Our UK Trip 2026 - London, Cotswolds, Edinburgh & the Highlands

25 April 2026 – 9 May 2026

We planned this trip for a long time. A 14-day UK adventure with another families - the Audriyana family with the Aydeen family - covering London, the Cotswolds, Edinburgh, and the Scottish Highlands. Oh, and with two kids in tow. Here’s how it all went.

Day 0 (April 25) — Departure from SFO

Everything was sorted. Got an Uber to the airport, departed San Francisco International, and boarded a long-haul overnight flight to London Heathrow. Arrived the morning of April 26. Smooth flight, but less sleep than we hoped for. Audriyana was chill, thankfully.

Day 1 (April 26) — Arrival & Settling In

Arrived at Heathrow and took the train in - great service. Checked in at Premier Inn Paddington. Went for lunch at Nando’s, then tried to rest and recover from jet lag. We had planned an afternoon walk around Hyde Park or the Paddington area, but cancelled - everyone needed melatonin to sleep.

Day 2 (April 27) — Classic London Landmarks

Started the day with breakfast at the hotel. The English breakfast was 🔥. Hopped on the hop-on hop-off bus and headed out. Skipped St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace (Changing of the Guard) due to crowds. Made it to the Big Ben and Parliament area. Westminster Abbey had a big line, so we changed plans. Saw the London Eye from a distance. Borough Market was closed, so we had lunch at Pret A Manger. Planned to see Tower Bridge but were just too tired. Went back to the hotel and ordered dinner from Turmeric Taste - a nearby Indian restaurant. Great food.

Day 3 (April 28) — British Museum & Hamleys

Had plans to visit Piccadilly Circus and have breakfast at The Wolseley, but skipped both. Instead we went to the British Museum (free, 2–3 hours) and then to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Had lunch at McDonald’s - sometimes that’s just what you need. Missed the last hop-on hop-off run, so took an Uber to Hamleys toy store. What a place. Audriyana had an absolute blast and we definitely bought some toys. Took the bus to Primark after - average shop. Headed back to the hotel, skipped the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker St. Fed Audriyana and then went for a dinner date at Mughals (originally planned for Taste of Lahore, but it was closed). Food was great.

Day 4 (April 29) — Cotswolds

Travel day to the Cotswolds by train and bus. The ride through the English countryside was stunning - some of the most beautiful scenery of the whole trip. We stopped in Moreton-in-Marsh to stretch our legs, then spent good time in Bourton-on-the-Water - the “Venice of the Cotswolds.” Took a ton of photos by the river. Had fish and chips for lunch at Kingston, right by the water, then ice cream and coffee. Took a bus to Bibury and it literally dropped us in front of our Airbnb. We checked into a cottage that was at least 110 years old. Had pizza for dinner and a long cozy evening with everyone. A great night.

Day 5 (April 30) — Bibury → Oxford → Back to London

Woke up and packed before 11am. Had breakfast at Eleven Bibury - good food. Took family photos one last time in Bibury, then took two separate Ubers to Oxford. Explored Oxford: walked along the High Street, saw the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library courtyard, and the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Had lunch at the Covered Market - it looked great, but food was pricier and not quite up to London standards. Spent a great afternoon in front of Christ Church College, a filming location for Harry Potter. Headed back to London by evening via Uber. Apu stayed at the hotel with both kids while the rest of us went out for paya and biryani at Taste of Lahore. Rested at Premier Inn Paddington.

Day 6 (May 1) — Westminster Abbey → Train to Edinburgh

Since we’d missed Westminster Abbey earlier, we made it a priority this morning. Lovely weather, minimal line, and it was a really meaningful visit. Then things got hectic - we split up to grab luggage from the hotel and get food for the kids, planning to meet before the train. We ended up running and barely made it on. The East Coast Main Line was stunning - beautiful views of the Northumberland coast for four hours. Audriyana and Aydeen played the whole way. Arrived at Edinburgh Waverley and checked in at Premier Inn Edinburgh Park.

Day 7 (May 2) — Rough Start in Edinburgh

This day was a bit of a mismatch. We started at Dean Village (a lovely canal-side hidden gem), but there was a lot of walking for Audri and all of us. Got tired fast - we really should have started with the castle. Took an Uber to the Scott Monument but got dropped at the wrong one (Melville Monument), got misdirected, and ended up at a Sri Lankan restaurant in a mall. The food wasn’t sitting well and we all suffered afterward. By the time we found the real Scott Monument and met up with the Aydeen family, we were too exhausted to visit anything properly. Dinner at the hotel.

(We ended up covering all the proper Edinburgh sights on the last day - Edinburgh Castle, Victoria Street, St. Giles’ Cathedral, House of MinaLima, Royal Mile, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Calton Hill, and Scott Monument. It was all worth it.)

