London in 24 Hours: A Sensory Itinerary for Kids with Autism
- Feb 20, 2025
- 15 min read
Updated: Aug 14
London is a tempting choice for an exciting weekend break but it can also feel daunting when you have autistic children to support.
Each year we travel up to London for a long weekend - it is always a highlight but does take a lot of careful planning and thinking.
Read on to discover how I designed our 2025 trip, what we did, when we did it, and how we made it work for everyone.
Can you take your autistic kids to London for a 24 hour mini-break?
Absolutely! It is a fascinating city and many attractions strive to be inclusive. With only 24 hrs to explore you will barely scratch the surface of everything on offer, however you can still have a wonderful time!
With an important anniversary approaching we decided the time was right for a short minibreak - plus it was a great way of testing the boys' capacity for city stopovers.
My main priority was ensuring the boys sensory needs stayed front and centre; keeping them calm and regulated is always our key priority, but it is far from easy even when we are at home!
For more information on visiting London's attractions in addition to the ones we visited on this trip you can read my dedicated guide to the Top 10 London Attractions for Autistic Kids.
Is it possible to meet the sensory needs of autistic children while staying in London?
Neurodivergent children can often have complex sensory seeking or sensory avoiding behavioural profiles, which can increase in intensity when away from their safe environments.
So while it is possible to meet a range of sensory needs on a city break like London, it is not necessarily easy. Mapping your child's sensory needs before travelling is key to helping them get the most out of any adventure, no matter how close or far from home you journey.
With our boys' own sensory profiles in mind I deliberately prioritised movement breaks, rest breaks and sensory seeking activities throughout our minibreak in London.
Read below for a detailed itinerary of our family's minibreak adventure in London and the different techniques / activities we used to help the boys enjoy the experience and stay as calm and regulated as possible.
London Mini-break with Autistic Kids: Sensory Itinerary
Day One
9am: Preparation / Getting ready to leave
Packing
To help our eldest (aged 8 at the time) prepare for the trip I made sure to involve him in packing his overnight bag, and gently encouraged him to choose plenty of comfy, soft items that I know helps him to relax.
For more detailed information on our 2 stage packing strategy and sensory travel kit visit our Packing Essentials page.
Transitioning out of the house
I could see the boy's anxiety / excitement levels were raised, and, expecting a difficult transition out of the house, I made sure we left space for both boys to include a number of last minute items as we walked through the door - even though I knew they didn't really need them!
For more tips of sensory packing with / for autistic kids read my 2 stage strategy for autism-friendly packing here.
To make the transition even easier we decided to start the trip off in a relaxed fashion by taking a taxi to the train station, instead of walking like we usually would. This was one change the boys were perfectly happy about!
Visual Timetable
For our youngest we also put together a visual timetable - using an A4 piece of cardboard that fits inside a plastic pocket (this makes it easy to take with us when we go out). As we complete various activities we take the squares off the board and stick them on the back.
After showing / talking through the board with both boys I felt confident that we all knew what was going to be happening that afternoon. We were off to a good start!
1:30pm: Arriving at our London Hotel
After a straightforward train journey and a short transfer from the station we arrived at our hotel the Park Plaza Westminster at 1:50pm. They were happy for us to check our bags and the buggy into the luggage store as check-in is not until 3pm.
2pm: Managing sensory excitement before our London Eye Flight
Having spent weeks talking about going on the London Eye with the boys we were all very excited for our 2:15pm flight!
Pacing and Location
On a trip like this, pacing and location is key. We had deliberately booked a hotel close by the river so we could avoid taking public transport.
The walk was short and fun, and getting their first glimpse of Big Ben and houses of Parliament provided a great visual distraction from the big event.
Make space for movement breaks before high stress activities
The Southbank is a pedestrianised area, and although a little busier than we expected it was great not having to worry about traffic.
The boys appreciated the chance for this 'movement break' before being confined in the London Eye pods, and made the most of being able to jump up and down the steps and pose for photos by random things that caught their eye.
London Eye Special Assistance
if you are thinking about visiting the London Eye make sure to engage with their special assistance scheme, which is open to neurodivergent individuals, including autistic / ADHD children.
On arrival under the London Eye wheel we showed the boys' disability ID cards (Access Card and National Disability Card to a member of the security team. To learn more about these read our special guide: National Disability Card: A lifeline for autistic families.
