1- The Lion King

The Lion King is a must-see show! Of course everyone knows the story because of the famous animated Disney film. The Lion King London opened in 1999 and has been a best-selling show ever since. With music by Elton John, the African rhythms and décor, you will be completely immersed in the magical story of Simba.

2- Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia is a musical gathering Abba’s greatest hits around Sophie’s story. Living on a Greek island with her mother, Sophie is in search of her identity. She is getting married but she doesn’t know her father so she decides to look for him before the big day. This musical is the highest grossing live action musical film of all time; book your tickets now to avoid disappointment!

3- Wicked

Based on the famous novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, Wicked tells the story of the Witches of Oz: a friendship between two young women who meet as sorcery students. The show has been acclaimed as “a world class West End musical with stunning spectacle, a heart-warming story and unforgettable songs” (Official London Theatre).

4- Matilda

Matilda’s character is inspired by Roald Dahl’s novel (Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Matilda is a young girl neglected by her parents; she is very clever and discovers that she has a special power! Go to the show to find out the ending 😉

5- Thriller

A tribute to the king of Pop Michael Jackson, Thriller will astonish you! Featuring the first songs performed by the Jackson 5 to his most famous hits such as Billie Jean and of course Thriller, the show brings back to life one of the best singer in the world for a few hours. The dance movements and mimics are quite impressive as well!

These musicals sell fast, so don’t forget to book in advance to secure your seats, get in touch here to book.

1- Windsor

Windsor is a market town located in the Royal Borough of Windsor. The town is mainly famous for its castle, being the Royal family official residence; it has become even touristier due to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The town also has a lovely covered market, narrow streets, cafés, shops and… Legoland!

Crossing the Thames River you will find Windsor’s twin town, Eton. This historic town is mostly famous for hosting Eton College boarding school. Eton College is one of the 4 remaining single-sex boys public schools in the United Kingdom.

2- Brighton

Brighton is THE seaside town to go to when it’s sunny. Admire the impressive Pier of 1,722 feet long, it remains a popular attraction for amusement games and fairground rides so save some change! Don’t miss the Royal Pavilion! Classified Grade I this architecture masterpiece was built in the Indian Revival style on the 18^th century by the architect John Nash. If the sun comes out you could almost believe you are in India. Brighton is also very famous for its Lanes which are narrow streets creating a kind of maze in the city, you’ll find many jewellery shops.

3- Stonehenge & Salisbury

Salisbury is a small town mainly known for hosting Great Britain’s tallest cathedral spire. Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral built from 1220 to 1258. Its spire stands at 404 feet. One of the four copies of the Magna Carta is held in the premises; the Magna Carta is a charter of rights which was first created to restore peace between King John of England and a group of rebels.

From Salisbury catch a bus tour which will bring you to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a famous megalithic site formed by a ring of enormous stones standing on the ground. Some stones would have been carried from Wales that is to say for about 200 miles. How could people have carried stones weighting 2 to 5 tons with simple tools from this era? The mystery remains unsolved.

4- Leeds castle

Leeds Castle is located in Kent, in the vicinity of the small village of Leeds. The castle was built on an island in a lake in 1129; it has been the property of six of England’s queens. History lovers are highly recommended to visit this castle classified Grade I and listed amongst the 57 heritage sites in England receiving more than 200,000 visitors per year!

5- Rye

Rye is a picturesque village located close to the coast; it used to be an important member of the Cinq Ports Confederation (created for trade purposes by 5 coastal towns). Rye is one of the best preserved medieval towns in England: narrowed cobbled lanes, cute houses, a castle, this town is the perfect combo for a relaxing day outside the busy city life. Bodiam Castle is located not too far from Rye and deserves a little stop as well.

6- Oxford & Cambridge

Stunning architecture, river and punting, famous people living there: everyone has heard about the two very famous cities of Oxford and Cambridge. The sibling cities both host the oldest universities in England and are both are well-known for their unique charm. One word: go! Discover what to do here.

When you have more time off, think about Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. There are plenty of wonderful places to see in the United Kingdom! We can organise your trip from A to Z, so get in touch for more information.

1- Go to the museum to educate yourself

Natural History Museum

There are many museums in London and there is one for every taste. For art enthusiasts we name the most famous ones such as the Tate Modern, the Tate Britain, the British Museum, the V&A Museum or the National Portrait Gallery. Those eager to learn will have to go to the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum. The history lovers cannot miss the Imperial War Museum.

2- Gather around an Afternoon Tea

An Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of mini sandwiches, scones accompanied by clotted cream and jam, pastries, cakes and tea. (Yes, tea again and again!). This is an ideal meal to spend a chilly afternoon with friends/family. If it’s too much food you can opt for a Cream Tea 🙂

3- Go to a Show

You absolutely need to book your tickets in advance for famous shows like the Lion King, Les Miserables, Harry Potter and the cursed child etc. When it’s sunny think about the Shakespeare’s Globe, this outdoor theatre is full of character.

