This September, I was fortunate enough to take my mom on a trip to the UK for her 55th birthday! She’d never taken an international trip or been on a plane before, so it was really special to share so many travel “firsts” with her. We spent a week exploring London and Bath, UK. I focused on London must-dos, nice cafes and afternoon teas, and sites related to Jane Austen and Downton Abbey, which we both love. Read on to get an idea of our itinerary!
Days 0 & 1: London – Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tour, Tate Britain, Westminster Abbey
We flew overnight from Minnesota to London, and landed at Heathrow in the morning. We took the metro to Paddington Station, and walked to Commodore Hotel. We really enjoyed our stay there with the pleasant lobby, helpful staff, and nice location not far from Kensington Gardens. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to check in early, but we took a little time to freshen up before heading out on our first London adventure.
This was actually my third time in London, and I realized that though I had taken a double decker bus or two, I hadn’t done a Hop On/Hop Off Bus tour of the city before, and I thought my mom would really enjoy it. We lucked out and it was a pretty clear day, so we were able to sit on the open top and listen to the audioguide as we drove by famous London sites like Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as a few areas I’d never been to on previous trips, like Fleet Street (beware of Sweeney Todd!). Though it is “touristy” and a little pricier than just taking the public buses, the audioguide provided some helpful information and I enjoyed seeing London from a different perspective and helping fill in the mental “map” in my head.
After riding for a good portion of the route, we got off near the Tate Britain and had lunch at a nearby pub called the Morpeth Arms. I loved all the flowers outside and the interior was really welcoming as well. The two women working there were really nice and we had a great conversation and delicious food–including the English classic, fish and chips!
Next we visited the Tate Britain, one of the few art museums in London I hadn’t had a chance to visit yet. It focuses on British artists. I especially enjoyed seeing the multiple rooms of JMW Turners, the Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse, and Ophelia by Sir Everett John Malais.
We then walked along the Thames until we reached Westminster Abbey, where we waited in line for a little while to attend the 5pm Evensong Service. I recommend this as a great way to see the Abbey and have an interesting cultural experience that’s totally free. We were there early enough that we actually got to sit behind the choir, which was a really interesting experience. The only bad part is that it was such a serene, relaxing environment, and our jet lag was hitting pretty hard at that point, so it was a little hard to stay awake!
Finally, we got back on the Hop On/Hop Off Bus tour–and just in time, as we’d unknowingly caught the last bus of the day that would actually go near our hotel–passing by a few more London sights like Harrods and Kensington Palace before returning to our hotel for the evening. We were so tired/jetlagged that we just ended up ordering a pizza and then going to bed early, hoping to be well-rested for our first full day in London.
Day 2: London – V&A Museum, Harrods & Kensington Palace
We started the day with a visit to the wonderful V&A Museum, where we viewed treasures like the Chihuly chandelier, the 1420s St. George the Dragon altarpiece, the Ardabil carpet, Tippoo’s tiger, the impressive cast courts, and the extensive fashion gallery. We also had brunch/early lunch at the dazzling V&A Café, which has to be one of the loveliest in London. It’s also said to be the world’s oldest museum restaurant, and was created by famed Victorian designers like James Gamble, William Morris and Edward Poynter.
Once we’d soaked up as much art as we could stand for the moment, we took a shopping break at nearby Harrods. Dating from 1849, home to 3000 luxury brands, and the largest department store in Europe, Harrods is a hard-to-beat place to window-shop. It was fun to walk through the food areas, especially the chocolate store, for the free smells, then take the elaborate Egyptian Escalator up to a few different floors in search of an item I wanted to buy there. For those who want to take something home that won’t break the bank, be sure to head to the lower level for the bookstore, enchanting Christmas shop, and Harrods gift shop (for tea or other Harrods-branded souvenirs).
Did you know? The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique, which means “all things for all people, everywhere.”
Our afternoon activity was a visit to Kensington Palace, where we enjoyed the Jewel Room and Victoria: a Royal Childhood exhibits as well as the famous King’s staircase and the King’s State Apartments. Strolling through Kensington Gardens is always lovely as well, and we saw a memorial to Princess Di and the lovely Sunken Garden before heading over to Afternoon Tea at the Orangery. It’s not the cheapest place to have afternoon tea in London, but it’s delicious, lovely, and such a classic experience! Plus, our Historic Royal Palaces membership gave us 10% off. Finally, we strolled through the north side of Kensington Gardens to return to the hotel.
Day 3: Day trip from London – Highclere Castle, or, the Real Downton Abbey
Our third day was devoted to visit the “real life” Downton Abbey–Highclere Castle! A few tips about visiting the castle: be sure to plan your visit during the spring or summer months, as the castle is still home to Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and isn’t open to visitors 365 days per year. We actually visited on one of the last days of the year it’s open, in early September! Be sure to prebook your ticket, and any extras like afternoon tea. Arrive at the castle as early as possible (the grounds open at 10am) to make the most of your ticket.
