Slow Travel London with Kids: Why We Stopped Trying to See Everything
- Elizabeth S.
- Mar 26
- 5 min read
London is my happy place, so you can imagine how excited I was to finally (read: twenty years later) take my kids and husband to my favorite city.
The first time I went to London, I was 16 years old, traveling with my high school choir. I remember the exact moment I fell in love with it. I was looking out of my hotel window and watched a red bus make a turn around a corner. Each morning after that, I woke up and watched that same bus make the same turn. For some reason, the routine of it felt so special to me.
On that trip, we hustled from one place to the next, cramming in as many sights and activities as possible. Our choir teacher was doing her best to keep a group of teenagers busy and out of trouble, so free time was not on the agenda. When I started planning my own family's first trip to London, that's the model I defaulted to. They're young, they have energy, let's hit all the spots! My husband agreed, and we decided to book morning tickets everywhere, assuming we'd be raring to go each day.
Best laid plans and all that.
Within the first few days of our ten-day trip, we were sweaty, exhausted, and in desperate need of a new plan. I had worked so hard on the planning, and I wanted so badly for my kids to have the time of their lives, that I was frustrated with myself and everyone else when they were surly and complaining, slow to get up and get going, and completely overwhelmed by the heat, the crowds, and the relentless pace of it all.
We course corrected. We slowed down. We left a lot of things on the to-do list for next time.
At the time, I was disappointed and felt like I'd ruined the trip. But honestly? Having things left on that list has made us more excited for our next trip to London. And what we learned changed how we travel as a family from that point forward.
What Is Slow Travel?
Slow travel can mean a lot of things, from agritourism to immersive cultural experiences, but at its core it's simply about choosing to be more intentional. Slowing the pace instead of racing from one tourist spot to the next, checking things off a list. Slow travel London with kids looks different for every family, but for us it came down to one simple rule: one or two things a day, and everything else is a bonus.
Some of my favorite travel advice comes from Rick Steves, who encourages travelers to plan as if they're coming back to a place another time, so they don't feel like they have to do it all right now. This is a mindset shift as much as a logistics shift. You stop being a tourist and start being a traveler.
For my family, slow travel means choosing one, maybe two things to do in a day, and allowing time and flexibility for everything else. That might mean letting the kids play in a local park, wandering into shops you didn't know existed, or getting gelato every single night from the place around the corner from your hotel. It's the unplanned moments that tend to become the ones you talk about for years.
Why London Is Actually Perfect for Slow Travel
You might think a big, bustling city like London would be the last place for a slow travel approach. But it's actually ideal for it. Each neighborhood has its own distinct feel, its own local playgrounds, its own independent shops, and its own things to stumble upon. You don't need to "do" London. You can just be in it.
One of my favorite areas is Kensington High Street. I love it so much that I created a candle inspired by it and some of my other favorite places in and around the UK. (Click here to check them out.) There's something about that stretch of the city that feels like the London I fell in love with at 16, and it's exactly the kind of neighborhood that rewards slow exploration.
What One or Two Things a Day Actually Looks Like
A slow day in London might look like this: breakfast at a local café or even room service, then a morning at a museum, without any pressure to see the entire thing. Just one wing, one collection, whatever calls to you.
Lunch somewhere local. If you're visiting the National Gallery, for example, walk across the street to St. Martin-in-the-Fields and have lunch in their café in the crypt. It's one of those only-in-London experiences that you'd never find on a highlight reel, and it's wonderful.
Afternoon in Hyde Park or St. James's Park, or a neighborhood wander. Pop into a local Oxfam for a browse. Get gelato after dinner.
That's a perfect day. It really is.
The Mindset Shift
The hardest part of slow travel isn't the logistics. It's giving yourself permission to not do it all, especially for planner-type parents, or for those of us who want so desperately to share our favorite places with the people we love most.
Ask anyone for the must-do list in London and you'll get a mile-long answer and a side of anxiety. Instead, read a travel book, watch a travel show about your destination, and make a short list of things you genuinely want to experience. Some things will need to be booked in advance, and that's fine, just allow yourself space to breathe around those anchors.
Give yourself the luxury of traveling on your own terms. Of finding your own special corners of a city. Of making memories that belong only to your family, that no guidebook put there, and that you'll still be talking about years from now.
Ready to Plan Your Own London Trip?
If you're thinking about a family trip to London and want help building an itinerary that actually feels good to be on, I'd love to help.
I can book hotels, resorts, and cruises (with VIP perks, and flexible check-in when possible) along with restaurant reservations, activities, and excursions, all pulled together into an easy-to-follow itinerary with plenty of room for the good, unplanned stuff. And I do all of this at no cost to you. (More in-depth planning services are available too, but completely optional.)
Let us know in the comments your favorite slow travel moments, we love to hear about it!
Happy travels!
-Elizabeth
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