London

VIBE CHECK

Cultural immersion

Sightseeing

Shopping

Central London location

Near the Royal Palace

Night life

International day trip

Group dinner

Black British history

2 days of Carnival parades

OVERVIEW

Once a year the diaspora converges on London.

This year, it's your turn.

Across the pond the we go.

Get ready to explore one of the largest,

global cities on the planet.

From palaces and bridges

to red boxes and buses,

there's a little bit of everything

for everyone in London.

We'll take in some traditional sites,

but ultimately this excursion

will showcase London's Black-hand side.

Stroll through some of the historic

neighborhoods like Brixton.

Experience some of

the iconic entertainment settings

like the UK's original hip hop karaoke spot.

Sample the cuisines of the diaspora

through a multitude of London's

Black-owned restaurants, bars and eateries.

Oh yeah, did we say carnival?

Well, of course.

Our London experience culminates

with the full Notting Hill Carnival

experience which includes steel bands,

Brazilian bands, live performances

and multiple parades.

And guess what -

your package gets you into the big parade.

No bystanders here.

By "in," we mean suit up

in a traditional masquerader costume.

We are marching in the parade.

No other way to close out a week in

London than dancing in the streets

dressed in feathers and spandex.

You'll never be the same after this trip.

WEATHER

Comfortable

Expect highs

in mid-70's to low 80's

Light rain

always possible

in London

WHAT TO BRING

Passport

Required for entry

UK Travel Visa

Nothing you need

to bring with you.

Just be sure you

completed the application

and received approval.

Approved applications are

automatically

associated

with your passport.

Casual Attire

Shorts, tees,

lightweight pants & shirts

Consider long sleeves

for evenings

Comfortable Shoes

for walking and exploring

Travel Umbrella

London is known

for light rain in summer

Travel Bag / Pouch

Something to hold

all your stuff

while exploring

and definitely

during the parade

HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED

All the activities

listed in the itinerary

are covered.

Cashless

Most places we

visit and tour

do not accept

cash payments.

Debit and Credit Cards

Widely accepted.

Most common

form of payment.

Currency

USD not accepted.

In London,

use British Pounds.

In Paris,

use Euros.

Spending Money

$650 USD

per person

is reasonable.

More if you plan

to live a little.

Exchange Rate

$1 = $0.75 British Pounds

$1 = $0.88 Euros

Both foreign currencies

are valued

more than

the USD.

ARRIVAL TIMES

London Travel Info

HOTEL ADDRESS

LONDON MARRIOTT HOTEL KENSINGTON

Street Address

147-C Cromwell Road

London

SW5 0TH

GROUND TRANSPO

Subway

(London Tube)

available at

airport terminals 2 & 3

(1) Take Piccadilly Line

towards Cockfosters

(2) Exit @ Earl's Court

Marriott Hotel Kensington

entrance is an

8-minute walk from

subway station

Cost: $3.20 USD

Time: 45 minutes

Rideshare

Uber and Lyft

widely available

Cost: $67.00 USD

Time: 35 - 60 minutes

TUESDAY 8/19

Travel day.

Departure from home city.

Transatlantic travel

is easy with some lead time.

We always recommend

a red-eye so you

can land first thing in the morning.

That way you'll have

the full day to begin your exploration.

WEDNESDAY 8/20

Arrive at

London Heathrow

International Airport (LHR)

It's an easy ride

to our hotel.

Settle in.

We have a few

housekeeping items first.

Our first adventures are

must-see options

when in England:

London Eye

and Big Ben.

WEDNESDAY ATTIRE

Casual

Come as you are

THURSDAY 8/21

We're off to an early start

with a guided

London Black History tour.

Our exploration begins

in the famous

Notting Hill neighborhood,

the namesake

of London's

carnival celebration.

Grab some lunch.

THURSDAY ATTIRE

Casual

Come as you are

Comfortable shoes

FRIDAY 8/22

Royals here we come.

We'll start our day

at the famous

Buckingham Palace.

We have an early start.

We should arrive

around 10:30 AM.

This gives us ample

time to catch

the

Change of

the Royal Guard

at 11:00 AM.

Then we'll

explore the

ins and outs

of one of

England's

most notable

landmarks.

FRIDAY ATTIRE

Casual

Come as you are

Comfortable shoes

SATURDAY 8/23

Happy Birthday

Kathy & Lilian

Oui. We're headed to Paris.

It's a 3-hour train ride.

Train departs: 6:31 AM

Arrive in Paris: 9:58 AM

Bus pick-up: 10:45 AM

Eiffel tower: 2:00 PM

Train departs: 9:30 PM

From the train

we'll catch the

hop-on, hop-off bus

to see the city.

Grab something

to eat.

Our confirmed

Eiffel Tower visit

is at 2 PM.

After Eiffel Tower

you are free

to explore Paris

on your own.

The hop-on

hop-off ticket

is valid for

the full day.

SATURDAY ATTIRE

Casual

Come as you are

Comfortable shoes

SUNDAY 8/24 - PART 1

Dutty Mas Sunday.

Paint. Powder.

Pure bacchanal.

All the things

we love about

the eve of

Carnival Monday.

This is the family day

segment of

carnival weekend

so the day begins easy.

Jamette Jouvert

kicks off around noon.

Pace yourself and enjoy!

If you chose not

to participate officially

in the Sunday parade,

you are welcome

to enjoy the festivities

as a spectator

or continue your own

exploration of

the Greater London area.

Check out Camden Market.

Spend a few hours

at the black-owned

Hackney Day Market.

Choose your

own adventure.

SUNDAY ATTIRE: PART 1

Jamette J'ouvert attire

T-shirt, shorts

Comfortable shoes

Sunglasses

Goggles

Stuff you don't

mind getting dirty

SUNDAY 8/24 - PART 2

Dinner

Food & fellowship

is our

pre-carnival tradition.

We're headed

for a

culinary experience

like no other.

Pan-African fusion

inspired by

the seasonal foods

of Africa, Brazil

and the Caribbean.

Get ready for Stork.

Our menu is

pre-selected.

Our food is

pre-paid.

We'll split the cost

of drinks, tax

and tips evenly.

I will settle

the final bill.

I will invoice

everyone

for their portion.

ATTIRE: GROUP DINNER

It's a dinner party.

The theme for

your attire is

EMERALD CITY.

You don't need

to dress up.

Think

casual chic.

MONDAY 8/25

Parade day.

We’ll help

each other get dressed.

Get all the strings tied.

All the feathers fluffed.

Then we’ll catch the Tube

into Notting Hill

to meet the full

United Colors of Mas Band.

Our meet-up time

is 9:00 AM.

We’ll get our

exact instructions

at costume pickup.

UCom is one of the biggest

and most popular

carnival bands.

The 2025 theme is Amazon.

Pace yourself.

This will be a long day.

Although the full

parade route is just 3.5 miles,

it is a full-day,

all-day extravaganza.

This is an actual picture

of our band in

the 2022

Notting Hill

Carnival parade.

MONDAY ATTIRE

Nukini costume

by Onyx Mas

Comfortable shoes

TUESDAY 8/26

Close out

the London experience

with some

last minute shopping.

Pick up some gifts.

Pack up your costume.

Smile for

a few final photos.

Then punch it back

to London Heathrow

for your flight home.

Safe travels.

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