101 Things to Do in London

To help make that choice just a little bit easier, we’ve broken down this ultimate guide to London into different sections, so you can go directly to the one you’re most interested in, and find the very best things to do in each category. Read on for some top tips and essential things to do, see, and eat in the largest, and most exciting, city in the UK.

The Absolute London Essentials

When you arrive in any city, one of the first things you'll want to do is hit up some of the most famous sights. Here are some of London’s:

•  Rub noses with royalty at Buckingham Palace. The Queen's London residence is open to the public each summer, and also offers the opportunity to have a picnic on its magnificent lawn.
• Ride the London Eye.  Europe's largest observation wheel sits right next to the River Thames, and offers panoramic views of the city from its glass "pods".
• Tour the Tower of London, and see the room where Anne Boleyn awaited execution, as well as the glittering crown jewels.
• Visit the Whispering Gallery at St Paul's Cathedral, and climb to the top of the famous dome.

• Feed the birds in Trafalgar Square, and take a break next to Nelson's Column, and the famous lion statues.
• See the skyline from The Shard. London's tallest building has a variety of restaurants and bars where you can watch the world go by from the highest vantage point in the city.
• Have a picnic in Hyde Park, and enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
• Shop at Harrods - or just wander around the world-famous food hall, which is as spectacular as many more “official” tourist attractions.

• Visit Madame Tussauds, and have your photo taken with some of your favourite celebrities.
• Still not sure where to start? Hop onto one of the city's iconic red buses, and see all of the top attractions from the comfort of your seat on a classic London bus tour.
• Take a break from the city and watch the animals at London Zoo.
• Take a tour of Kensington Palace, and keep an eye out for some of its Royal residents!

Adventure and Adrenaline Experiences in London

London's certainly not short of pulse-raising experiences. From adrenaline-fuelled climbs to fast and furious boat rides, consider this your guide to the most exciting adventure experiences the capital has to offer.

• Ride The Slide at The ArcelorMittal: it's both the world's longest tunnel slide, and the UK's tallest public artwork, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart! Don't worry, though: if adrenaline isn't your thing, you can choose to simply admire the view with the family, or stop off for tea and cake at one of the restaurants or cafes close to the slide.
• Take a speedboat tour of the Thames - wet, wild, and a truly wonderful way to see London from the water!
• Go Up at The O2: climb over the roof of London's famous arena, and take in the views from the very top.
•  Take the Emirates Airline and ride across the Thames in a cable car: each flight takes 10 minutes - or 25, if you decide to go for the romantic night flight experience.

• Discover a truly unique way to explore London with the Augmented Reality Outdoor Escape Game: a guided walking tour with an escape room element which will keep you guessing until the very end.
• Take a Hot Tub Boat down the Thames, and enjoy one of London's most unusual experiences as you sail past some of the most famous landmarks, while relaxing in the warm water on board!
• Dare to take The Dare Skywalk Edge challenge: a walk high above Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, ending with a descent at two metres per second.

• Flip out at Flip Out - a trampoline park that's not just for the kids.
• Try some Urban Axe Throwing, which is exactly what it sounds like:  individual coaching is included to have you throwing like a champion, even if you're completely new to the activity.
• Ever wondered what it's like to dine while suspended 100 feet in the air above London? London in the Sky lets you find out, as you enjoy lunch, dinner, or cocktails, at a giant table suspended high above The Thames, in what’s sure to be one of the more memorable dining experiences of your trip!
• Join Shrek and co. on an interactive adventure which includes a magical bus ride and lots of audience participation. Although the attraction itself is aimed at children, this area of London is packed with things to do and see.

Restaurants and Dining in London

• Sample a slice of South Africa in central London at Shaka Zulu, where the decor is every bit as impressive as the food. This is one of London’s best known restaurants, so be sure to bring your camera!
• Mingle with the Instagram elite at Sketch in Mayfair: it's pink, pretty, and unlike anywhere you've been before: although if you’re a regular on the ‘gram, you’re sure to have seen its distinctive pastel interior pop up on your feed a few times at least. 
• Soak up 1920s elegance and world-class fare at the Savoy Grill: fine dining at its very best.

• Watch the cabaret at Circus, Covent Garden, where you'll be entertained as you eat.
• Don't forget to grab a photo at Fortnum & Mason at The Royal Exchange: it's been voted London's most Instagrammable restaurant, and it's not hard to see why!
• Have dinner fit for a queen at Quaglino's, which has been serving London's elite - including members of the Royal family - for almost a century.
• Have champagne cocktails and delicious Indian cuisine at Benares.

• Indulge in some celebrity-spotting at The Ivy, one of London's most iconic eateries.
• Set yourself up for the day with a three-course Thai Brunch at Laki Kane.
• If three courses aren't enough, why not try six, with the seasonal tasting menu at The Petersham, Covent Garden.

• Hop aboard double-decker bus, and see the sights at the same time as you enjoy your high tea, with B Bakery.
• Have tea at The Ritz, and become part of a London institution.
• Enjoy afternoon tea for two at Harrods, and sample the glamour of a bygone age.
• Go shopping at Selfridges, and pop into Dolly's, the iconic on-site restaurant, for refreshments afterwards.

• The five star Langham serves up one of London's finest afternoon teas in its stunning Palm Court.
• Eat Tinkerbell cookies and Hook's Perish cake in a Peter Pan themed tea at The Shard.
• Have a tipsy tea for two at Mr. Fogg’s, where the cocktails are served in teapots.

• Get all of your favourite London landmarks in edible form in a whimsical, London-themed tea at Town House, Kensington.
• Enjoy a deliciously chocolatey afternoon tea for two at Hotel Xenia.
• Bring the kids along to The Ampersand Hotel, where the afternoon tea offerings come in the form of a science experiment.

