Things to Do in London

This London neighborhood has it all: theaters, live music, eclectic nightlife, shopping, historical sites, and a quirky food scene. Located in the West End District popular with actors, artists, musicians, and fashionistas, Soho is also the epicenter of London’s gay scene. 

The Basics

Covering just one square mile (2.6 square kilometers), Soho is best explored on foot. Taste your way around Soho’s diverse food scene on chocolate tours, English tea and dessert tours, modern British food tours, or excursions featuring international cuisine. Walk in the footsteps of The Beatles on Abbey Road and learn about the city’s other rock ‘n’ roll legends, or visit the area’s best-loved pubs and brewhouses on a bar-hopping tour. If history is your thing, Soho walking tours offer an education on London’s hidden gems and historic artifacts. 

Set in Central London in the middle of the West End, Soho is easy to visit via guided tour or public transportation. Travel by bus or tube (subway) to any of these stations that are close to Soho: Leicester Square, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, or Tottenham Court Road. If you plan to stay in London for several days, it’s a good idea to pick up a visitor Oyster card. Driving is not recommended as this area is very busy and there can be limited parking.

Soho is thriving day and night. To avoid crowds, visit mid-morning on a weekday to miss commuters on the tube and beat the lunchtime rush at restaurants. The place comes alive at night, so be sure to check out some bars, comedy clubs, and live music venues like Ronnie Scott’s.

Soho is a bustling shopping district—the department store Liberty is a London institution and if you’re traveling with kids, be sure to visit the famous toy shop Hamleys. For boutiques, go to Berwick Street, Carnaby Street and Kingly Court, and for flagship stores, go to Oxford Street and Regent Street. If you love chocolate, don’t miss the Paul A. Young store on Wardour Street.

If you’ve ever wanted to look behind the scenes of London’s royal stables or peek into one of the lavish carriages used in royal ceremonies, a visit to the Royal Mews is a must! Located on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Mews is one of the finest working stables in the world and visitors can explore independently or as part of a free guided tour (offered several times daily from April to October).

A visit to the Royal Mews includes a chance to see the royal stables and horses—30 British Cleveland Bays and Windsor Greys live at the stable at any one time—and admire the royal collection of carriages and coaches, used for state events and parades. Among the highlights are George III’s dazzling Gold State Coach, which dates back to 1762; the Irish State Coach in which the Queen travels to the State Opening of Parliament; the glass bridal coach and the state-of-the-art Australian State Coach.

Also of interest is a collection of suits worn by The Queen’s coachmen; a variety of harnesses and horse tack, and a selection of state cars, including Bentley State Limousines, Rolls Royces and a rare 1950 Phantom IV.

Opened in 1881 in London’s West End, the Savoy Theatre sits on the site of the old Savoy Palace and adjacent to the Savoy Hotel. The original auditorium was demolished in 1929 and a new one was completed within just six months. Decorated in red and gold and often described as dazzling or gleaming, it is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in London. Built as a showcase for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, the theater today seats more than 1100 over four levels. It was also the first public building in the world to feature incandescent electric lighting, with lights once being powered by a 120-horsepower generator. After being ravaged by a fire in 1990, its reopening in 1993 attracted worldwide media coverage.

Recent shows at the Savoy Theatre have included Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls and, currently, Funny Girl.

Today one of the largest wholesale meat markets in all of Europe, Smithfield Market has been buying and selling meat and poultry for over 800 years. Also known as London Central Markets, this is the largest historic market still standing in the City of London.

Early risers can still witness some of Britain’s finest meats being hand-picked by London restaurateurs, or purchase their own meats, poultry, olive oils and cheese. The structure itself is known for its bright colors and Victorian architecture, and many visitors combine their visit to the market with a stop at one of the trendy Farringdon-area restaurants.

Lined with grand Victorian buildings and big-name shopping boutiques, Regent Street was London's first dedicated shopping block, dating back to the early 19th century. Running for just over a mile (2 km) between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, the historic boulevard is now both a major traffic thoroughfare and one of London's busiest streets, welcoming more than 7.5 million annual visitors.

Regent Street is well-established as a shopping Mecca, with over 75 flagship stores including Liberty department store, Hamley’s Toy Store and one of the world’s largest Apple stores, plus designers like Burberry, J.Crew, Anthropologie and COS. Above the dazzling shopfronts, the street is also home to an impressive array of Grade II listed buildings, including the All Souls Church, built by acclaimed architect John Nash, and an eye-catching collection of contemporary street art.

