I am so excited to get a week with the wife in london. Going to a premier league match plus a league 2 (4th division) match while we're there which should be quite the contrast.

I have a colleague from the area who supplied a ton of recs and most dinner reservations have already been made.

We're getting a tour on the boat (rocket Thames) and plan to walk/bike/scooter the city as much as possible.

Any cultural areas y'all recommend (art, palaces, castles) in surrounding neighborhoods or cities?

Bring on the beans on toast!

Surrounding neighborhood advice depends on which neighborhood you're staying in. I go for my daily runs along the Thames during my annual London trip and there are a lot of fun areas to experience that aren't overly touristy. You can go see the ruins of Edward IIIs manor in Rotherhithe (within walking distance of Tower Bridge) and pretty much have the place to yourself - I've never seen anyone else when I stop by. It's not a destination in and of itself for the time-pressed tourist, but a nice stop if you're out for a walk away from the tourist crush.

Go see the musical &Juliet, it is fantastic…very funny and great music and super great plot. Go get a drink at the top of the Shard at sunset…spectacular view. Stop by the Borough Market on Saturday morning as its the best street market for food in the city in a very unique area, it's lots of fun.

OilManAg91 said:

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Go see the musical &Juliet, it is fantastic…very funny and great music and super great plot. Go get a drink at the top of the Shard at sunset…spectacular view. Stop by the Borough Market on Saturday morning as its the best street market for food in the city in a very unique area, it's lots of fun.

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+1 for all of these!

&Juliet kid friendly?

Yes. But if your kids are high school students that have read some Shakespeare and specifically Romeo & Juliet then they will get a lot more out of it. It's not Lion King if that is what you are asking.

Depends on your interests and where you're staying. There are so many options.

I live on the west side so I'm biased. The big ones on this side of the city are Kew Gardens, Hampton Court & Windsor Castle. Hampton Court is pretty neat but not the easiest to get to. Kew is better in the spring and summer or at Christmas.

There are many other lesser known things to do and see depending on what you're looking for and how far you're willing to travel.

We are staying in central london near Waterloo/south bank. I see an imperial war museum, Florence nightingale museum, etc very close by

The Imperial War Museum used to be high on my list, but sometime between 2012 and 2016 they moved away from mostly exhibits with real things i.e. uniforms, vehicles, weaponry, etc. to digital exhibits. The digital exhibits just aren't the same, but maybe they're more engaging for children. I've noticed this trend at a lot of museums. Still worth a visit if you've never been, but less exciting than it used to be.

My top London attractions:

• Churchill War Rooms
• St. Paul's Cathedral (climb to the top of the dome)
• Various Parks (Hyde & Regent's)
• Borough Market
• Wembley Stadium / Wimbledon Tours if you're into sports. If you're an F1 fan and can get out of the city for a day there is an F1 museum at Silverstone
• Walk along the Thames anywhere from Battersea to Tower Bridge
• The British Library
• Harry Potter Studio Tour (outside the city, but a simple train / bus trip to get there)
• Walk through all of the main parts of the city to get a feel (Westminster, Soho, Kensington, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Circus, etc.)

Thank you! And btw no kids on this trip. That's the best part haha

Great thread. I'm going later this year with my family (all adults). We scheduled our trip for the first week of Wimbledon, but I've come to the realization I won't even be able to get in to watch matches on court 14.

Oh well, plenty of other things to do. My family is not really into touristy things, but more of experiencing what life is like. We will find pubs. Lol.

Do a search of the Travel forum with 'London' in the title and you'll find a bunch of threads with good information.

If it's your first time in London Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London are musts. British Museum and National Gallery are as well.

If you're in the Borough Market area go to "The George Inn" for a pint. It's London's only grade 1 listed pub. The Black Friars pub outside the Black Friar tube stop is cool. My favorite pub is "Ye Olde Mitre" in Hatton Garden. If you go there, check St. Etheldreda's church around the corner in Ely Place. It was built during the reign of Edward 1. The church is usually open from 8am-5pm. The "Ye Olde Mitre" is closed on weekends.

Congrats on your upcoming trip…

I appreciate the thread. Good info, wife and I are looking at going in the fall.

We may also add in a trip to Scotland and visit some of my favorite distilleries. Any recs on that would also be appreciated.

We're here now having an absolutely cracking time

NWE said:

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We're here now having an absolutely cracking time

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Right on mate!

I've been swamped and haven't had a chance to reply with more details. Any specific questions let me know and will try to answer.

PS - will add some recs for the others as well soon who are asking about Scotland and also non touristy things to do.

OilManAg91 said:

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Go see the musical &Juliet, it is fantastic…very funny and great music and super great plot. Go get a drink at the top of the Shard at sunset…spectacular view. Stop by the Borough Market on Saturday morning as its the best street market for food in the city in a very unique area, it's lots of fun.

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Saturday Markets are always MUST DO's

razor63 said:

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I appreciate the thread. Good info, wife and I are looking at going in the fall.

We may also add in a trip to Scotland and visit some of my favorite distilleries. Any recs on that would also be appreciated.

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Pint at any (and several) rural pubs.

Get a pint at Hawley Arm's

Some ideas

https://fullsuitcase.com/london-hidden-gems/

So jealous. Dream of seeing a premiere league match! Who are you seeing and how did you get tickets?

To get the full experience I'm seeing a 4th division match Saturday. AFC Wimbledon hosting Hartlepool followed by Tottenham hosting West Ham on Sunday.

I read warnings about buying tickets on the stubhubs and Ticketmaster's of the UK and while I think it would've been fine, since my wife is with me I splurged and bought the padded seat experience with Champions Travel. You get to meet a former player, get food and drink before the match and after the match in their lounge. I'm really looking forward to it.

We visited Chelsea and Fulham yesterday and got a couple souvenirs. Father in law supports Chelsea and I like the American players on Fulham. Great experience to see the grounds in person.

We really enjoyed Hampton Court Palace. A day trip to the Cotswolds is also something to consider. Check out Viator for tour ideas.

Awesome, thanks. Cant wait to hear about both experiences!

Wimbledon match was awesome. 9k capacity stadium filled with 7,495 today. Great atmosphere. Good product on the pitch too.

Can't wait for Spurs match tomorrow

What a trip. Headed home now. Would definitely recommend a London trip to anyone. There's so much here for everyone. Excited to get home though