London Tours and Landmarks

• Explore the city and win prizes at the same time with a fun Outdoor Treasure Hunt, which takes you around the streets of London on an immersive quest that allows you to see the city from a completely different perspective. 
• Go underground and see the parts of London that are normally hidden from view in a Hidden London tour of disused tube stations and other (almost) forgotten places.
• Take a private tour of the Royal Albert Hall: one of London's most iconic landmarks.

• Board the Ghost Bus, and be entertained by award-winning comedy actors as your explore the darker side of the city.
• See London from the air and from the water, with a London Eye & River Cruise experience for two.
• Join Jack the Ripper on a creepy walking tour that takes you back in time to Victorian London, and the horrors that lie within.

• Walk around Westminster Abbey, where many of Britain's monarchs lie buried, and soak up the scene of Royal weddings, coronations, and other events of national importance.
• Tour Tower Bridge, and walk across the glass-floored walkway, looking down at the bridge and river below.
• Check out the Chinatown Gate - then stay for lunch or dinner at one of the many restaurants in the area.

• Explore the Churchill War Rooms: the labyrinth of underground tunnels and rooms that were the nerve centre of government during the Second World War.
• Take a tour of Hogwarts and other Harry Potter sets at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour: an absolute must for aspiring witches and wizards - or anyone else who loves to escape into J.K. Rowling’s imaginary world. 

Drinks Experiences in London

• Have cocktails in jail at Alcotraz: an immersive theatrical experience where you're served up a selection of cocktails, made from liquor you smuggle in yourself.
• Have cocktails on the roof at Savage Garden - or "London's wildest rooftop bar," as it calls itself.
• Mix up your own magical potions - or cocktails, rather - at The Cauldron, where guests don wizard's robes and get mixing.

• Test out your palette with a selection of handcrafted gin, vodka and rum with a Distillery Tasting at East London Liquor Company.
• Let expert tour guides take you on a Borough Market Craft Beer Tour, sampling a selection of different beers as you go.
• Get to grips with the fine art of whisky making and tasting with a session at the Whisky Lounge.

London Museums and Art Galleries

• See the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies at The British Museum, where the building is almost as impressive as the artefacts.
• See dinosaur skeletons up close at the Natural History Museum: one of London's most-visited attractions.
• Explore the world of art and design at the world-famous Victoria & Albert.
• Find out what it would have been like to live through the war at the Imperial War Museum.

• See works by some of the greatest artists of all time at The National Gallery, which houses pieces by Van Gough, Turner, Rembrant, Renoir and more.
• Climb aboard a historic sea ship, The Cutty Sark, where it’s moored at Greenwich, and learn all about this beautiful vessel, which was once the fastest ship of its time.
• Step across the Meridian Line at The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, where you can also visit the famous planetarium, and see a show.
• Put your thinking caps on and immerse yourself in a world of discovery at The Science Museum.

London Theatres

• Step back in time at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: a London landmark on the banks of the Thames.
• Take in a West End Show: check out the programme of events to find out what's on during your stay.
•  Check out a movie premiere at The Odeon, Leicester Square - or just watch the stars as they walk down the red carpet!

• See your favourite opera or ballet at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
• Watch some of the best dancers in the world at the renowned Saddler's Wells.
• Listen to the London Symphony Orchestra at its home, The Barbican.
• See Shakespeare in the park at Regent Park's Open Air Theatre.

Shopping in London

• Enjoy the eclectic mix of stores and stalls at Camden Market - the best place in London for second hand and speciality goods.
• Wander down Oxford Street and check out the very best of the British high street, with some big-name brands having their largest, flagship stores on this very street.
• Visit the heart of the swinging 60s at Carnaby Street.
• Explore some of London's most famous department stores, including Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty.

• Go upmarket and visit some of the world's most exclusive stores on High Street Kensington.
• Take the train to Westfield London: Europe's largest shopping mall.
• Browse the jewellery and other luxury goods at stores like Tiffany& Co., on Bond Street.
• Find anything and everything at Covent Garden: there's also a great selection of restaurants to retire to, once you've built up a thirst.

Outdoor Activities and Parks

• See the pelicans at St James's Park, which also offers your first glimpse of Buckingham Palace.
• Admire the views from the high ground of Regent's Park and Primrose Hill: don't miss the rose garden!
• Visit the Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens.
• Take a walk along the riverside at Battersea Park.
• See how many London landmarks you can spot from Hampstead Heath: the park that inspired C.S Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

Free Things to Do in London

• Listen to Big Ben chime on the hour outside the Houses of Parliament.
• Walk across the Millennium Bridge, taking in the views of St Paul's at one end, and the Tate Modern at the other.
• Cool down at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park.
• Take a stroll past Horseguard's Parade, where the Trooping of the Colour takes place.
• Swim in the Serpentine Lido, in Hyde Park.
• Meander along the South Bank of the Thames and enjoy some of the street entertainers and outdoor dining opportunities.
•  Visit Harry Potter's Platform 9 and three quarters at King's Cross Station.
  

• Walk across the famous Abbey Road pedestrian crossing, made famous by the Beatles album of the same name, which was recorded at the nearby studio.
• Go off the beaten track with a trip to the spooky and atmospheric Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx, George Eliot, Douglas Adams and more lie buried.
• Catch a debate at Speaker's Corner, in Hyde Park.
• Admire the views from the Sky Garden: it's free to enter, but you must book your ticket in advance!
• Swing by Piccadilly Circus at night, and watch the advertising signs light up.