Museums, Ravens, and Hogwarts
3 HOURS AGO
Recently, a few of the books I have been reading have been based in or around London, including the investigative nonfiction book “London Falling” by Patrick Radden Keefe and “The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion” by Beth Brower, a lighter and more witty fiction series.
Over the past five years, we have had the chance to visit London twice as a family. With London on my mind, I thought it would be fun to revisit a few of our favorite spots and experiences.
The first time we traveled to London was in the fall of 2022, when our kids were 8 and 10 years old. It was their first time traveling overseas, which added to the excitement and anticipation leading up to our trip.
We had originally planned the trip for spring of 2020, with our flight scheduled to leave on the exact day that international flights were grounded due to COVID. So, we pivoted and waited until the time was right to reschedule.
Our second time around, was a shorter visit in 2025. We were able to piggy back on a few extra days following a business trip to enjoy some time in the city. The kids were now 11 and 13 years old, which changed our experience completely.
London is an amazing city for a first time trip abroad with young kids. They recognized landmarks like Big Ben and had read most, if not all, of the Harry Potter book series before our visit. Not to mention, they loved navigating the tube more than any tour or activity we booked. And finally, we were at a point in our lives where adjusting to the time change was manageable.
London Neighborhoods and Where We Stayed
For both of our visits, we stayed in flats rented through Airbnb.
For our first trip, we were in the Notting Hill neighborhood near the Portobello Road Market. For our second we stayed in Fitzrovia near the British Museum.
We enjoy being convenient to, but not directly in the middle of, the busiest part of any city. Both of these neighborhoods proved to be pleasantly chill and relaxing spots to return to in the evening or find a bite to eat without the crowds.
Notting Hill is a beautiful neighborhood with colorful victorian-style houses and is well connected to the city by the Tube. We stayed on a quiet street near Portobello Road, which hosts a street market Monday through Sunday each week.
If you don’t mind hopping on the Tube each day to get where you need to go, it’s a fun and vibrant neighborhood to stay in.
Our stay in Fitzrovia was within walking distance of more of the popular sights around the city, very close to the British Museum, for reference. The neighborhood itself still felt relatively quiet, and for a shorter stay, the convenience of being able to walk was a bonus.
Both areas would be great for families or travelers who enjoy a quieter spot to feel at home during their stay.
Things We Loved and Would Do Again
We have had no trouble keeping busy and having fun during our London visits. We chose to skip some iconic sights such as Buckingham and Westminster, but we managed to piece together some wonderful days.
A few of our highlights have been:
Catching a Show in the West End
This was a surprise high point of our 2025 trip. Our kids were 11 and 13, and we decided to visit the theater district. At the time, The Cursed Child was still being shown in two parts, which was more of a time commitment and investment than we were prepared to make.
Instead, we reserved seats to see The Mousetrap, an Agatha Christie murder mystery at St. Martin’s Theatre. It has been playing since 1952 and is a classic London theater experience.
St. Martin’s is small and cozy, with beautiful traditional theater decor complete with red velvet and wood paneling. The lobby was small and bustling and the theater itself felt comfortable and intimate.
The story hooked us all and kept us guessing until the very end.
Pretending we were on the Great British Baking Show and competing against one another was a blast. We paired up in groups of 2, and each team had its own baking station. The staff introduced our baking challenge – a jellyfish sponge cake- started the clock, and set us free.
We had basic instructions to follow and loads of options to get creative with flavors and decorations.
We were given countdown updates as time progressed, and at the end, we all brought our cakes to the front for judging. And then we had the added bonus of bringing not one, but two, jellyfish cakes back to our flat for dessert.
I highly recommend a day in the tent for a fun family outing, especially if you are fan of the show.
The Warner Bro. Studio Harry Potter Tour
We booked this outing to include transportation from the city to the studio and we did the self guided tour. There are also options for a guided tour if preferred.
Our visit was in October which was festive and fun with the studio decked out for Halloween. The holidays are a popular time to visit so be prepared to book well in advance if you are traveling during that time.
We spent hours exploring the sets and exhibits and enjoying a butterbeer in the food court. Some of the exhibits are interactive and the behind the scenes “making of” exhibits are very impressive.
