Enough with the guide de voyages, who wants to follow the masses?  Instead, set off with a bespoke travel itinerary from Tonic Travel. They created this one just for us:

Escape the throngs and discover the quiet enclave of Marylebone Village tucked away off bustling Oxford Street.

sleep
Just minutes from the High Street, The Montagu Place Hotel is a charming 16-room townhouse whose rooms are classified as Casual, Fancy and Swanky. Opt for Swanky and pretend this is your London pied-a-terre. 2 Montagu Place, London, +44 207 467 2777, rooms from $350. www.montagu-place.co.uk

eat
The Providores is a long-standing local favourite. For casual tapas grab a seat on the lively main floor, but for a quieter meal of imaginative fusion head upstairs for their New Zealand Wagyu beef— and we can’t resist the toasted coconut panna cotta! 109 Marylebone High St., London, +44 207 935 617, www.theprovidores.co.uk

shop
We often find treasures at the Saturday Cabbages & Frocks market in the St. Marylebone. Don’t miss Daunt Books, the most inspiring bookstore in town—stop in to pick up a great travel tome for your next adventure.

see
The Wallace Collection is a gallery of 18th Century French art with famous works by Rembrandt and Delacroix. This personal collection is housed in the stunning townhouse used by Sir Wallace in the late 1800s. Admission is free so head upstairs to the Oval Drawing Room to see Fragonard’s “The Swing.” Manchester Square, London, +44 207 563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org

drink
Pop into the Golden Eagle for a pint and a Cornish pastie where the regulars will likely be singing old wartime tunes by the piano. 59 Marylebone Ln, London, +44 207 935 3228.

Tailored itineraries from $50 (half day), 3-day/from $255.
Tonic Travel, 1-877-879-0032, www.tonictravel.com