London Itinerary with Teens: Our 3-Night Family Trip

London Itinerary with Teens- My Experience

When I first started planning our trip to London I really had no idea where to start. I knew we wanted to do a walking tour of London to see famous landmarks and also wanted to visit Warner Bros. Studio- Making of Harry Potter, but that was really it.

Once I started researching and brainstorming the list really started to grow. It quickly became way more than we could really fit into the 2.5 days we had so I had to pick and choose what was a priority for us and what was not.

The itinerary we ended up with was perfect for us. It had a mix of planned activities with touring London at our own pace. We were very ambitious with what we planned and looking back I can’t believe how much we fit into one trip.

3-Night London Itinerary- Quick Look

This is a quick look at our London itinerary. Keep reading for full details of our trip.

Day 1: Arrive in London– Morning flight from Iceland to London, check-in to Marlin Aldgate Apartments, dinner at Theater Cafe, tickets for Matilda at West End.

Day 2: Full Day in London- Self guided walking tour, Borough Market, Shrek’s Adventure, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben

Day 3: Warner Bros. Studio Tour-The Making of Harry Potter

Day 4: Depart for Disneyland Paris

Preparing for Your London Trip

I had so many questions for our first visit to London. It is actually a fairly easy country to visit from the US because there is no language barrier. It is easy to get around and feels much like a big city in the United States. We felt it was very similar to walking around New York City.

Flight to London from United States & Passport Information

The flight from the Northeast is around 7 hours. When researching flights we found a great flight with IcelandAir that allowed for a 2-night stopover. This inspired our Iceland stopover itinerary, highly recommend if you have time!

The flight from Iceland to London was under 3 hours so the layover was nice to break up the longer flight. Everyone traveling will need a passport no matter what age they are and it must be valid for the length of your stay.

Getting Around London

There are a few different ways to get around London. Each has its pros and cons.

• Walk
• Use the London Underground/The Tube and trains.
• Cabs/Ubers
• Hop on-Hop off buses– use this if you don’t want to worry about learning the London Tube system.

We did a mix of walking and taking the London Underground. I thought we might use an uber at night but the subway (London Underground) felt safe and easy. I was very nervous to use the London Underground. I thought it would be very complicated and stressful.

Honestly when you first arrive there is a learning curve if you are not used to using public transportation and it can be chaotic with 5 people and their luggage. Once we figured it out, it was easy to navigate. You can use a credit card instead of a ticket, but you can’t use the same credit card for more than one person.

Kids also get a 50% off discount that has to be manually applied from a station employee. It seems more complicated than it is. I will go into more details in the itinerary portion of this post.

Communication & Money

The official language in London is English so if you are traveling from the US and are English speaking there will not be much of a language barrier.

In London they use the British Pound. Most places accept credit cards. We didn’t use cash often during our trip. There are a few exceptions like when tipping or some markets may be cash only. Be sure to check with your credit card company about foreign transaction fees. These can add up quickly.

Using a Cell Phone

This was a real concern when traveling for numerous reasons. We all have cell phones and I didn’t want to return home to a huge cell phone bill. For this trip my husband and I used an Esim and the kids uses free Wi-Fi wherever we were.

The eSim we choose was Nomad. You don’t need to switch anything out of you phone and can set it up before you depart. It is downloaded and installed on your phone.

We were able to use this in all the countries we visited during our trip to Europe. They offer data and SMS plans. We got a Europe 10GB data plan for $18.00 each.

It worked for google maps and other Wi-Fi needs during our trip. It was more than enough and we had no issues with our Wi-Fi. You want to have at least one person with Wi-Fi to help navigate your destinations. There is Wi-Fi available most places but you do not want to depend on that to get around.

Weather in London

The summer months are warm and the winter months are cold. We visited in June and got lucky with the weather. During our June/early July visit the average temperature was 70 degrees F and the sun was shining. We didn’t encounter any rain at all.

I did pack rain jacket ponchos and I suggest layering for your visit. The weather can be unpredictable and you want to be prepared.

Cost of a Trip to London From USA

There are a lot of things to budget for when planning a family trip to London. Below I listed the 4 major areas of vacation spending. The cost of everything is going up and that includes travel. It would be impossible for me to keep up with the changes in cost but this will give you a general idea to plan your budget.

Transportation cost should include all the different ways you plan to get around the city as well as trains and flights. The hidden costs of getting around once you are on your trip can add up.

