Bold, modern Indian small plates in a tiny, buzzy room — a great, characterful first meal that won't feel like a tourist trap.
Order these
Maa's Kashmiri lamb chops
Spicy venison & vermicelli doughnut
Chettinad pulled duck
Soft-shell crab
Grilled mustard broccoli
TipThe room is small and tables are close — it gets warm and the food is genuinely spicy. Plates are for sharing, so order broadly across the table. Closed Sundays, so tonight's the night.
Day 2
Westminster & the royal core
Wednesday · 1 July
The classic first full day, tightly clustered around Westminster. Catch the Changing of the Guard, walk four minutes to afternoon tea, then work through the Abbey, Big Ben and the bridge. With time to spare, the Churchill War Rooms are right there. Dinner pulls you north into Soho.
6 stopsGuard 11:00amMostly on footDinner 6:30pm
A compact Westminster loop, finishing with a short hop up to Soho for dinner.
The full pageantry kicks off at 11:00. Get there early for a spot on the railings or the Victoria Memorial steps. The palace interior isn't open this day — this is an exterior, watch-the-ceremony stop.
Don't miss
The Guard handover at 11:00
Victoria Memorial steps view
The Mall & gates
TipKrystal can do the BTS pop-up at 10:30 and rejoin here. For the best sightlines stand at the front by the gates or elevated on the memorial before the crowd builds.
The preserved underground bunker where Britain ran WWII — frozen exactly as it was left, plus an excellent Churchill museum. A standout if there's time before dinner.
Don't miss
The Map Room
The Cabinet Room
Churchill's bedroom
The Churchill Museum
TipBook ahead — it sells out, and timed entry controls the crowd. Allow a full two hours with the audio guide; skip it cleanly if the day's running long.
TubeWestminster → Piccadilly Circus · ≈15 minor a 25–30 min walk up through St James's & Soho
Asma Khan's celebrated kitchen — home-style Indian cooking run entirely by a team of women, with real warmth and a great story behind it.
Order these
Calcutta puchka
Old Delhi butter chicken
Kosha mangsho (slow-cooked mutton)
Goat biryani
Aloo paratha
TipAsk if Asma's in — she often greets tables. You're in the thick of Soho here: Chinatown and Carnaby are doorstep-close, and Covent Garden is an 8-minute stroll for an after-dinner wander.
After dinner: wander Soho & Chinatown, drift to Covent Garden's piazza, or catch a Thames Clipper from Embankment back toward Tower.
Day 3
Free day · Wimbledon
Thursday · 2 July
A split day with no fixed group plan. Steve & Krystal head out to The Championships at Wimbledon; the parents spend the day with their friend. Nothing's booked for the evening, which makes it the natural slot for a West End show if you want one.
Split dayWimbledon for twoSelf-pacedOpen evening
Wimbledon sits in the southwest of the city — about 45 minutes out on the District line.
Tube from hotelTower Hill → Southfields · ≈45 minDistrict line, then ~16-min walk or queue shuttle
The 2nd round is on. Even without a show-court ticket, a Grounds Pass gets you onto the outside courts, Henman Hill and the whole buzzing site — strawberries, Pimm's and all.
Don't miss
Outside-court matches up close
Henman Hill / the big screen
Strawberries & cream
The Wimbledon Shop
TipFor The Queue, arrive very early — before ~6am for any shot at show-court resale tickets, later is fine for a Grounds Pass. Nearest station is Southfields (~16-min walk); bring sunscreen and a layer for British weather.
Meanwhile — parents
A relaxed day visiting their friend, self-organised. No fixed itinerary; they can dip into central London on their own schedule.
Open evening
The only night with nothing booked — a good candidate for a West End show (book a non-Sunday performance), or a low-key dinner near the hotel once everyone regroups.
Day 4
Soho / Covent Garden / British Museum
Friday · 3 July
A West End and Bloomsbury day that splits at dinner. Trafalgar Square and Soho in the morning, Dishoom for lunch, the British Museum in the afternoon — then Steve & Krystal peel off for the evening's main event, Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck out in Bray, while the parents take Chinatown.
4 stopsDishoom 12pmFat Duck 7pmSplits for dinner
Map covers the three central stops. The Fat Duck (stop 4) is a planned excursion ≈50 km west in Bray — see its travel note below.
Tube from hotelTower Hill → Embankment · ≈20 minthen a short walk up to Trafalgar Square
Start at Trafalgar Square and dip into the National Gallery's masterpieces, then wander north through Covent Garden, Seven Dials and Soho on the way to lunch.
Don't miss
Van Gogh's Sunflowers
Turner & Constable
Covent Garden piazza
Neal's Yard & Seven Dials
TipThe gallery is free and huge — pick a couple of rooms rather than trying to see it all. Keep the morning loose so lunch at noon isn't a sprint.
