6 days in London without children in July.
London is so multicolored, it has everything from all over the world. Everyone can find something for him and something not. You have to make a lot homework before you go there. July is actually not a good time to travel to London, because it is the busiest month in terms of the number of tourists and it was very hot this year.
Arrival
Landing at Luton Airport on Easyjet. The plane is dense and you cannot even move a backseat.
The easiest and cheapest way to reach the city center is to book online a 757 Greenline or A1 National Express bus ticket, which costs about 7-10 pounds, you can also buy it from the driver, a little more expensive. In the center of the city it stops at several stations, from each station you can take a city bus, subway or take a taxi to your place. Please note that in a city bus you will not be able to buy a ticket from the driver only in machines or at the ticket office at the main stations.
Accommodation
We rented a two-room apartment near Kennington Subway Station, a convenient location, 15 minutes from the city center. Of course, if you want to go straight from the apartment to restaurants in the evening, it is better for you to rent in the city center and of course, it will be more expensive. The hotels were much more expensive than our flat, which was excellent and cost us £ 106 per night.
Booking.com
City transportation and attractions discounts
If you intend to stay in the city for more than 5 days, I recommend you to purchase a National Rail Travel Card for a week. You can buy it at large train stations, not in the subway! It is important to bring a passport photo for this card.
This card costs about £ 34 and allows you to move freely in any London transport in 1-2 city areas. In addition, if two people buy such a card then it gives you a 2in1 discount of most attractions in the city. Enter the National Rail website and print out the attractions coupons you plan for a certain day and bring it with you.
Local SIM card
We bought a local SIM card from one of the companies in the first kiosk selling mobile accessories. You do not have to go to the stores of large communication companies. It costs quite the same about 10 pounds for a 3 GB internet card and 100 minutes of local calls.
Brief route:
Here you can see all the waypoints on the Google Maps and also use Google navigation to the place:
You can also download KML file and open it in other offline application for navigation and editing:
Day 1:
Tower of London. When entering the fortress in the morning I recommend you immediately to go to the Jewel house where the crown jewels are displayed, because after that, there will be long queues.
We crossed the Tower Bridge (check out the times when the bridge goes up) and continued walking along the Promenade to the Shakespeare’s Globe
We planned to enter the Borough Market, but gave up and went on to Millennium Bridge and crossed it.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is open until 16:00 so be there before, you go up to an excellent view of the city at the highest point in the church, please note there is a queue for observation.
From the church, we got on a red double-decker bus number 15 from the sixties and made a short tour to feel the atmosphere of London.
Day 2:
In the morning, we went to the Shoreditch neighborhood, which is a neighborhood of street artists and giant graffiti on the houses. We walked through Hanbury Street, Brick Lane, Shoreditch Boxpark, Shoreditch High Street.
In the evening, we planned to go and listen to live music in the place called The Old Blue Last – Live Music, but in the end, we did not get it.
After that, we came to Leicester Square, there was a parade so it was quite crowded and colorful but the atmosphere was happy and festive.
Visit the huge Lego store.
Piccadilly Circus.
From there we went to see a soccer game of the England national team in our neighborhood White Bear pub.
In the evening, we went out with friends who live in London to an excellent Russian food restaurant “Zima”. The most delicious Russian gourmet food I have eaten so far. It turns out that you have to book a place for this restaurant in advance because it is very popular.
Day 3:
Cycling outside the city in Richmond Park. We rented bikes online on that morning at a bicycle shop at the Richmond train station.
Towards evening, we came to the impressive Sky Garden observation point. We booked two weeks before free online tickets, every Monday opens a two week subscription. There is also the possibility to book a restaurant with a view over the city.
From there we continued to the Big Ben area, which unfortunately was on renovation.
We walked around the Parliament and continued toward Piccadilly Circus to see it at night.
Day 4:
This morning we went to see the exchange of the guard in the Whitehall yard. There was much less crowded then in front of Buckingham Palace.
We visited the Churchill War Rooms.
Prime Minister residence on Downing Street 10.
We planned to enter the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster, but we decided not to wait in line and gave up. You can check the website of the Parliament when there are public debates and then everyone can watch for free the celebration of British democracy. The entrance is through Cromwell Green entrance to visit debates.
Westminster Abbey.
Take a walk along St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace.
We finished the day on a trip to Hyde Park where you can rent a boat on the lake. It is better not to come to the park on Sundays.
Day 5:
The British Museum – a very impressive museum of human history and world cultures. The museum opened at 10AM and it is good to arrive at the opening time and spend at least 3 hours, in the afternoon it will be more crowded there. It is recommended to take an audio guide at the entrance and mark on the map which halls you want to visit and not go over the entire museum because it is simply huge.
Oxford Street – for those who love shopping. You can spend a few days there, depending on your level of addiction to this drug.
Soho – a neighborhood with narrow streets, lots of cafes and pubs.
China Town – A few streets in Soho, where Chinese, Japanese, Korean restaurants and massage rooms are concentrated.
Covent Garden – covered market.
Royal Opera House.
Day 6:
We arrived at a charming canal area called Little Venice from which we took a travel boat ride to the Camden Lock market. It is highly recommended to visit if you like shopping and street food from all over the world.
A visit to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, there is The Beatles store near the museum.
The famous Abbey Road Zebra Crossing.
Noting Hill neighborhood and a very beautiful Portobello Market.
Towards evening, we arrived at Trafalgar Square.
Phantom of the opera at Her Majesty’s Theater. We bought tickets online, but there are those who recommend coming in the morning to Leicester Square and buying tickets for half price.
Photos and description:
Day 1:
Where is the promised London fog? You feel the heat mostly in buses and in the subway without air conditioning. London like NY is really the Babylon of our time.
Day 2:
The Graffiti Shoreditch neighborhood
Kings Cross and Harry Potter platform
From Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus.
Master Yoda, is that you?
Lego store
Day 3:
Someone likes shopping and spends all their free time in malls, but we wanted to get rest of the city, and went riding a bike in the Richmond Park. 
In the evening we went to the observation deck of Sky Garden.
London Eye
The Big Ben was was a little sick.
Piccadilly circus at night.
Day 4:
Exchange of horse guards in front of Whitehall
Royal Air Force 100 years celebration
In the new F35 cockpit
Churchill’s war rooms
The Parliament
Westminster Abbey
The Buckingham Palace
Hyde Park
Day 5:
The day we started from the impressive British Museum. All the history of humankind in one place, three hours we were there and we barely saw a tenth.
Then we went to Oxford Street. If you want authentic shopping, go to Camden or Portobello markets. After that, we took a walk around Soho and ate there in a very tasty cafe called “Ugly dumplings”.
The China town
Covent garden
Day 6:
On the last day we drove to an amazing area called Little Venice and made a boat ride there to the Camden Market. A street food market from all over the world.
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Noting Hill neighborhood and the Portobello market where we ate at the PIX restaurant where you can taste for 15 pounds all different delicious Basque tapas.
Trafalgar Square
The Phantom of the Opera in Her Majesty’s Theatre.
