @sterminshotel enough! 5 out of 5 Stars! The rooms are perfectly setup for family (we had 3 adults and 3 kids in a spacious setup with one king bedroom suite with family room connecting to a normal room. But what really makes this hotel shine is the incredibly staff who go above and beyond! Hotel is just below St. James park and walkable to EVERY major site you will want to see. You can read our full review of staying at the @sterminshotel.
Bars and Restaurants in the hotel
Caxton Grill - They offer a breakfast buffet, fun kids' menus, tasty British classics, and cozy private dining at night.
Caxton Bar - on the second level of the hotel lobby, this has views of our beautiful garden terrace, is a relaxed spot to unwind or hang out with friends while enjoying unique cocktails and light snacks.
The Tea Lounge - kid and budget friendly afternoon tea experience …. and a really kid friendly afternoon tea experience! This is also part of the @marriottbonvoy @autographhotels collection so you can book it on points!
Bee Garden Terrace
This was one of the coolest things we have seen at a hotel. Guests can take a trip to the third floor and watch the hotel’s good-tempered 350,000 bees safely from behind glass, and see these industrious insects go about their daily business – making honey.
Day 1
We landed at 6:20 am local time and headed to our hotel to drop our luggage. Our room was of course not ready yet because it was 8am so we freshened up using the lobby bathroom and then headed out to start the day. We like to try to get on the local time as soon as possible. Obviously, for kids it can be harder so each of my kids took a nap this day.
We started with breakfast at @farmerjfood across from our hotel (highly recommend… It’s an order in line and then take to your table kind of situation… Or take to the park!) We got avocado toast, bacon egg and cheese on a roll, croissants and THE BEST banana bread we have ever had! I usually let my kids pick out what they want to eat but I knew some of the dishes would be a little different so we got a couple things and split them all. My sister and I also got some of the best lattes we ever had.
We started by walking to some of the big tourist attractions that were close to our hotel. WE GOT SO LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER! It was 76 degrees (F) and was perfect to walk the 20,000 jet lagged steps to see the sites! The first day we went to:
- Big Ben: We went pretty early around 9:30am and although people were still there it wasn’t overly busy
- Westminster Abbey: We did not go inside (we are planning to and will write about that when we do but I wanted to keep the activities a little more kid centered with the beautiful day and jet leg)
- St James Park: They had some amazing playgrounds for kids. My kids spent about 45 minutes playing and running around and they had a refreshments stand literally next to the playground where we got a little snack. They had ice cream and food stands set up in the park and lots of people were having picnics or eating their work lunch in the grass.
- Buckingham Palace: Watched the changing of the guard which happens everyday at 11:00am and this was so cool but WAS VERY CROWDED
At around 1pm we got the notification from our hotel that our room was ready. We went back to the hotel and had a little downtime for the kids while I unpacked.
We went out for dinner at @pizzapilgrims in Soho/Carnaby. We sat in their little outdoor terrace, which had like 7-10 restaurants all connected and was the cutest place ever. The kids mostly all slept through dinner (my 9 year old literally fell asleep at the table - jet leg will get ya!) but the wine was so good, the pizza is so fresh and the arugula salad the best I’ve ever had!
We then just did a little more exploring and saw the below famous streets before calling it a night.
- Seville Row
- Carnaby Street
Day 2
We started the day with a Tour of Royal Muse @ Buckingham Palace. We bough tickets online beforehand and was VERY kid friendly. You get to explore the Royal Mews and discover coaches, horses and carriages at one of the finest working stables in existence. These are some of the things to see and do during your visit you shouldn't miss.
-You can see all different kinds of coaches dating all the way back to 1897.
-Kids can learn how to tack up a wooden pony (learn how to properly put on the leather saddles) to get it ready to pull a carriage.
-Dress up in the Livery coats and boots as the Kings coachmen would wear
-Horse drawn Carriages were in full operation the day we went to explore (i’m not sure that is always the case)
Then we walked over to Victorian Candy Palace located right across the street. They had the greatest selection of candy and snacks, some that were exclusive to England but also just different flavors of things we wanted to try like 25 flavors of Pringles!
We walked over Hyde park and let the kids play and explore another park but it was 85 Degrees (F) this day so they really only lasted about 45 minutes before we got some drinks and ice cream at Serpentine restaurant. Something I already feel that this city does so well is put restaurants or snack bars in parks so it’s convenient to get a water, snack or coffee. It makes going to the park easier and feels more “luxurious” because I can get a latte and enjoy my coffee while the kids play.
Of course we had to take the kids to Hamleys on Regent Street. Walking into this place, you instantly get excited. I felt like I was in a movie.
Hamleys is one of the world's oldest and largest toy stores, founded in 1760.
Its flagship store is located on Regent Street in London and is a major tourist attraction, filled with toys, games, interactive displays, and a gelato shop inside.
Hamleys offers a huge variety of toys, from traditional dolls and teddy bears to the latest tech gadgets and educational kits.
The store is known for its magical atmosphere, live demonstrations, and friendly staff who engage children and families.
We didn’t have dinner plans and just wanted something we could walk to so we walked over to The Albert on Victoria St. It was a great pub vibe and only around the block from our hotel. It was a little busy but not too crazy and they let kids in even around 8pm. They had soccer (football) on the TVs and great authentic food. My kids got fish and chips (fried fish and French fries) and burgers and fries. I had a great salad with salmon and my sister and mom split a steak with veggies.
We ended the night around 10pm heading back to our hotel to get a good nights sleep for our move into our London flat the next morning.