One of the world's great collections, and free. It's vast, so treat it as a focused highlights visit rather than a full crawl — especially with the Bray train to catch.
Don't miss
The Rosetta Stone
Egyptian mummies
Parthenon sculptures
The Great Court roof
TipPick three or four galleries and accept you won't see it all. Steve & Krystal should keep an eye on the clock — you'll want to leave central London by ~4:45pm for Bray.
Train + taxi to Bray≈1 hr 15 totalPaddington → Maidenhead (~35 min), then 5-min taxi · Steve & Krystal only
Heston's three-Michelin-star theatre of a tasting menu — playful, multi-sensory and unforgettable. This is the evening, not a quick dinner.
Signature courses
Sound of the Sea
Snail porridge
Mad Hatter's tea
Nitro-poached aperitif
Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop
TipThe meal can run to midnight — pre-book a private car for the ride back (≈1 hr) rather than chancing the last train. The village of Bray is tiny and lovely if you arrive with time to spare.
Meanwhile — parents' dinner
Chinatown is a short walk from Soho. For Cantonese roast duck, Four Seasons is the famous pick; Plum Valley is a slightly more refined, dim-sum-friendly alternative.
Day 5
Tower of London / St Paul's Cathedral
Saturday · 4 July
A full, walkable loop through the historic City, all of it close to the hotel. Start at the Tower at opening, cross Tower Bridge, graze through Borough Market, then over the river to St Paul's. A drink up at Sky Garden and dinner at St JOHN close it out. It's a big day — front-load the two ticketed sights.
6 stopsTower 9amAll on footSt Paul's by 3:30pm
A loop on foot: Tower → Tower Bridge → Borough Market → St Paul's → Sky Garden → St JOHN. Everything is within a 15-minute walk of the last.
Walk from hotel≈5 min · 400 mthe Tower is on your doorstep
Nearly a thousand years of fortress, palace and prison — and home to the Crown Jewels. The single biggest sight of the day, so it goes first.
Don't miss
The Crown Jewels
Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tour
The White Tower & armoury
The ravens
Traitors' Gate
TipGo straight to the Crown Jewels at opening before the queue builds, then catch a free Beefeater tour — they leave from near the entrance every half hour and are the best storytelling on site.
London's most photogenic crossing. Walking over it is free, and it doubles as your route to the south bank and Borough Market.
Don't miss
Walk across the bridge
Glass-floor high walkway (ticket)
Victorian engine rooms (ticket)
River views toward the Shard
TipThe walk across is free and enough for most; only buy the tower entry if you want the glass floor. Then continue along the south bank toward the market.
London's most famous food market, at its liveliest on a Saturday. Skip a sit-down lunch and graze your way through the stalls.
Eat these
Kappacasein cheese toastie
Bread Ahead doughnuts
Fish & oysters
Monmouth coffee
Scotch eggs
TipGo hungry and split things across the group so you can try more. Southwark Cathedral, right beside the market, is a quiet free detour if you need a breather.
Wren's masterpiece, crowned by the great dome. Climb it for one of the best views in the City — and the reason this is on Saturday, since it's closed to sightseers on Sundays.
Don't miss
The dome & Whispering Gallery
Golden Gallery city views
The Nave
The Crypt (Nelson, Wren)
TipLast entry is 4pm, so arrive by 3:30 to have time for the dome climb (528 steps, no lift for visitors). Book a timed ticket to be safe.
Walk≈12–15 min · 1.1 kmeast toward Fenchurch Street
A lush, glass-domed garden on the 35th floor of the "Walkie-Talkie," with free 360° views over the City and the river — a great spot for a pre-dinner drink.
Don't miss
360° skyline views
The indoor gardens
A drink at the bar
Sunset over the Thames
TipEntry is free but needs a pre-booked slot (released a few weeks ahead); the bars take walk-ins. There's an airport-style security check, so travel light.
Fergus Henderson's nose-to-tail British cooking — honest, confident and seasonal, a few minutes from the hotel. The ideal end to a City day.
Order these
Roast bone marrow & parsley salad
Welsh rarebit
The daily roast
Madeleines (baked to order)
TipThis was moved off Sunday to tonight, so confirm the Saturday booking. Order the madeleines at the start — they're baked fresh and take time.
Day 6
Flexible Sunday — pick one
Sunday · 5 July
The one undecided day. Below are the realistic options for a Sunday — each open and workable on the day, with the catches noted. Once you choose, I'll build it out properly with a map and stops like the others, and lock in a dinner that fits.
A proper Sunday roast is the quintessential way to close out London. Blacklock (Soho, City or Shoreditch) is a reliable, well-priced crowd-pleaser — I'll match the exact spot to wherever the day takes you once you decide.
