+1 for taking a boat to Greenwich. This was actually a highlight of our brief time in London. And the Royal Observatory gift store was excellent for non-tacky souvenirs! I think we just took the water taxi, no reservations.
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We did Harry Potter studios about 8 years ago. It was very good. The kids enjoyed it a lot. There is a direct train to Watford Junction from Euston Station and a train that stops along the way. We messed up and got the one that stops, but it wasnât a huge deal. Did make us late for our timed ticket but nobody cared. We were able to use our Oyster cards (pre tapping your credit card) but I think it was the last stop or next to last stop within the TfL circle.
Download the Transport for London app and check out the website. It is so easy to tap in and out with your credit card, or use Apple Pay on your iPhone or Apple Watch (Android devices too but we are an Apple family). You do need to use the same form of payment to tap in and out on the tube. You only tap in on buses I believe. But you must have a unique form of payment for each person. I think if you and your spouse both have a credit card for the same account that is ok, but you canât tap your card and then tap your card for your spouse, too. They have to do their own tapping with a different physical card or device even if it is tied to the same account. More info.
I havenât been to London nearly as many times as some of the other posters (only 3 times), but I really love London. Made a brief 18 hr stop on our return from Ireland a couple of years ago and really enjoyed just walking through Kensington to Kensington Palace and Hyde Park. There are so many things to see. We are not must-do folks but next time I go back I do want to do the Tate.
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If you do Greenwich, you can tour the Cutty Sark historic boat. I do remember that the gift shop near the boat had lovely stuff to buy.
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The cafe in the crypt is great for a mini break (and can you tell how much I enjoyed how refreshingly cool it was there?) 
My son and I jointly made a brass rubbing that was about 3â tall, pausing for tea and a snack partway through. He loved working on it so much that we went back several days later and did a rubbing that is 6â tall!
(They provide the black paper, and gold wax sticksâthen set you up, show you the technique and provide poster tubes to take your piece home with you. You can see a sample of several of the brass replicas they have on hand in this photo, there are loads of them, from all over the country, and in all different sizes.)
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My D has lived in London for the past 7 years so I have visited several times. Sheâs getting married in just under 6 weeks and I created the following list for some family members. She volunteers at Kenwood House and they have a special exhibit right now of John Singer Sargent paintings of American heiresses who married Brits.
Big Ben and Houses of Parliament
Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour
Shakespeareâs Globe Theater (see a show or take a tour)
ABBA in concert (theyâre holograms!)
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Great list.
A bit off topic but there is also a (wonderful) Sargent (in Paris) exhibit going on at the Met in NYC.
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We also liked the Kensington area, and the ease to get around from there.
If you are interested in music or seeing a performance, we loved the Royal Albert Hall. We actually saw a couple of shows there, and they were amazing. They also have a âbehind the scenesâ tour that is well worth your time if you have any interest in theater at all.
AlsoâŠa west end showâŠ
https://www.westend.com/shows/
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Definitely go to the Tower. It is my very favorite place in London. I would suggest that you get there as early as possible, even as soon as they open. Then, go straight to the Crown Jewels. There shouldnât be much of a line. Then, head back to catch the Yeoman Warder tours. The line to see the jewels can get crazy in the summer. Most people do the jewels at the end of their visit. Doing it first avoids most of the lines.
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Have afternoon tea at The Dorchester
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We also did the Harry Potter tour. It was a lot of fun and very interesting. How can you resist the opportunity to actually stand in the Hogwarts dining room?
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We just got back from a week in London, Iâm glad we left before the hot weather began there! For me, this was a return after 30 years, when I did a study abroad semester while in college.
This time we went to the Churchill War Rooms, which I highly recommend. I hadnât been before, and I thought it was fascinating.
Sky Garden is a free way to get a full view of the city without getting on the London Eye. However you have to reserve free tickets in advance, and they are booking several weeks out at this point. Itâs essentially a glass topped building in the financial district.
The museums are free but you have to queue up, so get there early to avoid waiting a long time in line.
Our trip to the Tower, Westminster Abby and other sites were repeats for me, but worth the second trip. You have to buy timed entry tickets, and we usually lined up 15-20 minutes ahead of time because the lines were so long.
This time around we went to Windsor Castle for the first time and itâs worth the trip outside the city. Choose a day that St Georgeâs chapel is open and you can pay your respects to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip who are entombed there.
We also went to the Harry Potter Studio tour and loved it! We are big fans of the books and movies, so it was very meaningful for us.
London is an amazing city no matter what you choose to do during your time there. Enjoy your trip!
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Last Oct we went to London and stayed 5 nights at the Premier Inn (excellent cancellation policy if you pay slightly higher rate), County Hall location. It is right near the London Eye and Westminster bridge. Excellent access to sights and transportation. We liked it enough that we are returning there this Oct with the grown kids - this trip revolves around the Broncos interational game in London.
During that trip last year, we also spent 5 nights at Strand Palace (Covent Garden), nice to be in Theater district but pricier and not as close to transportation.
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I really like Premier Inns. I describe them as kind of a Hampton Inn level
RE the Harry Potter Studio tours, back when we did it you needed to get tickets many months in advance. Not sure if it is still as popular or not.
One thing I want to do next time I go is a walking tour. They have a lot of different themed ones. I was looking at one about tea, but they have Beatles walks, Changing of the Guard tour, Jack the Ripper walks and tons more.
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I believe my son and DIL went on a Beatleâs walk and really enjoyed it.
We did a night ghost tour of London one of the times we were there that was really fun. Our friends came from Kent and we all did it together.
There are architectural tours of neighborhoods like Notting Hill which are fantastic. Lots and lots of true subject matter experts (art, history, literature, maritime/nautical, ) who give tours for small groups. And if you are in a museum when a docent is gathering a groupâŠjoin them.
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