During our visit, there was even a spooky death eater appearance. It was a hit for everyone in our family, kids and adults alike.
Our visit to the Tower was a bit spur of the moment on a late afternoon during our 2025 trip. It was a beautiful time of day to be on the grounds and the crowds were minimal.
We passed several groups enjoying a tour with the beefeaters. We opted for self guided route and enjoyed our time here just the same.
We made our way through the main exhibits, walked straight in to see the crown jewels without a wait, and spent most of our time watching and learning about the Ravens.
A fun way to get an amazing view of the city from above, especially for a first time visitor.
Museums, Markets, and Parks
As far as museums, we enjoyed the Natural History Museum for its whale and dinosaur skeletons, as well as its gemstones and fossils. Our kids were more into this one when they were younger.
We also made a stop at the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.
Aside from museums and historical sites, we also love wandering the neighborhoods and markets and walking the city.
When we stayed in Notting Hill, we explored the Portobello Road Market near our flat. It was fun browsing all the vendors and stalls up and down the street.
We also visited Borough Market, which was very busy but also entertaining to wind through. We loved seeing the different produce, meat and cheeses being sold, and there were plenty of fun options for a meal or a pastry. Our family loves a good doughnut, so we visited Bread Ahead Bakery while we were there.
The Covent Garden shops and street performers had to be seen at least once between our two visits. It is a sight to see.
And, as I’ve said before, we always have a frisbee handy, so throwing in Hyde Park was another perfect city break for us.
Half museum about the MI6 and half physical and mental challenges, the games are set up across multiple rooms consisting of dodging lasers, climbing walls, and color coded floors to jump across.
We came out of here sweating, and it was over too soon for our kids. They loved every second of the games.
Traveling to Paris by Chunnel
In 2022, we combined our London visit with a high speed train trip to Paris for a short stopover on our way to visit family in Annecy, France – more on that another day.
The trip is just over two hours, and it was exciting for the family to travel by train for the first time and emerge on the other side in Paris.
Things I Would Skip Next Time
Biking in Hyde Park
Our family loved biking in the Netherlands, and thought we would find a way to get back on the bikes in London.
Biking in a crowded London park was not nearly as enjoyable as biking through the countryside of the Netherlands.
It was a beautiful day to be out, but the bikes had seen better days and people were walking, biking, and roller blading in every direction on the paths.
It turned out to be more stressful than fun on this particular day.
Boat Tour on the Thames
On the first afternoon of our first trip to London, we were aiming for a low key activity to see a little bit of the city without too much effort.
It may have been the jet lag, but the tour did not capture our attention, and we fought to stay awake throughout the ride.
Some Places We Have Eaten
A food hall by Mercato Metropolitano, the Mayfair location. Multiple food options for the whole family, plenty of seating, and set in a beautiful restored church for a unique ambiance.
Supposedly Charles Dickens was a customer here and it was once known for hosting bare knuckle fights.
We happened upon this pub on our first trip and lucked into a table as walk-in guests. It’s tucked into a quiet corner of an alleyway near Covent Garden and has a traditional pub feel.
We enjoyed the fish and chips, roast, and steak and ale pie.
A special spot on Portobello Road that we reminisce about from our first visit in 2022 when we stayed in Notting Hill.
Saporitalia is an adorable hidden garden and courtyard serving Italian dishes and drinks. Italian restaurants always please the whole family.
Still On The Wishlist
Being that London is now a non-stop flight from Nashville, it’s easy to daydream about the possibilities for return trips.
I would love to experience London around the holidays, see the lights, and see another show in the theater.
Flying into London and then catching a train out of town is also an intriguing idea. Venturing into the countryside and out to the coast are high on the list of places we would love to explore.
And if given more time in the city itself, I think we would find ourselves throwing frisbees in more parks, and returning to many of the places that we remember so fondly from our past visits.
I’m thankful that our opportunity to visit London came at a time when our kids were so excited to be there and soaking up every second. It was the perfect trip for them to see places they had read about in books, experience a new place and meet people far from home, and catch the bug for train and plane travel.
I hope they will always love to travel and find appreciation for the places they get to visit.
And as always, if you are thinking about your own adventure abroad with a little room to amble and roam, send me a message. I’d be happy to help you plan it.
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