London Itinerary with Teenagers: EVERYTHING you’ll want to do

My son’s name is ’olden, my ’ubby plays ’ockey, my daughter is ’ilarious, and guess where we just went on vacation? ’ondon!!! Oh crap, that doesn’t work. London!!! Okay, I’ll stop talking like I’m British now, but it’s just so fun. Especially when you’re actually there and the real Brits can’t tell you’re American (bwhahaha, NOT). Anyways, I’ll quit my jabbering because we have A LOT to get to today.

Whether you’re planning a trip to London or just wanna see our pics, I have the most kickass London itinerary for families with teenagers (or kiddos!). I’ll include places we ate, places we shopped, links to our activities and I’m rating some of them as MUST-DOs. ’ere we go!!!

The Big Bus

The Big Bus is my favorite FIRST THING TO DO when you get to London. It helps you get the lay of the land and it’s a great way to rest but not fall asleep after arriving on the red-eye. Buy the tickets there so you can pick a dry weather day (it’s way more fun to sit on the top level!). I don’t expect they sell out, unless it’s peak season maybe.
P.S. Get the app. It will show you the actual buses and when they will arrive at your stop. 

The Tower of London-MUST DO (Buy you tickets ahead)

This is where Anne Boleyn was decapitated. Where criminals were stretched on the rack until their ligaments snapped. And where they keep the actual crown worn in coronations. It’s all here at the Tower of London, and your teens are definitely going to want to see it. As soon as you walk through the entrance, look for the clock that tells you what time the next Yeoman tour is. The Yeoman are hilarious story tellers. And the Tower of London will be the best history lesson your kids have ever gotten.

Harry Potter Experience (buy your tickets ahead)

This is literally the only thing on my itinerary that takes an entire day. While the Harry Potter Experience was a MUST-DO for me and Holden, it is not a MUST-DO for every family. Cons: It’s expensive, very far away, and doesn’t have the Hagrid motorcycle ride. Pros: you literally get to walk through the sets of Harry Potter where they filmed a lot of it and learn amazing secrets about how it was made. You’ll see how the animatronics work, walk through the Great Hall, and even get to pull mandrakes out of the garden! As a Harry Potter nerd, I thought it was incredible and learned so many cool things I never knew. If you are only mildly into Harry Potter, you’ll think it’s neat.

Football (REAL football that is)

As soon as you book your trip to London, check and see whether there’s any football going on. Wait, scratch that. BEFORE you book your trip to London, MAKE SURE there will be a football match going on. We took Holden to see England versus Latvia at Wembley Stadium and it was electric. I could have bought decent seats straight from Wembley, but I opted for better seats from this website. It’s all about creating core memories for our kids (so they’ll feed us mushy food and change our diapers one day). As Dani Rojas said in Ted Lasso, “Football is life.” And it sure felt like it that night.

The London Dungeons- MUST DO

If you have teens, this is a HUGE must-do. It’s super fun and I was very impressed. You take a giant elevator into the dungeons, and you go through these rooms where actors play out scenes of the gruesome historical stories of London. Like Jack the Ripper, the Plague, and other serial killers, etc. There are a few jump scares as well as things that make you feel like you’re getting brushed by rats and leaches and other scary things. The actors are phenomenal and get way into it. Muhahahahaha. And at the end of the tour, there’s a drop ride (but only if you want to go on it). This was one of my favorite activities and the whole family loved it.
P.S. This might be too scary for younger kids. My kids would have shat a brick if I took them to it years ago. 

Westminster Abbey– MUST DO (Buy your tickets ahead)

You’ve seen it on TV, but wow, seeing it in person takes it to a whole new level. The church is filled with the tombs of royalty, but also the resting place for Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, and so many more names your kids will recognize. And you can walk through the rooms at your own pace with an audio guide, so your teens won’t be bored out of their minds. 

Places to EAT

You’ll spend a lot of pounds in London, but don’t worry, you’ll get them right back when you step on the scale after your trip! Soooo much delicious food. Here were a few of our favorites!

Fishcotheque (Waterloo District)

It’s got a hip kind of divey feel and the fish and chips are top notch. And the service is incredible.

Borough Market-MUST DO

The Borough Market is like an outdoor maze of amazing food stalls. You can just go and wing it, but I actually did my research. The Bread Ahead crème brûlée donuts are a MUST. The pulled pork sandwich from The Black Pig was the second best sandwich I’ve ever had (the first was a Thanksgiving sandwich I had on Nantucket 40 years ago and still remember). And the viral chocolate strawberries were exactly what I expected. A cup of fresh strawberries doused in a chocolate fountain. Ummm, yes, please. FYI, the market was insanely crowded at certain places, so prepare yourself. I HATE crowds, but I would go back here every day if I could.

