A Week in London

For Your Information; the itinerary works best when you arrive on a Monday morning. 

Your chauffeur will meet you inside the arrivals hall, assist with luggage and escort you to the vehicle. Your journey time will take approximately 1hr.

Your driver will give you an orientation upon arrival into the city, make you feel at home and answer any questions you may have.

Before you leave, our Travel Designers will update you on the area around your chosen hotel and make dinner reservations based on your preferences.

Evening: Diner in the local area or at the hotel. 

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

Your guide will meet you in your hotel lobby, talk about the day to make sure you are happy and order a taxi.

To become a London Taxi Driver, you must pass the infamous test known as "the Knowledge." You must know thousands of routes across London to pass, dodging all the traffic hot spots. Your guide will give you a commentary en-route, and I'm sure the taxi driver will have a few words to say, too – they often do! – It is all fun. 

Tour the Churchill War Rooms where Sir Winston Churchill conducted operations during wartime London when London sustained a massive bombing campaign known as The Blitz. The Prime Minister and his team of government officials, secretaries and military personnel sought refuge beneath London's streets. You will experience the sights and sounds of this perfectly preserved WW2 bunker, see the operations rooms, map room and the PM's bedroom left as if the war ended only yesterday.

See the Guard Change at Buckingham Palace, subject to army schedules.

Private guided tour of Westminster Abbey
Enjoy a private tour inside Westminster Abbey, famous for coronations and weddings of Royalty. See the coronation chair and the spectacular King Henry VII chapel. The Abbey is one of Britain's most iconic historic buildings, a Royal church with Kings and Queens' tombs. The Abbey has become a place of burial for the great and the good of British history.

Private guided walking tour of Royal St. James's
Strolling through aristocratic London is characterised by elegant squares, specialist shops and innovative restaurants. Before large department stores, ladies and gentlemen had a tailor, a hatter, a shoemaker, a cheesemonger, a wine merchant and so on. See those specialist shops in the back streets of St James's today. Take the opportunity to taste local cheese, buy beautifully crafted shoes and shirts, and have lunch. End the day with a flight on the London Eye.

Evening; Enjoy dinner in vibrant Soho. The area is full of theatres, restaurants and pubs and has a buzz. The choice is endless; maybe you would like French, Italian, Middle Eastern, Tapas or lavish British in a top gastropub.

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

Enjoy a private tour inside St Paul's Cathedral
Go inside St Paul's Cathedral, enjoy a highlights tour with your guide. One of the most important places of Christian worship and architecturally a masterpiece of baroque grandeur. Vast amounts of pure white stone contrast with colourful mosaics within the saucer domes. Giant statues of British heroes stand to watch like oversized historical ghosts - an overwhelming experience. The central dome of St Paul's is an excellent engineering wonder; people draw breath when seen. If you are feeling energetic, climb the 533 steps into the said dome's superstructure, stop at the famous Whispering Gallery before reaching the outside for incredible views of London.

Enjoy a private tour inside The Tower of London
The Tower of London is an ancient royal palace, castle, and infamous prison. The Tower of London is quite rightly famous for being a jail of sorts, not an ordinary one, a super VIP prison. The incarceration of Queens, Kings, and government officials, such as Queen Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, Princess Elizabeth and Saint Thomas. See the English Crown Jewels, including the Imperial State Crown, the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the First Star of Africa, the world's largest diamond. 

Optional; VIP Private tour of the Crown Jewels
Arrive at the Tower of London before the public and enjoy VIP Private access to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll through the precinct of the quiet castle with your guide and a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater). Unique access to the vault that holds the English Crown Jewels with a private guided tour. 

Take a mini–Walking Tour
Take a walk-through-time and discover London's layers of history. Stroll through the old alleyways, and your guide will reveal hidden squares, ancient chapels and fragments of Roman London. Go below ground and see those layers of time, hear tales of fire, buried treasure, and gladiatorial combat. The Old City of London has many secrets, two thousand years of stories, buildings and culture.

Private River Champagne River Cruise
You guide will escort you down to the pier and call through to the captain for a ride. Your luxury Venetian styled boat will whisk you along the Thames; push back the glass roof and sip Champagne with the breeze in your hair - it is all wonderful fun. Please see our Private Thames Boat Tour options. 

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

Use the tube and tour London's old docks with your guide. Hear stories of pirates, crime and grittier times. London's Docklands was the busiest and most significant on earth. Now those watery basins, warehouses and industrial sites have been re-invented into a gleaming new city. 