Day 7
To Switzerland
Monday · 6 July
A pure logistics morning. An 8:10am flight out of Gatwick means a very early, pre-booked car south — no margin for a slow start. Bags down, out the door, and on to Geneva where the second leg begins.
2 stopsCar ~5:00amFlight 8:10am→ Geneva
A straight run south out of the city — Gatwick is ≈45 km from the hotel.
Settle the bill and have bags ready the night before. The car should be pre-booked for ~5:00am to clear the run to Gatwick comfortably.
TipAsk the hotel to arrange the transfer or confirm your booking the evening before, and grab whatever breakfast you can at the airport — it's too early for the hotel kitchen.
Pre-booked car45–60 min · ≈45 kmsouth to Gatwick · quiet roads at this hour
easyJet flight EZS8487 to Geneva. Aim to be at the airport about two hours ahead for bag drop and security.
TipeasyJet uses Gatwick's North Terminal — check your terminal on the day. Once you land in Geneva, the Switzerland leg kicks off.
The week at a glance
Nine days in Switzerland
Zermatt, the Jungfrau region and Lucerne, all by rail. An 8-day Swiss Travel Pass covers every transfer and lake boat here free, with 25–50% off the mountain railways — tap any day for the detail.
A travel day with a big payoff. Land in Geneva at 10:50am, then ride the length of Lake Geneva and up the Rhône valley to car-free Zermatt, arriving mid-afternoon for your first sight of the Matterhorn over the village rooftops. Keep the evening easy.
Your easyJet flight from Gatwick lands here. You're arriving from the UK, so it's a non-Schengen passport check — then the train station is right inside the airport.
TipGrab lunch and water before boarding — there's no service on these trains. Sit on the right side to Visp for the Lake Geneva and Lavaux vineyard views.
TrainGeneva Airport → Zermatt · ~3h45–4hone change at Visp · free with the Swiss Travel Pass
TipThe Matterhorn catches gold light at sunset from the church bridge. Everything in town is walkable or a short e-taxi.
First-night dinner
Cosy Valais classics: Whymper-Stube or Walliserkanne for fondue and raclette; Schäferstube for local lamb.
Day 02
Matterhorn day
Tuesday · 7 July
The big mountain day. Take the Gornergrat railway up for the definitive Matterhorn panorama and the Riffelsee reflection in the morning, then pick your afternoon — the glacier heights of Klein Matterhorn or a long alpine lunch at Chez Vrony. Doing every peak in one day is a lot of altitude, so prioritise.
Gornergrat first3,089m → 3,883mBig altitudePick your afternoon
Gornergrat and Riffelsee sit east above the village; Glacier Paradise is the cable-car run to the south. Both in one day is ambitious.
Cog railway from Zermatt~33 min to the summit50% with the pass · go early for clear views
A legendary alpine restaurant in the Findeln hamlet (Sunnegga funicular plus a short walk) — sun-deck dining with the Matterhorn front and centre.
Order these
The famous Vrony burger
Air-dried alpine meats
Rösti
Apple fritters
TipReserve ahead — tables go fast. This is the relaxed afternoon if Glacier Paradise feels like too much.
Day 03
Zermatt → Interlaken
Wednesday · 8 July
A travel morning over to the Bernese Oberland, then an easy Interlaken afternoon: up Harder Kulm for the two-lakes view, and a wander through the central Höhematte meadow as the paragliders come down.
The "Top of Interlaken" — the Two Lakes Bridge platform looks straight down the town wedged between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Jungfrau beyond.
Don't miss
Two Lakes Bridge
The terrace restaurant
Jungfrau, Mönch & Eiger views
TipLate afternoon gives you golden light for the descent — just avoid the busiest midday crowd going up.
Walk~10 min · back in town
3
Green spacelate afternoon
Höhematte Park
~30–45 min
The big open meadow in the middle of town where the paragliders drift down — a relaxed way to end the day, Jungfrau on the skyline.
TipGrab a bench and watch the canopies land; it's one of the best free shows in Interlaken.
Dinner in Interlaken
Restaurant Schuh (historic, terrace, famous pastries), Husi Bierhaus (casual, beer & burgers), or Benacus (modern bistro).
Day 04
Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe
Thursday · 9 July
The trip's headline excursion — up to 3,454m via the Eiger Express gondola and the Jungfrau cog railway, to the highest railway station in Europe. It's expensive and entirely weather-dependent, so treat the date as flexible and go on the clearest day of your Interlaken stay.
Full day3,454mEiger ExpressWeather-dependent
Up via Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express. Free with the pass to Kleine Scheidegg/Wengen, then ~25% off the summit leg.
TrainInterlaken Ost → Grindelwald Terminal · ~35 minfree with the pass
Europe's highest railway station — the Sphinx observation deck, a view down the longest glacier in the Alps, an Ice Palace carved into the ice, and a snow park that runs even in July.
