London with kids: All you need to know

London is the capital we know best after Paris. I have already written around twenty articles on the blog about London with children, sharing our many visits to the city. It was time to bring everything together in a complete guide to help you plan your next family trip to London. We love London! Papa Voyage studied at university here, and afterwards we visited several times a year for a long weekend or a week’s holiday. We also have family in London, which helped us discover a different side of the city rather than limiting ourselves to its most touristy sights. And, of course, since moving to England, just an hour and a half from London, we have been able to visit even more often, for a weekend or simply for the day.

Whether this is your first visit to London or your umpteenth, this guide is for you! I have tried to keep it concise, linking to my other articles whenever you might want more detail. Here you will find London’s essential sights, our favourite places and ideas away from the usual tourist trail. I also share all the practical information you need for visiting London as a family: booking advice, transport tips, restaurants, accommodation and day trips from London.

Ready for a big family tour of London?

All our personal favourites are marked with a little heart.

London with children: our best routes and viewpoints

Ten walks around London

Over the course of our many stays in London, we have devised a collection of walks and refined them over time. We love doing them again whenever relatives and friends come to visit us in England. There are walks through central London, along the Thames or the canals, and through the capital’s parks: plenty of ways to discover London on foot as a family. The first routes cover London’s essential sights, while the final three take you away from the usual tourist trail.

• Walk 1: Along the Thames. This walk follows the South Bank. We begin at Tower Bridge and head west via The Queen’s Walk, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Modern, continuing to the London Eye. We then cross the river and finish at Big Ben. An east-to-west walk.
• Walk 2: Central London, taking in Covent Garden, Neal’s Yard, Carnaby Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly, Chinatown, Soho and more. This is our classic central route whenever friends or relatives visit. You can also combine walks 1 and 2: follow the first part of the Thames walk, cross the river near St Paul’s Cathedral and the City, then continue towards the centre for the sights on walk 2.
• Walk 3: Exploring the City of London, with its skyscrapers and historic buildings.
• Walk 4: Discovering Notting Hill as a family, including Portobello Road, before finishing at Little Venice and Holland Park. A walk through the north-west of central London.
• Walk 5: Explore the French quarter of South Kensington and its museums, listed further down in this article, then walk through Hyde Park and perhaps continue to Regent’s Park. A walk through the south-west of central London.
• Walk 6: Exploring Camden and walking along Regent’s Canal. A walk north of the centre.
• Walk 7: Explore Shoreditch and its street art. A walk east of the centre.
• Walk 8: Discover Hampstead and its surroundings, including Freud’s house, Hampstead’s residential streets and enormous park, and Highgate Cemetery.
• Walk 9: Visit Hackney for an off-the-beaten-track day in north-east London, with a small farm, museums, parks and markets.
• Walk 10: A very pleasant walk beside the Thames through an untouristy area, between Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge.

London from above

• Primrose Hill ❤: I love this view! Walk to the top of the hill in Primrose Hill park, sit down and admire the skyline.

• The Sky Garden, which is FREE with a booking: I really enjoyed its greenery and the views from the 38th floor, 160 metres above the ground. You need to be organised, however, and book the free tickets several weeks ahead.

• The Garden at 120, which is FREE: this is right beside the Sky Garden. It is much lower, on the 15th floor, but its advantage is a larger, open-air rooftop garden.
• The 10th floor of Tate Modern, which is FREE: a beautiful free view looking north across the Thames. There is also a café.

• The rooftop terrace of the One New Change shopping centre, a short walk from St Paul’s Cathedral, is FREE. Alternatively, visit the galleries of St Paul’s Cathedral, for which admission is included in the paid cathedral visit.

• Horizon 22: a newer place from which to see London at the top of a skyscraper, and it is FREE. Book at 10 am on Monday for the following two weeks. On the 58th floor, 278 metres above the ground, it is London’s highest free viewpoint.

• The London Eye with children, PAID: it is expensive, so I would consider it only in good weather. It is more affordable with very young children because under-fours travel free.
• The View from The Shard, PAID. Now that Horizon 22 exists, paying for this view feels less worthwhile, although The Shard remains London’s tallest building at 310 metres.