4- Looking for Some Vintage

Seeking out a vintage artefact or piece of clothing can be a fun way of passing the time on a rainy day while discovering different areas of London! So where should you go?

The charity shops, these shops are everywhere and the money is redistributed for research against cancer for example. If you scour well you can find extraordinary items! Then we can mention the Old Spitalfields market surroundings and Shoreditch area with the famous Brick Lane. And of course there is Camden, where you will have a lot of choice with anything and everything.

5- Be locked in an Escape Room

An escape room is a playful way of powering your neurons whilst having some fun with your friends/family and being sheltered from the bad weather. Many types of escape rooms exist so choose the most interesting one and go!

6- Be brave and face the cold

This part of the article is dedicated to the toughest, those who will dare going outside even with the fog, the English drizzle and the humidity.

If you are one of these people, put on your warmest coat and set off. You can stroll around the park or along the Thames, and for the super brave ones head to the city centre full of tourist crowds and admire the Christmas illuminations and decorations!

We can organise homestay, hostel and hotel accommodation. Contact us for further information.

There are many green areas in London, but the cherry on the cake is the parks! London has many beautiful parks; discover below the top 5 of the nicest parks of the city:

1- Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park is one of eight royal parks in London. It is located close to the Primrose Hill neighbourhood and is an ideal area for a Sunday brunch. In the park you’ll find a small lake, an outdoor theatre and London Zoo. You will also have to walk to Primrose Hill summit to admire the view. Now you know what to do next Sunday 😉

2- Hyde Park

Hyde Park is the biggest of the royal parks and is classified Grade I at the historical parks and gardens register. The park is separated by the lake Serpentine. In the park there is an open-air café, a restaurant, playground, rose garden and a memorial fountain in honour of Princess Diana.

3- Brockwell Park

This park is located close to Brixton, between Herne Hill and Tulse Hill. Given its location (zone 2) the park is less frequented as tourists generally don’t adventure too much further than zone one.

Therefore, it’s the ideal place for a chilled walk and a stunning view over London. There are also tennis courts, big fields to play football, an outdoor swimming pool (Brockwell Lido), a clock tower, a miniature train and a café. Concerts and circus often take place in the park in the summer.

4- Battersea Park

Battersea Park is just below the Thames, opposite Chelsea. The park has many assets: a small zoo, a lake and all the necessary sporting facilities such as a running track, tennis courts, football grounds and even a treetop adventure park. One of the most surprising things of the park is the Peace Pagoda, replica of a Buddhist temple. Not to be missed!

5- Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is situated on the Prime Meridian, in South-East London. The park hosts the Royal Observatory of Greenwich which role was huge in the history of astronomy. The park’s summit offers an impressive view over Canary Wharf. Greenwich area deserves a stop: there is a cute covered market, narrow streets and the Cutty Sark museum (one of the fastest tea clippers ever built, see the picture below). Greenwich looks like a small seaside town; you would almost not believe you are in London!

Feel free to contact us to book a guided tour or attractions in London and anywhere in the United Kingdom.

La capitale britannique devient un lieu magique au mois de décembre et vous remarquerez que les British aiment célébrer cette fête.

1- Les lumières de Noël

Regent Street

Au début du mois de novembre les lumières et les décorations de Noël commencent à être installées dans les rues. Et en décembre la ville entière brille de mille feux et c’est magnifique : baladez-vous vers Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street et les Seven Dials… Regent Street compte plus de 300 000 lumières ! Allez également faire un tour au marché de Covent Garden pour admirer les chandeliers de houx.

2- Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland est un parc de loisirs qui se situe à Hyde Park. C’est une sorte de parc d’attractions avec bien sûr des manèges, mais aussi un marché de Noël ou l’on trouve de tout, des endroits pour manger et boire et même un village bavarois ou l’on peut écouter de la musique allemande.

3- Les vitrines de Noël

Les vitrines de Noël à Londres sont très impressionnantes, jetez-y un œil pendant votre shopping. Ne manquez surtout pas les magasins les plus célèbres : Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Hamleys etc. Les décorations sont féeriques!

4- Les marchés de Noël

Vous pouvez trouver des marchés de Noël presque partout à Londres en décembre, des petits ou des plus grands, vérifiez quel est le plus proche de vous et dégustez du pain d’épice (avec un verre de vin chaud pour les plus de 18 ans). Vous pouvez voir Covent Garden ci-dessus.