We took the train from Paddington Station in London to Newbury, and from there it’s a short (~15 minute) taxi ride to the castle. There will likely be taxis available at the station when you arrive, but it’s a good idea to arrange with your driver to pick you up at the end of the day from Highclere Castle, as there won’t be ones waiting there. Our taxi driver even played the Downton Abbey theme as we drove up the road to the castle, which was a nice touch!
First we did the interior tour of Highclere Castle. I do recommend doing this first, as later in the day it seemed much more crowded. You can actually go through more than once if you want, but since you unfortunately can’t take photos inside, you might not feel the need. The tour was really interesting, especially if you’re a Downton Abbey fan, as you can see areas where many iconic scenes were filmed like the library, the gallery and grand staircase, and the state dining room.
Sadly, at the end of the tour, we learned that the kitchen scenes were not filmed there, but instead at a studio in London. We were quickly consoled, however, when we learned that there was an Egyptian exhibition in the lower level of Highclere Castle instead. One of the prior Earls who called Highclere Castle home was actually involved in the discovery of King Tut’s tomb–and may or may not have died as a part of the mummy’s curse! It was really cool and unexpected to see Egyptian artifacts there. I especially liked some of the replicas of items from King Tut’s tomb and the mockup of what they would have seen when they first dug down to it.
After exiting the castle, we stopped for a snack at the Tea Rooms and visited the gift shop, which is full of lovely gardening items, Highclere Castle-branded tea towels and tea accessories, and even some fun items like tiaras. You can also find books authored by the current Countess of Carnarvon like Seasons at Highclere or Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey–even a few on the Egyptian exploration and artifacts too.
We spent much of the afternoon exploring the beautiful gardens. I really enjoyed the Secret Garden and Monks Garden, as well as the several “follies” around the grounds, like the Etruscan temple and Jackdaws Castle. And of course, don’t forget to take the classic picture at Lady Mary’s bench, by the large tree and with the castle in the background.
We finished off our “Downton Abbey” experience with the Champagne Afternoon Tea. This was held in a nice space above the Tea Rooms. The finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts were all excellent, and the room was decorated with behind the scenes pictures of the filming experience for Downton Abbey at Highclere Castle, which we really enjoyed seeing.
Finally, it was time to return to London. We took a cab back down to Newbury station, enjoying the English countryside views along the way, and then took the ~1.5 hour train ride back to Paddington Station. For dinner, we went out again later near the hotel to the Leinster Arms, where we had some delicious chili jam glazed sausages and hearty macaroni and cheese.
Day 4: London – Wallace Collection, Trafalgar Square & National Gallery, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Day four began with a trip to my favorite London bookstore, Daunt Books Marylebone. It’s in a lovely neighborhood, and I love how the store is organized by country or region. I was even able to pick up a couple of Austria-based books to help with my Vienna trip later this year. There are also plenty of options for gifts. I picked up some lovely vintage London postcards that I sent to friends and family. I ended up buying enough items that they gave me a lovely Daunt Books tote for free. 🙂
Our next stop was the Wallace Collection nearby. I definitely consider this one a hidden gem among free museums in London. The atmosphere is lovely, with hundreds of paintings hung gallery-style in historic Hertford House. There’s also lots of furniture, smaller items like tabletop sculpture and pillboxes, and a large collection of armor and arms. You might even recognize the Great Gallery, as it served as inspiration for a scene in Frozen. Much of the collection is from the Rococo movement–be sure to see the iconic The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard in the study.
After touring all the rooms, we had Afternoon Tea at the Wallace Restaurant. I’d heard it was also a hidden gem, and I definitely agree. Everything we ate and drank was perfect, and they even brought out an extra dessert for my mom’s birthday! It was a top contender for favorite afternoon tea we had while in the UK.
My mom then went back to the hotel for a short break and I headed over to London’s Natural History Museum. I was in search of the dinosaurs at the new Evolution Garden, but was a little sad to find them smaller than I expected. They had only two replica dinosaur fossils (one being rather small), but I at least snapped a selfie with the larger one, who I later learned is named Fern. I also cruised through parts of the museum, enjoying the Stegosaurus fossil and dramatic escalator in Earth Hall and the blue whale skeleton and interesting architecture of Hintze Hall. Had it been my first visit, I also would have sought out the replica dodo birds and Audubon prints.
The afternoon continued by picking up my mom and heading to Trafalgar Square for a visit to the National Gallery. As always, I enjoyed seeing works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Rousseau. I also loved seeing some Titians and Botticellis (after my recent time in Italy) and the famous portrait of the horse Whistlejacket again.