London with children: the essential attractions

Museums for a family trip to London

All our favourite museums are FREE! Most also stage paid temporary exhibitions, but their free permanent collections already offer more than enough to see.

• The Natural History Museum: an essential stop, although it is extremely busy during school holidays. Visitors often love its dinosaurs, but this is actually my least favourite section because there is too little space and distance from which to appreciate the skeletons. Paris is better for dinosaurs! At the Natural History Museum, I love the magnificent main hall and its whale skeleton. At the very least, go inside to see this room. I also like the minerals, birds and fossils. The museum shop is excellent for attractive gifts.

• Victoria & Albert Museum ❤: probably my favourite London museum. It stands opposite the Natural History Museum and has a wonderfully varied collection devoted to design and decorative arts. I particularly recommend the jewellery gallery, which is outstanding, as well as the Roman collection, mosaics and theatre section. The architecture is superb, and you should not miss the courtyard. The tearoom is very British too! If you are short of time, simply see the jewellery gallery and admire the courtyard. Since May 2025, visitors have also been able to explore V&A East Storehouse, the V&A’s storage facility in east London, if you are interested in how museum collections are stored. A new museum devoted to contemporary design, V&A East, opened in April 2026.

• The Science Museum: next door to the Natural History Museum and very interesting. We particularly like the sections on medicine, steam engines and clocks.
• The British Museum: another essential but very busy museum. The Egyptian collection and Rosetta Stone are highlights, and we also love the Japanese galleries.

• Sir John Soane’s Museum ❤: a magnificent townhouse containing an unusual private collection. Do not miss it!
• The London Museum: London’s history museum is genuinely designed for children, taking you through changing settings as you travel through time. It is currently being renovated and is due to reopen on 28 November 2026 in a new building at the heart of Smithfield Market. In the meantime, part of the collection can be seen in Docklands.
• Tate Modern: this former power station is ideal if you enjoy modern art. At the very least, enter the Turbine Hall, where there is often a monumental installation, then head to the 10th floor for the view mentioned above.
• Tate Britain: home to the more classical side of the Tate collection. It is often peaceful despite containing many famous works. Its manageable size offers a fascinating overview of art, and it has the largest permanent collection of Turner paintings.
• The National Gallery: a classic museum on Trafalgar Square, also displaying famous paintings by Turner.
• The National Portrait Gallery ❤: I love this collection of portraits spanning the centuries. It is next to the National Gallery but less crowded, and our children enjoyed it.
• Young V&A: a museum for young children in north-east London. We visited when ours were under five. It has toy collections and is very popular with London families at weekends, so it can be noisy. See walk 9.
• Barbican Conservatory: a beautiful indoor garden.

• The Wallace Collection: a spacious and pleasant museum in central London, displaying porcelain, arms and armour, and much more. Its lovely architecture offers a chance to escape the crowds and see a beautiful English interior.

There are also expensive, paid museums that tourists enjoy, but honestly, the free museums above already offer plenty to do, so I do not particularly recommend spending more. If you are interested, however, London Transport Museum is popular with families of young children. The Postal Museum is unusual and offers rides on a small underground train on certain days. Madame Tussauds is very famous, but I am not a fan and it is extremely expensive. I also visited the London Dungeon a few years ago and was not impressed. Nor do I recommend the SEA LIFE aquarium, which is small and very expensive.

London landmarks to show children

• Big Ben: this symbol of London is so beautiful! Admire it from every angle.
• Westminster Abbey: the best time to go is during a concert, as admission is otherwise expensive. Choirs perform at Christmas, providing free entry and a lovely atmosphere.
• The Houses of Parliament: the tour is fascinating, although I would recommend it mainly for secondary-school pupils interested in politics, citizenship and history. Beautiful architecture, but an expensive visit.
• Tower Bridge: visiting the interior and machinery is another considerable expense, but the bridge is magnificent when admired from outside.

• The Tower of London: interesting for history enthusiasts, although the crowds and price meant it was not one of our favourites. The Crown Jewels are impressive, but I prefer admiring the jewellery at the Victoria & Albert Museum in peace. Nevertheless, it is historically important.
• Trafalgar Square: an iconic square not to be missed, with its lions, Nelson’s Column and museums.
• The royal sights: Buckingham Palace, if you are prepared to face the crowds at 11 am for Changing the Guard, or the shorter and less crowded ceremony at Horse Guards on Whitehall. See walk 2.

