Destination: London With Children

There was a moment around the time my daughter turned one, when she expressed full-bodied amazement at seeing holiday lights for the first time. She toddled in looking like Cindy Lou from Whoville in red fleece pajamas, looked up at a freshly laureled garland lit up with twinkle lights, and her entire tiny body filled with joy: Waaoooowww! For the rest of my life, I imagine I’ll be trying to recreate the sound of that ‘wow’ and so far, traveling is a surefire way to do it. For most families, traveling with kids isn’t really a vacation unless you can add that wow factor for adults, too. Pulling it off can be tricky — and it’s all about the destination.

London is a very good place to start. It is, after all, the backdrop for many of literature’s best children’s stories of all time. Mary Poppins, Paddington Bear, Peter Pan, Harry Potter, Oliver Twist — the gang’s all here. With them in mind (and with this carefully curated itinerary), exploring Londinium can remind us all, regardless of age, just how important it is to make believe.

There’s just one problem. Greater London is enormous (and expensive). How could you possibly be expected to navigate 607 square miles, 32 boroughs, and 9.7 million people with beloved brats without resorting to bad tourist-trap meals and full-blown temper tantrums?

The answer: Advanced planning. Bookings, tickets, tour guides and connected concierges are the way forward, especially if your expectations for luxury are high. Take it from a pro traveler-slash-mum: Traveling as a family does not mean you must sacrifice style. But this is not a ‘wing it’ kind of trip. Think like Mary Poppins: pack smartly, take the tube, hop the double decker bus, wear reasonable walking shoes, and carry a spare brolly, preferably one with a talking parrot handle.

Check in and enjoy the relief of dropping your family baggage with the pros. Many classic London hotels are good with children, but my personal bucket list choice is The Goring on Belgravia street, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Since 1910, they’ve hosted every British reigning monarch, so this is truly as close to receiving the ‘royal treatment’ as it gets. Upon arrival, your tots will be offered a cuddly stuffed sheep, activity book, coloring crayons and a Goring Passport to keep a personal record of their trip, stamps included. A footman will then escort you to your room or rooms, if your brood requires interconnecting bedrooms — which are so elegantly cossetted, you’ll be tempted to curl up by the fireplace until morning. Resist that urge! Because London is calling!

“Our wonderful city is rich in famous landmarks that spark curiosity and imagination, such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge. These iconic sights help children connect stories from books and school lessons to real places, making history feel alive and exciting,” says John Andrews, Director of Concierge, The Goring. “London is also home to many world-class museums that are especially welcoming to young visitors. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the British Museum offer interactive exhibits and engaging activities designed specifically for children.”

Tip: General admission to these national museums is free because they receive direct funding from the UK government. While permanent collections can be viewed at no cost, all three museums typically charge fees for temporary exhibitions, such as the Science Museum's IMAX. I highly recommend pre-booking "Our Story with David Attenborough," a 50-minute, narrated show exploring the history of life on Earth (now through August 30, 2026).

Afternoon Tea, Anyone? | Inside London’s famed department store, Fortnum & Mason, the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon offers one of the city’s most celebrated afternoon teas — a charming and timeless tradition. You’ll sit in a beautifully decorated salon on the fourth floor, enjoying the sound of live piano music, while your waiter guides you through an extensive range of exotic teas from around the world. You won’t need lunch after this, as these pretty plated towers are fully stocked with salmon, egg and cucumber sandwiches, scones and sweets, along with champagne refills for thirsty parents and tea or hot chocolate for well-behaved children.

Visit Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens | In under an hour from Fortnums you can stroll through Hyde Park around the beautiful Serpentine lake to reach Kensington Gardens, where you’ll run smack into Peter Pan. His statue stands in the gardens at the spot where author James Barrie, who lived nearby, is said to have imagined the character. Kensington Gardens also hosts the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, a play space explicitly inspired by Peter Pan. It features a large wooden pirate ship and play areas that bring the classic tale to life.

Dinner at Apricity | If your child is the pizza-and-pasta-only type, this restaurant might not work. But for budding foodies, Apricity is a revelation. Their five course ‘Culinary Kids’ tasting menu is designed to broaden young palates and spark curiosity about new flavors, farming and the origin of food. Think inventive (yet accessible) flavors, like sourdough and caramelized onion agnolotti with squash velouté, or dark chocolate and beetroot tarts for dessert — an experience guided by a friendly staff. Tip: You’ll need a reservation. Luckily, Apricity in Mayfair is within walking distance to the Goring. Alternatively, who doesn’t love riding atop the double decker bus? The 390 bus runs 24 hours a day from Victoria Bus Station (near the Goring) to Archway Station.

Breakfast at Borough Market: Wake early, and get thee to the centuries-old Borough Market for breakfast, simply because missing it would be a travesty — because it’s a kind of multi-sensory kaleidoscope of exploration. Wind your way through colorful street food stalls and vintage ironwork, tasting local specialties and sipping excellent coffee while listening to local chatter in wildly diverse dialects. For newcomers, it feels like stepping into bustling storybook London. And the kids might like to know that parts of the Sherlock Holmes series starring Benedict Cumberbatch were filmed here.

