Is a week in london enough?

Question

I'm planning on visiting london with my wife soon and we're going to stay for a week. I've never been there before but my wife has. Would a week be enough for a general trip? Also, any suggestions for non-touristy things to do? We're coming from New York City, so we tend to shy away from some of the more typical attractions.

Thanks.

Answer 1

A week in London will be a great start.

There's lots to see.and visit. Here's a brief list of the main attractions.

Palaces - Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace. All of these are open to visitors.

Museums and Galleries - Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, The Tate and Tate Modern, British Museum, Imperial War Museum.

Famous Buildings and Monuments etc - The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Whitehall and Downing Street, Clarence House, St James Palace, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Marble Arch, Monument, Tower Bridge, London Eye.

Churches - Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, St Clement Dane, Temple Church, Saint Martin in the field.

There's such a lot to see I can't possibly list them all here. I'd recommend an Eyewitness Travel Guide as they're very comprehensive and include attractions, opening times, photos and maps.

Try the website for The Original London Walks as they do loads of guided tours around the city, They're very cheap and you can take Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, Charles Dickens, Museum and Ghost walks. They are very good indeed and you get to see the places lots of tourists don't eve know about.

Travel by tube or bus, It's cheaper than by taxi and very convenient. You can get travel cards from your nearest tube station.

The main shopping streets are Oxford and Regent Street. You can try New Bond Street for Designer labels. Camden for alternative clothing. There's a big mall in Brent Cross also.

As for food, there are places to eat everywhere. China Town in Soho is good and Brick Lane for Indian Food in particular.

There are lots of public parks and green areas in London. I'd recommend lunch al fresco if it's fine.
Have fun.

Answer 2

I am from Yorkshire (Northern England) I have spent the odd weekend in London and I personaly think 3 or 4 days is enough in London. I would stick with the "touristy" things though see the War Rooms, the Palace, The London Eye, Houses of Parliment, Tower Bridge ( which the Americans thought they had bought to put over Lake Haversue? (sorry about the spelling) when in fact they had purchased the London Bridge) have a cruise on the River Thames, take in a show at one of the old theaters like the Paladium etc but keep in mind that as in any City there are some places to avoid so keep safe.Then come up North visit Stratford upon Avon ( Speakspear Country) look around the Gloucester area for some nice villages on the way stay at an old inn and drink some beer. Stop off at York and visit the coastal town of Whitby ( eat / stay at The White Horse and Griffin or the Bagdale Arms) contact the english tourist board and have a lovely time.

Answer 3

The main London tourist attractions can be done within a couple of days if you avoid the museums. Add an extra day for each museum you want to do. A week is enough to get the major attractions done and experience a little of what else London has to offer. Like with any major city, once you are here, there will things you hear about that you want to see or do.

Take a look at http://www.londontourist.org/itinerary.html as it has some walks which take in some of the major attractions but also takes in some sights visitors miss. Other sites you may want to take a look at are http://www.visitlondon.co.uk/ and http://www.londonforfun.com/ .

Answer 4

You would need at least two weeks in London - but bear in mind that our prices aren't cheap. You have to see some of the attractions, otherwise there's no point coming. The London Eye, London Dungeon, Tower of London, Madame Tussauds (waxworks), the museums are just some of the attractions you can visit. There are boat trips on the River Thames. As for non-touristy things to do, well you could just stay in a B&B & do what you do at home.

Answer 5

I hope it's enough cause I'm planning a week long trip to London the day after christmas. I agree with the person who listed ideas for you to do only because I've been there a few years ago and those touristy things are so much and you can actually learn quite a bit from them. Hopefully your trip is amazing and not to expensive or long/short!

Answer 6

London is not actually that big to be honest......

you can get a really good overview of the city in just a few days...
If your here for a week, you could possibly try branching out a little further? Perhaps Oxford, which would only be an hour away on a train, and that is such a wonderful city.

A really nice place to go in London, would be the HMS Belfast, a warship which is now a museum.

National Gallery is always wortha visit too (and its free!)

Answer 7

The first thought was no, it isn't enough time. But if you are from NY, you can go back later if you miss something.

I love London. Like NY, it has the theater's (which you really need to see for comparisons.)

Just walking the city can keep you busy for days.

My favorit museum is the National Gallery. The artwork is amazing.

The British Museum is very interesting.

The touristy stuff in London is awesome. Don't pooh pooh it!

Albert and Victoria museum, National History Museum, Harrods, Tower of London.

It can take 2 weeks to see it all. Without the "touristy" stuff it can take about 3 days.

Enjoy!!!!

Answer 8

a week in London is never enough - and you must do the touristy stuff otherwise when you go back home what will you brag about
if you can travel a little further afield try Greenwich and/or Windsor two places with lots of history but that depends on what your looking for - if possible try to get tickets to a football match (instead of the theatre - costs about the same anyway)

Answer 9

I know it's probably a touristy thing to do but The Tower of London is a great place to visit, and make sure you give it plenty of time theres a huge amount of history there.

Answer 10

I believe that one week is enough time for a basic travel plan in London. You can't do everything you've planed, you'll have always a "to do" list but at least you and your family will be satisfied from the city. Have fun!