Our Family Trip to England (Guide of London and Countryside)

A bajillion photos of us and our family itinerary for 2+ weeks...enjoy!

Ok, I realize this is a monster post with a bajillion family photos—mostly for me to look back on. You all LOVED my Switzerland posts, so I’m finally sitting down to share our family’s England itinerary. We took this trip in summer 2024, but if you’re considering taking your family to England, most of this itinerary applies year-round and would work whenever you go.

We started with a dreamy 8-day escape at the Four Seasons Hampshire (a quick 45-minute drive from Heathrow!), and then spent 7 days in London at a luxury South Kensington mews home on Airbnb (with central AC!), along with our six-year-old, Ollie, and baby Morgan. It was as comfortable and luxurious as city living gets for our traveling family.

Ok, so quick funny story: I’d been dropping hints about wanting to stay at the Four Seasons Hampshire for a year now. This idea took root when I was four months pregnant, chatting with an English mom at The Boca Raton. I mentioned my dream of taking a post-baby trip to England, listing places I wanted to visit like the Cotswolds, and she stopped me and said, “I’m from London, and I’ve never even been to the Cotswolds. For families, we go to Hampshire—it’s closer, and nothing beats the Four Seasons.” Every time I brought it up with Matt, he’d roll his eyes…until he witnessed me in labor.

So, picture this: I’m in labor (what a picture! ha! sorry don’t picture this part…), and there’s Matt next to me, chanting “Think of England!!!” Me yelling back, “Not even England could make this better!!!! Shut UP!!!” Apparently, seeing me in labor hit him hard because, right there in the hospital, he not only booked the flights but overbooked our stay at the Four Seasons Hampshire (Spoiler alert: You don’t need eight days there but I loved every minute). In true Matt fashion, he did this without having Morgan’s passport…because, well, she wasn’t born yet. And we made it work. He always figures out a way.

Long story short, Matt went “extra” on Hampshire leg of the trip to try and ease the pain of child birth. But hey, I’m not complaining! So I’m writing this guide as though we didn’t spend an extravagant 8 days there…

Also, you can do London or English Countryside/ Hampshire first. The only reason we went the countryside route first was to chill from jet lag and because the week we went was a third of the price than the following week.

If you’re planning an English adventure with your family, here’s how we balanced exciting city days and peaceful countryside downtime, all with plenty of kid-friendly fun. Enjoy—and have the best time!!!

Days 1–7: London with Kids

Day 1: Hyde Park – Playgrounds, Boats & Pizza

We started our week at Hyde Park, and it was the perfect way to kick off the trip. Ollie took part in a kids sports club for the bank holiday, and after the camp, he ran straight for the Princess Diana Memorial Playground, where the giant pirate ship was a total hit…along with the carousel he rode 5,000 times, ice cream, etc…

Hyde park is a great place for paddle boating on the Serpentine or horseback riding on trails in the city! It’s truly a sanctuary in the city and a nice place to go and recharge. Theres a cute cafe on the Serpentine, and great little sandwich spots along the park to grab bites if you need.

For lunch, you can keep it simple at the café on the Serpentine, but if your kids love pizza, Damario’s is a short walk away. Fun fact: this was Princess Diana’s go-to pizza spot with Prince William and Prince Harry. Ollie had no idea why it was such a big deal to eat Damario’s pizza—neither did Matt he was annoyed there was a wait to get in—so we ended up getting takeout and eating it at our airbnb a block away…followed by naps for all but Ollie.

Day 2: Zoo Day & Primrose Hill

Day two was all about animals for Ollie, so we headed to the London Zoo. Giraffes, monkeys, and the reptile house—he was totally captivated and it made for good morning exercise for all on a beautiful, bluebird day.

Afterward, we took a stroll to Primrose Hill for lunch at Arvo. Ollie happily tucked into his mezze plate, while Morgan enjoyed a nap while I nursed a pint for lunch alongside a delicious crispy chicken salad. After, we took a stroll around the neighborhood and wrapped up the day with a walk to the top of Primrose Hill. The panoramic view of London is stunning on a gorgeous day, and Ollie loved pointing out the landmarks we had read about in his books (thank you Paddington!).

