This themed itinerary reimagines London and Paris as a creative lab. By day, explore historic medical collections, surgical theaters, and science galleries that shaped how we understand the human body. By night, use straightforward, household materials to build professional-looking spinal cord models—guided step-by-step—so you return with both memories and a museum-worthy project.

From Bloomsbury’s Wellcome Collection and the newly refreshed Hunterian Museum to Paris’s Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine and the wonderfully odd Musée Fragonard, you’ll trace centuries of anatomical study. Expect cabinets of curiosities, wax masterpieces, and instruments that tell stories of discovery and daring.

Practical notes: many museums close on Monday or Tuesday—verify hours and book timed entries when available. Fly into London and out of Paris, and zip between the cities on the Eurostar. Eat well along the way: markets, classic brasseries, natural wine bistros, and standout coffee are built into each day.

London

London’s long love affair with science shows in its museums: the Wellcome Collection’s beautifully curated medical exhibits, the Hunterian’s extraordinary specimens, and the Old Operating Theatre’s creaking timbers where surgical history comes alive. In South Kensington, the Science Museum’s Medicine galleries offer a sweeping narrative of care and discovery.

Base yourself in walkable Bloomsbury or South Kensington to be near collections, green squares, and excellent food. Coffee culture is robust—Monmouth, Kaffeine, and Prufrock pour some of the city’s best—while Borough Market and Soho deliver variety, from grill-fired naan to handmade pasta.

• Where to stay (search and compare): VRBO London | Hotels.com London
• How to arrive: Search flights into London with Omio (Flights). From Heathrow, the Heathrow Express to Paddington (~15 min) is fastest; the Piccadilly Line is cheaper and direct to central London.

Day 1: Arrive in London, Wellcome Collection, Easy Eats

Morning: Fly into London. Use the ride into town to note key neighborhoods: Bloomsbury (museums and leafy squares) and South Kensington (science museums). Drop bags and freshen up.

Afternoon: Head to the Wellcome Collection in Bloomsbury for a smart, digestible primer on medical history and contemporary health. Grab coffee at nearby Kaffeine (Australian-style espresso, excellent flat whites) and browse Cass Art on Charing Cross Road for tonight’s model-making materials (craft foam sheets, yarn, pipe cleaners, cardboard, skewers, tape, glue).

Evening: Dinner at Dishoom (Covent Garden)—order the house black daal, chicken ruby, and garlic naan. Back at your stay, begin Model A: a desk-size spinal cord cross-section.

• Model A: Cross-Section (Cervical level) — clean, educational desk piece
• Materials: Cardboard circle (plate-sized), colored craft foam or felt, toothpicks, marker, glue, yarn.
• Steps: 1) Cut a circle base. 2) Layer grey matter “butterfly” (foam) and white matter ring. 3) Use yarn bands for ascending/descending tracts (color-coded). 4) Toothpicks with labels for dorsal/ventral horns, central canal, dorsal root ganglion. 5) Add a legend on the back.

Day 2: Hunterian Museum, Borough Market, Old Operating Theatre

Morning: Visit the Hunterian Museum (Royal College of Surgeons)—reopened with a dazzling, thoughtful display of anatomical specimens and surgical instruments. It’s a rare window into the history of anatomy teaching and collecting.

Afternoon: Lunch at Borough Market: try Kappacasein for the grilled cheese toastie, Brindisa for chorizo rolls, and Gelateria 3Bis for a sweet finish. Walk to the Old Operating Theatre—Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre—where timber galleries frame 19th-century surgery stories.

Evening: Pint at The George Inn’s historic courtyard or head to Kiln (Soho) for Thai-inspired clay-pot dishes and smoky grill flavors. Back home, build Model B: a flexible vertebral column with intervertebral discs.

• Model B: Flexible Vertebral Column + Discs — tactile, bendable spine
• Materials: Sturdy cord or rope (spinal axis), foam or felt discs (intervertebral discs), cardboard “vertebrae” cutouts or sliced pool-noodle “vertebrae,” washers/large beads (facet spacing), tape/glue.
• Steps: 1) Cut 24–26 vertebrae shapes (cervical–lumbar). 2) Alternate vertebrae and foam discs on the cord, leaving slight play for flexion. 3) Color-code cervical (C1–C7), thoracic (T1–T12), lumbar (L1–L5). 4) Add a larger “atlas” and ring-like “axis” with a peg odontoid to show rotation. 5) Test flexion/extension and lateral bending.

Day 3: South Kensington Science, Parks, West End

Morning: Coffee at Prufrock (Holborn) or Monmouth (Covent Garden), then the Science Museum’s Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries—immersive displays that connect technology, care, and anatomy, including models and historic devices.

Afternoon: Stroll to the Natural History Museum’s Hintze Hall for awe, then refuel at Brompton Food Market (fresh salads, quiche, great cakes). Walk Kensington Gardens and the Serpentine for a green interlude.

Evening: Dinner at Padella (Borough or Shoreditch)—hand-rolled pappardelle with beef shin ragu is a staple—then a West End show (book ahead). At home, add nerve roots and discs labeling to Models A and B, and pack a small kit for train-day tweaks.