At the end of the day, we headed across the Thames to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. I had prebooked a three-course dinner at The Swan restaurant, which was great and included sitting with a lovely view across the Thames. Afterward, we headed up to our seats in the historic replica theatre and watched Antony & Cleopatra. It was a bilingual production (with the Roman characters speaking English and the Egyptians speaking British Sign Language) with the original Shakespeare projected over the stage. Many of the actors and audience members were deaf or hard of hearing, which made it a really memorable and interesting experience.
Day 5: Bath – Jane Austen Centre, Persephone Books & #1 Royal Crescent
Finally, it was time to (temporarily) say goodbye to London and hello to Bath! I’d never visited Bath before, and was very excited to explore this city that’s so tied to Jane Austen and her novels, as well as serving as filming location for many scenes from Bridgerton. I surprised my mom with the most regency-adjacent dress I could find back in the US and we headed out, taking the train from Paddington Station in London to Bath (~1.5 hours).
Once in the city, we took a cab to our lodgings, the lovely Queensbury Hotel. Since we were staying during the middle of the week, I was able to get a good price on the hotel, and they even upgraded us to a suite, which was great. We couldn’t check in just yet, but we were able to drop our bags and then head out to explore the historic city.
On our way to our first stop, we passed through the Circus and by the Assembly Rooms on the way, and I got déjà vu from the many different scenes I’ve seen filmed there. We shortly arrived at the Jane Austen Centre, where we had Tea with Mr. Darcy in the Regency Tea Room, which was a fun and memorable experience. I was lucky and got to sit right under the portrait of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy from that memorable scene at Pemberley.
If you’re pressed for time, I would recommend doing the afternoon tea and then hitting the Gift Shop, which had a wealth of Jane Austen items I’ve never seen anywhere else, including their exclusive Mr. Darcy rubber ducks, cross stitch sampler kits, puzzles, board games, fans, and more. I even bought a replica of Jane Austen’s (or perhaps her sister Cassandra’s–we can’t know for sure) topaz cross necklace there.
Since we had time, we did the full Jane Austen Centre tour. Our guide was (a reformed, he assured us) Mr. Wickham, and it was really fun to hear the history of her family, watch a video about her time in Bath, and try some interactive exhibits like donning Regency bonnets for a photo shoot and trying out writing with quill and ink. They also have a wax figure of Jane Austen which is supposed to be the most accurate one in the world, which was kind of fun to help visualize her. The actors were all really nice and friendly and playing different Jane Austen characters. I asked how they chose the characters, and “Eliza Bennett” told me they hold auditions for each role!
Next up, I stopped at Persephone Books. This is a really unique bookstore in Bath that specializes in neglected and out-of-print books, particularly those by women authors. Most of their books are bound in a minimalist grey cover, with end papers made from fabric patterns or similar that were popular in the time the book was originally published. I had so much fun looking through all the books and had a hard time picking just a few for myself and for gifts. I should’ve brought an empty suitcase just to fill with books! Of course, you can also buy Persephone Books online or even sign up for a book subscription, but the shipping costs to the US can be quite high.
We then visited the Royal Crescent, and in particular the museum at No. 1 Royal Crescent. I love how modern this museum was, using sound and video to tell a story about a family that lived at the house as you walked through exploring the different rooms. It was a great way to get a sense of how wealthy families–and some of their servants–lived in the Regency era.
I took a stroll through Bath after our museum visit, looking for a taxi stand (turns out the main one is outside beautiful, Gothic Bath Abbey). It was fun just to walk around town, enjoying the slower pace and lighter crowds compared to London, as well as the historic architecture. Once I found a taxi, I asked the driver to take me to Prior Park to see one of the best remaining examples of a Palladian bridge–making it a popular filming location for Bridgerton and other productions. We went by the park entrance, but sadly since it was the first week of September, the hours had just changed and I missed my chance to visit. Next trip, I suppose!
We enjoyed a nice room service dinner in our hotel suite that night, and I worked on writing postcards and my roses cross stitch that I’d brought along on the trip.
Day 6: Bath – Pump Rooms, Roman Baths, Lacock & Castle Combe, Thermae Bath Spa
Our second day in Bath started with a little souvenir shopping and Brunch at the Pump Rooms, which was a lovely and elegant experience. We got to try the “healing” waters that Bath is so famous for, which had a strange salty, metallic taste. There was also a pianist performing during brunch, which was wonderful, and he even played one of my favorite songs, Liszt’s Liebestraum.
Afterward, we toured the Roman Baths. It was so interesting to see ancient Roman ruins right in the middle of Bath, and we enjoyed seeing all the artifacts on display and the actors playing the part of everyday Romans at the baths. The audio guide was really helpful here to understand the different parts of the underground baths and the interesting archaeological finds from the baths.