Day 3: Selfridges Jellycat Experience & Fish and Chips (and walk around town)

Day three was extra special (Weird to say but I think Matt enjoyed it, too). If your kids love stuffed animals like Ollie, you have to check out the Jellycat Fish and Chips pop-up shop at Selfridges. Certain Jellycat plushies are hard to come by, and this pop-up is only one of three in the world. There were people in line taking orders from customers in China!!! Matt got hyped up once he stopped complaining about us dragging him to a stuffed animal store and realized these plushies were actually worth something! Which is when he decided we should buy way more stuffed animals than we needed. Now, they all are collecting dust in our children’s plushie pile at home…but it was fun in the moment. Ha!

Pro Tip: You’ll need tickets to get into this pop up, and they release tickets seven days in advance. I had a reminder to get tickets set in my calendar, and Ollie was thrilled when we finally got in.

Afterward, we explored Selfridges ($$$) and had a low-key lunch before perambulating town, shopping for Pokemon cards (IYKYK), and heading back to our Airbnb.

Day 4: Museums – Science and Natural History

We dedicated a full day to the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum—both of which were huge hits with Ollie. He was all about the interactive exhibits at the Science Museum, and the dinosaur exhibits at the Natural History Museum were beyond exciting for him, albeit very crowded. We enjoyed the children’s garden out front of the Natural History Museum that had hands on science and learning with educators at the pond.

Day 5: High Tea at The Ampersand Hotel

Ok, this one you CANNOT miss! Afternoon tea is a must in London, and I decided to let Matt have the afternoon off from our “kidcation.” I took the children to the Science-themed Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel. This is something you cannot miss. Fun for adults, too! Ollie loved(!!!) the fun rocket ship presentation with dry ice, edible planets, and dino excavations for chocolate bones! I’m really picky when it comes to food at kid-focused experiences, and the scones did not disappoint!

Make sure to book this in advance—it’s very popular. 1000% worth it.

Day 6: Harry Potter Day (Or Skip It)

If your family has Harry Potter fans, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is a must. We skipped it this time, as Ollie hasn’t quite gotten into the wizarding world yet, but it’s a full-day experience that’s totally worth it if you’re fans.

Day 7: Matilda the Musical

Head to Matilda the Musical in the West End. With a new baby, a musical wasn’t in the cards for us this trip. Usually, yes… But I kept this in the itinerary for you all as it’s something I wouldn’t want to miss if both of our children were old enough.

Day 8: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye & Buckingham Palace

We saved the obligatory tourist sites for our last day in London. I’ll admit, I’m not big on the tourist circuit. So, this was a quick “we came, we saw, we conquered” day. Watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace was a one-time novelty, but I’m allergic to unnecessary crowds, so we bolted when people started pushing to get in front of our carriage. From Buckingham Palace, we walked to Westminster Abbey (which I would have loved to tour) and popped over to Big Ben, which was a huge hit with Ollie, who loves architecture and has even built it out of Lego! We wrapped things up with a VERY QUICK GET ME OUT OF HERE/ THE MOST OBLIGATORY selfie in front of the London Eye and hopped in the nearest available black cab.

To finish the day, we made a stop at Hamleys, the world’s largest toy shop! Ollie was in awe—floor after floor of toys, his love language. I don’t know how we left with only one deck of Pokemon cards. We really hyped the deck up, thankfully, because we didn’t have much space left in our luggage after Matt decided to buy all the stuffed animals from Selfridges.

Days 9–11 (or 15!!): A Countryside Escape to Four Seasons Hampshire

Take me to the countryside! After a busy week in London, we headed out to the Four Seasons Hampshire for a much-needed luxury countryside break. This was hands-down the best decision we made—it gave us the perfect balance of city excitement and rural relaxation. And to top off the memories, Ollie lost his first two teeth here! The tooth fairy only had British pounds, which only adds to the adorableness of the memory for us. Here’s what we loved about Hampshire…

The staff at Four Seasons Hampshire felt like family. From the moment we arrived to the time we left, we were cared for in every area. We cannot sing higher praises for the staff at this Four Seasons property.

Kids’ Club & Pool Area

Ollie’s absolute favorite part of our stay was the hotel’s kids’ club, I kid you not. Begged to go. They offer tons of activities that kept him entertained for hours while we got to “relax.” Which really means Matt went to the spa while I was lucky a time or two, taking a bubble bath with cucumbers on my eyes and Korean face masks between Morgan’s naps.