Day 8 (May 3) — Scottish Highlands Day Trip

One of the highlights of the whole trip. Started at 9am after hotel breakfast and were picked up from the lobby. Our guide Craig from Experienced Tours took us through Loch Ness, a castle, and Glencoe. We saw JK Rowling’s house, Highland cattle in the wild, and dramatic Highland scenery. Did a boat trip on Loch Ness, visited a chocolate shop, and had a massive lunch. Got back to Edinburgh around 9pm. Tired but very happy.

Day 9 (May 4) — The Perfect Edinburgh Day

Originally we had options: day trip to Glasgow, a hike up Arthur’s Seat, or a rest/shopping day. We took Option C - and honestly it turned out to be perfect. Slow start, breakfast at the hotel, and headed out around 2pm. Grabbed lunch at Pret and M&S. The weather was the most beautiful sunny day of the whole trip. Hit the Royal Mile for shopping, Edinburgh Castle, Victoria Street, and met up with the Aydeen family. Ended the evening at Dishoom Edinburgh - chef’s specials, chicken kacchi biryani, dessert. Ate a lot. Walked along Victoria Street again at night. Perfect ending to Edinburgh.

Day 10 (May 5) — Back to London

Groups split: the Aydeen family headed to Manchester, and we headed back to London. Woke up a bit late, packed in a rush, and made the train just in time. Got a big spread of food for the journey. The train back was fine, though four hours each way does add up. The train was delayed by an hour, so we got fully reimbursed - which was a great surprise. Got off at Tottenham Hale and were picked up by Tumpa’s cousin’s husband. We stopped to visit family, then all went out for a massive Global buffet dinner with good adda. Got dropped off at the hotel close to midnight. Checked into Premier Inn County Hall - right next to the London Eye. The views were incredible.

Day 11 (May 6) — Borough Market & Greenwich

Decided to skip the Natural History Museum (we had too much else to cover). Started slow and headed to Borough Market - it genuinely reminded me of Kawran Bazar, just a bit fancier and with produce and food stalls side by side. Tried the famous paella and chocolate-covered strawberries. Did some shopping around South Kensington. Then took an Uber to Greenwich: the Old Royal Naval College, the Cutty Sark, Greenwich Market, and stood on the Prime Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory. A great day out.

Day 12 (May 7) — Oxford Street & London’s Hidden Corners

Woke up and visited Oxford Street with Eva apu. Browsed a few stores and ended at Hamleys again for souvenirs for her kids. Back to the hotel for lunch and a long afternoon nap. Then went out to cover the sights we’d missed: Buckingham Palace, a stroll through St. James’s Park, a newly installed statue, and Piccadilly Square. Ended the night at Haji Nanna Biryani in Whitechapel with the Aydeen family - kacchi, morog polao, borhani, doi. The real deshi experience. Everybody headed back to the hotel around midnight, and then we all took one last stroll in the London night. The kids were having a blast. Big Ben started ringing at exactly 12am and the lights turned off. The London Eye lit up the skyline. The whole scene was perfect. The best possible goodbye to London.

Day 13 (May 8) — Last Morning & Departure

Woke up a bit early for one last English breakfast at Premier Inn. Then went solo to 221B Baker Street to finally visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum and picked up a few souvenirs. Went back to the hotel, wrapped up, and checked out. We had all planned to ride the London Eye but it felt too expensive at the end of a long trip. Grabbed lunch at the train station, took an Uber to Heathrow, and spent the remaining time in the No.1 Lounge eating everything in sight. The flight back to California was smooth and surprisingly easy - almost anticlimactic given how big the trip had been.

Cost breakdown

Here’s how it looked for a family of 3:

Cost Summary	Category Breakdown

Reflections & Takeaways

• 14 days. Two families. A 3 yr old and a 4 yr old. No one got sick, no one got hurt, no one stayed hungry. Bowel movement on track (TMI alert).

• Premier Inn saved us a lot on accommodation. Consistent, clean, and well located - great value compared to other options in those cities.

• London is expensive, even coming from the SF Bay Area. The same items sold in both countries carry the same number but different units. A Uniqlo shirt priced at £50 is $50 in the US; shopping made almost no sense except for souvenirs.

• London’s food scene is vastly better than the SF Bay Area’s. I loved every single meal we had there. The variety, the quality, the value at the right spots - it’s a real food city.

• People in the UK are noticeably more tolerant of children in public spaces. Adults actually interact with your kid, which is rare in the US. Audriyana thrived.

• Train delays come with refunds. Getting fully reimbursed for a delayed train was unexpected and genuinely impressive. That wouldn’t happen here.

• We should have driven outside London. Easier to manage bags and go at your own pace. Probably more expensive, but worth considering for a future trip.

All in all - a big, hectic, beautiful trip. Would do it again.