How to Plan a Weekend in London with Kids: The Ultimate Weekend Itinerary Builder

Spending a weekend in London with kids doesn’t have to be difficult. This post is not a list of every museum or every show. It is a pick-one-from-each-category framework to help you build a weekend full of activities that works for the ages and energy levels in your group. Work through each section, pick the options that fit your family, and you have your weekend or day itinerary.

Jump to a section:

• Before You Go
• See a Show
• Pick a Museum
• Get Around in Style
• Find a Viewpoint
• Something Royal
• Eat Well
• Catch a Game or Tour a Stadium
• Pick an Afternoon Stroll
• Church
• Bonus: Day Trips Worth It

A few practical things worth sorting before you land:

Most visitors arrive into Heathrow or Gatwick. For private airport transfers, KiwiTaxi and Welcome Pickups both offer family-friendly options you can book in advance.

Always sort this before you fly. VisitorsCoverage and Insubuy are both solid options with straightforward coverage for families.

This was my first time using an eSIM and Airalo made it very simple. Purchase and add to your phone before you leave home. I had data the moment we landed for less than 14 euro for a whole week.

The West End is world class, and it is more affordable than Broadway. At first I thought this might be out of our budget, but it was surprisingly reasonable, especially with deals that often pop up, and being willing to go on non-peak nights.

A modern classic. If your family has never seen a West End musical, this is an easy win. Book well in advance of your weekend in London.

Our pick earlier this month. We love the Wizard of Oz (and the recent Wicked movies), which helped keep our son absorbed from start to finish.

A two-part, five-hour-plus production, so only book this if you have a devoted Harry Potter fan in your group. For those who attend, it is worth the investment for older kids.

Roald Dahl classic and likely one your kid already knows (which is great for first-time theatre-go-ers). Works best for kids from about age seven up.

The Gruffalo is coming this summer, or check what is rotating at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, which specifically programs children’s theatre year-round.

How to find a deal: Browse and book at Official London Theatre for the full current listing. Matinee performances are usually more affordable and easier with younger kids. You can also check for last minute tickets to plays and musicals which go on sale the day before, or check for deals during Theatre Week. If you are planning to visit multiple paid attractions on the same trip, check the Go City London Pass as it includes show discounts alongside 75+ other attractions.

This is the category where London easily surpasses other cities. Almost all of the best museums are free, though most require advance timed-entry reservations. Reserve your tickets well in advance so you can skip the queues.

The one with the blue whale hanging from the ceiling, easy to explore for hours. The dinosaur gallery was impressive and family friendly.

Directly next door to the Natural History Museum London, which means you can do both in a day if your kids have the stamina. It is interactive, hands-on, and fun for adults too. There are some add-on paid sections, such as a lab and a gaming section, which are worth checking in advance.

Filled with unique parts of world history all under one roof. The Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, Greek sculptures, and so much more. We paid for the audio tour app download, which was well worth it, and the free kids scavenger hunts at the entrance were a winner too.

In Covent Garden, a lesser-known choice and a particular hit with kids who love trains, buses, and how cities work (but, note that this one is not free).

Crowd tip: Book timed entry tickets in advance for the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and the British Museum. All are free but the queues without a booking can be significant, and at some point during the day they switch to ticket only depending on capacity. The Science Museum and Transport Museum are much more walk-in friendly.

Transportation is one of the things London does best, and the city has built its identity around it. Pick at least one mode of transport as an experience in itself.

This was my son’s first request when we arrived in London. Make sure to sit on the upper deck at the very front. Pick a long route as your orientation tour of the city.

More expensive than the bus or Tube, but London cab drivers are full of knowledge. You could even ask one to take you the scenic route and talk you through the sites as you pass them.

Takes you along the river with views of Tower Bridge, the Shard, and the Tate Modern. Much less crowded than the tourist river cruise boats and significantly cheaper. Cheaper if you download the app in advance and book your tickets directly on your phone.

Mind the gap. The Underground is one of the oldest metro systems in the world and there is something exciting about it, especially for children who have never seen anything like it. Plus it’s usually the cheapest and fastest way to get around the city.

Practical note: The buses and underground use a tap-in, tap-out contactless payment system. You do not need to purchase an Oyster card unless you prefer to. The daily spending cap for zones 1 and 2 (covers most tourist areas) is currently £8.90, meaning no matter how many journeys you take in a single day you will not pay more than that. Make sure to use the same payment method throughout the day or you may go over the capped amount.

London looks different from above. Pick one viewpoint and go at a time of day when the light works for you.

Free to visit, requires advance booking, sits at the top of the Walkie Talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street, and gives you a 360-degree view over the city with a garden and bar inside. One of the best free things in London and not nearly as well known as it should be.

Designed by Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London and built exactly 202 feet tall, at a distance of exactly 202 feet from where the fire started. Climb the 311 spiral steps, collect your certificate at the top, and your kids will have a story to tell. Very affordable and very underrated.

The most famous viewpoint in the city and worth doing at least once. Book in advance to skip the queues and go at dusk for the best experience.

You can walk across the bridge for free, but the Tower Bridge Exhibition includes access to the glass floor walkway at the top and the Victorian engine rooms below. Good for older kids and genuinely impressive.

You cannot do London with kids and skip everything royal. These are some of the things London kids love most.

The State Rooms are open in summer (late July through September). Outside those dates, the Changing of the Guard is free to watch and happens most mornings. Check the schedule before you go as it does not run every day.

