London With Kids: The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary
London is one of the best cities for an international family trip, and for good reason. Some of the city’s best museums are completely free, kids under 11 ride buses and the Underground for free with a paying adult, and there’s always a park or playground nearby when everyone needs a break. With three days in London, you can see many of the city’s biggest sights, mix in plenty of kid-friendly fun, and still keep the pace manageable for the whole family.
This London with kids itinerary is keeps each day in a single part of the city, so you’re not moving across the city in one day, which can be daunting: London is huge. Day one covers Westminster and the River Thames, day two is the museum district and Hyde Park, and day three is the Tower and the east side. If you have more time, I’ve added some of my favorite additional day trips to round out a 4- or 5-day stay across the pond.
Before You Go: Quick Planning Notes
Best Time to Visit London With Kids
London has plenty to see and do in every season, but you may prefer one over the other for your family:
- April to June: Long days, gardens in bloom, and the weather is as good as London gets. This is the best window for families.
- July and August: Warmest and busiest. Attractions sell out, prices can climb, and museums get packed. Book everything ahead of time. Summer heat is also a real consideration now in a way it wasn’t ten years ago, with heat waves creeping in.
- September and October: Still mild, noticeably quieter once British schools go back, and hotel prices come down.
- November to March: Short days and plenty of grey skies, but the city comes to life around the holidays. Christmas lights, ice rinks, and every free museum is a great idea when it’s raining.
Whatever month you pick, pack a rain jacket for everyone and shoes that can get wet. London rain is rarely dramatic, but it’s almost always present.
Getting Around London With Kids
London has a fabulous public transit system that makes getting around with kids a breeze. Children under 11 travel free on the Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line when they’re with a fare-paying adult, up to four kids per adult. They don’t need a ticket at all. You take them through the wide gate with you. Under 11s also ride buses and trams free at any time, with or without an adult.
For kids aged 11 to 15, ask staff at any Tube station to add the Young Visitor discount to an Oyster card. It gives them child fares and lasts 14 days, which covers almost any family trip.
Adults just tap a contactless card or phone. There’s a daily cap, so once you’ve made a few journeys the rest of the day is effectively free. Buses are a flat fare no matter how far you go, and the Hopper fare means you can change buses as many times as you like within an hour for that one fare.
Some things to know to make your day easier:
- Buses can be better than the Tube with young children. You get a view, there are no stairs, and the top deck front seats are the cheapest attraction in London.
- Not every Tube station has a lift (elevator). If you have a stroller, check step-free access before you plan a route, or take the bus instead. Buses are one step up from the street to enter, so that’s much easier with a folded stroller.
- The Uber Boat river service on the Thames is real public transport rather than a tour, and it’s a good way to cover distance while the kids think they’re on a boat ride. Keep in mind that the inside has no AC, so you’ll want to sit in the back where it’s open on warm days.
Practical Tips for London With Kids
- The big museums are free. The British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern and National Gallery all cost nothing to walk into.
- Book paid attractions in advance. The Tower of London, the London Eye, and anything Harry Potter related sell out in school holidays.
- Pubs are family friendly at lunch. Most welcome children until early evening and almost all have a kids menu.
- Public toilets are scarce and often cost money. Use the ones in museums and department stores while you have the chance.
- Look right before you cross. It’s painted on the road for a reason, and it’s the one thing worth drilling into kids before you land.
- Build in park time. London has green space everywhere, and a park is a great way to end a long sightseeing day.
- Sort out your data before you land. You’ll be checking maps and bus routes constantly in London, so having a connection the moment you step off the plane matters. Try Holafly for an eSIM, which installs before you leave home and switches on when you arrive, so there’s no hunting for a SIM card in an airport with tired kids. Use code MARIHOLAFLY for a discount.
Where to Stay in London With Kids
London is really big, so when you’re planning London with kids the neighborhood matters as much as the hotel. What you want is somewhere with a Tube station, somewhere with a range of places to eat, and a park within walking distance. These three areas do all of that.
South Kensington
This is the easiest area for families. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum are all on the same street, Hyde Park is a short walk north, and the neighborhood is calm in the evening. If you’re traveling with younger kids and want to be able to walk home for a nap, stay here.
Westminster and the South Bank
Staying near the river puts you walking distance from Big Ben, the London Eye, Borough Market and the Tate Modern. The South Bank in particular is a good base because the whole riverside walk is flat, wide and stroller friendly, and there’s almost always something happening on it.