From arts and crafts to nature fairy walks, Ollie was in his element at the kids’ club. I loved that this property attracts children from all over the world. Ollie made friendships with children from England and Nigeria, and Matt and I have stayed connected with several of the families.

Morgan and I took advantage of the peaceful English countryside landscape and went on daily walks (even in the rain—the hotel provides wellies and rain gear). And we were able to enjoy some downtime by the indoor pool areas.

Speaking of which, the pool area is…insane. They have a children’s pool area that’s a massive “splash pad” on steroids. The adjacent indoor/outdoor pool area also had adult only and family swim hours. It was beautifully set up, and even with a 3-month-old, we felt totally at ease.

Horseback Riding at the Equestrian Centre

One of the highlights of our countryside escape was a family day at the Equestrian Centre. Ollie was absolutely thrilled to go on a hack in the English Countryside. They have horses and ponies suited to all ages and experience levels, and the staff was so friendly and attentive.

While Ollie enjoyed his hack with Matt in tow, I took a walk with Morgan in her carriage along the scenic paths.

Tennis Lessons

For a bit of active fun, Ollie and I both took tennis lesson at the resort’s grass courts. He had a blast learning the basics while we watched Morgan nap on a blanket and stretch out on the sidelines. The tennis facilities are top-notch, and it’s a great way to keep energetic kids like Ollie engaged (And help a postpartum mom get some exercise in!). Plus, the coaching staff is excellent with kids, making it a fun, easygoing experience for all of us.

Walks in the Countryside

The Hampshire countryside is stunning. We took full advantage of the beautiful grounds around the resort. Ollie loved running through the fields, and we took plenty of family walks with Morgan. There’s something magical about the rolling green hills with the sun going down over them.

Local Pubs: The Mutton at Hazeley Heath

We leaned into pub life and loved all but one pub experience (it was so bad that I skipped all food, drank a pint, and pitifully ate one of Ollie’s snacks buried deep in my bag.) One of the highlights of our countryside stay was exploring the local pubs—I was born to be a pub mom. Our favorite by far was The Mutton at Hazeley Heath. It’s a cozy, quintessentially British pub, perfect for an afternoon pint or a delicious, local, seasonal meal. We spent one lovely afternoon there, enjoying the laid-back atmosphere while Ollie built with his plus plus travel set, made friends in the pub, and Morgan nursed as I nursed a pint. Pretty much my dream life.

Restaurants at the Resort

We were spoiled for choice when it came to dining at the Four Seasons Hampshire. The resort’s restaurants were top-notch, with plenty of kid-friendly options. Whether we were grabbing a casual lunch or enjoying a more upscale dinner, the food was delicious. Ollie loved trying out the different dishes, and Morgan was usually able to nap at mealtime.

Day Trip to Stonehenge or Windsor Castle

One day, we ventured out to explore the area beyond the resort. Both Stonehenge and Windsor Castle are just 45 minutes to an hour from Hampshire, making either an easy day trip. We chose Stonehenge, as it’s a place I would regret not seeing in my lifetime…although many people left saying, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a pile of rocks!” I, however, thought it was important to see, as I had been reading books about it with Ollie leading up to the trip. So we braved the fantastic English weather (as seen above) and it was somehow still awe-inspiring-ish—Ollie couldn’t stop asking questions about how they moved the stones, and where I thought the sacrifices were made (boy talk!).

Windsor Castle offers a deep dive into history and royal life, and you can see where real kings and queens lived, but we chose to skip it, as the tour indoors is several hours long, and I wasn’t sure my curious five year old wouldn’t touch/sit on/or wipe his nose on the very expensive art and antiques.

Final Thoughts

Our trip to London with Ollie and Morgan was unforgettable, but the countryside escape to Four Seasons Hampshire added an extra, and I mean extra ($$$ thanks, Matt!), layer of relaxation and family bonding. Unforgettable!!! Whether you’re enjoying the vista from the top of Primrose Hill, riding horses on a hack through the Hampshire countryside, or taking tennis lessons on a beautiful grass court, this trip offered the perfect mix of adventure and rest…the family memories were 10 out of 10.

London’s excitement paired with the serenity of the Hampshire countryside was exactly what we needed, and I couldn’t recommend it enough for families looking to balance fun and relaxation. I loved reliving our family memories here and pulling out my favorite photos. Thanks for letting me share our trip with you!