Regent Street also plays host to a number of seasonal events and festivities throughout the year, including the Christmas lights Switch On concert, the Lumiere London lights festival, the Hamley’s Christmas Toy parade, the Regent Street Motor Show and the Summer Streets Festival.

Once reserved exclusively for England’s royals, this 410-acre (166-hectare) park is now public, and one of London’s prettiest patches of green. As well as a boating lake, sports facilities, a rose garden, fountains, statues, and several playgrounds, Regent’s Park is also home to the 20,000 or so creatures of the London Zoo.

London’s royal parks are among the city’s most-loved green spaces, and Regent’s Park is no exception. Most visitors come for a stroll or to take a break from sightseeing and shopping—it’s a popular picnic and sunbathing spot. You can also rent rowboats, explore the ZSL London Zoo, and stroll around the perimeter to see the neoclassical terraced mansions built by John Nash, an influential 18th-century architect who also worked on Buckingham Palace. The park is a stop on many hop-on hop-off bus tours of London.

The nearest tube stations are Regent’s Park (Bakerloo line), Great Portland Street (Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines), and Baker Street (Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, and Metropolitan lines), all of which are less than 10 minutes from the park on foot. 

The park is at its liveliest in summer, when events such as open-air theater performances take place and the roses of Queen Mary’s Garden are in bloom. Go early in the morning to see the park at its most peaceful, or ascend to the summit of Primrose Hill (on the north side of the park) at sunset to witness the silhouette of the central London skyline against a dusty golden horizon.

Regent’s Park is home to many special events, including food festivals, art fairs, and special days devoted to historical topics, such as the park’s role in World War I. From May through September, the park’s open-air theater hosts drama, comedy, and music performances, as well as outdoor film screenings. 

It might be the grand centerpiece of the Southbank Centre, Central London’s renowned cultural hub, and among the capital’s most famous classical music venues, but the Royal Festival Hall is also an impressive landmark in its own right. Located in a Grade-I listing building on the banks of the River Thames, the concert hall first opened its doors in 1951 during the Festival of Britain and now boasts a newly restored 2,500-seat auditorium and the lavish Clore Ballroom.

The Royal Festival Hall is best known as the home of the prestigious London Philharmonic orchestra, and the venue is used throughout the year for a host of classical music recitals, pop concerts, operas and ballets, including a number of annual music and cultural festivals.

London’s most famous fictional detective is brought to life at the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located at 221b Baker Street, the legendary address from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, where Holmes and his famous sidekick, Dr. Watson, lived between 1881 and 1904.

Sherlock fans will delight in exploring the Sherlock Holmes Museum, a privately run attraction that faithfully re-creates the world of Conan Doyle’s books. For the full experience, opt for a Sherlock Holmes walking tour and visit filming sites from the BBC TV series Sherlock, or combine a Sherlock Holmes tour with a tour of the East London locations associated with Jack the Ripper. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the Sherlock Holmes gift shop, where you can pick up a Holmes-style magnifying glass or deerstalker cap.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is located at 221b Baker Street—which is actually found between 237 and 241 Baker Street—in North London. It’s within walking distance of attractions such as Madame Tussauds and Regent’s Park, and the closest tube station is Baker Street on the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines.

Open daily year-round, the museum can get busy, especially during the peak summer months. The quietest time to visit is weekday mornings.

Visitors are welcomed to the house by esteemed landlady Mrs. Hudson before embarking on a journey into the world of detective Sherlock Holmes. You’ll see Holmes’ characteristic Victorian-style study on the first floor overlooking Baker Street, as well as Watson’s bedroom on the second floor. The “lumber room” is full of lodgers’ suitcases, and Holmes’ attic bedroom appears in typical disarray. Look out for Holmes’ favorite armchair by the fire, his treasured calabash pipe, his array of wacky disguises, and his collection of secret notebooks and papers scattered around the house.

Salisbury is a “city within the country” in the county of Wiltshire.  It is most famous for its cathedral — which has the highest spire in all of England — and its proximity to Stonehenge.  The Salisbury Cathedral houses an original display of the Magna Carta.

Visitors can also see Old Sarum, the ancient site of the original city, and the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.  The city itself is laid out in a medieval grid pattern, surrounded by lush English countryside and numerous parks and gardens.

Commissioned by King James I in 1616, the magnificent Queen’s House was originally a gift for his Queen, Anne of Denmark, but remained unfinished at the time of her death, completed instead by King Charles I in 1638. Designed in an innovative Palladian style by architect Inigo Jones, the grand garden villa remains one of the principal landmarks of Greenwich, now standing proud at the entrance to the vast Greenwich Park.

