My family and I spent 5 days in London. I personally think 5-6 days in London is the perfect amount of time to see and do everything in London. I planned our entire itinerary and surprisingly we got a lot done – even with a 2 month old! However some things had to be amended due to weather and my nephew being fussy at times. I should say he was a trooper and came along on all of our adventures, even afternoon tea!
Today I’m sharing my very detailed itinerary of our trip to London! A few things I would like to mention before I get into the itinerary. We arrived in London around 8am on Saturday and flew out at 10am on Thursday. As for transpiration, we took a taxi from Heathrow to Chelsea (about £65) and to get around the city we took a combination of buses and the tube. I highly recommend getting an Oyster Card once you arrive in London. You can get one at any tube station and there is plenty of staff around to help you. Before you leave London be sure to return your Oyster card in order to get your money back. The buses were very easy to navigate in London and our preferred method of travel because it was easier to get on and off with the baby stroller, or buggy as the British call it. The tube was great, however not all stations have elevators, for example South Kensington which was closest to our hotel did not have a lift at the station. However major lines such as Jubilee did which was great because we didn’t have to carry the buggy down the stairs. Here is the map of all the stations that have lifts that are handicap accessible and buggy friendly. I downloaded this tube app before heading to London, in addition I activated my Verizon Travel Pass and was able to check all the bus and tube train times via Google Maps.
Day 1 // Saturday – Arrival Day
Itinerary: Arrive at Heathrow Airport, taxi to Chelsea, drop off bags. Walking tour of Chelsea & South Kensington Area, Lunch at Rocca (), Dessert at Maitre Choux (, Rest at hotel, Victoria & Albert Museum, take away dinner from Ranoush Kings Road (halal) OR dine In at The Ivy Chelsea Garden.
Reality: I mentioned in my post yesterday we booked an Airbnb in Chelsea and ended up switching to a hotel. Upon arrival we dropped off our bags at the Airbnb since it wasn’t ready for check-in and planned on starting our Walking tour of Chelsea & South Kensington, however it was extremely cold and windy that morning. It was around 10am and I nixed the walking tour and we headed straight to the Victoria & Albert Museum. We spent a some time exploring the museum and hiding from the cold and snow. Afterwards we walked back to the Airbnb and settled in. Everyone was a bit tiered therefore we rested for a few hours instead of heading out to lunch. In the evening we explored Chelsea and managed to walk to Ensor Mews and Stanhope Mews. However it was rather chilly so we headed to Maitre Choux for some tea and eclairs! We grabbed take away dinner from Ranoush Kings Road, which is halal, and headed back to the Airbnb.
Day 2 // Sunday
Itinerary: Breakfast at Elan Cafe (239 Brompton Road location), Walked to Knightsbridge Tube station to purchase Oyster Cards, hopped on the tube to Piccadilly Circus. Walked along Reagent Street, explored Carnaby and Soho. Grabbed treats from Crosstown Doughnuts and Cutter & Squidge. Went on a free Walking Tour via Sandman’s. Highlights of the tour included Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, St. James Place, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Victoria Memorial, St. James’s Park, Big Ben (currently under construction until 2021), Westminster Abbey, and Houses of Parliament. Bus back to Soho to have lunch at Poppie’s Fish and Chips and a snack at HIPCHIPS. Metro/Bus back to Chelsea for break time. Dinner at Bluebird in Chelsea.
Reality: Let me start off by saying it was extremely cold this day!! It snowed the night before and it was just cold. In the morning we walked to Elan Cafe for breakfast. It’s a super cute Instagram worthy cafe, I will be doing a separate blog post on all the food we had during our trip tomorrow. Afterward we walked a bit down Brompton Road, passed by Harrods, and went to Knightsbridge Tube station to purchase Oyster Cards. We hopped on the Piccadilly line to Piccadilly Circus. From there we walked along Reagent street, there are a ton of fabulous shops, and made our way to Carnaby and Soho. We stopped by Crosstown Doughnuts for a delicious blood orange doughnut and then Cutter & Squidge for delicious biskies. I found a highly rated free walking tour that allows you to see all the royal highlights of London. The tour begins at Covent Garden in front of Apple Store and ends near Westminster. Our tour guide Rachael was incredible! She was extremely funny and explained the history of all the sites in a very engaging way. I highly recommend booking this tour if you are a looking for a way to explore this part of London. I will add that the weather was brutally cold however our guide made the tour extremely enjoyable! After the tour we hopped on the bus back to Covent Garden and had a delicious lunch at Poppie’s Fish and Chips. We were thoroughly stuffed but I had to stop by at HIPCHIPS and grab a box of savoury crisps and dips for the road. We took the bus back to our Airbnb and passed out as soon as we got home. We ended up not going out for dinner and just grabbed some take away from a local noodle shop.
Day 3 // Monday
Itinerary: Saint Aymes, Afternoon Tea at Sketch London, Shopping at Fortnum & Mason, Notting Hill Walking Tour, Bus back to hotel for break team, Dinner at Rabbit Restaurant in Chelsea.