5- Le patin à glace

Vous pouvez faire du patin à glace dans plusieurs endroits à Londres cet hiver : la patinoire de Somerset House, celle de Winter Wonderland qui est la plus grande patinoire extérieure du Royaume-Uni, celle du Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, celle de Hampton Court Palace et encore bien d’autres.

6- Voir un spectacle d’hiver

Profitez de la magie de Noël  pour assister à un spectacle hivernal comme Casse-noisettes (The Nutcracker, dirigé par l’English National Ballet) à Londres du 13 au 30 Décembre au London Coliseum ! Si vous préférez une pièce de théâtre plus classique dirigez-vous vers le Old Vic pour voir A Chritsmas Carol, adaptation du roman de Charles Dickens.

Alors, convaincu ? Réservez vos billets et venez découvrir la féerie de Noël à Londres, nous pouvons réserver votre logement en famille, auberge ou hôtel. Contactez-nous pour plus d’informations.

The British capital becomes a magical place in December and you will notice that the Brits do like to celebrate Christmas.

1- The Christmas lights

Regent Street

At the beginning of November street lights and decorations start to be installed. And in December the entire city centre becomes illuminated and it’s magnificent:  have a stroll around Oxford Street, Regent street, Carnaby Street and the Seven Dials… Regents’ street counts more than 300.000 lights! Also have a look at the big mistletoe chandelier in Covent Garden Market!

2- Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is a free-to-enter family event located in Hyde Park. It is a kind of Christmas amusement park, with of course attractions but also market stalls, street food and even a Bavarian village where you can listen to German music.

3- Window displays

Christmas displays in London are very impressive, have a look at the extraordinary window displays when shopping. Do not miss the most famous stores: Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum and Mason, Hamleys and so on. The decorations are ferric!

4- Christmas markets

You can find Christmas markets in almost every area, small or big ones, check the closest market in your area and go get some gingerbread (and mulled wine for the over 18). See Covent Garden on the picture.

5- Ice skating

You can do ice-skating in a few places in London this winter: the Somerset house ice skating, Winter Wonderland which is the UK’s largest outdoor rink, the Natural History Museum ice rink, Hampton Court Palace ice rink, etc.

6- Go to a winter show

Enjoy Christmas enchantment and have a full Christmas musical experience: the Nutcracker (the English National Ballet) is in London from the 13^th to 30^th December at the London Coliseum! Or if you fancy some old school theatre show, head to the Old Vic to watch A Christmas Carol, the novel from Charles Dickens.

So, convinced? Book your flight and discover London in December, we can book homestay accommodation, hostels and hotels. Contact us for more information.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

It’s this viaduct located in Scotland that the Hogwarts Express goes through to reach the famous School. You can embark on the Jacobite Train, a steam railway leaving from Fort William going to Mallaig. Perfect for an authentic visit of Northern Scotland!

Christchurch College, Oxford

Who ever dreamt of going to school and have a dining room looking like the Hogwarts’ one, with its endless ceiling and all those appetising delicacies?!

This room is real and looks very much like the one in the film which had been modified by special effects. It is actually a part of the famous Oxford University, located in Christchurch College. This big Hall is not only used as an attraction for tourists, university students also have their meals here every day and formal dinners are regularly held here.

Gloucester and Durham Cathedrals

Durham Cathedral

These two cathedrals have served for filming locations for Hogwarts’ corridors and cloister.

London

Many scenes in this saga have been shot in London, among them include King’s Cross station, where the 9 ¾ platform stands.

Saint-Pancras station (see picture) has also served as a filming location due to its impressive architecture. The building is classified Grade 1 (Westminster Abbey is classified Grade 1 as well to give you a better idea).

We can observe a few bridges such as Lambeth Bridge (the magical bus shrinks to go through two double-decker buses on that bridge) and the Millenium Bridge which is destroyed by Death-eaters in Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince; in real life this bridge is intact and can be crossed to reach St Paul’s Cathedral or the Tate Modern.

We can also see Piccadilly Circus in the sixth film, London Zoo and the Leadenhall Market (Diagon Alley) in the first film.

The nature locations

They have mostly been shot in Scotland which is famous for its mountains and endless landscapes. We can mention the following Lochs: Loch Etive, Glen Coe, Loch Eilit, Loch Arkaig.

The cottage where the heroes take refuge in the seventh film is located in Pembrokeshire National Park in Wales, on Freshwater West Beach.

The Seven Sisters’ Cliffs (South England, close to Eastbourne) have also been used for several scenes in this saga.

But where did the magic happen at the very beginning?

It’s because her train is running late that J.K. Rowlings starts to imagine the story of a normal boy who discovers he is a wizard. Rowling started to take notes, imagine characters and arrived in King’s Cross with a bunch of ideas in mind.

Rowling wrote a lot in a café which became famous afterwards: the Elephant House café, located in the heart of Edinburgh. From this place we can see Edinburg castle, which looks a bit like Hogwarts castle.