London’s parks

• Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens: the best-known and most central parks, which you will probably cross. The Diana Memorial Fountain is here, where children enjoy paddling in warm weather. There are also two small free art galleries, the Serpentine Galleries.
• Regent’s Park: also central, and in my opinion even more charming. Outdoor artworks are displayed here during Frieze London in October.

• St James’s Park: romantic, with swans and views of Buckingham Palace.
• Primrose Hill: excellent views over London in good weather, as mentioned above.
• Holland Park ❤: very charming, especially the Japanese garden.

• Victoria Park: a large family park in southern Hackney.
• Hampstead Heath: Hampstead’s enormous wild park in north London, where you can even swim.

London beside the water

• The Thames: see walk 1 for the best way to enjoy it. There are river cruises too, although I did not particularly like them. If you would prefer to walk beside the Thames away from tourists, start at Putney Bridge, follow the riverside path beside Bishops Park to Hammersmith Bridge, and have a beer at The Blue Anchor. This is walk 10.

• Little Venice: a small but charming junction of canals, lined with pretty narrowboats.
• Regent’s Canal: ideal for a long walk away from the tourist trail. See walk 6.
• The canals around Victoria Park: worth seeing if you are visiting Hackney, but not essential otherwise.
• Travelling by narrowboat to Oxford: I did this once with Ticoeur. It was very pleasant, but you need plenty of time. Ideal if you are already planning to visit Oxford.

London’s markets

First of all, London’s markets are mainly food markets where you can buy lunch:

• Borough Market: the most famous, so expect crowds. It is still worth seeing for its urban atmosphere. Walk 1.

• Maltby Street Market: a less touristy alternative to nearby Borough Market, open only on Saturday and Sunday around lunchtime.
• Brick Lane Market: somewhere to grab a bite while exploring Shoreditch in east London, open only on Saturday and Sunday around lunchtime. Walk 7.
• Spitalfields Market: a pleasant, renovated covered market on walk 7.
• Columbia Road Flower Market ❤: a beautiful flower market along Columbia Road, open on Sundays only in north-east London. Walk 9.
• Mercato Mayfair: a food hall inside a church. It is attractive but noisy and expensive, so simply take a quick look if you are walking through elegant Mayfair.

• Broadway Market: a lovely food market in Hackney, open on Saturday and Sunday. Walk 9.
• Victoria Park Market: a small market with relatively few stalls in a beautiful park south of Hackney, held on Saturdays and Sundays. The main attraction is enjoying the park as a family, so consider it if your accommodation is nearby. Walk 9.

Family shows

• Many of London’s musicals are great to see as a family.
• For cinema, London has its oldest surviving cinema, the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. If you would like to see French-language films, visit Ciné Lumière in South Kensington.

London and the cinema

• Follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter in London: do not miss the Harry Potter statue in Leicester Square, the entrance to the Palace Theatre where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is performed, Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross station, the MinaLima shop mentioned in the shopping section below, and beautiful Leadenhall Market in the City.

• Follow in the footsteps of Paddington at Paddington station, which gave the bear his name. You will find statues of him and a shop.

• In Notting Hill ❤, film fans will enjoy revisiting locations from Notting Hill and Love Actually, particularly the little street called St Luke’s Mews.

• Other films shot in London to watch or rewatch as a family include Fantastic Beasts, Mary Poppins Returns, the live-action 101 Dalmatians and several James Bond films.
• Several television series are also set in London. I recommend The Split, about divorce lawyers; for something lighter, Ted Lasso, which humorously follows daily life at Richmond’s football club in suburban London; and, of course, Doctor Who.

Shopping in London with children

• Liberty ❤: the most beautiful of London’s department stores.

• Fortnum & Mason for tea. I recommend the Wedding Breakfast blend.
• The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾ in King’s Cross.
• House of MinaLima ❤: discover the illustrations created for the Harry Potter films.