This is the one with the Crown Jewels, the Beefeaters, the ravens, and more than 900 years of history. Allow at least half a day. The entertaining Beefeater tours run throughout the day and are included in your entry. Worth booking in advance, especially in peak season.

Home to exhibitions on royal history and set within Kensington Gardens, so you can combine a palace visit with time in the park. The Go City London Pass includes entry here alongside the Tower of London and several other paid attractions.

Just under an hour by train from London Paddington, the largest occupied castle in the world. Combine it with a walk through the town and lunch on the high street for a very full day.

London’s food scene is genuinely one of the best in the world, and a lot of the best eating does not require a reservation or a big budget.

One of the oldest food markets in the world, just south of the river near London Bridge. Come hungry and plan to graze. Go on a weekday morning if you want the full experience without the weekend crowds.

Fish and chips, a pie, or a Sunday roast. Look for a pub away from the main tourist corridors, check that they do proper food rather than just bar snacks, and settle in. Seek out the standing counters over the sit-down tourist spots for the real fish and chips experience.

We skipped it on this trip, but it is one of those London experiences worth doing at least once with older kids. Sketch, Fortnum and Mason, and Bettys are all well-regarded at different price points.

Good for a meal or a browse around the market hall. A reliable choice if you are already in the area for the theatre or the Transport Museum.

Two London chains worth knowing: If you need a quick, reliable meal that will not disappoint, look for a Flat Iron (originally a pop-up founded in 2012, now all over the city, excellent affordable steak from British farms) or Honest Burgers (founded in Brixton Market in 2011, 100% British beef, delicious rosemary salted fries). Both are widely distributed across the city.

London is one of the great sports cities in the world and there are so many ways to take it all in.

We went to an Arsenal game and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. London has six Premier League clubs and they do not all have the same ticket prices. StubHub has reliable second-hand tickets (this is what we used) and you can use it to find a game within your price point.

If match tickets are not an option, the stadium tours at Emirates (Arsenal), Stamford Bridge (Chelsea), and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are all excellent. You walk the tunnel, see the dressing rooms, and stand on the pitch. Or go old school and visit Wembley Stadium.

Open year-round regardless of whether the tournament is running. You get access to Centre Court, the dressing rooms, and a museum.

The home of cricket and one of the oldest sporting venues in the world. The on-site museum is the oldest sporting museum in the world.

London rewards walking. Some of the best moments happen between the official sights when you are simply moving through the city. Pick one walk and do it properly rather than trying to cover everything. Audio guides such as WeGoTrip are excellent to use on walks and in the museums. I loved sharing one pair of earbuds with my son so we were listening to the same narration together as we walked.

Start at Westminster Bridge and walk east along the river to Tower Bridge. It is flat, pram-friendly, and you pass the London Eye, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market, and more. London’s parks are also worth building into any walk — Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and St. James’s Park are all free, spacious, and genuinely beautiful. The Thames path itself is part of the experience.

Start in St. James’s Park, walk past the lake, past Buckingham Palace, through Horse Guards Parade, and arrive at one of the city’s great squares.

Short and very good for children. Street performers, the theatre district, plenty of places to stop for food or ice cream. A reliable choice with a good mix of energy and rest.

Take the Uber Boat from central London and arrive by river. The Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, and the meridian line make for a full half-day. The park walk up to the Observatory is steep but worth it for the city views at the top.

London’s churches are free (mostly) and stunning. Don’t just take a picture and walk past them. Spend a few moments visiting inside to appreciate the history, ornate features and enjoy a calm moment.

This is where coronations happen, where monarchs are buried, and where Poets’ Corner holds the memorials of Chaucer, Dickens, Darwin, and Austen. This one is not free, but it is a beautiful one to visit for the cost.

Two minutes’ walk from Westminster Abbey and it’s usually confused with it. This is the home of Catholics in England and Wales, with a beautiful Byzantine interior. Free to enter and almost always quiet.

This dome has dominated the skyline of the city since 1710. The interior is beautiful and you can also climb the outer dome for incredible views. There are regular services here too and they welcome tourists to join.

The one is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s a medieval church that was bombed in the Second World War and never rebuilt. Now a public garden growing up through the ruins and it’s not too far from The Monument and The Tower of London and worth a stop along the way.

London is also an extraordinary base for day trips, and if you have more than a weekend or want to extend the adventure, these four are worth the journey.

Not a casual afternoon out. It is a full half-day commitment at minimum, requires advance booking, and is located in Watford, about 20 minutes by direct train from Euston. For a Harry Potter fan it is completely extraordinary. We booked through GetYourGuide and recommend the longer tour option so you do not feel rushed. Book as far in advance as possible, especially during school holidays.

About 90 minutes by train from Paddington. The Roman Baths are one of the best-preserved Roman sites in Europe, the Georgian architecture is beautiful, and the city is very walkable with children. A very satisfying full day.

An hour from Paddington and a completely different kind of day out. The university buildings are open to visitors, the covered market is good for lunch, and punting on the river is one of those things that sounds more complicated than it is. Worth it for older kids especially.

London is one of those rare cities that rewards every type of traveler and every type of family. The framework here is a starting point, not a fixed plan. Pick the things that match your family right now, leave the rest for next time, and remember that half of what makes a London trip memorable happens in the moments between the sights.

This post contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through one of my links for your weekend in London with kids, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things we have used or would use ourselves.