5 Family-Friendly Days in London

After two weeks in the North of England visiting friends and family, we spent the morning driving to London. While my husband returned the rental car, I took the kids to Wagamama, not too far from our hotel — St. Ermin’s — for a lunch break. It is a family-friendly casual restaurant that is all over London.

It was raining — of course — so we decided to forgo an afternoon park excursion and head inside to one of the free museums. We booked online immediately for free tickets to the Science Museum later that afternoon, and passed a long queue waiting in the rain. Tip: Book your free museum tickets online in advance, even if only a few hours before.

We got back to our hotel in time for an unexpected happy hour, which had treats and entertainment for kids and adults alike. We were tired and hungry so decided to eat dinner at our hotel restaurant, Caxton Grill, which was delicious and accommodated the kids and my vegan husband as well.

We had breakfast included in our hotel room, which was an extensive buffet breakfast every morning at Caxton Grill. It was hearty and kept us full for hours as we began our adventures each day. The girls had their first tube ride as we headed to the Tower of London for our pre-booked nine am tickets. Book Tower of London tickets in advance of your travels and try to get the nine am time slot so you can view the crown jewels before it gets too busy. This was definitely a highlight for the kids.

Before starting the tour, we waited in line to get the headset tour guide, which I definitely recommend. The kids got a special version, which they loved while we were able to enjoy learning about the history of the Tower on the adult version. To start, we skipped the first few numbers and went straight to the Crown Jewels to skip the long lines, then went back to number one once completed. The cafe inside the Tower of London is lovely; it's perfect to rest those feet and grab a snack, some lunch or a cup of tea. As you depart, head straight out to view Tower Bridge and take some iconic photos — probably with at least one kid not looking.

That afternoon, we hopped back on the tube to join our Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. After being on our feet all morning, it was a great way for the kids to enjoy a bus tour of London with one of their favorites, Peppa Pig. It was a highlight for them, and as parents, experiencing the joy through your child's eyes is priceless. There are many other great afternoon tea options throughout London, such as The Aqua Shard’s Peter Pan Magical Afternoon Tea.

When we were done with our Peppa Pig Afternoon tea tour, we decided to get off at Westminster station, which was one stop away from our hotel, and enjoy the sights of Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament at dusk. The quarter-mile walk back to our hotel was lovely.

We spent the next day at Buckingham Palace, starting with the changing of the guards. It was walkable from the hotel, but to get good viewing you do have to arrive very early, which can be difficult with kids. We started by the gates, but it was overwhelming with more people pushing into you as time went on. Eventually we ditched our spots there for one that was farther away, and probably more enjoyable for us all. To be honest, I would maybe skip this for kids, or join a tour that will guide you through the best places to watch it.

After a lunch break, we went back for one of the highest of our trip, the Buckingham Palace State Rooms tour. It is only open to the public between July and September, and you should book directly through the Royal Collection Trust well in advance of your trip. The audio guides included were wonderful, and once again the kids really enjoyed their special version of it.

After the tour, we went over to Regent Street for some shopping, including at Hamleys. The kids had a blast at this iconic toy store, engaging with the staff and playing with the toys. Just be prepared to set expectations in advance on whether or not they will be able to leave with any toys. As we started to get hungry again, we headed over to Dishoom Carnaby. Although the wait was an hour, Dishoom managed it really well and we were able to take turns wandering around Carnaby Street with the kids.

We started the day at the Tate Modern, where they do a great job with the interactive exhibits for children. I was able to grab a coffee and enjoy my kid's imagination come to life on their digital sketch pads.

Then we headed over to Borough Market for lunch. It was a Saturday, and it was crazy busy, so if you can avoid the weekend, I would recommend that. The girls ate noodles from Japanese BBQ & Bento, while I picked up food at Shuk, which offers Tel Aviv-style market food. There were also plenty of vegan options for my husband.

For the afternoon, we pre-booked the free tickets to the Natural History Museum. It was crowded and the place is huge, so each child picked one or two things they wanted to prioritize.

That evening, we headed out to check out the new Battersea Power Station, which allowed us a nice place to explore, shop and escape the rain. We had fun eating at the Arcade Food Hall inside, then headed back to our hotel to recharge for our last day in London.

London’s West End is known for its theater. We felt this was a great opportunity for the girls to go to their first show, and we chose The Tiger Who Came to Tea. It was interactive, and child-focused. The laughs that came out of my children will forever be held in my memory.

After the show went to Marugame Udon for the third time during this trip. In addition to the kids loving it, it was quick and cheap — so easy for eating between excursions. There is one at the South Kensington train station, which is perfect for museum trips, and there is also one near Regent Street, in addition to others throughout London.

That afternoon, we watched street performers at Covent Garden, grabbed some Bens Cookies and basked in the sun. We had planned to go to the London Transport Museum, but it was a beautiful sunny day and instead opted to meet a friend who is living in the city and enjoy the Victoria Embankment Gardens and Playground.

After five days, there are still so many things on my list that we didn’t get to do. It was raining a lot, so we missed out on many of the parks I planned to visit, such as the Princess Diana playground near Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and St. James Park. We had also planned to take a Thames boat ride to Greenwich to visit the National Maritime Museum, but the Uber boat line was way too long. In the future, maybe we can squeeze in a river canal cruise to Camden, or head to Kew Gardens in Richmond, where Hampton Court Palace also is also supposed to have a great playground. As my kids get older, and we do more trips to London, I look forward to the variety of experiences this amazing city has to offer.