Attraction costs can be a big portion of your traveling budget, especially as a family with teens where everyone pays adult prices. We try to balance free activities like self-guided walking tours with a few attractions we really want to see, like the West End musical Matilda.

Everyone will have their own priorities and ways to budget. My best tip is to be realistic on what you want to spend. Figure out what costs are fixed and what are flexible. From there you can decide what is worth a splurge and what is worth saving on.

These prices are estimates based on what we spent during our London trip. Your costs may be more or less depending on many factors. This does not include our flight.

• Transportation Costs: $225.00 (this includes Gatwick Express and the London Underground)
• Accommodation Cost: $1743.00 (3 nights at Marlin Aldgate Apartments, Tower Bridge)
• Food Cost: $560.00
• Attraction Cost: $580.00
• Total London Cost: $3108.00

It is not lost on me that accommodations were really expensive. This is not typically what we want to spend on hotels but for some reason this is the prices we were finding. We visited during summer which is peak season and finding accommodations for a family of 5 in Europe can be challenging.

I searched for hours trying to find a place that had what we needed, and was less expensive with no luck. For this trip we realized it was going to cost more than we initially thought. At that point we had to decide to take the trip or not. Once we decided to move forward we did the best we could to stay within a budget that we felt comfortable with.

Where to Stay in London with Teens

We stayed at the Marlin Aldgate Apartments, Tower Bridge. It was walking distance to the Tower of London and a few blocks from the London Underground.

We had a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment that include a kitchen area and a washer and dryer. Having a washer and dryer was so helpful because we were on a long trip.

One thing to keep in mind when visiting London in the summer is that not all hotels have A/C. This hotel did not. We were on the 16th floor and it was very hot when we first arrived to our room. Thankfully we could open the windows and there was a nice breeze to cool down the apartment.

There were also fans in the room. If air conditioning is important to you be sure to check that it is available.

Not sure where to stay in London? Use the map below to browse hotels:

London Itinerary with Teens

As I mentioned early in this post our London itinerary was ambitious and when I relive it I can’t believe how much we accomplished in such little time. Pick and choose what works for your trip or steal the itinerary for your own.

Day 1: Travel to London and the West End

We had a 7:40am flight out of Iceland to Gatwick, England. It was a 3:00am wake-up call to get to the airport and we arrived in Gatwick, England around 1:30pm.

Before we arrived in Gatwick I had booked us tickets on the Gatwick Express. I was under the impression that the Gatwick Express train had seats. I was wrong. There are two ways to get from Gatwick to London by train. You can take the regular train or the Gatwick Express. I purchased tickets thinking this would make our journey easier and faster. It did not.

The Gatwick Express is about 10 minutes faster, but it was chaotic and busy. We couldn’t even board the first train because there were so many people and we were a bit clueless. This led to a little melt down in an elevator. Travel and stepping out of your comfort zone can bring on a lot of emotions.

After we pulled ourselves together and had a little cry, we were able to find a train and make our way to our hotel. This took us a little under 2 hours. We had to take the Gatwick Express to Victoria station and then take the London Underground to Aldgate East station, the station close to our hotel.

I have to be honest and say this was a lot for us. We were tired, but we really tried to keep it together.

A great tip is to use google maps before you leave your house to map out your plan. This will give you an idea of how much time you need and what train stations you will be boarding. Don’t get me wrong, it is still complicated but this helped familiarize us with station names and better prepared us for what to expect.

Once we arrived at Victoria station we then had to purchase an Oyster card for our 3 days in London. My husband used the credit card. Me and the kids got oyster cards. You can do this at a kiosk but you need a station employee to add the 50% off kids discount to each card manually.

It is a bit of a hassle but the worker was very nice and helpful. Learn more about London Underground pricing and options. You have the option to order Oyster cards for the kids before you arrive in London but I ran out of time and didn’t get it done.

Eventually we made it to our hotel around 3:30pm. We were exhausted but had an evening planned in the West End. We rested for 30-40 minutes and then headed out for the night. I would most likely not plan a day like this again but it was the only way to fit in a show.

We really love the theater and musicals and had to see a show in the West End. The West End is like Broadway, but in London. Before our show we headed to dinner reservations at the Theatre Cafe Diner.

This place has musical memorabilia throughout the restaurant and the wait staff sings some of your favorite songs from popular musicals. It is a great place with a fun atmosphere. During our visit the grill was broken so we had limited menu options. We liked the chicken and waffle sandwich the best.