The Queen’s House is now owned by the National Maritime Museum and houses part of the museum’s art collection as well as an impressive array of Royal portraits. The lavish interiors are also open to the public, including highlights like the ‘Tulip Staircase’, the Great Hall, with its striking black and white marble floor, and a range of 17th-century furnishings.

With a history dating back to 1768, the Royal Academy of Arts is Britain’s oldest arts society as well as the home to one of the country’s most prestigious art schools. For art lovers, however, the main attraction is its world-­class art gallery and regular rotating exhibitions, which include the hotly-anticipated Summer Exhibition – an annual showcase of the year’s best contemporary art and architecture.

The gallery’s permanent collection also offers an impressive variety of British art, from the 18th century to present day, with highlights including works by Leighton, Reynolds, Constable, Gainsborough and Turner. Also on­-site is the RA Grand Café and the Keeper’s House, home to a bar, garden lounge and restaurant.

Located in a colonnade-fronted, early 20th-century County Hall building (the former headquarters for the Greater London Council), the Sea Life London Aquarium is one of Europe’s aquatic museums with 14 themed zones. Marine-life displays include walk-over glass shark tanks, transparent tunnels where sea turtles swim overhead, and kaleidoscopic coral reefs. Visitors also love the penguin exhibit, where it’s possible to observe adorable orange-beaked gentoo penguins waddling on land and swimming gracefully underwater.

 

Admission to the aquarium not only includes access to the themed zones but also allows visitors to attend various feedings and educational talks held throughout the day. Guests can opt for skip-the-line tickets to save time or combo tickets to save money, the latter of which access to the aquarium as well as other big-ticket London attractions, such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds London, and DreamWorks Tours: Shrek's Adventure. Alternatively, combine a trip to the aquarium with a cruise on London’s Thames River to view major riverside landmarks such as Big Ben, the Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral from the water.

 

 

The Sea Life London Aquarium is located on the South Bank right beside the London Eye. Take the Tube to Westminster (Circle, Jubilee and District lines) or to Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines). Rail services also stop at Waterloo station.

 

The aquarium is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and weekends from 9:30am to 7pm. The site is a kid-friendly and family-oriented attraction and is therefore busiest during school vacations and on weekends. Avoid waiting around by purchasing a skip-the-line ticket in advance.

 

More than 500 marine species of all shapes and sizes are represented here, from finger-length seahorses to giant Japanese spider crabs. You can spot flesh-eating red bellied piranhas and endangered Cuban crocodiles, pointy-toothed sand tiger sharks and a 6.5-foot-tall (two-meter-tall) lion’s mane jellyfish—the largest known jellyfish species in the world.

Housed within the walls of his own home, Sir John Soane’s Museum was designed to inspire students of architecture and drawing by providing examples of different architectural styles and decoration. It has been open to the public since 1837.

 

Sir John Soane was a successful British neoclassical architect, responsible for designing several important Regency-era buildings, including the Bank of England. After becoming professor of architecture at the Royal Academy, he decided to create a museum within his home (made up of three buildings in Lincoln’s Inn Fields) for his students, and the result is a quirky collection of copies of famous statues, Soane’s architectural models, and artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

 

Visit independently or book a tour that visits the museum, like the secret gardens excursion of London that includes afternoon tea.

 

 

The museum is located at 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn, London. The closest tube (subway) stop is Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines) which is a short walk away. Numerous buses including nos. 1, 59, and 188 stop nearby on Kingsway.

 

Sir John Soane’s museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am–5pm. Last entry is at 4:30pm. It’s also open on bank holidays. Weekends are the busiest time to visit.

 

Thought to have inspired Central Park in New York, the urban green space at Lincoln’s Inn Fields is a popular spot to stop and take a break on any busy day out visiting London’s museums. Close to Sir John Soane’s Museum and the British Museum, it’s the largest public square in the city.

Winding its way through the Warwickshire countryside in England’s West Midlands, the River Avon is perhaps best known for its namesake town, Stratford-upon-Avon, famously the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The scenic river passes through the heart of the medieval town and boat tours offer a new perspective for visitors, passing waterfront landmarks like the

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan Theatre, Holy Trinity Church and Lucy’s Mill Wier.

As well as being the lifeblood of Stratford-Upon-Avon, the River Avon is well connected to England’s waterways, joining the River Severn at Tewkesbury and linked via the Stratford-Upon-Avon canal to Birmingham. 