If you are interested in a programme on which Harry Potter is the theme, you can contact us here.

We organise accommodation, attractions and guided tours all across the UK and Ireland. If you don’t have enough time to visit all the filming location it only takes 3 hours to visit the Warner Bros Studios located in Watford, North London! We can book your tickets but be careful there are in great demand so plan it early!

To save a bit of money and to discover something else, why not visit a market for a change? London has many of them and there are all different and interesting. Find below the 5 of the best markets in London:

1- Borough Market

Borough market is London’s oldest food market, being over 1000 years old. Most of the stallholders are producers and farmers so you can be sure to get the best quality of food. Here you can find everything: meat, fish, bread, cheese etc. One of the best things about Borough Market is its environmental commitment, in fact, all cardboard, paper, plastic and so on from the Market is recycled. Borough Market is also a member of the Slow Food project, “a worldwide movement that supports a low impact approach to food production” (Definition from Borough Market’s website).

2- Old Spitalfields Market

The Old Spitalfields Market is located in the trendy area of Shoreditch. The market is a mix of street food stalls, independent craftsman stalls, shops and restaurants. As you probably know, London is a multicultural city; historically the market was hosting transient communities, mostly new immigrants but in recent years the area has been gentrified by creative industries and young professionals.

The refurbished market has a very modern design and is never too busy compared to more famous markets such as Covent Garden. So why not plan your afternoon in this hipster area?!

3- Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road Flower Market is a street market, opened on Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm. You will find a wide range of fresh flowers, plants, shrubs at competitive prices but also other shops selling antiques, garden accessories etc. So if you have green fingers (and even if you don’t), this is the perfect place to go.

4- Camden Market

Camden Market is the most famous market in London. It is always very busy so if you can, try to visit it on a week day. Don’t eat before going as there are many street food stalls and there is something for every taste: curries, burgers, falafels, bao buns, pizza, sushi, burritos, (vegetarian and vegan options as well) and much more! I bet you are hungry now, aren’t you?

Apart from the food part, Camden Market is the right place to look for vintage clothes, original handcraft creations, vinyl discs and so on. When you go to Camden Town, don’t forget to take your camera as Camden is famous for its eccentricity and its numerous street art paintings. A definite must-see!

5- Brixton Market

Brixton is a lively area located in the South of London. There is a multi-ethnic community, in fact, the first wave of immigrants formed by an African-Caribbean community arrived in the fifties and settled in Brixton. In the eighties the area was the scene of riots because of the unemployment and poverty, conducting to crime. However, in the latest years, Brixton has become a trendy area, hosting regular farmers’ markets and other kind of stalls such as clothes, gadgets, accessories (Found mainly on Electric Avenue).

Brixton also has an incredible indoor market: Brixton Village, hosting multicultural restaurants. Don’t miss the Memorial painting of David Bowie in Tunstall road (Brixton is David Bowie’s birth place).

Now that you have all this information, get ready for your trip to London! We can book a guided tour of the city for you, we can also book a themed guide tour if you prefer. For further information send us an email.

The Sky Garden is an impressive building located in Bethnal Green, North Side of the Thames river. The shape of the building is quite unusual; it is called the Walkie Talkie because it looks a bit like one. The Sky Garden is located at the top floor and offers 360 degrees ‘panoramic view of London, the space is a huge “garden” and there are restaurants and bar inside. However, going to the top floor is free but you have to book in advance on the website. You can also book one of the restaurants.

2- St Paul’s Shopping Mall: One New Change

One New Change is a modern shopping centre located just next to St Paul’s Cathedral. There is a free glassy elevator that brings you to the outside rooftop where the view over London and St Paul’s is stunning!

3- Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill is the summit of a park located just across Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill is also the name of the surrounding area in which there are a lots of cute cafes and restaurants. At the top of Primrose Hill you’ll get a clear view of central London.

4- Tate Modern Top Floor

Tate Modern, like many other museums in London is free entry (except temporary exhibitions). It is, as it says, a modern art museum, located in the former Bankside Power Station, a massive building with an uncommon shape. Go to the top floor and admire the stunning view: you will see the Shard, St Paul’s cathedral, the Sky Garden, the Gherkin etc.

5- Greenwich Observatory

Greenwich observatory is located at the top of Greenwich Park. Greenwich is famous for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and for its maritime history, here you’ll find the National Maritime Museum here and the Cutty Sark, a British Tea clipper, it has been restored and we can visit it, it’s beautiful!

To book attractions in London get in touch with us! We can organise your trip from A to Z including accommodation, transport, attractions etc.

Hop aboard the number 11 bus for a cheap sightseeing ride past St Paul’s, Bank of England, the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.