After dinner we walked to the Cambridge Theatre to see Matilda: The Musical. It was a really cute show with talented actors. After the show we took the London tube back to our hotel. Before our trip I was concerned about safety of traveling at night but it was very safe.

We didn’t feel there was any reason to avoid it. Of course use your best judgement when traveling because things can happen anywhere. You can use an uber or taxi if it works better for you.

Day 2: Self-Guided Walking Tour of London

I received so much advice about what to do in London. A lot of people recommended tours and attractions to book. I knew I had to follow my gut on what would work best for our family. If you prefer a guided tour be sure to check these guided tours of London.

I knew we would want to explore on our own and go off the schedule if we found something we wanted to see. Being our first time to London I wanted to see a lot but I also knew we don’t really love guided tours. This one day London itinerary to walk and explore was the best way for us to see a lot in a short time.

My husband and I spent hours putting together a self-guided walking tour that would be interesting to everyone in our family.

Self-Guided Tour of London Overview:

• Tower of London
• London Bridge
• Borough Market
• Shakespeares Globe
• Tate Modern
• Graffiti Tunnel
• London Eye
• Shrek’s Adventure
• Great British Fish & Chips
• Big Ben
• Westminster Abby
• Buckingham Palace

We started the tour at 10:30am and finished around 3:45pm. It was 8 miles of walking but we did sit down for lunch. The best thing about this itinerary is you can add or subtract anything on it that isn’t for you. If you want to spend time checking out the crown jewels purchase tickets for the Tower of London.

You should have a family meeting to talk about what everyone wants to do and create a London itinerary that works for everyone.

We started walking from our hotel to the Tower of London. The Tower of London is a historic castle and houses the crown jewels. We walked by the Tower of London to London Bridge. At each place we walked by we took time to stop and take pictures.

From London Bridge we went to Borough Market for breakfast. We were all looking forward to visiting this place so much. It is an open air market with different vendors and food options. We couldn’t possibly try everything so we had our hearts set on three things.

We tried the chocolate covered strawberries, the mushroom risotto, and a sausage roll from the Ginger Pig. Everything was delicious and I would visit the Borough Market anytime we visit London.

After the Borough Market we walked along the River Thames by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Tate Modern. Tate Modern offers free admission if you prefer a self-guided tour.

It was nice to walk along the river and just take in the area. We walked about 30 minutes and arrived at Graffiti Tunnel. This is an open air tunnel with artists working throughout the day. It doesn’t require admission and we walked back and forth through it to see the art work.

From there we made the short walk to the London Eye located in the central London area. If you want to see incredible views of the city and heights do not bother you, you should make reservations for the London Eye. The London Eye is a very popular tourist attraction and dates often sell out.

The London Eye looked great but we were most excited for our next stop: Shrek’s Adventure.

Shrek’s Adventure is an interactive experience that takes guests on an adventure through far, far, away. It is a mix between an escape room and interactive theater.

We had an absolute blast. The employees are fun and engaging Guests participation is used often throughout the experience. It is a good place for the whole family. Young children and older children will be entertained!

It was very fast paced and I thought we would have more time to take pictures but no video/photos are allowed once inside the experience. There are photo-ops with Shrek at the end of the experience as well as prop photo-ops of other DreamWorks characters.

Read our full Shrek’s Adventure London Review → for everything you need to know before you book.

After Shrek we were hungry for lunch and ready to rest our legs. We walked next door to the Great British Fish & Chips. I thought there might be a wait for a table but they were able to seat us right away. This is a fast food/casual dining spot.You go up to the counter to order and they bring you your meal. It wasn’t the best meal but it was good for a quick bite.

After lunch it was more walking! If this is too much walking you can always take the Tube to get to places or break it up into different days. We started walking by Big Ben and I don’t know what it was but I loved it. Maybe because it has been it so many tv shows and movies.

To see it is person was really cool. It is a busy area so be sure to keep your kids close and watch your purse and bags.

After Big Ben we walked by Westminster Abbey and continued on to Buckingham Palace. You can purchase tickets for Westminster Abbey to tour the building.

I do not follow the day to day of the Royals but I was interested to see the balcony where the Royals wave hello. It was a bit anti-climatic. We were able to look through the gates and I couldn’t believe how close it actually was.

This area does get busy so be patient when waiting to get a close look. We were also able to see the guards inside the palace gates, but no Royal spotting! If you want to see the changing of the guards it happens daily at 10:45am and lasts 45 minutes. This is one of the major attractions in London so arrive early and plan for crowds.

