Things to do in
London
Among the great, ancient cities of Europe, there is one where the locals nearly all speak English! This capital of the United Kingdom is a brilliant 21st century metropolis with a history stretching back to the Romans, and monuments to its glorious past abound.
At its center stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic Big Ben clock tower and Westminster Abbey; Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square; St. Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum, Tower of London, Millennium Wheel; The Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe.
With its pageantry and majesty, its cosmopolitan energy, its art and architecture and its top-notch theatre, London is unrivaled in the world.
London Highlights
From the Royal National Theatre, Old Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe to the historic playhouses of the West End, London theatre is legendary. Here we witness some of the year’s most exciting productions, performed on some of the city’s most venerable stages.
Between shows, we marvel at the most treasured sights of Britain: Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral; the Tower of London and the London Eye; Trafalgar Square, Berkeley Square, Parliament Square and Leicester Square; Harrods and Selfridges; Bond Street, Oxford Street and Carnaby Street.
Often our tours continue on, with excursions to Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Bath Theatre Royal. A typical Spring tour would include the following:
Round-trip air from your home city
Seven days/six nights at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel
Welcome dinner at Sarastro
Full English breakfast daily
Four theatre productions
Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms
Westminster Abbey
Royal National Theatre tour
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre tour
Guided walking tours
Tour of Royal Opera House
Theatre talk & Afternoon Tea
Excursion to Hampton Court Palace
Don’t miss out
Sample London Itinerary
No two of our London tours are ever the same. The mix of productions is always new; the group of fellow theatre-lovers who accompany you usually is, too. And with the inviting theatre venues of Bath and Stratford nearby, your group may add excursions and extend your stay in England.
We certainly will create a tour to your specific wishes, but consider this itinerary a typical example.
DAY 1
Depart in the afternoon from the U.S. on your flight to London.
DAY 2
Arrive at Heathrow Airport in the morning, and transfer by coach to the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, just next to the Millennium Wheel and across the Thames from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. After check-in, enjoy some refreshing tea and biscuits and a short time for relaxing. It’s then off to the West End for our welcome dinner at Sarastro Restaurant.
DAY 3
This morning we will be taken on a private coach tour of London to get up to snuff with the layout of the city and view some of its major sites. Over the past 20 years, London’s redevelopment has emerged as one of the most inventive in the world, and much has been centered on the River Thames. This snaking waterway has seen massive changes along its historic path beginning at the turn of 21st Century. In the afternoon, we will be visiting Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Exhibition for a guided tour. Upon returning to the hotel, afternoon tea will be served along with a theatre discussion led by a leading theatre personality. Tonight, we’ll head to the West End to see the first of four London theatre productions.
DAY 4
In the morning, we will divide into small touring groups for our own personalized tour of London with our Blue Badge Guides. The guides provide a wealth of knowledge of history, fine arts, architecture and just about every London-related subject one could imagine. We’ll have the opportunity of choosing from a number of tours: The City, Legal London, London Parks, Shakespeare’s London, The West End or even Off-The-Beaten-Path. In the afternoon, a backstage tour of the Royal National Theatre is scheduled. Tonight will find you back at the National for a production on one of its three stages.
DAY 5
A visit to Hampton Court is scheduled for today. Just a short hour drive from London, Hampton Court Palace is the former home of the flamboyant King Henry VIII. It ranks as the grandest of all the great palaces built in England during the Tudor period. Our visit will include the magnificent State Apartments, which King Henry shared with Anne Boleyn and are filled with priceless treasures of the period. The formal gardens, including delightful recreations of the Tudor gardens, are a joy, as is the park, with its walks along the Thames. Afterwards, we’ll have lunch in one of the famous pubs nearby. Tonight, enjoy another new West End production.
DAY 6
Just across the Westminster Bridge sits Parliament Square with Westminster Abbey on one side and the Houses of Parliament on another. Your guides will lead you on a tour of this historical area, starting with a tour of Westminster Abbey. After lunch, there will be a tour of Winston Churchill’s War Room. Walk in the footsteps of Churchill and glimpse what life would have been like during the tense days and nights of the Second World War. Few places in the world transport you back so effectively, where every corner and corridor has a story to tell. Your third production is scheduled for tonight.
DAY 7
Linger over your English breakfast while planning a day on your own. You might wander the halls of the National Gallery, encountering works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Explore the ancient Roman wall at Tower Hill or tour Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral. Stroll through St. James’s Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on your way to Knightsbridge and Harrods Department Store. This evening is your fourth production.
DAY 8
Breakfast, check-out and travel to Heathrow Airport for your flight home.