Paris

Paris pairs scientific heritage with style: compact museums tucked in university buildings, a storied veterinary collection, and galleries of comparative anatomy that feel like time travel. Between visits, cafés, bakeries, and natural wine bistros keep energy high.

Choose a base in the Latin Quarter (near the Sorbonne and medical museums) or the Canal Saint-Martin/Upper Marais for indie cafés and evening strolls. The Eurostar drops you at Gare du Nord, minutes from either area by Metro.

• Where to stay (search and compare): VRBO Paris | Hotels.com Paris
• Getting there from London: Take the Eurostar (London St Pancras → Paris Gare du Nord) ~2h20. Typical fares ~$70–$180 if booked early. Compare schedules and prices with Omio (Trains).

Day 4: Eurostar to Paris, Musée de l’Homme, Boulevard St‑Germain

Morning: Board an early Eurostar; pick up pastries at St Pancras if you didn’t breakfast. Enjoy countryside views and arrive late morning at Gare du Nord.

Afternoon: Check in and head to the Musée de l’Homme (Trocadéro) for anthropology and human evolution perspectives that contextualize the spine within bipedalism. Coffee break at KB Coffee Roasters (South Pigalle) for balanced espresso and airy cakes.

Evening: Dinner at Bouillon Pigalle—classic French plates (œufs mayo, steak-frites, île flottante) at democratic prices. Back at your stay, start Model C: nerve roots, dorsal root ganglion, and myelin demo.

• Model C: Nerve Root + Myelin Demo — simple, striking function visual
• Materials: Twine (axon), drinking straws or cut foam bits (myelin “sheaths”), tape, marker, small LED + coin battery (optional for “signal” metaphor).
• Steps: 1) Thread straw segments over twine, leaving tiny gaps (nodes of Ranvier). 2) Label dorsal vs. ventral roots using color bands. 3) Add a bead “ganglion” on the dorsal root. 4) Optional: tape LED to “axon” to illustrate conduction when connected to a coin cell (showing “on/off” across nodes).

Day 5: Musée Fragonard, Jardin des Plantes, Natural Wine Bistro

Morning: Visit the Musée Fragonard at Alfort (check opening days; often closed Tuesdays). Its preserved veterinary specimens are unforgettable and illuminate comparative anatomy, including vertebral adaptations across species.

Afternoon: Head to the Jardin des Plantes for the Gallery of Comparative Anatomy—serried ranks of skeletons that make spinal curvature and rib articulations wonderfully clear. Coffee at Boot Café (tiny, soulful) or Télescope near the Palais Royal.

Evening: Dinner at Le Servan (11th) where sisters Tatiana & Katia Levha serve French cuisine with Asian accents; book ahead. Review your models and add French/Latin labels for a polished, “professional” finish.

Day 6: Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine, Craft Supply Run, Canal St‑Martin

Morning: Explore the Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine (Université Paris Cité, 6th). Cabinets of instruments and models show how anatomy was taught—great reference for accurate labeling and proportions.

Afternoon: Pick up any last materials at Rougier & Plé (art supplies) or BHV Marais (DIY heaven). Stroll the Canal Saint‑Martin for bridges, street art, and people‑watching with a falafel from L’As du Fallafel (nearby in the Marais) or sourdough sandwiches from Ten Belles.

Evening: Crêpes and buckwheat galettes at Breizh Café (Oberkampf) with a glass of Breton cider; finish with caramel au beurre salé. Back home, assemble a final “presentation board” with photos of your models and a labeled map of tracts, levels, and functions.

Day 7: Latin Quarter Stroll, Farewell Lunch, Departure

Morning: Breakfast at Holybelly 5 (pancakes, eggs, good filter coffee) or Du Pain et des Idées (“escargot” pastry). Quick visit to Sainte‑Chapelle’s stained glass or a bookshop wander along Rue Monsieur‑le‑Prince.

Afternoon: Early lunch at L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre (standing bar, Basque-leaning small plates) or Bouillon République for brisk service and bistro classics. Head to the airport or your next destination; compare flight options with Omio (Flights).

Evening: In transit. Keep your models flat in a shirt box or document sleeve; bring a small repair kit (glue stick, tape, spare labels) in your carry‑on.

Hands-On Model Roundup (What You’ll Have Built)

• Model A: Cross‑Section (Cervical) — clear grey/white matter layout, labeled horns, central canal, and color‑coded tracts for quick study.
• Model B: Flexible Vertebral Column — bendable, with sized vertebrae and discs, marked cervical/thoracic/lumbar regions, and an atlas–axis special to demonstrate rotation.
• Model C: Nerve Root + Myelin Demo — tactile nodes of Ranvier and a dorsal root ganglion “bead,” optionally paired with a tiny LED to visualize signal propagation.

Pro tip: Photograph each model beside museum exhibits you’ve seen (where photography is allowed) to create a mini “field guide.” The juxtaposition makes your work feel exhibition‑ready.

Transport notes: For London ↔ Paris trains, use Omio (Trains) to compare Eurostar times and fares. For flights into London and out of Paris, check Omio (Flights); booking 6–8 weeks ahead often yields better prices.

In one week, you’ve threaded together Europe’s finest medical museums with creative evenings that produce accurate, handsome spinal cord models. You’ll leave with deeper understanding, practical reference pieces, and a fresh appreciation for how science and craft meet in the world’s great cities.