After Buckingham Palace we took to google maps to find the nearest Starbucks. We were in need of some coffee. Thankfully there was one close by and close to a tube station. We grabbed coffee and took the tube back to our hotel.

After our day of walking we ordered pizza from Pizza Union and spent the evening relaxing in our hotel. We took advantage of the laundry in our apartment and enjoyed relaxing.

Day 3: Day Trip to Warner Brothers Studio London- The Making of Harry Potter

For our last full day in London we took a day trip from London to Warner Brothers Studio: The Making of Harry Potter.

I purchased these tickets far in advance! If you know the day you want to visit you must purchase tickets before you arrive. I actually wanted tickets for a 10:00am ticket slot and wasn’t able to make one until 2:00pm.

This made lunch time a bit odd but it actually ended up working out okay because the trip to the studios takes about 90 minutes. We started our day at Dulce for a traditional English breakfast. This was within walking distance to our hotel and we were able to eat and then return to our room to get ready for the day.

We had to take the tube to go a few different stops. This will depend on where you are staying. Once we arrived at Watford Junction we took a bus to the studio. The bus is included with your admission ticket. Be sure to have that readily available.

If you don’t want to deal with the train transfers I highly suggest booking a bus tour to the Studio that includes tickets and transportation.

I would say we are casual fans of Harry Potter. We enjoy the Harry Potter attractions at Universal and have done the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in LA, but this is very immersive in the Harry Potter world.

Overall we enjoyed it but it was a very busy and crowded day, I was really wishing I had booked the first ticket block of the day. Most of our time felt like we were waiting in lines to see things. I did really like walking through the Dursley’s House and the greenhouse.

The recreation of scenes from the movies along with the costumes were really a neat part of the tour. This is self-guided so you can stay and explore as long as you would like.

Half way through the tour there is a place to stop and have lunch. The problem with this is everyone is stopping at the same time and lines were very long for food, but you don’t have a choice. If you can wait to eat until after you will be better off but we had to stop for lunch. It was typical burger and fries options.

We did order a Butter beer that was good! We also brought our refillable water bottles to keep in a backpack as we walked around. After lunch there is an outdoor area to see the Knight Bus and a few other props. Then guests can head through more about costume design.

The Diagon Alley part of the tour is very immersive and cool. It is much like the Universal Studios area but on a smaller scale. You can also walk through Gringotts Bank.

Read our full Harry Potter Studio Tour London Review → for tips on tickets, timing, and what to expect.

Overall we liked visiting the Making of Harry Potter and I am happy we did it but it is not something we would do again. You might have a huge Harry Potter fan in your group and want to visit but if you are not a Harry Potter fan I don’t think it is worth the trip.

Once done touring we took the bus and train back to London, stopped at Pret to pick up sandwiches, and went back to our hotel to pack for the next leg of our trip.

Day 4: Depart London to Paris

Our next stop was Disneyland Paris but first we checked out of our hotel and took the train to St. Pancras Station to board the Eurostar.

The Eurostar travels under the English channel between London and Paris, as well as other destinations. Purchase tickets ahead of time, you do get seats, and enjoy a relaxing journey into France.

London Trip Itinerary- Final Thoughts & Recap

Is London Worth It for Families? Absolutely yes- and it surprised us with how manageable it actually is for a first international trip. The lack of a language barrier makes it an accessible European destination for American families. We felt like we were in a very large, very interesting American city for the first few hours before London started feeling like its own completely unique place.

London is best for:

• Families visiting Europe for the first time- the language and cultural familiarity eases the transition
• Theater lovers- the West End is as good as Broadway and tickets are often less expensive
• History-obsessed teens- the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the walking history lesson you get just wandering the city is genuinely unmatched
• Harry Potter fans- the Studio Tour alone is worth the trip for serious fans

Be prepared for:

• Accommodation costs- London is expensive and family-sized apartments are not cheap in summer
• Walking, our self-guided day covered 8 miles. Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable
• The Tube learning curve- it feels daunting the first day and completely natural by day two
• No air conditioning, if visiting in summer check before booking

Would we go back? Without question. London is now at the top of our international destination list and the borough market sausage roll alone is reason enough to return. The best way to plan a family trip to London is to work together as a family to decide the best places you want to visit.

Exploring more of Europe? Visit our International Destinations Guide for every destination we’ve covered like London, Paris, Iceland, Disneyland Paris, and more.
Heading to Paris next? Read our 5-Night Paris Itinerary with Kids for how we planned the Paris portion of our Europe trip.

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