Covent Garden and Bloomsbury
Central, walkable, and close to the British Museum. Covent Garden has street performers going most of the day, which buys you a free half hour whenever you need one. Bloomsbury just north is quieter and often better value, and Coram’s Fields is there, a seven-acre playground where adults are only allowed in if they arrive with a child under 16.
East London
On our last trip, we stayed at the Hyatt Place London City East. Our room was spacious for being in the city, included free breakfast, and was walking distance to a Tube station and other attractions like the Tower of London. We used points to get our stay for no cash out of pocket.
3 Day London Itinerary
Here’s how I recommend breaking down the days on your London with kids itinerary:
- Day 1: Westminster, Buckingham Palace, and the river
- Day 2: The South Kensington museums and Hyde Park
- Day 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and Borough Market
Day 1: Westminster and the River Thames
Start at Westminster station. Come up the stairs and Big Ben is directly in front of you, which is a delightful first moment for kids who have only seen it on TV. The bridge behind it gives you the postcard view back toward the London Eye.
This is a great time to actually ride the London Eye if it’s on your list, and you’re not afraid of heights. Make sure to buy a timed ticket in advance, and remember that you will still wait in the line to get into a pod, even with a timed ticket. one hot or cold days, the London Eye can be a great break since the pods are temperature controlled, with both heat and AC.
Walk up Whitehall toward Trafalgar Square. You’ll pass Downing Street behind its gates and the Horse Guards, where two mounted soldiers sit completely still while tourists photograph them.
Trafalgar Square is worth a stop. The four bronze lions at the base of Nelson’s Column are the thing kids head straight for, but you’re meant to stay on the stone bases rather than climb onto the lions themselves. The bronze has been worn thin in places after more than a hundred and fifty years of climbers, and the statues stand around eleven feet tall. The plinth gets you the same photo without climbing.
The National Gallery is in the Square and free. With kids, don’t try to do the whole gallery. Pick three paintings, find them, and leave, or play the animal game, where each child counts how many of a certain animal they see in the paintings.
Buckingham Palace is a fifteen minute walk through St James Park, which is one of the nicest walk in central London and has a lake full of pelicans. If you want to see the Changing of the Guard, check the schedule ahead (it doesn’t run every day), and get there early, so little ones can see (it’s standing only). It is free, and can get crowded, but it is worth doing.
In the afternoon, get out on the water. The Uber Boat runs from Westminster Pier and takes you east past the whole skyline. You can ride it to Tower Bridge or all the way to Greenwich, if you’re enjoying the ride.
For the evening, Covent Garden is a ten minute walk from Trafalgar Square and the street performers run until late. You can get dinner at one of the food stalls, and the covered market is a good place to sit if it’s raining.
Day 2: Museums and Hyde Park
Day two is the reason South Kensington is such a good base for London with kids. Three world-class museums, all free, all within two blocks.
Start at the Natural History Museum and get there for opening. The building is incredible, with a blue whale skeleton hanging in the entrance hall. The dinosaur gallery is the main event, and it gets busy fast, so do it first before the other galleries. A free timed ticket is recommended but not strictly mandatory for general admission, though booking online in advance helps you skip the main queue.
The Science Museum is directly next door, and it’s great for a hands-on experience. Wonderlab is the interactive gallery for kids aged between 7 and 14, and it’s the one paid part of the museum.
The Victoria & Albert Museum is across the road and is the most adult-focused of the three, but the courtyard has a shallow paddling pool that children run straight into on a warm day. It’s a good place to eat lunch and let everyone reset.
In the afternoon, walk north into Kensington Gardens. The Diana Memorial Playground is here and it’s the best free playground in central London, built around a wooden pirate ship in a sand pit. Adults are only admitted with a child, so there are no stranglers milling around. It gets busy in the afternoon, and they cap numbers, so there can be a line.
From there you can walk through Hyde Park to the Serpentine, where you can rent a pedal boat, or just keep walking east and come out near Marble Arch.
Day 3: The Tower, Tower Bridge, and Borough Market
The Tower of London is the one paid attraction in this itinerary that’s worth the money. It’s a real castle, there are live ravens, the Crown Jewels are inside, and the Yeoman Warder tours are included in your ticket and can be really funny. They are performers as much as guides, and they hold children’s attention very well.
Book online for a timed slot and go first thing. The Crown Jewels queue is the longest between midday and mid-afternoon. Children under five are free.
