London 2026

As part of a 2+ week summer trip to Europe, we started in London. George and I had been to London first in 2011 for just one day so I really didn’t know the city well. My impression this time around is that I like it even more than I remember. It doesn’t hurt that we were there during Europe’s heat wave which just meant London was sunny and low 80’s, making it a great time to visit. Our boys are 12 and almost 10 now so these kind of action packaged vacations continue to get easier and more enjoyable (aka less complaining). We spent 5 nights (interrupted by a quick trip to Paris, in another post) and so I feel like we had a “proper” (see what I did there?) time to get acquainted with the city.

We stayed at The Park Plaza Westminster which is just over the bridge from Big Ben and next to the London Eye. The hotel was great, decent rooms for a family of 4 with a wall seperator between the King and the pullout. While we are huge fans of Airbnb’s, sometimes a hotel can be a nice. The location was great but if I were to do it all over again, I would probably pick to stay in Soho as that became my favorite vibrant (yet crowded) area to be in.

London Sites

St Paul Cathedral – We went up it on our first trip and knew the kids wouldn’t appreciate it as much so this time we just enjoyed from the outside. It’s a cute little area around it as well, worth seeing.
Knotting Hill – Of course the colored buildings are worth seeing and the Portobello Market there is great to stroll through. My kids were excited when they found an olive vendor, albeit I found it unique that a barrel of Greek Salad was also sitting out in the heat. Make sure to weave in and out of streets off the main road to really appreciate the buildings and cuteness of the area.
Kensington Gardens – Despite having just flown in, we were insistent on walking a lot so made the voyage back on foot. Along the way we stopped at the Gardens and they were lovely.
Hyde Park – The Park is vast with the typical charms of large city parks, people feeding parrots (ok maybe just in London), a pond/lake to boat, and great biking and walking paths.
Buckingham Palace – We only walked by but didn’t go inside
Big Ben – Iconic, fun to see during the day and night
Westminster Abbey – Next to Big Ben, strolled by it and it’s nice.
Tower of London – We don’t like too many tours on our trips, but those done well can really enhance the experience and this was one. We booked Tower of London Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Access through Headout and we absolutely loved it. After a guided tour and walk into the Tower’s complex, we went in to see the Crown Jewels and then had a private session with a Beefeater (Yeoman Warder) which was fascinating.
Tower Bridge – Just after the tour above, you can walk through the Tower Bridge and we recommend you go upstairs to go inside. It’s a quick bit, we had to rush through it in 30 minutes to make our Tea time but it was plenty of time.
Walk through Soho and Marylebone – Both are really cute areas, Soho is a lot more active.
Hamley’s Toy Store – Kids could have spent 4 hours there. So many cool and iconic toys, really a treasured memory for them (and even me).
Matilda the Musical – It was absolutely outstanding. It helped that Niko played Matilda’s dad in a school play and so we were all very familiar with the songs, but even if that were not the case, it would be hard not to love it. Classic British experience.
London Eye – We didn’t go on but was lovely to see at night.
Harry Potter Studios Tour – A half a day experience at a minimum but wow was it worth it. We are not huge HP fans. We saw the movies and really enjoyed them and that is about it. We reserved in advance and took the official bus from Baker Street which made it easy as you can then leave at any time. Walking through the sets was incredible – makes us all very excited to rewatch the movies.
Museum of Illusions – We seem to find ourselves using the Museum of Illusions across different cities as a good way to pass time. We stumbled upon it and it was a perfect 1.5 hour stop before dinner reservations.
Puma Store – Apart from having cool merchandise, this store was unique because the kids sat at this table across from each other and played soccer. Hard to explain but see picture below, was a fun little stop.
Churchill War Rooms – This was absolutely fantastic. Boys and I went while George was working and while Leo didn’t love it, Niko could have stayed another hour longer walking through and learning so much. Most impactful was a presentation they hosted for about 15 minutes about the rations during the war. It was impactful for the kids to lean about the challenges people faced and hopefully brings even more awareness to their own circumstances.
Logo Store – Another fun stop with kids, you can make your own lego upstairs which can be a 30 minute activity in it of itself if you let it.

London Eats

Borough Market – A lot of major European cities have a grand market and I am a huge fan. As someone who likes 75 ingredients in their salad, I am a sucker for trying a little bit of different foods and so lots of vendors is my heaven. First stop was at Fish for the Fish and Chips. Wowza, crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside. Just across from Fish is Wild Mushroom Risotto and this was a real winner. Top it off with the very expensive fresh shaved Truffle and you have yourself a premium snack. There is a place that makes fresh Ginger/Apple Cider Vinegar shots and let’s just say it will wake up your insides. Just next to it is the Fudge shop with every flavor you can imagine.
Serpentine Lido – In the middle of Hyde Park, on the water, we had a drink up on the terrace which was a nice break
Hercules Pub – if you are staying near our hotel was a great local experience but not a destination
Fortnum & Mason Tea – This was a very classic British Tea experience and it delivered on every level. The room is beautiful, make sure to book at the main one at Diamond Jubilee as I learned there are other locations. The scones, Beef Wellington (Niko got of course), and the “savory desserts” were the highlights. Once you are done, I recommend going down stairs in the store to check out the Biscuitorium, which is exactly what it sounds like, a place where one sells many biscuits.
BrewDog – If you find yourself in Soho waiting on dinner reservations, we enjoyed a stop for drinks at BrewDog and the kids loved playing pool upstairs
Dishoom Covent Gardens – Dishoom is famous for its many locations and their cookbook. You should make reservations ahead but don’t worry if you can’t, they always reserve table for walk ins. The Black Dal, Chicken Ruby, Chicken Koti Roll and Lamb Biriyani along with the chocolate pudding were all stand outs but everything was so delicious.
Honest Greens Soho – I have a love affair with good salad places. Sweetgreens is my go to in Chicago but when I found Honest Greens in Spain a few years ago, my salad life changes. Please come to Chicago! Imagine my excitement when I learned that London has 1 location and so I dragged the boys there and it was as heavenly as I had remembered.
Snowflake Gelato next to Honest Greens – After their salads, the kids of course were due for some Gelato and so we found Snowflake around the corner. Dubai Chocolate Ice cream bar was amazing so would definitely recommend.
Flesh and Buns – This was a fun sushi and asian buns spot. It was great with kids and a solid variety for non sushi fans.
Gaia Greek – Unique experience because I got to meet up with 2 great friends from the states for a girls night! Upscale Greek restaurant in Mayfair that was absolutely delicious. It’s the kind of place we see in Greece often where you pick your fish from the case and there are many ways to prepare. It was also the first time I had a shaved raw cauliflower salad but it worked for me. I generally don’t drink alcohol anymore but on very rare occasion, I will have a drink. My friend was having the Ilia 18 and it was so incredible that I had to order one. It has Greek Yogurt in it but it’s not too creamy, just has a nice velvety sense to it.