One Day In London With A Baby

This summer we took our 7 month old baby on a week-long vacation to England, part of which included a day in London. London is a great city to travel to with a baby: there are a variety of activities to choose from, excellent public transit, and the city is highly walk-able. 

The last time I was in London was when I was sixteen years old, so this was an opportunity to revisit some of the main tourist attractions. Due to our limited time and the added difficulty of traveling with a baby, we prioritized seeing one attraction in-depth, and then rode a Hop-On Hop-Off bus around the city. Although we didn’t see as much as we would have liked, this turned out to be an excellent choice for a single day in the city. London has a lot to offer, and we’re already thinking about when we’ll visit next. In the meantime, I’ll reminisce about the wonderful day we had.

Please note this post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my Privacy Policy for more information.

Itinerary at a Glance:

We started our day by touring Westminster Abbey, followed by a boat ride on the Thames River. After the boat ride, we boarded the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to explore the city. We made a pit stop at Buckingham Palace, then ditched the bus for good and took a walk through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. We ended our day by visiting the National Portrait Gallery.

Westminster Abbey

First stop of the day was Westminster Abbey. The lines here can get very long, so I recommend coming early to avoid the crowds. You can purchase tickets online, which will save you time and let you skip the line. 

Westminster is the final resting place for hundreds of famous authors, poets, scientists, and monarchs. The remains of Stephen Hawking, Charles Dickens, and Queen Elizabeth I are all interred within Westminster’s walls. One of the highlights of visiting here is stumbling across the tomb of a historic figure you recognize from your textbooks. Entrance to Westminster includes a free audio guide, which is very comprehensive and worth listening to. Expect to spend 1.5-2 hours inside the Abbey.

Pro tip: Pre-purchase timed tickets for Westminster Abbey online. Not only will this save you time getting into the Abbey, but you will also save some money.

Westminster is fully accessible, and parents are allowed to bring strollers into the Abbey. Admission costs £23 for adults (£21 if purchased online), £10 for children ages 6-16 (£9 online), and free for children 0-5 when accompanied by an adult.

Thames River Boat Tour

The boat boards at Westminster Pier, just north of Westminster Bridge. Tickets can be purchased online or at one of the kiosks along the pier. We purchased our tickets online as part of the hop-on hop-off bus tour, and needed to show our receipt at the kiosk in order to pick up tickets for the boat. 

Once on board, grab a seat in the open air section up top — this is where you will get the best views of the city. While on the boat you’ll see and learn about many iconic London sites. Drinks and snacks are available on board, so this is a good opportunity to relax and enjoy some refreshments while listening to the guide narrate the surrounding scenery. 

Boat Tour Highlights:

• The London Eye: In 2000, when this Ferris wheel opened to the public, it was the tallest in the world. It has since been eclipsed by three others across the world, but remains the tallest in Europe. The wheel contains 32 sealed capsules (1 for each London borough!), each of which can hold up to 25 passengers. Passengers are free to move about the capsule as they please.

• Cleopatra’s Needle: On the north-west bank of the Thames, between the Golden Jubilee Bridges and Waterloo Bridge, stands an Egyptian obelisk dating back to 1450 BCE. The obelisk was a gift to the United Kingdom from the former ruler of Egypt in celebration of British military victories in Africa.

• The Shard: This 95-story skyscraper, erected in 2012, is currently the tallest building in the European Union. The building makes quite the impression, cutting through the sky like a, well, shard of glass. There is a viewing gallery and open air platform on the 72nd floor which is open to visitors and is the tallest public viewpoint in London.

• St Paul’s Cathedral: One of the most iconic sights in London, the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral has been a fixture of the London skyline for over 300 years. The cathedral is the official seat of the Bishop of London, and is the primary church (or mother church) of the Diocese of London. While most of Britain’s famous historical figures have been laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral contains the crypt of Lord Nelson, as well as memorials to Florence Nightingale and Alexander Fleming. Additionally, the funerals of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher were performed in the cathedral.