Tip: Go early (8–9am) to avoid crowds. You can try almost anything your hearts desire, from pastries and coffee to full English breakfasts. But let the kids make a treasure hunt of it, picking a small treat at each stall.

Paddington vs. Harry Potter: One of these characters is likely to win your Saturday, depending on your little one’s age and reading level. For the young ones (under 7), The Paddington Bear Experience on the South Bank is a fun outing. Over roughly 70 minutes, families are welcomed to Paddington Station where they board a life-sized train to the Brown family home, and explore interactive rooms filled with guided games and story-inspired activities. The adventure continues to a Peruvian jungle section (climbing is encouraged), and in yet another room, culminates in a Marmalade Day party with music, games, and themed treats, whereupon everyone gets a meet-and-greet with Paddington himself. This moment was the part where we heard that ‘wow’ I was longing to hear…

The Making of Harry Potter, produced by Warner Brothers, is a studio in Leavesden where visitors can explore the actual sets from all eight Harry Potter films. Guests can walk through iconic locations such as Hogwarts Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Platform 9¾, Hagrid’s Hut, and the Forbidden Forest, including original costumes, props, and special effects. The best part? This is not a theme park recreation, but real sets built by the original filmmakers. Given the content, it’s most engaging for kids aged 6 and up. Visits take 3-4 hours, and tickets must be booked in advance. Tip: Take the train. The Studio Tour’s nearest railway station is Watford Junction and direct services arrive there from London Euston (a 20 minute journey). Lunch-wise, I’d simply pack a light picnic from Borough Market and save appetites for dinner. But, if you’re craving a classic pub lunch, there are several near the Studio (in Watford or Abbots Langley).

Indian Cuisine, With Kids | London’s status as a global hub for Indian cuisine is rooted in centuries of cultural exchange since the colonial period, followed by significant post‑World War II migration. Today, this city is home to more than 3,600 Indian restaurants, so choosing just one is a tall order. But, for an incredible Indian meal with family-style dishes, there’s a particularly special spot called Kanishka in Mayfair which offers a vibrant ambiance and a very good children’s menu (simple paneer tikka, Delhi butter chicken, naan bread and rice). In other words, this place works well even if your kids don’t like spicy foods. When the food is this good — everyone is happy.

I’m a sucker for slow mornings and an excellent hotel breakfast. On Sunday, I’d go no further than the end of the bed for the Goring’s classic English cooked breakfast with herb sausages, mushrooms and eggs, a hot pot of coffee and a freshly folded newspaper.

Once you decide to emerge, embarking on a Sunday storybook crawl is not only advisable, it’s the kind of thing that might justify the purchase of an extra suitcase. Almost no one does bookshops better than London. In fact, their we-were-here-before-you attitude and categorized canvas-bound covers are so charming you might actually instill in your child a love of reading. Here’s where I’d begin:

Charing Cross Road

This is not a single shop, but a whole historic street of bookstores (from big stores to tiny specialists and second-hand shops). Not to miss is Foyles, the legendary bookshop on Charing Cross Road with four floors of books and hundreds of thousands of titles, including an excellent children’s section stocked with all the classic favorites and comfy nooks to sit and read before you buy.

Marylebone: Daunt Books & Traveller’s Tales

At first glance, Daunt Books is a beautiful bookshop with a rich mahogany upstairs balcony resembling a hushed library, where rambunctious children might be frowned upon. Come in anyway. Because it also happens to be one of the world’s best for discovering children’s books you never knew you needed. Here, staff can guide you through the best in children's classics, fiction, non-fiction, and there are even separate sections for ‘early readers’ and ‘confident readers.’ Plus, the sturdy canvas bags hold up well on a stroller. Lastly, London’s newest travel bookshop — also located in Marylebone — opened just a few months ago and is already popular. It’s called Traveller’s Tales, and if you intend to make this family travel thing a habit, it’s chock full of fiction set in far-flung places, excellent guidebooks and gorgeous travel photography to inspire your next trip. Even more adorable is the letter-writing section of the shop, where you (or your petits gamins) can write a letter to be posted at a future date. Doesn’t every kid love getting snail mail?

Sunday Supper at Claridge’s

Claridge’s isn’t new, but it will forever hold a soft spot in my heart as a place to rub elbows with English aristocrats without having to actually be a blue blood. At Sunday supper, I love that parents can order fancy caviar martinis and dover sole meunière or roast beef and Yorkshire pudding carved on a brass cart tableside, while the kids can join in with mocktails and multi-course frills, or simply chill out with familiar dishes like spaghetti, burgers and fries. This is the genius of long-standing grande-dame restaurants the world over: Guests in tuxedos and gowns out for a night on the town are made to feel comfortable next to teens in jeans. This is unhurried, multi-generational dining at its finest. Top hats and tails included.