London for The Family Explorers: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Two thousand years in layers, and a pint in every one.
A weekend the children will remember and the parents will survive. Short walks between real highlights, a boat or a tram instead of a museum queue, dinners at six, and room to run.
Friday: Buses and a burger
- London Transport Museum
Climb on a red bus and a Tube driver's cab; under-18s go free, and there is a play area for the very young.
- Flat Iron
A cheap steak dinner with salad and a free ice cream at the end; they seat children early and quickly.
Saturday: Dinosaurs and a palace pond
- Natural History Museum
Free, and the blue whale in Hintze Hall is the first thing you see. Arrive at opening to meet the dinosaurs.
- The Orangery
A stately tearoom in a Georgian orangery with sandwiches, scones and a children's menu; the walk through the park is flat.
- Diana Memorial Playground
A pirate ship playground with a tipi and a sensory trail, free to use and big enough to tire every child out.
- Dishoom Kensington
Early dinner at a lively Indian cafe with a kids menu and no fuss; try the house black dal and a mango lassi.
Sunday: River to Greenwich
- Uber Boat by Thames Clippers
A fast river bus to Greenwich passing Tower Bridge and the Shard; sit on the open deck for the best view.
- Cutty Sark
A tea clipper from 1869 that you can walk under as well as aboard; the children can steer the wheel.
- Goddards at Greenwich
Pie and mash with liquor sauce, a London classic since 1890, served at long tables at a fair price.
- Greenwich Park
Roll down the hill under the Observatory and see London laid out below; deer live in the Wilderness.
Monday: Tower Bridge and a market lunch
- Tower Bridge Exhibition
Walk the high-level glass floor, then see the Victorian engine rooms below; the children get to press a button.
- Borough Market
On a Monday the market is calm: pick up a toastie, a sausage roll and fruit, and eat on the benches by the cathedral.