• The Tower of London: For nearly 1,000 years, the Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history, serving as a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, and even a zoo. Today you can visit the Tower and learn about its diverse history on a tour led by a Yeoman Warder, or ‘Beefeater’. The Tower is also home to the Crown Jewels, a visit to which is included in your admission.

• Tower Bridge: Probably the most iconic of the bridges you’ll see while cruising the Thames. The bridge has two levels: the lower level for cars and trucks, and an upper level pedestrian suspension bridge. The bridge contains a museum with rotating exhibits, as well as in-depth tours of the bridge and engine rooms. 

The boat tour ends at the Tower of London. From here, we boarded the bus to see more of the city.

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Next, we hopped on the bus and rode to Buckingham Palace where we got off and walked around the front of the palace. We then boarded a different bus route heading to Kensington Gardens. 

On our way to Kensington Gardens, we drove down Brompton Road and past the historic Harrods department store. By this point in the day rush hour traffic was starting to pick up, so we hopped off the bus for good at Kensington Palace. From there we walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. 

Bus Tour Highlights:

• Palace of Westminster: The meeting place for both houses of Parliament. The building which stands today was constructed in the mid-1800s, but the first royal palace was constructed on that site in the 11th century. Tours of Parliament are available every Saturday as well as during the summer recess.

• Big Ben: The nickname Big Ben refers to the Great Bell at the top of the Palace of Westminster’s Clock Tower. The clock tower is the most well known landmark in London, and is often used in opening shots of films set in London.

• Buckingham Palace: Officially the London residence of the British monarchy, Buckingham Palace today is used mostly as a working building for the UK’s constitutional monarchy. The state rooms are open to visitors for 10 weeks during the summer, and on select dates throughout the year.

• Harrods Department Store: Opened in 1824, Harrods is Europe’s largest department store. Occupying a 5-acre plot, the store boasts over 1.1 million square feet of retail space, and even has its own postal code!

Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are two of London’s eight royal parks. While technically two separate parks, they are situated right next to each other and separated by a single road. Together these two gardens form the largest section of royal park in London and provide over 600 acres of green space for public recreation.

Within the parks are many beautiful statues, memorials, and fountains. The Prince Albert Memorial, commissioned by Queen Victoria after his death in 1861, sits in Kensington Gardens directly across from the Royal Albert Hall. The ornate memorial features a Gothic revival style canopy over a gilded bronze statue of Albert. Occasionally Royal Parks offers tours of the Albert Memorial which take you up close and beyond the rails. In the event that those tours aren’t offered during your visit, they also offer an array of interesting walking tours that can be found on the Royal Parks Website.

National Portrait Gallery

London’s National Portrait Gallery houses the largest portrait collection in the world. The museum is extensive, and you could easily spend a whole day exploring the galleries, however the true highlight of this museum are the portraits of the monarchs. 

The pedigree of the British monarchy is confusing if you didn’t grow up with it. Despite reading countless books and visiting numerous historic sites for the royal family, I still get confused about all the Mary’s, William’s, and Edward’s, let alone who’s a Stewart and who’s a Tudor!

The Portrait Gallery lays out the family tree of the monarchy in a very logical fashion, with each room progressing through the generations. Family pedigrees are drawn out on the walls, and along with the portraits they are effective tools for depicting the royal chronology.

The National Portrait Gallery is open late (until 10:00 pm) on Fridays, which we were lucky enough to take advantage of. All other days of the week the museum closes at 6:00 pm.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we had a successful day in London. This was our first international trip as parents, and there were definitely some challenges along the way, but that’s the nature of traveling with a baby. At the time, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see much of the city. Looking back, we actually managed to fit a lot into our short time there. It’s impossible to do a city like London justice in a one-day visit, which is why I know we’ll be back (maybe we’ll even visit London in winter). There will always be more to see and do, and we are looking forward to many future trips.

Tamar