London is undoubtedly one of the best destinations to visit as a family, and if you are planning a three-day trip to London with children we understand how difficult it can be to plan the perfect trip, since London offers so many things to do with children, that It is not easy to choose what to do for three days in London. The age of the children will obviously be a key point when choosing which London attractions to visit. For this reason, although below we have included our plan to visit London in three days with children, here you will find a list of the 10 most famous attractions to visit in London with children: 10 attractions to visit in London with children , so you can adapt this plan to your needs. What will you find in this article?
Three days in London with children
That said, if it is the first time you visit London with children, I consider that there are some basic places that are essential to visit, such as Hamleys toy store , riding a double-decker bus , riding the London Eye and a visit to a museum, including the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the London Transport Museum. For older children, HMS Belfast , Churchill’s Bunker or the Imperial War Museum are always favorites. Depending on the time of year there will also be different things to do, so in summer the South Bank area (south bank of the Thames next to the London Eye) always has something for children, while at Christmas you have to visit the Christmas fair that ride in Hyde Park, great for kids of all ages: Winter Wonderland . If you plan to visit attractions where you need to buy a ticket, I recommend buying tickets in advance as it is usually cheaper than buying them at the ticket offices at the entrance and you also save yourself the queues. Another option is to get a tourist pass like the London Pass or buy combined tickets to save.
Itinerary to spend three days in London with children
Below we leave you our plan to spend three days in London with children and make the most of your time, but do not forget that you can also take a look at our article visit London in Three Days for more ideas if you need it.
Three days in London with children: First Day
For the first day of a trip to London, whether visiting London with children or without children, I always say that we have two options:
- Hop-on Hop-off, Thames Cruise and London Eye: Whether you’re with kids or not, I usually recommend the Hop-on Hop – off as I think it’s a great way to see London if this is your first time. In addition, they give away a free cruise on the Thames, which is what I liked the most when I visited London for the first time. If you go with children, you can tell them that they are going to get on a London double-decker bus and ride on a boat, they will surely love the idea, and you really save yourself having to take public transport for a day. This option entertains children of all ages and allows adults to see the city in an easy way. I would recommend taking the bus at the stop closest to your hotel, and going to theTower of London ( stop 18 ) to walk around this area. You can enter the Tower of London (a castle!!!) but keep in mind that it will take you a couple of hours to see it. From here we can take the cruise that takes us to Westminster where the London Eye and Big Ben are and from here continue our route with the tourist bus. The London Eye is usually open late, so it is a good opportunity to ride the London Eye and have dinner at one of the restaurants located in this area.
- No Tourist Bus: If you prefer not to ride the tourist bus, then I would recommend taking public transport to the Tower of London, visiting the Tower of London, crossing Tower Bridge and walking south of the river through this area as suggested in our itinerary 4 . If they’re older kids, they might really like HMS Belfast – a warship turned museum.
Attractions included Day 1:
- Tourist Bus: Information and Tickets
- Tower of London: Information and Tickets
- HMS Belfast: Information and Tickets
- London Eye: Information and Tickets
Second day in London with children
If you plan to visit the Harry Potter Warner Bros studios , I recommend going there directly in the morning, although it will depend on the time you have booked the Tour. If not, we start our second day by visiting one of London’s fantastic museums. As I mentioned before, there are two museums that I would recommend visiting with children: The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum . The bad thing is that you can spend a whole day in one of them… for this reason, you can go with the idea of choosing one and spending the day there… or see a part only if you want to take advantage of the afternoon to see something else. Both museums are in South Kensington, one next to the other, so it is possible to enter both if one wants. The natural history museum is fascinating – and I recommend going in if only to see the wonderful building. On the ground floor there is a dinosaur exhibition, which is what children usually like the most. So one option is to see this exhibition and then go to the science one. The science museum is one of the best to visit with children – everything is really designed for children to be entertained and it is really fascinating. Both museums usually close at 6 pm (check schedules on the official websites) so you can take advantage of the afternoon to visit something else if you still have the strength! You are very close to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens so if it’s summer go to the Diana Memorial for a walk, it will still be daytime, and if it’s Christmas you can go to Winter Wonderland . In the afternoon another option is to go to the center – you could even go to see a musical, since there are usually sessions at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm. To go with children I would recommend The Lion King or Wicked. More information: 10 best musicals in London.
Third day in London with children
We started the third day in London with children strolling through one of the most beautiful and magical squares in London, Covent Garden . Here I recommend entering the London Transport Museum , as it is also designed for children and is highly recommended in my opinion. From Covent Garden you can walk to the famous Piccadilly Circus square, passing through Leicester Square. In Piccadilly Circus there is the Rainforest Café restaurant , an experience to go with children. From here, we walk to Hamleys , London’s famous 6-storey toy store. and we can walk to Green park, Trafalgar Square, St James´ Park and Buckingham Palace.
Tips for spending more than three days in London with children
If you are going to spend more than three days in London with children, you can consider visiting attractions that children will love such as Shrek’s Adventure , Legoland , Hampton Court Palace , or visit another city such as Stratford Upon Avon (place of birth of shakespeare).
Tips for traveling to London with children
» Transport from the airport to the center: the journey from the airport to the center can be a bit heavy, since you usually have to get on a train and then take the metro… If you go with luggage and children, this trip can be a nightmare, and sometimes the simplest option is a taxi that takes you to the door of the hotel. You can see how much a taxi ride would cost here: London Taxi . » T ransport in the city: One thing to consider is public transport – children under 10 travel for free within London areas, but from the age of 10 you need or ask for a transport card in advance or buy an oyster card with a special discount for children. Here we have all the information: Transport in London for children . » Accommodation in London with children: If you are going to visit London with children, I recommend a more central hotel if possible, more than anything to avoid having to make long journeys by subway or bus from the hotel to the center every day. The Premier Inn hotel chain is one of the most recommended for family travel, and here we have listed the most recommended for value for money: Recommended hotels . » Where to eat in London with children: Here you will find a list of recommended restaurants to visit with children in London: Restaurants for children .