Harrod’s Food Hall-MUST DO

If you are a billionaire, by all means, go shopping at Harrod’s. But if you are a just a regular person, go to the Food Hall. It is unbelievable. We asked for help at the cheese station and the man took our tastebuds on a world-class cheese tour. There is also an entire room the size of a gymnasium devoted to different brands of chocolate. I meannnnn. We picked up dinner here and brought it back to the hotel to chow down where no one would see me eat my weight in chocolate.

A few other favorites we went to

Crust Bros. (great pizza!) and L’Uvilo (charming Italian, indoors or Al Fresco)

Do NOT visit the hot dog stand near the London Bridge

Unless you like very long, gross hot dogs.

Places to Shop

Camden Market-MUST DO

Literally the perfect market for teenagers!! A little more alternative than the rest of London. Jewelry, phone cases, accessories, bags, clothing, gifts, the list goes on and on. And the food stalls were also great! I had a curried chicken on rice that I highly recommend but good luck finding it. But I don’t recommend sitting or standing under the trees unless you like getting shat on. You just take the Underground to the Camden Town stop, walk a few blocks and you’ll be in teenage shopping heaven.
P.S. There is a super fun dart place near the food stalls. While Zoey and I shopped, the boys shot darts, and we ended up joining them eventually. Look for it!

Portobello Road in Notting Hill

This area is adorable!!! Colorful buildings, trees in bloom, and blocks blocks of both inexpensive and high-end shopping. There are stores with fashionable teen clothes, stands with tons of earrings and rings, a place that just sells expensive drawer knobs, and if you’re lucky, you might run into Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant and their baby! She must be born by now, right? 

Covent Garden

It’s like someone finally figured out how to make an awesome tourist trap. It’s beautiful and very fun! Covent Garden is filled with semi-high-end shops, delicious restaurants, a great but manageable flea market, and really fun street entertainers. Don’t miss the cream puffs at VyTA!!!!

The Theater District (Buy your tickets ahead)

If you like theater, London has it all. Since Holden would rather stab his eardrums out than see a musical, I took Zoey alone to see Phantom of the Opera. We saw it at His Majesty’s Theatre (so funny, they changed it to his when King Charles was coronated!). The theatre is so small and intimate compared to the ones on Broadway. We were beyond impressed.

P.S. There’s another play we didn’t see, but it looks great for teens too. It’s called The Play that Goes Wrong. Might be worth looking into.

The London Eye

So here’s the truth about the London Eye. It’s a bit of a ripoff. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, but it’s worth considering. Is it an amazing view of London? Absolutely. It’s like the biggest ferris wheel I’ve ever seen. Like each pod holds more than ten people! But the standard ticket is almost $50 per adult for a half hour ride. With that said, there are combo tickets, so you can combine it with the Big Bus or the wax museum and get some pounds off. This attraction can sell out, so you should decide before you go and pick your day ahead of time. Unless you want to wait for a clear day, which I feel like we should have done. 

Darts at Oche

According to my hubby and Holden, this place was insanely fun! And very high tech! They went when Zoey and I went to see theatre. It’s also the perfect way to chill out after you’ve been on your feet doing touristy things. And in case you want to know how to pronounce it, it’s like hockey without the “h.” 

The Underground- MUST DO

After our Big Bus tickets ran out, we decided to take a taxi. As Julia Roberts once said, “BIG mistake.” While the taxi drivers are the best in the world, you won’t be able to stop staring at the quickly upticking meter as you sit in traffic. BRU-TAL. The Underground is the way to go everywhere. It runs like a well-oiled ship… uhhh, train. It’s clean, efficient and fun people-watching. Get your kiddos Oyster Cards because their rides are cheaper. We got them each one with 20 pounds and ended up having just a few pounds left over at the end of the trip. And adults just scan their credit card to enter and exit the stations. At first the subway map will look intimidating and send you into a panic attack, but you’ll quickly figure it out. I promise.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. It’s big and not quaint or charming at all, but it was perfect for us. It’s in a great location right by the London Eye and the Waterloo Underground Station. Plus, there’s a great M&S Food Market very close by. For an arm and a leg and a head, we stayed in a suite and paid a little extra for a higher floor, both things I don’t regret since we were there 7 days and having a little extra room kept us sane. Also, there was a wonderful cafe in the lobby with deeelicious coffee.

Last but not least

Don’t let the long flight kill you for days. I highly recommend getting one or both of these travel pillows for the trip there and back. I LOVED the first one pictured here. It has something inside so it stays in whatever position you twist it. And Holden loved the inflatable one. It’s height-adjustable, super easy to blow up once you’re on board, and it came with earplugs and an eye mask. Holden slept for hours on it and arrived refreshed and ready to go. And don’t forget outlet converters!! (I am an Amazon Associate and can earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!!)

Holy crap was that a beast of a blog post!!! I hope it will help you plan your trip. And if you’ve been to London, please let me know what I missed because we will definitely be going back.

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