They quickly directed us to join the fast track line. We were also wearing our sunflower lanyards which signifies to attraction staff that you need additional support - read more about these in a dedicated blog post: Sunflower Lanyards: how to get a free one and 8 reasons your autistic child should wear it.
The fast track / special assistance queue was much shorter than the main line, and we were waived through security and boarded reasonably quickly, having avoided the worst of the wait.
The flight lasted about 30 minutes, and we back down at street level by 2:45pm, perfect timing to head back to the hotel and check in for 3pm.
We highly recommend pre-booking your tickets like we did to avoid queueing on the day.
You may also be entitled to one free essential carer ticket per disabled adult / child - you can check availability and pre-book free carer tickets on the Official Merlin London Eye site*
You may need to show proof of child's disability e.g. DLA letter, Access Card etc... so make sure you bring it with you
Read our full Sensory Guide to visiting the London Eye with autistic children for all the details of our amazing flight.
3pm: Top Tips for Introducing a New Sensory Environment
After the excitement of the London Eye checking into the Park Plaza Westminster was a little bit challenging.
Check In Process
To be honest I dread checkin - it always feels like it take ages to complete. Thankfully our eldest was ok to people watch (he was wearing his ear defenders to reduce the noise of the echoey hotel lobby). However he was very fidgety and kept jiggling around to keep himself grounded, which was at times very distratcing!
Our youngest wouldn't stop running around the lobby and riding the escalators - both classic sensory seeking behaviours that help to regulate the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.
He was clearly in need of a sensory reset and I was extremely grateful we had booked a hotel with a pool. I was able to secure the last spaces for the 3:30pm swim slot - hopefully that would help calm them both down!
Exploring their new space
As soon as we entered our family suite we stood back and let the first part of our sensory plan kick in. The boys were off and leaping - and for the next 10 - 15 minutes had enormous fun:
racing around the two rooms
touching and smelling the complimentary toiletries
hiding in the cupboards
jumping over and into the beds
pouring water into the coffee mugs
unpacking their clothes
Every single one of the above activites was meeting a sensory need - they thought it was just fun, but really they were self-regulating through:
deep impact (jumping, running)
calming strategies (smell, sound of water)
cocooning (hiding in cupboard, under duvet)
comforting routine and order (unpacking clothes)
After 15 minutes or so of this we judged they were calm enough to start getting ready for the pool session.
If your child would benefit from a similiar sensory diet (to help with regulating in a new place) then it a good idea to seek out hotels with a larger than average floor plan!
For the Park Plaza Westminster via Hotel.com* you can search specifically for Studio Triple, Family or One-Bedroom Suite configurations.
These layouts provide a closing door or separate privacy partitions, allowing you to give an overstimulated child a quiet, dark zone to reset while the rest of the family uses the main room.
3:30pm: Sensory Water Play
If you have the budget and your children like water than I would highly recommend booking a hotel with a pool.
Swimming offers so much from a sensory perspective, and we all really enjoyed our hour’s water play. It was a great way for the boys to let off steam and have fun - they were noticeably calmer when we got back to the room.
We were back in our room by 4:45pm, and immediately ordered room service for the boys dinner (kids ate free as part of the family package we booked).
We were advised wait time was 30 – 40 mins so made a pre-dinner snack for them using their own food trays from home. They appreciated seeing these familiar objects, along with their own cutlery which we had also packed; it was definitely worth it to bring these safe food items from home with us.
5:30pm: Dinner and Bedtime Top Tips
Let them use screens
Eating in a new place can be difficult for the boys, so we gave them their Aamzon tablets to use during the meal.
The screens helped them stay relaxed, and kept them focused and sitting aroudn the table. It also meant J and I could relax for a little bit, it had been a pretty full on afternoon.
Maintain normal transition routines
After dinner we deliberately played a few active games in the hotel room.
These were designed to act like a mini movement break, as allowing them to spin, jump and dance to a couple of favourite songs helps regulate them before the transition into bedtime. This was followed by a little bit more downtime on their tablets.
To make bedtime in an unfamiliar space ledd challenging we:
tried to keep to the same timings as we would at home
did things in the same order
brought their soft comfy toys
put on their own pillow cases.
These sensory touches, coupled with the excitement and physical activity of the day meant that boys were both asleep by 8pm!
It was so lovely at the end of what had been a full-on but pretty special afternoon to just sit back and and enjoy the stunning view of the Big Ben and river Thames!
