We start with a stroll through Green Park, ending up at the iconic gates of Buckingham Palace. Then we take a walk up the Mall, where the royal processions take place.  Going through Admiralty Arch, we head to the Afternoon Tea Bus, which provides a nice city overview while taking it a bit easy on our first day.  It also provides us with a delicious and elegant repast while we watch the London sights go by! After our ride around London, we walk along the Victoria Embankment to Westminster. We will pass Cleopatra’s Needle (authentically ancient Egyptian but definitely not Cleo’s) and several touching war memorials. We should arrive at Westminster Bridge just in time to see its naughty afternoon shadows. After getting great shots of Elizabeth Tower (aka Big Ben), we head down the Southbank toward the Royal Festival Hall, passing under the London Eye. Dinner is whatever catches our fancy at the Southbank Market, where we dine alongside a bunch of hungry Londoners.
Included meals: breakfast and afternoon tea (lunch).

The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of my very favorite museums ANYWHERE. We check out the sculptures, fashion through the ages, drool over scads of stunning jewelry, and enjoy a delicious lunch in their café while surrounded by Victorian excess. Afterward, we walk past the Royal Albert Hall to nearby Kensington Gardens where we see the Albert Memorial (more Victorian excess!) and the decidedly-more-understated Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. We tour Kensington Palace where Queen Victoria spent her childhood. It was home to Princess Diana from her marriage until her death. Wills, Kate, and the kids live there now. There is a new exhibit on Victoria and usually a number of gowns on display from the Queen, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, and, of course, Princess Diana. Speaking of Diana, the new statue is now in the Sunken Garden. From the palace, we stroll along Kensington High Street, stopping for dinner on our way back to the hotel.
Included meal: breakfast.

 

 The morning starts with a Thames Cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich which gives us a chance to see those glorious London icons from a different perspective. Once we dock, we take a leafy stroll up the hill for great views of London. Greenwich is the home of the Prime Meridian which divides East from West on the globe, and you won’t want to miss the photo op of standing with a foot on either side! After a pie and mash lunch at Goddards, the afternoon is free to explore. Options with no admission charge include the National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House for their fine art collection, or a walk under the Thames to the Isle of Dogs (which, sadly, is *not* filled with puppies). Other possibilities include the tea clipper Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory for those interested in astronomy. These are not free and admission is not included in the tour. Of course, you can just do a spot of retail therapy at the open-air stalls of Greenwich Market, if that’s more your style! We will meet for dinner at Nando’s, where their specialty is delicious South African flame-grilled chicken.
Meal included: breakfast.

This morning we head to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to visit the many iconic glass houses, learn more about bees at the interactive Hive, stroll along the Treetop Walk, and be stunned by the riotous color of the Marianne North Gallery. After lunch in their café, we take the Tube back to the city center where we visit Trafalgar Square which has been a significant London location since the 13th century.  It’s the site of Nelson’s Column flanked by the four wonderful lion statues, a huge fountain, and the ‘Fourth Plinth” which displays specially commissioned temporary artwork. We visit the National Gallery where you don’t need an art history background to see familiar paintings and the beautiful building itself is worth the visit. We have dinner in the wonderfully atmospheric crypt of St. Martins in the Fields. Yes, it is a real crypt but the ‘residents’ were removed years ago. Afterward we walk up the Strand to Covent Garden and a wander around the glittering West End.
Meal included: breakfast.

Here is our chance to behold the ‘loot of the ages’ at the British Museum. We have a couple of hours to check out everything from the Rosetta Stone to Egyptian sarcophagi; the controversial Elgin Marbles to an Easter Island moai; the mysterious Sutton Hoo Mask to the charming Lewis Chessmen. We lunch at the historic Museum Tavern across the street. From there we take the tube to St. Paul’s Cathedral which is one of the most recognizable sights of London. Its dome has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. It was a symbol of resistance during the Blitz in World War II, surviving several direct strikes by German bombs. We walk around the grounds, visit another nearby church which wasn’t so lucky (but now has a lovely garden amidst the ruins), and then enter the cathedral for their short mid-afternoon Evensong service. Afterward, we take a walk across the Millennium Bridge. This is a suspension pedestrian bridge which opened in 2000 but closed two days later because of the dangerous sway it developed from foot traffic.  It took eighteen months and over a million pounds to fix the problem. Londoners dubbed it the Wibbly-Wobbly Bridge but, no worries, it’s perfectly stable now! On one side of the bridge is Shakespeare’s Globe, a modern reconstruction which opened in 1997 near (but not on) the site of the original theatre. On the other side of the bridge is the Tate Modern, housed in a massive former power station. From there we take a short walk to pay our respects at the Crossbones Graveyard. In medieval times, the Bishop of Winchester licensed prostitutes, which became known as ‘Winchester Geese’. Although he had no problem profiting from their work, he drew the line at allowing them to be buried in consecrated ground and this is where many of them ended up. This graveyard and its small memorial has been preserved by local residents. Another short walk takes us to Borough Market, where we choose our dinners from the many options available.
Meal included: breakfast.

This is a free day to pursue your own personal London delights. I’ll be available with suggestions and help. We will meet for dinner at The Little French Restaurant in Earls Court.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner. 

After breakfast we take the train to Liverpool and check into our hotel. Our first Liverpool experience will be afternoon tea at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel. From there we walk to the Albert Docks to visit The Beatles Story Museum which takes us on a journey with the local band who changed music history. This is most interesting if you love the group, but it will also hold the interest of those who aren’t Beatles fanatics. (Entrance to this museum is included.) The rest of the afternoon is free to visit the museums and shops nearby. There is no charge to visit the other museums at Albert Docks. At the Liverpool Museum, more than 6,000 objects bring the city’s incredible heritage to life, celebrating its role as a great port and a flashpoint of 1960s music. The Maritime Museum focuses on the port of Liverpool, with highlights including the Lusitania and the newly-reopened Titanic Exhibit.  The International Slavery Museum on the third floor tells the story of the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the part Liverpool played in that tragic legacy. The Tate Liverpool contains British art from the year 1500 to the present day, international modern art, and a program of temporary exhibitions. Just down the street is the British Music Experience, tells its story through costumes, instruments, performance videos, and memorabilia from the Beatles and Bowie to Adele, Oasis, and the X Factor. (Entrance to this museum is not included in the tour.) Later, we head to Mathew Street – where the Beatles got their start – to have dinner and spend the evening at the reconstructed Cavern Club. What better place to hear a Beatles tribute band??
Meals included: breakfast and afternoon tea (lunch).

This morning is our private Hard Day’s Night Taxi Tour with local guide, Joey.  You’ll love his Beatles stories – and his Scouse sense of humor! After 5 minutes it will feel like you’ve known him for years.  He will take us to see the homes where the Fab Four grew up. We visit the church where John Lennon was an altar boy (the mind boggles) and the real Eleanor Rigby lies buried in the graveyard. We also stop by the Penny Lane Community Centre (where you can write your name on the Beatles Wall) and the gates of Strawberry Field(s). If there’s time, we can stop by the huge Protestant Cathedral (just finished in 1978) and the stunning modernistic Catholic Cathedral just down the street. We get dropped off at the train station for lunch and the ride back to London.  After our final dinner, we have one last pint at the Blackbird Pub.
Meal included: breakfast – and a final pint at the pub.