Episode 210 – Top 10 London Experiences for 2026

In episode 210 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast, Tracy and Doug recap Tracy’s favourite London experiences from 2026: afternoon tea in a royal palace, a murder mystery in a Victorian train carriage, Chelsea in full bloom and a night in a 500 year old castle. Every experience earned its place, and a few came with surprises.

This is the latest in a popular annual series (you may remember episodes 54, 105 and 165), and each year the list is deliberately different. Whether you are planning your first London trip or your fifth, you will find tours, exhibitions, restaurants and day trips to consider for your own itinerary, plus honest tips on what to book ahead and what to skip.

Click the blue button below to listen:

What you’ll learn in this episode

• why the Ceremony of the Keys remains Tracy’s favourite WalksDevour experience, and the two food tours worth booking (including the pub tour where you can drink where Charles Dickens did)
• what the Kensington Palace and Royal London Day includes, from the Changing of the Guard to afternoon tea at the Orangery
• the two English Bus day trips Tracy took this year: Dover, the White Cliffs and Canterbury, plus Oxford, Stratford and the Cotswolds
• how to visit Jane Austen’s House at Chawton by train from London, including the taxi tip from Alton station
• what Tracy discovered on Fantastic Walks’ Hidden Westminster tour that she had walked past for years
• why the Soho music walk is a must for anyone into 60s and 70s rock and roll (with an unexpected guest story)
• the two exhibitions worth planning around: Marie Antoinette at the V&A and the late Queen’s fashion at the King’s Gallery, now extended to April 2027
• honest tips for the Chelsea Flower Show: when to arrive, what to see first and why the show gardens disappointed
• where Tracy ate this trip: Pick and Cheese at Seven Dials, Mercato Mayfair and the Sunday roast at Roast in Borough Market
• what to expect from Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration murder mystery evening in Covent Garden
• why the Postal Museum (Mail Rail) surprised them both, plus a claustrophobia warning for the ride
• how Mystery Guides’ self guided trails work and their experience of ‘The Mystery of the Holy Grail‘
• bonus: staying at Thornbury Castle, a genuine 500 year old castle where Henry VIII slept, 90 minutes from London