London Mini-break with Autistic Kids: Sensory Itinerary
Day Two
6am: Wake Up
In keeping with their routine both boys are awake and up by 6am!
We allow them to put the TV on / use their tablets. We wouldn't normally give them screens this early in the day but we hadn't brought any toys with us, so there was nothing else for them to do!
Always pack snacks
To help keep the boys blood sugars stable we give both a snack of oatcakes and fruit around 6:30am.
At 7.30am we start getting the boys dressed and ready. This always seem to take ages as we are really trying to develop their independent dressing skills - which only works if we are totally relaxed and dont try to rush them!
8am: Breakfast Buffet
Top tips for surviving the sensory explosion of a large hotel breakfast buffet
Arrive early
At 8am on a Sunday we thought we'd be first down to breakfast - we were surprised to see how many people had beaten us to it. For the calmest experience possible get there for opening time, there will be no queue and your choice of tables.
Politely request a quiet space
The atrium space was large and airy but the noise was echoing and visually it was quite dazzling. We were offered a nice table in the middle of the room with people all around, we could see immediately it would be too overwhelming for the boys.
We asked to move to a quiet area, explaining that our son is autistic and needs a low sensory environment. The server was lovely and showed us to another breakfast room without fuss. It was empty when we were seated it, however it slowly filled up while we had breakfast. It was the perfect place for a stress free meal.
Depending on the hotel you could consider asking if you can request this accommodation in advance.
Use screens
Don't be afraid to take a screen (or two) with you to the breakfast table. If it keeps your kids quiet and calm so you can have a cup of tea and a pastry then everyone wins.
If your kids seek movement and pressure - give them lots of jobs and 'heavy work' to do
Our eldest has a strong need to move. Rather than expecting him to sit nicely at the table we gave him lots of little jobs to do that broke up the meal. These included:
investigating and reporting back on the hot options, and then the cold options
taking photos of the buffet with our phone
pouring everyone multiple glasses of water or juice (his favourite job!)
scooping jam / spreads into little pots and bringing to the table
checking how long the queue was to get into the breakfast room
9am Sensory Reset and Swim Session
After the excitement of breakfast the boys needed some time in the room for to relax and reset before getting ready for our second swim session at 10am.
Our second swim session was as good as the first (although much busier). Our youngest also really enjoyed the steam room (which he kept sneaking into) and being able to stand under the hot showers without us constantly telling him it was time to finish like we do at home!
11:15am: Pack up and Checkout
We go back to our room and it was clear that the boys were starting to feel the effects of being away from home; despite having had an hour in the pool they still needed to engage in more sensory seeking play e.g. jumping off sofa onto blankets.
We supported them by piling pillows / blankets onto the floor for them to land on while we got on with the packing.
We were out of the room and down at the left luggage store by 12 noon just!).
12 noon: Westminster, The Mall and Trafalgar Square
Big Ben
With our youngest safely strapped into the buggy we head out for an afternoon of sight seeing.
We start by walking over Westminster Bridge and playing I-spy, taking it in turns to spot interesting lion statues and of course Big Ben, which is looking stunning in the early afternoon sunlight.
Whitehall & No. 10 Downing St
Once over Westminster Bridge we turn right down Whitehall, crossing the road so our eldest can walk right past the Downing Street gates and see where the Prime Minister lives.
Our youngest loved watching the horses and household cavalry (mounted police) who were standing guard at the front.
A Hollywood Moment
It was unusually busy around Whitehall, with crowds lining the pavement around Downing St and the road closed to traffic. We finally worked out everyone was watching Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg, Kit Harrington and Michelle Monaghan rehearse a film scene about hostage taking on the roof of an open-top bus. We stayed and watched for a while but the pushing from the crowds became too much for all of us so we decide to move on.
Trafalgar Square
By now it was nearly 1pm. We continued slowly down to the end of Whitehall, excited to see for that wow moment on the boys' faces as we came out on to Trafalgar Square.
The boys absolutely loved Trafalgar Square – from the gigantic Nelson’s column to the huge lions, water fountains and glistening pools they are wide-eyed with wonder.
Our youngest was desperate to get out the buggy, so we gave them both as much time as they needed to run around and explore this exciting new space.
1:20pm: National Art Gallery of London
After quick trip to the public toilets in the square (we used our RADAR key to access the disabled cubicle) we headed up the stairs and across the square to the National Gallery.