• Harrods: mainly for the Food Halls and exterior architecture. Otherwise, I am not a great fan.
• Hamleys: I only really like the ground floor, with its soft toys and London souvenirs. The other floors are rather ordinary and mostly contain the usual plastic toys. Unless you are looking for something specific, I would stick to the ground floor.

London off the beaten track

• The walk along Regent’s Canal ❤: a very peaceful walk that combines well with a visit to Camden. Walk 6.

• Neal’s Yard ❤ in central London: colourful and picturesque. Walk 2.

• Battersea Power Station: a former power station converted into a shopping centre. It appears on the cover of Pink Floyd’s album Animals.

• The Graffiti Tunnel, a short walk from the London Eye:

• The National Covid Memorial Wall beside the Thames, just beyond the London Eye:

• Hackney, described in walk 9.
• Hampstead Heath and the Freud Museum: an attractive residential neighbourhood with an enormous park for picnics in good weather. Walk 8.

Practical information

Where to stay in London with children

London is an extremely expensive city for accommodation, particularly in the centre. We recommend South Kensington, Notting Hill and Tower Bridge, which we find well suited to a family stay. Wherever you choose, book well in advance for the best prices.

Read my article about choosing family accommodation in London.

When to visit London

• • London in spring: I love this season because the parks are full of flowers and the lawns are beautifully green. It is ideal for families because children can enjoy playing outdoors.
  • London in summer: many Londoners are away on holiday, the weather is pleasant and the days are very long. It is therefore an excellent time for both indoor and outdoor visits. Be aware that London can occasionally experience very hot days.
  • London in autumn: it is magnificent and, together with spring, my other favourite season. The parks are particularly beautiful. There is some Halloween atmosphere, although nothing like in the United States.
  • London in winter: the festive season attracts huge numbers of families who come for the Christmas atmosphere. Read my article Christmas in London: 20 family activities. The downside is that this is the most expensive period and the city is crowded. The other disadvantages are the very short days and potentially cold weather. To avoid the crowds and high prices, visit for a weekend just before the Christmas school holidays, as the decorations are in place from mid-November, or during the February half-term holiday, when London is quieter and more affordable.

London for different ages

• London with a baby or very young child: we found people in England wonderfully kind and always willing to help with the pushchair on the Underground and stairs. London is a very comfortable city with young children. We enjoyed its parks and many museums, favouring the free museums so that there was no pressure if we left quickly to avoid tiring the children. Some expensive attractions are free for very young children too, making this a good time to ride the London Eye.
• London with children aged 6–12: London has so much to offer, with museums, visits and attractions for every taste. Ideally, divide each day into two parts: follow one of the essential walks in the morning, then visit a free museum or landmark in the afternoon. Children of this age are also often captivated by the world of Harry Potter.
• London with teenagers: our children still love London now that they are teenagers. They are interested in different museums and more historical visits, and greatly enjoyed discovering the street art in Shoreditch. They also appreciate the restaurants and West End shows.

Where to eat in London with children

London has an enormous choice of restaurants, and you can eat extremely well. Prices vary enormously too. Here are a few relatively affordable possibilities:

• At the markets mentioned above.
• In pubs. Be aware that children are rarely accepted in the evening, except in more residential and family-oriented neighbourhoods farther from the centre. A pub that does not serve food will not admit children. Family-friendly examples include The Barrowboy and Banker near London Bridge, The Mitre beside Hyde Park and The Churchill Arms near Notting Hill, among many others.
• In cafés for an English breakfast or light lunch. Among the chains, I like Gail’s Bakery.
• For food on the go, try Prêt à Manger for an affordable and relatively healthy choice.
• For quick Asian food, try Itsu, the best sushi chain according to Ticoeur and Titpuce, or Marugame Udon for good, inexpensive noodle soups. There is one conveniently located near Trafalgar Square.
• The Asian restaurants in Chinatown often offer good value, and the neighbourhood is picturesque. One example is the Vietnamese restaurant Viet Food.

