5 DAYS IN LONDON   (ENGLISH VERSION)                                        
                                
 First day
As I usually arrive in the evening, I like going to Piccadilly Circus the first day, (generally, the operating time for trains is from 5:00 am until midnight, Monday to Saturday. Opening hours are reduced on Sundays, the timetable can be checked in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx) make some pictures and take a walk by this area.
From Piccadilly we can go and visit Chinatown (you can’t miss taking some pictures to the entrance arches and to the “small animals” hanging on the windows – ducks?).
We are beside Soho (gay scene area in London. We can also find a lot of sex-shops where you will certainly find that item related to sex that you had been looking for for so long. Any consumer good related to porn has its place in this neighborhood… Don’t be surprised if you are offered prostitution services on every corner).
For dinner: there is a couple of Italian restaurants by the area with a good quality-price rate.

Second day 

(It depends on the arrival day, please check if there is guard change at http://www.changing-the-guard.com/chaging-the-guard-schedules-times.html)

It is recommendable to wake up early, because there is a lot to see. We get going to Buckingham Palace to see the guard change (it is supposed to be a very typical event, but personally I prefer the walk along the park watching the squirrels than the guard change itself). After seeing it and taking some pictures by the area, we get ready for a long walk…

We intend to see, in this order: Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben, London Eye (too long queue, count on that if you’re going to get on) and Tate Modern (it closes at 22:00 ,Fridays and Saturdays , and it’s absolutely mandatory to go up to the top floor to have a coffee since the views are spectacular). To return to Piccadilly area we can get the underground at Saint Paul, and we seize the opportunity to visit the cathedral. We cross the bridge at Tate Modern (Millennium Bridge), continue by Peter’s Hill, turn right at Queen Victoria, then left at Distaff, to the right at Cannon Street, to the left at NewChange and to the left at Patermoster.

Third day

Our objective for today is to spend the whole morning and part of the afternoon at the British Museum (it closes at 17:30). The underground stop for the museum is Tottenham Court Road.

I recommend to have lunch in a Turkish restaurant which is 3 minutes away from the British Museum entrance (you get out of the museum, turn right and you will find it at the corner, on the same sidewalk).

Then we’ll go and see the Camden Town market (I recommend a visit to the CyberDog shop, because it’s very original.

You can find a lot of pubs by the area to drink something or have dinner.

Fourth day

On this day we go to the Natural History Museum and then to the Science Museum. They are side by side, the underground station is South Kensington.

The Natural History Museum is simply spectacular, it must be a mandatory visit. The building is impressive, outside and inside. It’s among the best things I’ve ever seen  (and besides it’s free…)

We will end around 6, when both museums close.

Fifth day

Today we’re going to visit the Charing Cross area and then we’ll walk to Trafalgar Square. We will get into the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.

Blue line to Leicester Square and then walk down Charing Cross.

It’s essential to take some pictures in Trafalgar Square. If you have time enough, walk down Whitehall Street to “House Guards”.

When we finish visiting the museums and pictures we can go to Harrods as it’s typical (in fact it’s not more than a shopping centre full of people…)

To go to Harrods we can take the underground at Charing Cross (it’s not in that map but it would be following the street indicated as A4 ..Strand.

Underground Charing Cross to Piccadilly and then to Knightsbridge, where we’ll get down. After leaving the underground station you have to walk down a street called Brompton.

Optional (but essential)

If you can avoid going to Harrods, I recommend to visit the London Tower and the London Bridge (a walk along the other border of the river will be very interesting).

The underground station is Tower Hill.

After that you can go and see the famous Gherkin building in the City. There are some underground stops by this area.

If you need the maps or the planning in Word, send me a message!!

Enjoy your trip!!