Tower Bridge is right there and you can walk across it for free. If you want to go up, the Tower Bridge Exhibition takes you along the high walkways with a glass floor you can look straight down through. Kids can follow the Tower Bridge Cat Trail to collect stamps in an activity booklet or passport by finding Bella the Tower Bridge Cat along the high-level walkways and engine rooms.
Cross the bridge and walk west along the south bank to Borough Market. This is the best food stop in this itinerary. It’s a real market rather than a tourist one, and you can ask for samples. Picking lunch from the different stalls can be more fun for kids than sitting in a restaurant. Go on a weekday if you can, because Saturday is chaos.
The Internet famous Turnips at Borough Market is worth the hype. They serve fresh, whole strawberries in a cup and generously coated with warm, silky melted Belgian milk chocolate from a fountain machine. One cup was enough for the four of us to share. Find them at stall 43.
From Borough Market you’re a short walk from the Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge, which crosses to St Paul’s. Walking the bridge is free and the view back along the river is one of the best in the city. The Tate Modern is free to enter, although timed ticket are recommended. If you don’t want to see the exhibits, skip to the cafe, which has an outdoor balcony that has a lovely view over the Thames. It can be a great spot for a quick snack or walking break.
If anyone still has energy, Sky Garden is free with an advance booking and gives you the best view in London without the London Eye queue.
What to Add If You Have More Time in London With Kids
Three days covers central London. If you have more time, these are the the side trips I’d add. Each one is a full day, so plan for that when adding them on.
Richmond
Richmond is twenty minutes from central London and feels like a quaint village. There’s a deer park, a riverside, and if anyone in your family watches Ted Lasso, most of the show was filmed there. I have a full guide to spending a day in Richmond with kids.
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is about the same distance out and a short hop from Richmond, so you could pair the two if you had a long day or wanted to stay over nearer to LHR on your first or last day. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s enormous, with glasshouses full of plants you won’t see anywhere else. For kids the draws are the Treetop Walkway, which puts you up at canopy height, and the Children’s Garden, which is one of the biggest play spaces in London (it is massive and endless!). Plan on most of a day.
Greenwich
Greenwich is a spot that feels different from central London, and getting there is half the fun because you can take the river boat all the way down. The Cutty Sark is a real tea clipper you can walk underneath, the National Maritime Museum is free, and up the hill in Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory lets kids stand on the Prime Meridian with a foot in each hemisphere. The view back toward the city from the top of the park is beautiful.
Harry Potter
The Warner Bros Studio Tour is where the Harry Potter films were made. It’s outside London, tickets sell out weeks ahead, and it takes a full day. If you have a child who is into the books, it’s worth building the trip around.
The British Museum
The British Museum deserves its own morning rather than being squeezed in. It’s free, it’s enormous, and the Egyptian galleries are fun and interesting for the whole family.
Even More London
If you’re still looking for more to do in London, the best way forward is to consider what your family likes best. After all, London is a huge city like NYC or San Francisco, and there’s truly something for everyone.
If you’re movie fans, Notting Hill is a short trip from the museum district and lovely to walk through. Portobello Road market runs on Saturday and is the one place that’s better when it’s busy.
If you have Beatles fans, the Abbey Road crossing is in St John’s Wood and costs nothing, and there’s a shop next to it selling endless Beatles merchandise. Liverpool is the real Beatles home, but it’s two and a half hours each way by train, which makes it an overnight rather than a day trip.
A Note on Summer Heat and Air Conditioning
We’ve now visited London twice in June, and it’s important from an American family perspective (aka AC lovers) that you know what to expect. UK summers have changed dramatically in recent year. Summer 2025 was the warmest on record for the UK, with four separate heatwaves. Summer 2026 ran hotter still, and by mid-July had already logged more days above 86℉ than typical for entire summers. The UK all-time record 104.5℉.
Most of the city still has no air conditioning. Hotels, restaurants, shops, homes, and much of the transport network were built for a cool damp climate that never needed it. A 95℉ day in a building with no cooling is a very different experience from a 95℉ day in Florida, and you’re going to feel it.
If you’re traveling in June, July, or August, a few things help:
- Confirm your hotel has air conditioning. Many older and mid-range London hotels still don’t have it, and a fan isn’t the same thing when nobody can sleep. Even places with AC usually only get down to 74℉ at the coolest, which can make settling down for sleep a challenge.