Take a walking tour of Greenwich, visiting the old palace and the Royal Observatory. Stand on either side of longitude zero, the prime meridian of the world and discover what it all means. Tour the National Maritime Museum and see the highlights, such as Lord Nelson's Trafalgar coat and the world's most significant ship in a bottle. Visit the Painted Hall, the most beautiful dining hall in the western world, decorated by stunning paintings telling the story of Royal Naval supremacy. This breathtaking work of restored art covers 40,000 sq ft and is seen in tip-top condition - a must-see for anyone. 

Before you head back to central London, stop for lunch at a pub and see the Cutty Sark and the Queen's House. We can arrange a boat trip back or walk the Thames tunnel and take the tube. I expect the weather may dictate this decision. 

Arrive back in Westminster in time for afternoon tea.

Where to have afternoon tea? We will send you a list of suggested venues with details of style, menus and dress code.

Who invented afternoon tea? The seventh Duchess of Bedford invented the idea of afternoon tea in 1840. Those days, the tradition was to have dinner at eight or nine o'clock, leaving a big gap between lunch and your evening meal. The Duchess requested tea and cake around four and then made it a social event by inviting friends. The tradition evolved, and ladies wore elegant gowns and gossiped all afternoon.

Evening: Your chauffeur will meet you in the evening to whisk you off to the glittering lights of the West End. We will pre-book the best seats, and reserve pre-theatre dinner and transportation to and from the theatre.

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

The day is completely flexible, and you can spend more time in one place and less in another; it will be up to you. For short 40-minute Highlights of a few selected galleries and Museums, while also explore off the tourist trail - see below.  

The National Gallery
The National Gallery houses one of the most significant collections of European painting in the world. The gallery's design uses natural light to illuminate the beautifully preserved pictures, helping you appreciate the art. Over 2,300 masterpieces range from Duccio, Leonardo, Claude, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Turner, Jan Van Eyck and Monet. Your specialist art guide will make the art of the past come alive, learn about the artists' background, the politics of the time, the meaning behind the picture, and their coded message. Think of the National Gallery as the Instagram of the past or Facebook for the wealthy.

Tate Britain
Tate Britain houses a substantial collection of artwork, including the 'Turner Bequest', which comprises 300 oil paintings and 30,000 sketches and watercolours. Often we think of 'Turner' as Britain's most revered painter, a master of light and inspiration for a future group of artists, the Impressionists. Other artists represented include William Hogarth, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and Gainsborough. Tate Britain is a temple to the British artist of the past and present – be prepared for modern art.

The British Museum
The British Museum's Great Court is the most architecturally impressive part of the museum due to its spectacular glass and steel roof, added at the turn of the century. The collection is worldwide in origin and relates to places and people from the past two million years; this is a museum that tells the stories of civilisations. The highlights tour can include The Elgin Marbles, ancient Egypt's mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Anglo-Saxon treasure, Greek and Roman artefacts.

Explore the Inns of Court, the location of law firm offices. We know it as 'legal London' and see the ancient courtyards, chapels, halls, and public houses that make this neighbourhood a filmmakers paradise if time permits. Visit the Temple Church, once headquarters of the Knights Templar.

Other options include a Horse Drawn Carriage Ride through London or Enjoy a private Thames Boat Tour. Feeling energetic take a Guided Bike Tour of London. 

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

London's Top Five Street Markets

Portobello Road
Portobello Road, probably the world's largest antique market, with over a thousand dealers selling every antique and collectable. Side note: Made famous in the movie "Notting Hill".

Borough Market
London's oldest food market has served locals for one thousand years. A ring of restaurants and pub surround an inner courtyard of high-end market stalls. Try, taste, have a beer and lunch. Side note: home of Bridget Jones from the movie "Bridget Jones's Diary".

Camden Market
Camden Market is a huge street network with clothing stores, street vendors, music, bars and general hubbub. Scarves hats, t-shirts, boots, books and everything else in-between. It is vibrant and mad; we love it.

Old Spitalfields Market
Once HQ of London's rag trade and now tidy, cool and trendy. Choose from 27 food stalls, 64 shops and stalls, plus various events. The market is largely covered.

Covent Garden
Sedate but comfortable and easy to get to, Covent Garden was once a little bit hell in past centuries. Still, the market is fun and populated by buskers and surrounded by restaurants and shop. The London Transport Museum is quite interesting, and the streets nearby are pretty cool with independent shops.

If you prefer professional guidance here is a Gastro tour of London's Markets.

Recommended London Hotels: Luxury Accommodation London.

You professional driver will be with you 15 minutes prior to your agreed departure time from the hotel. The journey time to Heathrow from central London is between 45 minutes and one hour.