• Indian restaurants: you have to eat Indian food in London! This cuisine has a particularly strong presence because of the importance of Indian culture in Britain. Indian restaurants are often affordable, although there are more upmarket choices such as the famous Dishoom.
• Fancy an afternoon tea with children? People often ask me to recommend somewhere for afternoon tea. It is certainly an English tradition, but it is often expensive and, for me, includes too much food that is not always to my taste, usually mixing savoury and sweet bites. Sweet food is not really my cup of tea! Nevertheless, places recommended to me include Brigit’s Bakery near Covent Garden, The Wolseley near Piccadilly and all the grand hotels, although those become extremely expensive.
• Brunch or breakfast? I am often asked where to have brunch in London. Brunch is an American rather than an English tradition. You can certainly find brunch in London, but it is not typical here. Instead, choose the experience of a proper English breakfast. I like the one at the small Café de Provence.

Transport information for London

• Apps: we use Citymapper or Google Maps to find the best route on foot, by public transport or by car.
• Underground: you can load credit onto an Oyster card or tap a contactless bank card, provided your bank does not charge excessive foreign-exchange fees. Children under 11 travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Visitors aged 11–15 can receive 50% off adult pay-as-you-go fares for up to 14 days by asking a member of staff to add the Young Visitor discount to their Oyster or Visitor Oyster card; the child must be present. Free Tube maps are available at every station. There is no need to buy a Day Travelcard: once your individual journeys reach the daily cap, you will not be charged more for subsequent travel that day.
• Buses: children under 11 travel free. Those aged 11–15 need an appropriate child concession, such as a Young Visitor discount or an 11–15 Zip Oyster photocard, depending on the length and circumstances of their stay.
• Taxis: they look lovely!
• Boats on the Thames: you can use an Oyster card. The journey costs more than the Underground but offers a different view of London.
• Driving in London: yes, you can drive into London if your vehicle meets the emissions requirements. First, register online to check whether your car is permitted within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which includes attractive areas such as South Kensington, Camden, Chelsea and Fulham. Completing the registration form will help you avoid a fine; I recommend doing this one month before your stay. Once registered, pay attention to the Congestion Charge zone. This covers the very centre, where I advise against driving because a daytime charge applies and it would be impractical anyway. Park within the ULEZ, but outside the Congestion Charge zone.

• Parking: we use the JustPark website to reserve inexpensive parking spaces offered by private individuals. Street parking is free on Sundays in some areas, which is why we mainly visit London on Sundays from our home in southern England.
• Arriving by train: the Eurostar arrives at the beautiful St Pancras station. From there, take the Underground after playing the piano for a moment, as Ticoeur did!

• Arriving by air: London’s airports are far from the centre but well connected, so allow plenty of time. From Heathrow, take the Piccadilly line, which takes about one hour, or the faster but more expensive Heathrow Express to Paddington. From Gatwick, take a train to Victoria, London Bridge or Blackfriars, allowing about 30 minutes. Stansted, used by several low-cost airlines, is farther away, around 50 minutes by train from Liverpool Street. Luton is approximately 40 minutes from St Pancras.

Travelling to London: entry requirements

This section is obviously only for our English readers from outside the UK. For EU countries, since Brexit, you need a passport to enter England. In addition, every member of the family must apply for an ETA a few days before travelling.

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Family day trips from London

The Harry Potter Studios

• Visit the Harry Potter Studios ❤: all the information is in my article. The two most important points are to book several months ahead and to book through the official website to avoid the exorbitant prices charged by agencies and resellers.

Gardens and palaces

• Kew Gardens: an enormous botanical garden in west London, accessible by public transport. Read my article about seeing Kew Gardens in half a day.

• Visit Windsor Castle: the castle is beautiful, and so is the little town.

• Visit Hampton Court, the palace of the famous Henry VIII, the king with six wives and their tragic fates.

City trips less than two hours from London

• A day in Cambridge ❤: Cambridge was a real favourite, a peaceful and pleasant university city where you can discover prestigious colleges.

• A day in Oxford: I preferred Cambridge, but Oxford is another beautiful university city, and the Cotswold villages are not far away.
• Discover the New Forest ❤, England’s largest forest, with thousands of free-roaming ponies. I love this forest close to our home. Do come and have tea with me!
• A day in Brighton: it is not my favourite seaside resort, but I know many people want to visit. Its Royal Pavilion is magnificent, and the city is accessible by train.

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Who is visiting London with their family soon? Any other questions?