- Know which Tube lines are cooled. The deep lines run hot and have no air conditioning, which includes the Central, Northern, Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Victoria and Jubilee. The District, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Elizabeth lines are air conditioned, and so are the buses. On a hot day, it’s worth taking a slower cooled route over a faster hot one.
- Use the museums as your midday cooling break, but check first whether they’re air conditioned. The British Museum, for example, doesn’t have full air conditioning across the whole building, which can make certain galleries uncomfortably hot on a summer day.
- Carry refillable water bottles both for kids and adults. Refill points are common across the city now, and any pub or restaurant that serves alcohol has to give you free tap water if you ask for it.
- Move the outdoor parts of each day to the morning and the evening. London stays light until well past nine in midsummer, so an evening park walk is easy to build in.
None of this means avoid summer! But if your dates are flexible, late May, September, and early October give you long days without the weather risk, and that’s a large part of why the shoulder seasons are the better bet for London with kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in London with kids?
Three days is enough to cover the major sights without rushing. Five lets you add Richmond, Kew, or Greenwich, and gives you a slower pace, which is usually the better trip with younger children.
Do kids travel free on the Tube in London?
Children under 11 travel free on the Tube, DLR, Overground, and Elizabeth line, when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, up to four children per adult, and they do not need a ticket. Under 11s also travel free on buses and trams at any time. Children aged 11 to 15 can get child fares by asking Tube station staff to add the Young Visitor discount to an Oyster card.
To be clear, this means 10 years old or younger. Don’t get caught with an 11 year-old without a ticket because there is a hefty fine.
Is London expensive with a family?
It can be, but many of the biggest attractions are free. The major museums cost nothing, the parks are free, children ride public transit free, and the best views in the city are from Sky Garden and the Millennium Bridge, which are also free. Accommodation and food are where most of your budget will go. However, accommodations can become significantly cheaper or even free when utilizing points and miles.
What is the best area to stay in London with kids?
South Kensington is the easiest, because three major museums and Hyde Park are all walkable and the area is quiet at night. The South Bank and Bloomsbury are also good, and both are more central. East London can be lovely if you are prioritizing the Tower Bridge area.
Is London walkable with young children?
Central London is very walkable, but distances look shorter on a map than they feel. Plan on using buses between neighborhoods and walking within them. Not all Tube stations have lifts (elevators), so check access if you have a stroller.
Final Thoughts
There’s a good reason London is so popular with families. With free family-friendly attractions, discounts on public transit for kids, history, entertainment, great food, playgrounds, and more all around, you’re never short on fun things to do on a family trip. If you want even more London, check out my 22 Best Things to Do in London With Kids.
If you’re planning a Europe itinerary, these places pair particularly well with a London trip due to proximity: Ireland Itinerary With Kids, 5-Day Copenhagen With Kids Itinerary, and What to Do in Lisbon With Kids? 20 Fun Activities.
If you have any questions, send me a message on Instagram. I’m always happy to share more tips. I’m also a travel advisor, and I’d love to help you plan and book your London trip! To get started, please fill out my trip planning form and tell me a little about the trip you have in mind, and I’ll be in touch about next steps. Happy travels!
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22 Best Things to Do in London With Kids
London is easier with kids than most people expect. The biggest museums are free, children ride the buses and the Underground for nothing, and there’s a park every few blocks for the moment when everyone needs to stop walking.
London is big, and the difference between a good day and an exhausting one is usually how much time you spent getting between places instead of being in them. The key to an enjoyable trip is grouping your time by location to avoid hopping around too much in one day.
If you’re trying to figure out the best things to do in London with your family, this is my list of 22, with the family tips and logistics that make each one go more smoothly.
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Magical Christmas in London With Kids: What to Do and Book Early
Christmas in London is a great option for a family trip over the holidays. The season runs about seven weeks, so you’re not forced into the expensive dates, and a lot of the best parts cost nothing. Ice rinks in courtyards, markets along the river, and lights on every main shopping street.
There’s one thing you need to know before you book, and it’s the part most guides leave out. London closes on Christmas Day. Not partially. The Underground does not run, the buses do not run, most attractions are shut, and so are most restaurants. If Christmas Day is in the middle of your trip, you need to plan for it.
Christmas in Europe has been on my travel list for a while, and London keeps coming up every time I look into a holiday trip. I’ve spent a lot of time researching what the city is like at Christmas, so I pulled together this guide with this year’s dates and prices, plus what needs booking ahead.