Don't miss
Sphinx observation deck
Aletsch Glacier view
Ice Palace
Snow Fun Park
Lindt chocolate experience
Tip3,454m is real altitude — move slowly for the first 20 minutes, and dress warm even in summer. You'll be back in Interlaken by mid-to-late afternoon.
Day 05
Lauterbrunnen & Lake Brienz
Friday · 10 July
Waterfalls by valley and by lake. Lauterbrunnen's wispy Staubbach and the thundering, inside-the-mountain Trümmelbach in the morning, then a Lake Brienz cruise out to the Giessbach falls in the afternoon.
3 fallsValley + lakeBoat free w/ passTrümmelbach small fee
Lauterbrunnen to the south, Lake Brienz to the north — linked by a short hop back through Interlaken.
TrainInterlaken Ost → Lauterbrunnen · ~20 minfree with the pass
A scheduled cruise across turquoise Lake Brienz to the Giessbach falls, where Europe's oldest funicular lifts you past the cascades to a grand belle-époque hotel.
Don't miss
The lake crossing
The historic funicular
The path behind the falls
TipCheck the return boat time before you set out — sailings are spaced an hour or more apart.
Day 06
Grindelwald First
Saturday · 11 July
A day on the sunny side of the valley — the First gondola to cliff-walk views, an easy hike out to the mirror-like Bachalpsee, then a swing by Kleine Scheidegg directly beneath the Eiger.
First gondolaCliff WalkBachalpsee hike50% with pass
All on the Grindelwald side — First up top, the Bachalpsee a short hike beyond, Kleine Scheidegg to the south under the Eiger.
Train + gondolaInterlaken Ost → Grindelwald → Firsttrain free with the pass · gondola 50%
A long gondola to a ridge of viewpoints — the First Cliff Walk metal walkway juts right out over the drop, with optional zipline and mountain-cart thrills.
Don't miss
First Cliff Walk (free up top)
First Flyer zipline
The terrace
TipRide up early before the lines build; the Cliff Walk itself costs nothing once you're at the top.
The saddle directly beneath the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau — a fine spot for the Eiger Trail, or just a drink with that wall of rock above you.
TipCog trains back down to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen run regularly, so there's no need to rush the descent.
Day 07
Interlaken → Lucerne
Sunday · 12 July
The scenic Luzern–Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass — five lakes and an alpine panorama through panoramic windows — then an afternoon in one of Switzerland's prettiest old towns.
Express ~1h50Brünig PassSit on the rightOld-town afternoon
Arriving on the scenic Express (~1h50; sit on the right); the map shows the Lucerne old town.
Scenic trainInterlaken Ost → Lucerne · ~1h50Brünig Pass · free with the pass · sit on the RIGHT
Lucerne's icon — the 14th-century covered wooden bridge and its octagonal Water Tower, flower-lined over the Reuss, with the painted old-town squares just beyond.
Don't miss
The painted gables under the roof
The Water Tower
Old-town squares & frescoed houses
Musegg Wall towers (free to climb)
TipAn optional Lake Lucerne paddle-steamer is free with the pass and a lovely way to see the city from the water.
Mark Twain's "saddest stone in the world" — a dying lion carved into the cliff face to honour the Swiss Guards who fell in 1792.
TipQuick but moving; pair it with the neighbouring Glacier Garden if you've got an extra half hour.
Dinner in Lucerne
Wirtshaus Galliker (traditional, book ahead), Old Swiss House (historic, schnitzel cooked tableside), or Rathaus Brauerei by the river.
Day 08
Mt Pilatus · Golden Round Trip
Monday · 13 July
The classic loop out of Lucerne — a lake steamer to Alpnachstad, the world's steepest cogwheel railway up Pilatus, and cable cars plus a panorama gondola back down to Kriens. Boat free with the pass, railways half price.
Boat + cog + cable2,132m48% gradientA full day
A loop: boat to Alpnachstad, cog railway up to Pilatus Kulm, cable cars down to Kriens, bus back to Lucerne.
Lake steamerLucerne → Alpnachstad · ~1h15scenic · free with the pass
1
Cog basemorning
Alpnachstad
Boat pier + cog station
The lakeside village where the world's steepest cogwheel railway begins its climb up the flank of Pilatus.
TipDo the cog railway up in the morning for the best light and the least summit cloud.
Cog railwayAlpnachstad → Pilatus Kulm · ~30 min48% gradient · 50% with the pass
United UA45 nonstop back to San Francisco. Aim to be at the airport 2.5–3 hours ahead for a US-bound flight.
TipThat means leaving Lucerne around 9:15–9:45am — comfortable, not rushed. The rail station is right under the terminal.
Both legs are drafted. London still has its flexible Sunday (Day 6) to lock in, and a few bookings to confirm across the trip. Tell me the Day 6 pick and I'll convert it into a mapped day to match.