The geographical center of London’s East End, Shoreditch has long been the district’s beating heart – an eclectic, cosmopolitan, and ever-changing neighborhood favored by artists, students, and fashionistas. Sandwiched in-between the high-rise office blocks of Liverpool and the City to the west, and the vibrant Bangladeshi communities of Brick Lane to the southeast, modern-day Shoreditch is known for its lively markets, bold street art, and cutting edge nightlife.

The best way to explore the district is on a walking tour, taking in highlights such as Brick Lane, London’s ‘curry mile’; the famous Spitalfields Market; and the main thoroughfares of Old Street, Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street. Alternatively, explore the district’s renowned street art on a photography tour of Shoreditch; discover the hip bars, music venues and clubs on a Shoreditch pub crawl; or tuck into some of the East End’s best street food on a food tasting tour of Shoreditch.

The vast grounds and imposing stadiums that once hosted athletes from all over the world during the 2012 London Olympics have now been transformed into one of East London’s most impressive green spaces—Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

Whether you want to explore the beautiful parklands on a walking or biking tour, take a boat cruise along the City Mill River, or enjoy lunch at The Podium or the Timber Lodge Café, there are plenty of ways to visit the Olympic Park. Relive the trials and triumphs of the 2012 Olympics on a guided London Stadium tour, or see the ArcelorMittal Orbit illuminated by night on an after-hours tour of London’s East End. You can also enjoy aerial views of iconic Olympic venues like the London Aquatics Centre, the Copper Box Arena, and Lee Valley VeloPark from the roof of the O2 or on a thrilling helicopter flight.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is located in East London, straddling the districts of Stratford, Hackney Wick, Bow, and Leyton. To get there by train, get off at the Stratford stop on the Jubilee and Central lines, or at Pudding Mill Lane or Hackney Wick stations The Stratford International train station offers direct links to other UK destinations including Kent, Dover, and Canterbury. 

The park is open daily all year and special events, and family activities are held on weekends and during school holidays throughout the year. The most popular time to visit is during the summer months, when you can enjoy open-air concerts, art exhibitions, boat tours, and other activities. During the holiday season, the park hosts a Christmas Market, choir concerts, and other events.

Take in the views or ride the slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the UK’s tallest sculpture, follow the Art Trail or London 2012 Trail, stroll through the Mandeville Place orchards, or go shopping at the gigantic Westfield Stratford City Mall. There are ample opportunities for sports and outdoor activities too: the state-of-the-art Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre comes equipped with 10 courts and two hockey pitches; the one-of-a-kind VeloPark offers all sorts of two-wheeled fun, from track cycling and road racing to BMX and mountain biking; and the London Aquatics Centre has two gigantic swimming pools and a diving pool.

The Royal Air Force Museum London is home to an impressive collection of 100 aircraft including a rare life-sized model of an F-35 joint strike fighter. An array of interactive, permanent, and temporary exhibits explore different aspects of the last century of the RAF, WWI history, the role of nursing during wartime, and imagined futures.

The RAF Museum London comprises several main areas: historic hangars, one of which houses the First World War in the Air exhibit (in the Grahame White Aircraft Factory); Bomber Command Hall; and new galleries celebrating the RAF’s centenary. Many visitors come for the aircraft and Eurofighter Typhoon flight simulators, the flying experiences in the 4D theater, and the very popular Spitfire Mk XVI cockpit tour.

Some hop-on hop-off bus tickets and other tours include entrance to the museum. 

The museum is about 30 minutes from central London by Tube. Alternatively, take bus 303 from the Colindale Underground station. If driving, the museum is 10 minutes from Junction 4 of the M1; there is paid parking on-site.

The Royal Air Force Museum London is open from 10am to 5pm November to February and 10am to 6pm March to April, with seasonal events throughout the year. The picnic area and playground are best enjoyed in the spring and summer months. The museum can be especially busy during British school holidays.

The Royal Air Force London is a family-friendly venue with an outdoor aeronautical-themed playground and a program designed especially for preschool-aged children (2 to 5 years) that includes games, arts and crafts, songs, and stories. Check the website for session times and to book in advance.

From foot-stomping musicals like Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages, to classics like Hairspray, Fame, and Rent, as well as recent hit Motown: The Musical—the Shaftesbury Theatre has earned its stripes over the last two decades as one of the top theaters of London’s West End. The legendary theater has a history dating back to 1911, when it opened its doors as The Princes Theatre. It’s now a GradeII-listed building with a seating capacity of 1,400, and the largest independent theater in the West End.