We’d been to London before — but this was the first time we’d ever actually sat down and worked out what we spent. Two adults, one kid, three days. And when I finally added it all up, I wasn’t quite sure whether to be proud or horrified.
Every train ticket, every cocktail, every overpriced souvenir Edwin absolutely had to have — I tracked it all. And I’m sharing every single number here, because I genuinely wish someone had done this for us before we went.
If you’re trying to work out how much to budget for London as a family, or just whether it’s even worth it, this should give you something real to go on.
Getting There (and Getting Around): £294
We always take the train to London. The thought of driving in genuinely stresses me out, and I think most parents who’ve attempted it will know exactly what I mean. We usually book well in advance to keep costs down, but this time we decided to splash out a little and go first class. It wasn’t a huge step up from standard, honestly — but it felt like a nice way to start the trip, and a good experience for Edwin.
The open return came to £223. We then spent £18 on a taxi from the station to the hotel, and £53 on the Underground across the three days.
One thing worth knowing if you’re heading down with younger kids — under 11s travel completely free on the tube. That does make a difference when you’re jumping on and off across a few days, and it’s one of those London family costs that can quietly disappear from your budget altogether.
Worth it? Yes. First class was a small upgrade that made the start of the trip feel a bit special. You could easily bring this down by booking standard and further in advance.
The Best Hotels in London For Families
Park Plaza Westminster – Best for riverside views and easy access to Westminster’s top sights.
Leonardo Royal St Pauls – Best for central location with iconic views of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Middle Eight – Best for boutique luxury in the heart of Covent Garden.
Hotels: £600
The hotel bill is always one of the biggest costs when you stay in London — and this trip was no different. We actually stayed in two different hotels across the three nights (I know, that sounds chaotic — bear with me).
The first night we were at the Leonardo Royal London St Paul’s, which came to £330. The second and third nights we moved to the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge at £270.
Both are central, well-located hotels with easy access to the main sights. We could have saved money staying further out, but with only three days we’d have burned too much time commuting in — that trade-off wasn’t worth it for us. When you’re thinking about the cost of a weekend in London with kids, location matters more than you’d think.
As for why we booked two separate hotels — some of it was for a proper comparison piece I’m working on. The difference between the two is genuinely interesting in terms of what you get at each price point, and that’s something I’ll be covering in full soon.
Worth it? Yes, for the location. You could probably save £150–200 by stepping down a level, but you’d notice it in convenience.
Attractions: £672
None of this is cheap. But I’ll tell you which bits we thought were worth it, which were borderline, and which you could probably skip — because when you’re working out whether London is worth it for a family, the attractions bill is where it can really get away from you.
London Eye — £147 We went for fast track tickets, and with limited time in the city, that felt like the right call. London Eye family ticket prices vary depending on the time slot and how far in advance you book — so if this is on your list, it’s worth planning ahead. If it’s your first time, I’d say it’s worth doing. If you’ve already been, you can probably give it a miss.
Shrek’s Adventure — £82 We went for anytime tickets rather than a fixed slot, which costs a little more — but we didn’t know exactly when we’d fit it in, so the flexibility was worth having. Edwin was excited about it, and it was better than I expected. I’d assumed it was basically a 4D ride, but there are live actors and little quests woven through it. Good fun. Probably a once-and-done rather than something you’d go back to, but right for the right age group.
Babylon Park — £30 This one was a bit of a hidden gem. It’s in Camden — an underground arcade and soft play space that runs on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can spend as much or as little as you want. Perfect for keeping kids occupied, especially if the weather turns. One we’d genuinely go back to.
Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre — £413 I’ll be honest. I sat with that number for a while. We very rarely do West End shows because of the cost. But Edwin had been asking about it for months, and some experiences don’t fully show up in a spreadsheet.
He absolutely loved it. It was the highlight of the trip for all three of us. If you’re a fan of the films, you really do have to see it.
Is it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? For us, completely.
The Best Hotels in London For Families
Park Plaza Westminster – Best for riverside views and easy access to Westminster’s top sights.
Leonardo Royal St Pauls – Best for central location with iconic views of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Middle Eight – Best for boutique luxury in the heart of Covent Garden.
Food: £379
London’s food scene is brilliant, and we made the most of it — though not every meal landed the way we hoped. That’s worth being honest about, because eating out is one of those areas where London family trip costs can spiral if you’re not paying attention.
Breakfast was included at both hotels, and we mostly skipped lunch while we were out — which helped keep the food budget down without us really noticing.
Lobos Tapas — £87 A spur-of-the-moment stop near Borough Market. Decent food, relaxed atmosphere — but it felt a bit pricey for what actually landed on the table. If you’re after casual tapas near the market, you could probably find something similar for less.
Sticky Mango — £158 The food was good, but it wasn’t quite the vibe we’d expected. Not a bad experience at all, just not quite what we’d pictured going in. Worth managing expectations before you book.
Farm Girl — £67 This one landed well. Good food, great coffee, a really nice relaxed start to our last morning. That one I’d recommend without hesitation.
Budget-wise, you could bring food costs down significantly by grazing Borough Market rather than booking sit-down restaurants. If you’re trying to do London on a budget as a family, that’s probably one of the easiest swaps you can make.
Drinks: £471
Right. This is the one I debated including — mostly because when Rach saw the spreadsheet, she raised an eyebrow.
We spent £471 on drinks across the trip.
Most evenings we’d head back to the hotel bar, get a couple of cocktails in, and play card games as a family. At London cocktail prices, it adds up fast. Looking back, it is on the high side — and it’s probably the single biggest area where we could have trimmed the London family weekend cost without affecting the experience.
If drinks aren’t your thing, or you’d rather grab a bottle from a supermarket for the hotel room, you could honestly save £200–300 here without it affecting the trip at all. No judgement either way — just being transparent about where that money went.
Souvenirs: £73
Because it’s basically impossible to take kids to London without them coming home with something. We spent £73 in total — a couple of bits from Back to the Future, Shrek’s Adventure, and the Natural History Museum. Honestly, not bad for three days with a child who has opinions about merchandise.
So, How Much Does London Cost for a Family of 3?
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Travel | £294 |
| Hotels | £600 |
| Food | £379 |
| Drinks | £471 |
| Attractions | £672 |
| Souvenirs | £73 |
| Total | £2,489 |
Two adults, one child, three days in London. £2,489.
When I first added that up, my honest reaction was — we could have gone to Lanzarote. And that’s not wrong. You can absolutely get a week abroad on an all-inclusive for less than that.
But here’s what I’d say to that: we knew exactly what we were paying for. There were no nasty surprises, no disappointing hotels, no moments where we felt like we’d wasted a day. That’s worth something — especially when you’ve got a kid in tow and the stakes of a bad trip feel that bit higher.
If this number feels out of reach, that’s completely fine — and honestly, that’s part of the point. Knowing the real number means you can plan around it. Skip the West End show. Graze Borough Market instead of booking restaurants. Stay one hotel step down. Do that, and you’re looking at a genuinely different total.
So is London worth it for a family? For us, yes — completely. Just go in with a realistic budget, a rough plan, and the right expectations. You can do it for far less than we spent, and still have a brilliant time.
The Best Hotels in London For Families
Park Plaza Westminster – Best for riverside views and easy access to Westminster’s top sights.
Leonardo Royal St Pauls – Best for central location with iconic views of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Middle Eight – Best for boutique luxury in the heart of Covent Garden.
