Our second day in London focused on more site-seeing! We were definitely playing tourist on this trip to London. We used our second day on our London Pass and headed out to explore the town!
Since we stayed in an excellent location at the foot of Westminster Bridge (you can read my review of our hotel here), all we had to do was walk across the bridge and we found ourselves at the foot of Elizabeth Tower looking up at the majestic Big Ben. Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben is one of my husband’s favorite landmarks to photograph, so we of course had to pause while he took some photos.
As soon as he was done, we headed to our first stop Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is absolutely beautiful. This is my first time visiting inside the Abbey and it was so overwhelming to stand in the same spots that so many historical figures have stood. Photographs are not allowed to be taken in Westminster Abbey and for that I am glad. It really allowed us to focus on the history of the building while we listened to the audio tour. The kids enjoyed it too. I will say though we did have to stop at times and confer about the different time periods and double check with each other to make sure we understood which monarch they were discussing. Once outside at the gift shop we ended up purchasing a book: The Really Useful Guide to Kings and Queens of England from Historic Royal Palaces to help us out.
Once we left Westminster Abbey we walked over to Buckingham Palace. We did not see the changing of the Guard or Palace band, but just spent some time admiring the palace. From there we visited the Queens Gallery.
The Queens Gallery is a display of absolutely stunning art. While we visited the gallery was featuring artwork from Scottish Artists (1750-1900): From Caledonia to the Continent. Our ten year old, Madison, really enjoyed this exhibition and spent a lot of time visiting each painting and studying them. She definitely has an enthusiasm for art that she does not share with the rest of the family. I am glad we went though and maybe Madison’s love for art will rub off on the rest of us if we are able to visit again. No pictures were allowed inside the gallery.
From there we had lunch at a cute, English Pub before heading on to the next attraction.
We finished off the day by hoping in a taxi and going to Kensington Palace. Once again we were just amazed by the rich history of the house and enjoyed exploring the grounds. One of the highlights of Kensington Palace was being able to see the Fashion Rules exhibit. Fashion Rules showcases dresses from the Queen, Princess Margaret, and Diana. If you have a chance definitely check this exhibit out. It is absolutely stunning.
From there we took another taxi back to our hotel for the night. Once back to the hotel we ordered the kids room service and headed to the lobby for sushi. Another plus to staying in a full service hotel.
London Pass Tally
- Westminster Abbey- Adult: £20.00 Child: £9.00
- Queen’s Gallery- Adult: £10.30 Child: £5.30
- Kensington Palace- Adult: £16.30 Child: Free *Fast Track Entry Available
Total Tickets for the Day: £182.70
Total Transportation for the day: £30.oo + tip
Still not doing too bad on our use for the London Pass. Does it continue?
Around the World with the Love of Five 