Reality: This was the morning we left the Airbnb and checked in to My Chelsea hotel. Thankfully the hotel was just around the corner from our Airbnb and the staff checked us in quickly into our room. After a quick change we took the bus to Saint Aymes cafe to try their famous 23K gold unicorn latte. After a quick drink we took the bus to Sketch London for afternoon tea. Sketch is a bit of a splurge – it’s £58 per person for classic afternoon tea. It is definitely an experience and one that we really enjoyed. The staff was extremely kind and very accommodating with the baby. One of the highlight of Sketch is the fascinating bathrooms. Our plan was to take the bus from Sketch to Notting Hill and go on a walking tour of Notting Hill I put together however my nephew had other plans. My sister went to change him and he decided to pee all over himself and his extra pair of clothes therefore we had to detour back to the hotel to change the little fella! Once he was in clean clothes we took the tube to Notting Hill. It was a bit later in the afternoon and the weather as chilly and windy therefore we didn’t manage to see much of Notting Hill except Portobello Road. We did stop by Biscuiteers on our walk and picked up some delicious biscuits before leaving Notting Hill. We headed back to the hotel and put my nephew down for a nap. After a little recharge we headed out to Rabbit Restaurant in Chelsea. The food is absolutely amazing and one of the best meals I have ever had! It’s mostly tapas style and the concept is farm to table therefore the ingredients are extremely fresh. I will share more details in my food post tomorrow.
Day 4 // Tuesday
Itinerary: Breakfast at Coppa Club, Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, Photo Op at the girl with dolphin fountain, visit Sky Garden, Lunch at Gymkhana, Bus back to Chelsea – Window shopping at Harrods, Dinner at Hafez Restaurant.
Reality: Tuesday was also the first day of spring which meant it was Persian New Year. We started the morning off with breakfast at Coppa Club. I managed to score reservations in the Igloos and the aesthetics were on point. I highly recommend making a reservation well in advance as the igloos fill up pretty quickly, all reservations are made online directly on the website. After breakfast we walked over to Tower of London. The first thing we went to see was the Crown Jewels. We explored the rest of the tower however didn’t really spend too much time in it because it involved going up and down stairs and it was a bit exhausting with he buggy. Afterward I wanted to walk a little passed Tower Bridge to take some photos by the girl with dolphin fountain, I saw an image online and knew it was a great spot for photos. Then we made our way to Sky Garden as we had 12:30pm tickets to visit. Tickets to Sky Garden are free and tickets are released one week at a time on Mondays. We chose to go to Sky Garden instead of The London Eye for two reasons – 1) my mom hates heights and 2) Sky Garden is free and The London Eye is a bit pricey. Since we didn’t want to have my mom feel left out we chose Sky Garden. The views from there are wonderful! I would recommend getting tickets for either sunrise or sunset – it’s worth it! Afterwards we walked over London Bridge and took the Jubilee tube to Green Park station to have lunch at Gymkhana. My sister really wanted to have Indian food while we were in London and she chose Gymkhana because they are halal and a Michelin star restaurant. I highly recommend making reservations in advance. After lunch we took the bus back to Chelsea and did some window shopping at Harrods before heading back to our hotel. Since it was Persian New Year we chose to have dinner at a Persian restaurant, Hafez Restaurant.
Day 5 // Wednesday
Itinerary: Tea & Cakes at Peggy Porschen, Walk to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards, Bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Walk over Millennium Bridge, Borough Market, Take the Thames Clipper from London Bridge City westbound to Cadogan, and Dinner at L’oud des Eurasie.
Reality: The weather was amazing on our last day, the sun finally came out, and the temperatures warmed up a bit. However my nephew was not in the mood on this day, we should have known since the morning, but a lot of our plans changed because he was having a rough day. We started the day by taking the bus to Peggy Porschen. It’s a cute little bakery known for their sweet treats and seasonal floral displays. After enjoying some delicious cake and tea we walked to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards. Based on my online research the Changing of the Guards was suppose to happen at 11am, however it started around 10:45am. The crowds are controlled by the police and it wasn’t too bad. If you want a view of the entire change it is best to get there a tad early and stand right by the palace gates. Since I’m a bit short I wasn’t able to see much by being 3-4 rows behind the gates. A great location to stand to see all the action is along the steps of the Victoria Memorial. The ceremony lasts until about 11:30am. Honestly it was cool to see but it’s one of those things that I wouldn’t say is completely necessary to see. The plan was to take the bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral and walk along Millennium Bridge, however my nephew had a meltdown and we nixed the walk. Instead we took the Jubilee tube from Green Park to London Bridge and went to Borough Market for lunch. Borough Market was food heaven!! We sampled just about everything and ended up having delicious vegan burgers from Big V London. After the market is when my nephew had a complete crying fit and we scrapped the rest of the day and headed back to the hotel. After a few hours of rest we headed out for an event my brother-in-law was speaking at, which my nephew slept through the entire thing! For dinner we dined at L’oud des Eurasie which was absolutely delicious!! The food is halal and the portions were huge!
We managed to get a lot done during our time in London. I really loved the area we stayed in and high recommend My Chelsea Hotel. Honestly we should have stayed them from the beginning! We booked a Studio Suite which had more than enough room for 3 adults and a baby. Breakfast was included with out stay which was a great way to fuel up in the morning! I highlight recommend the egg & chives croissant!
If you are planning a trip to London and need any tips or have any questions please feel free to reach out! I had such a blast planning out trip and I’ve already started planning my next trip back to London – however this time it will be in spring & summer during warmer temps!
Thank you! Love London and loved reading this! ❤️😁🇬🇧
Thank you dear! London is such a beautiful city. I can’t wait to go back. xoxo