A Long Autumn Weekend in London

London is gorgeous in Autumn. Our boys' fall school breaks are usually the second week of October, which is a perfect time to visit. 

Here is a suggested itinerary to make the most of your time there if you only have 4-5 days.  
 
If you do have more time, I would recommend a day trip to Greenwich, or to Windsor if you are more of a Royalist.

Day 1 (Friday):
Overnight flight – arrive by 9am in London
Stay near Westminster or the Strand (our favorites are St. Ermin’s and the Savoy)
Queue for changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace – Changing of the Guard is generally at 10:45 (get there 30 minutes early for a good spot), but check the website for any updates.
Go to a proper British Pub for lunch (suggestions include: The Feathers, Buckingham Arms, or the Ship & Shovell )
Mid Afternoon: self-guided tour at Westminster Abbey.
Late afternoon: at Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms
OR
Take the tube to Kensington for the V&A Museum
Dinner in Covent Garden at Mr. Foggs Tavern or SushiSamba

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Day 2 (Saturday):
If it’s a Saturday, it’s great to start the day at the Portobello Road Market. Don’t miss the Notting Hill Jacket Company and the Notting Hill Tote Bag for souvenirs, for yourself and for others.

Follow that with lunch at the Instagram famous Churchill Arms near Notting Hill.
 




We are big football (soccer) fans, so we’ll try to grab a game it we can.  You'll want to try to arrange for those tickets as soon as you plan your trip. But if footie is not your jam, then I would suggest the British Rail & Postal Museum.
 
For dinner, I suggest either Ivy in the Park or Masala Zone.
 
And if you are a theatre person (and I definitely am!) then purchase your show tickets around the same time you book your airline tickets, and then head to the theatre after dinner.​

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Day 3 (Sunday):
In Autumn, you want foliage. So to me that means two choices – either head to Hampstead Heath for the day, or to Richmond. For our most recent trip we chose Richmond.
 
Once in Richmond, be sure to stop and see the following:

• Paved Court (the Ted Lasso store is here, and the front door to his flat.)
•  Brewer's Lane
• Richmond Green 
• Richmond Park (deer)
• White Cross Pub (floods on each high tide, and has been there for 187 years!)

 
After spending the day in Richmond, we headed back to Paddington to pick up our reserved boat at GOBoats London and captained our own boat through the canals all the way to the London Zoo and back. No boating license is required, and each boat can hold up to 8 people. We loved the unique perspective on the city, seeing all the quintessential long boats, and the autumn water views. It was fantastic, and I highly recommend it.
 
For dinner, I recommend grabbing a bite in Chinatown.

Day 4 (Monday) :
This is a great day to visit the Tower of London (be there at 8:30 when it opens to avoid the crowds). I always do this as the first activity of the day and book an early access tour with the Beefeaters to watch one of the oldest ceremonies in the world – the Ceremony of the Keys.

Afterwards, head to lunch at Fortnum’s Bar and Restaurant at the Royal Exchange

For the afternoon. You can visit the Walkie Talkie Building and Sky Garden then head to St. Dustan in the East.
THEN…
You can head for afternoon tea
OR…..
You can do my Ancient Roman History Walking Tour through the oldest part of the city. I have linked to it here. It includes the London Stone, the London Mithraeum Museum, and the Roman Fort of Londinium at the Barbican. The best part? It’s all free.

For dinner I suggest keeping with the theme and eating at London’s Oldest Pub: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
 

Day 5 (Tuesday): Travel Day:
If you are traveling back to the East Coast, chances are that you’ll at least have the morning before you have to leave for the airport. I recommend enjoying a morning stroll to Leaden Hall Market which served as the exterior shot and inspiration for Harry Potter’s Daigon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in Sorcerer's Stone. It is located in the original Roman part of the city at Gracechurch Street and Lime Street.  You’ll get great pics without a lot of people in the way at this hour.
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