Hello all! My husband, teenage son and I have planned a trip to London and Edinburgh for this summer. The two of them are big tennis fans and have tickets for Wimbledon, and they also love WWII history; I'm a British history buff in general but especially the medieval and Anglo-Saxon eras. I enjoy British literature as well. Bearing those special interests in mind, my itinerary draft is below and I would love any feedback.
I've been to London once before, about 20 years ago; this will be my husband's and son's first time. None of us has visited Scotland at all. I don't usually like to cram in too many big sights per day, but if some days feel too light, I am open to suggestion. Other than Friday 7/1, which is firm, we can switch any of the days around.
Thanks so much!
Saturday 6/25
- Arrive LHR early a.m.
- Check in at accommodations in Belgravia (we always reserve the previous night so we can check in right away when we get there)
- Usually we like to keep arrival day loose so we can crash whenever the jet lag takes hold. We might take a walk along the South Bank of the Thames to get our bearings and some fresh air (roughly Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, maybe with a stop at Borough Market).
Sunday 6/26
- Boat or tube to Greenwich
- Royal Observatory
- National Maritime Museum
- Greenwich Market and shopping (I have been to both the observatory and the maritime museum before, so will likely leave those to the guys)
Monday 6/27
- British Museum (I allowed a full day for this as it is one of the main highlights for me and I missed it on my first trip to London - the guys will probably hit saturation point before I will, and they'll just play the afternoon by ear.)
Tuesday 6/28
- Westminster Abbey
- Choral evensong at Westminster Abbey
Wednesday 6/29
- Husband & son: Churchill War Rooms
- Me: British Library
- St. James' Park & Hyde Park
Thursday 6/30
- Tower of London (tickets booked)
- All-Hallows-by-the-Tower
- St. Dunstan in the East
Friday 7/1
- Husband & son: Wimbledon (tickets booked)
- Me: Sussex day trip with private guide - Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Rye and more (booked)
Saturday 7/2
- Open day - thinking this might be a good day to take a break from sightseeing and do some wandering, relaxing, shopping, etc. I would like to browse the Portobello Road antiques market, and my son, who is a huge classic rock fan, wants to check out the record shops in Soho. I don't know much about London shopping, so please feel free to make recommendations.
Sunday 7/3
- Cambridge day trip
- Punting tour (do we need to book this in advance?)
Monday 7/4
- Husband & son: Bletchley Park day trip
- Me: National Gallery & Courtauld Gallery
Tuesday 7/5
- Train London > Edinburgh
- Check in at accommodations near Old Town
- Late afternoon/evening open
Wednesday 7/6
- Edinburgh Castle
- St. Giles' Cathedral
Thursday 7/7
- Dunnottar Castle day trip via train (I like ruins, so this looks more appealing to me than Stirling or one of the other major castles)
Friday 7/8
- National Museum of Scotland
Saturday 7/9
- Train Edinburgh > London
- Overnight at LHR hotel
Sunday 7/10
- Depart LHR
