1 week in London -our 7-day London itinerary

1 week in London -our 7-day London itinerary

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." -Samuel Johnson

I have often been accused of wanting to do everything in a place in a short space of time. It comes from my inherent FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. Although it is impossible to do everything there is to do in London for a tourist – in a week - we (my husband and I and our 2 kids aged 9 and 11) did manage to fit quite a bit into our week there - even though the days were short. Sunrise was at 8 am and sunset at 3:50 pm.  At the end of the week, we were exhausted. It had been a hectic and exhilarating week but we – and the kids loved London.

London Eye Observation Capsule

This was how our week went.

Day 1

• Arrived at Heathrow.
• Took the underground to Wembley Park.
• Checked into our hotel.
• Took a walk in Wembley, going past the Wembley Stadium and London Designer Outlet.

Day 2

• Went to Trafalgar Square.
• Took the hop-on hop- off bus around London.
• Went to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard.
• Went on the London Eye.
• Visited the London Dungeons.

Day 3

• Took the hop-on hop- off bus again.
• Visited Harrods
• Visited Madame Tussauds
• Went to Soho

A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else. -Unknown

Day 4

• Visited the Tower of London
• Did a river cruise on the Thames River to Greenwich and back
• Took a walk on the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) line at the Royal Observatory
• Visited Cutty Sark, one of the world's most famous retired ships.

Day 5

• Visited the 72nd floor of the Shard and experienced the View from the Shard.
• Visited Whitechapel area
• Went to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station
• Visited the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone
• Visited the British Library
• Took a walk on Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street

Day 6

• Day visit to Birmingham, about 2 hours from London, to visit family.

Day 7

• Visited Notting Hill and Portobello market.
• Visited Ripley's Believe it or Not
• Visited Foyle's bookshop and a few other Bookshops

Day 8

• Drove to Gatwick Airport to catch a flight to Orlando, USA where we stayed for a week.

“I’ve been walking about London for the last 30 years, and I find something fresh in it every day.” – Walter Besant, 19th-century novelist and historian

After London

We spent a day in each of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks and a day at Universal Orlando Resort. We walked about 16000 steps each day according to my Fitbit.

Our return leg looked like this:

Flight from Orlando, USA to Gatwick Airport, London. Arrive at 7 am London time.

Take a taxi from Gatwick Aiport to Heathrow Airport, about an hour away.

Board flight from Heathrow Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa at 6pm.

Arrive in Johannesburg at 7 am Johannesburg time.

Who said holidays were relaxing?

We returned exhausted, but richer for the experience – and minus my camera which I left on the flight from Orlando.

See my top things to do in London.

Find out where to get the best views of London.

Find out which London attractions may disappoint you.

Explore Greater West London if you have more time.

Find budget accommodation in London.

Learn how to get through Heathrow airport like a pro.

“London opens to you like a novel itself… It is divided into chapters, the chapters into scenes, the scenes into sentences; it opens to you like a series of rooms, doors and passages. Mayfair to Piccadilly to Soho to the Strand.” Anna Quindlen, contemporary American author, journalist, and opinion columnist - Imagined London: A Tour of the World’s Greatest Fictional City.

Sara Essop

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.