Our pre-booked tickets were actually for 12:15 noon, but having decided not to rush the boys after the swim reset, we were now over an hour late for our slot.
The queues for the main pre-booked ticket entrance were extremely long, there was no way the boys would have been able to join the long snaking line, even if we'd been on time!
Instead of abandoning our plans we approached the attendant standing outside the members entrance and to ask for help.
Noticing our sunflower lanyards she directed us towards another colleague on a priority access queue and despite being late we were waved straight in. After a brief wait (less than 2 minutes) we are through the security bag search and in the gallery.
Which proves, if you don't ask, you don't get!
A whistle stop tour!
By now we were firmly into 'lunchtime' territory, so we made a quick decision to make this a quick 'highlights' only tour!
I could see both boys were tiring and the crowds, heat and low level noise was more overwhelming in the gallery than we had expected.
We went straight to the Impressionist rooms so our eldest could see some of the Cezanne paintings his class had been studying during their art sessions at school.
Our youngest enjoyed looking at the paintings of the sea and animals.
Offering them some crunchy snacks and favourite fidget toys bought us just enough time for a very quick walk through some of the old master galleries – here the boys loved counting the angels, and were in awe of the scale of these impressive works.
By 2pm (just 30 minutes after arriving) our youngest was done and needed to decompress, so I took him to the gallery's Crypt Cafe to decompress. The other two meet us soon after for quick bit to eat.
Busker fun - Its time to dance!
We are soon outside in Trafalgar Square; which proves it is possible to visit the National Gallery in well under an hour!
The boys were excited to find a busker performing on the pedestrianised concord outside. Recognising they both really needed some fresh air and room to move we gave them as long as they wanted to dance and run around the top plaza.
Enjoying the busker's music in Trafalgar Square, London
2:30pm - Walk Across the River Thames
Leaving Trafalgar Square we take a short walk down to Charing Cross station.
From there we find the elevated walkway running alongside the station above street level that takes you onto the pedestrianised Hungerford Bridge and across the river Thames to London's Southbank.
Hungerford Bridge (along with Waterloo Bridge) offer some of the best, most iconic views of London, so it is well worth the walk.
Our youngest was so keen to see the all the boats on the river that he demanded to get out the buggy! Our eldest lost time in taking his place and was delighted to cadge a cheeky lift for the remainder of the 10 minute walk!
Once down on the Southbank the boys have great fun exploring the quirky slide-like sculptures they spotted from the bridge. For a more in-depth look London's cultural Southbank district read our blog post Top 10 London Attractions for Families with Autistic Kids.
2:45pm: Playground Joy
By now we were only a short stroll from the London Eye, and had just enough time to take the boys to the nearby Jubilee playground. It is a space they are familiar with having visited a number of time before, and despite the cold and increasingly damp weather the boys were delighted to have the chance to play.
The Jubilee Garden is a great space for kidsm and has lots of autism-friendly sensory equipment and opportunities to climb and slide. It was a great way to end our 24hr minibreak with the boys in London.
The temperature was dropping fast, and after 20 minutes we called a halt to their play. Everyone's legs were extremely grateful it was only a very short walk back to the hotel to collect our bags.
3:30pm: Time to head home
After collecting our bags from the luggage store we discovered there were no overground trains running to our destination from nearby Waterloo Station.
It was obvious the boys didn't have the mental, physical or emotional energy to cope with a crowded tube journey, luggage and then a bus at the other end. Given the situation we made the only decision we could - and ordered an Uber to take us home.
Despite the dreary January weather it had been an amazing minibreak, we'd all loved our special weekend’s adventure!
Final Thoughts: Is it Easy Taking Autistic Kids to London for the Weekend?
I hope this article has helped you feel confident that, yes a one-night minibreak in London is totally doable for families with autistic kids.
Although your family may have different needs to ours, there are ways of making things work for you if you think outside the box and don't try and do too much.
Doing these three things made a real difference to our trip:
Taking and using our visual timetables from home throughout the weekend
Using our hidden disability sunflower lanyard / access card to skip long queues
Walking between attractions (and avoiding the London underground tube)
Making full use of the hotel's facilities for movement breaks and calm down time
Booking a spacious family room with its own sink and basic kitchen items.
Politely requesting extra support and adjustments from staff at the hotel
Happy Travels x
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