I then continued exploring that part of Bath on foot, enjoying seeing the angels climbing the ladder to heaven on Bath Abbey and stopping in the quite large Topping & Company bookstore. The Abbey Green area was really interesting as well, especially as several places nearby were featured in my book of Bridgerton filming locations. I recognized the massive plane tree in the center of the Green from different movies as well. I also grabbed a couple of delicious Bath buns (and a recipe card or two) to have as a snack before we embarked on our afternoon adventure.
One of my splurges on this trip was to hire a private driver to take us to Lacock and Castle Combe. I’d considered renting a car, but after seeing the narrow, winding roads on the way to Highclere Castle, I didn’t think that would work very well for us. There are ways to get to one or the other via bus, but they take a lot of time, and we only had a couple of days in Bath. Overall, I was really happy with the splurge. Our driver was really nice and informative, as well as handy–it was lucky he had a couple of umbrellas to loan us, as it ended up being a rather rainy day!
Lacock Village has been used as a filming location for many different productions, from Harry Potter to Downton Abbey to Pride & Prejudice. Situated in the Cotswolds region and changing very little in the last 200 years, it’s a lovely village to explore. After touring Lacock Abbey (where we were treated to such sights as sheep peacefully grazing, the interesting architecture of the interior, and the world’s first photographic negative) the driver took us around the few blocks that make up the village so we could see the house that served as that of Harry Potter’s parents, a street used in the first Downton Abbey movie, and the Red Lion pub–which served as the Meryton Assembly Rooms in the 1995 Pride & Prejudice mini series (aka the best one).
We then visited another classic Cotswolds village called Castle Combe. It has also been a popular filming location, and has been dubbed the “prettiest village in England.” I’d believe it, because it was completely charming, and made me want to come back there and stay at one of the quaint little inns. The driver dropped us at Manor House, and we spent some time exploring the beautiful gardens there before walking back down into town to meet him.
Back in Bath, we finished the day with the Twilight package, which includes dinner, at Thermae Bath Spa. It’s the only place where you can bathe in the same naturally warm mineral water that the Romans and Celts did 2000 years ago. Its main attraction is the open-air Rooftop Pool, with wonderful views of the city of Bath, but the Wellness Suite was also really interesting, with different rooms like the scented Georgian era steam room, the Roman steam room, the Ice Chamber, and the Infrared Room. Photos aren’t allowed inside–and in fact you’re required to put your phone in a sealed case when you arrive–so unfortunately I couldn’t take any photos, but it did help contribute to the serene, relaxing environment that no one was out there taking selfies.
Day 7: London – Tower Bridge & Tower of London, British Museum, Les Mis at Sondheim Theatre
On our seventh day of the trip, we had to bid goodbye to Bath in favor of one last day exploring London before flying home. We took the train from Bath to Paddington Station, and then continued onto our next accommodations at Tower Hotel. I managed to get one of the rooms with a view of Tower Bridge, which was really cool to see outside our window, along with the Tower of London.
Our first stop of the day after checking in was to walk over to the Tower of London, enjoying views of the Thames and Tower Bridge along the way. We viewed the Crown Jewels, of course, and then shopped for some jewelry ourselves from the collection (again, the Historic Royal Palaces membership gave us 10% off here). We also visited St. John’s Chapel and some of the other Tower of London sights before grabbing lunch at one of its cafes.
We then headed over to the British Museum, where we saw many of the highlights like the rooms of Egyptian artifacts, the Rosetta stone, the Lewis chessmen, the Sutton Hoo horde, and the Parthenon marbles (which they should really give back to Greece for the wonderful Acropolis Museum, by the way).
We grabbed some roasted chestnuts on our way out before heading over to the West End. We originally were going to have dinner in nearby Chinatown, but since we weren’t very hungry, we opted for snacks at the theatre instead. We finished our London trip in style, by watching an incredible performance of Les Misérables at the beautiful Sondheim Theatre.
Day 8: Fly home!
Our eighth day of the trip was just a travel day, where we crossed London to Heathrow airport and then flew back to Minnesota. It was fun to have one last iconic London view–the beautiful Tower Bridge lit up in the early morning light–before we left! And we only had to bring one more suitcase/bag back than we brought there to account for all the souvenirs we bought. 🙂
Overall, it was such a fun week exploring London and Bath! With a little more time, I would’ve also loved to go up north to visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Lyme Park (which served as the exterior of Pemberley in BBC’s Pride & Prejudice), and the Lakes District, or maybe even Jane Austen’s House near Alton, but I suppose I’ll save those for next time! If you only have a week to explore England and you enjoy period pieces like Downton Abbey, Jane Austen films, or Bridgerton, you can’t go wrong with a week in London & Bath!
Have you ever visited London or Bath before? What were your favorite attractions? Are there filming locations you’d like to see in another country? Comment below!
