By Jessica Reinmann.
When our son turned 9 we decided he was finally old enough to start traveling (our daughter is 13). We thought London would be the perfect first international trip with no language barrier. We used the company Queen of Clubs to plan our excursions and we were very happy with them.
We chose to stay at the Gorring Hotel – it is a very central location and very British – – we wanted the kids to have the full experience. The hotel was fantastic (it is where Princess Kate stayed the night before her wedding), the staff was super helpful and great with our kids. But, the patrons are VERY formal – – and it was sometimes uncomfortable while we were walking around with our work-out clothes or in jeans. There are other more Americanized hotels that we would probably look at if we go back.
We knew the kids would be tired the first day so we didn’t schedule any walking. We went to Biscuiteers and did a biscuit icing class. It was so much fun (our son says it was his favorite thing we did the entire trip). It was just the four of us and we learned icing techniques and made London themed biscuits that we took home.
Day 2: We went on a Bike Tour of the city. We have done bike tours in many of the cities we have been to and it is always great fun. Unfortunately, it was super cold and rainy and we were not properly prepared (so you will not see any pictures). Our guide, however was fantastic and knowledgeable and I would totally recommend doing a bike tour if you go in the summer. Before the rain got too heavy we rode through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and St. James’s Park. That night we ate dinner at Langan’s Brasserie – which was amazing.
Day 3: We went to Windsor Castle – It is about 20 minutes outside of central London and it is so worth it. I would definitely recommend going with a guide – the line was about three hours long but because we were with the guide we got on the “fast pass” line which was only an hour. Also, once in, the guide was really able to give us the historical significance. Since we were there right before Easter and that is where the Royal family spends their holiday, we saw a number of Royals coming in. We also went to the Church where Prince Harry and Megan Markel got married. The town of Windsor is really cute too – we had lunch there and walked around a bit. That night we went to Amaya – It is by far our favorite Indian restaurant in London (and probably the world) – – it is completely worth the price!
Day 4 we did a full morning with a tour guide for the Changing of the Guard. Our guide was a former guard himself and he brought his uniform! He took us back stage to where the horses are kept and we watched them leave for their March. We had a front row seat to the March and the changing of the Guard. We went in to the Guard Museum where we got to try on his outfit! 
This tour was super cool, but a bit repetitive on history and information from our first tour – I would recommend this over the bike tour because we got all the history from someone who lived it. For anyone who watches “The Crown” – – he spent many nights in the room where Princess Margaret had her wild parties and told us more salacious stories!!!
In the afternoon we went to the Tate Modern which is an amazing museum . . . our kids are not that into art and were bored so we did not stay long, but for anyone who likes modern art it is a treat and I would not miss it. From there, we walked to dinner at Hutong at the top of the Shard. Dinner at the top of the Shard is not to be missed (there are three restaurants and all are great). You have a full view of London.
Day 5: In the morning we did a street art tour and graffiti class in East London . . . This was amazing and not to be missed.
East London is a super cool and trendy and has a ton of famous street artists work prominently displayed. Our guide (and teacher) was an artist himself and made the tour super fun.
In the evening we went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. This is about 45 minutes outside of London. If your kids are HP fans then I definitely recommend. Most families spend about 3 hours there – we were quick and made it through in about 90 minutes. If you go, do not miss the butter beer ice-cream – – it is the only place in the world you can get it and it is amazing!
Day 6: In the morning we did an East London Food Tour. This was by far the highlight of the trip for everyone but my son (who still says the biscuit decorating was his favorite). We saw much more of East London on the tour and learned a ton about immigration in London. We sampled some of the best food and our guide was a blast. After the tour my daughter and I shopped for a while (there is great shopping in East London – – – cool little shops). That evening we went to see “The Play that Goes Wrong”, which originated in London and was FANTASTIC – I highly recommend for the whole family.
Day 7: This was our departure day, but we managed to squeeze in a trip to Churchill’s Bunker. It is an underground bunker that Churchill used as his base of command during WWII and especially during the bombing of London. This is not to be missed. I liked that we did it towards the end of the trip so the kids had a good understanding of the history of England before we got there.
All in all our trip was amazing. I do think we could have had the same experience in 5 days, with one less tour of the city and a little less downtime in the afternoons.
