I traveled to London years ago and I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been and I can’t wait to go back one day. If you’re planning on visiting London then this list of unusual things to do in London, England will help you while you’re there.
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Lets start of this post with where to stay in London. Some hotels I recommend check out are Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, Rose And Crown Hotel, The Z Hotel Shoreditch, and The Mandeville Hotel.
Tower Of London
Being from Canada, one thing I’m very interested in seeing when visiting Europe, are castles! That’s why I wanted to add the Tower of London to this list of unusual things to do in London, England. The Tower of London is a castle on the north bank of the river Thames in central London. If you don’t have castles where you’re from like me, then this is something you should see while in London.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a famous bridge in London. It was built from 1886 to 1894 and crosses the river Thames. If the Tower Bridge looks familiar to you that’s probably because it is. It’s been in hundreds of movies which is why I think it’s a great idea to see it in person, and then when you watch it in the movies you can say you’ve been there.
Churchill War Rooms
Another thing I really wanted to add to this list of unusual things to do in London, England is the Churchill war rooms. The Churchill war rooms is actually where Prime Minister Winston Churchill lived and worked during WWII. We’ve all learned about WWII in school so I think it’s a great idea to check out the Churchill War Rooms and learn a little bit more about it.
The National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in Westminster. This museum is gorgeous and has an endless amount of great paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. I would recommend going to this museum to experience something a little different, and best of all, admission to the gallery is free.
The British Museum
The British Museum is another great museum in the Bloomsbury area of London. The museum features galleries focused on human history, art, and culture. Tickets to the permanent collection are free, and they also offer virtual gallery tours that you can enjoy from home. This museum has so many cool things to see and its a great place to check out if you can.
Westminster Abbey
I wanted to add Westminster Abbey to this list because it’s another beautiful building to see. Westminster Abbey is the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter. Large churches built years ago are always so gorgeous so make sure you take time to see this church and get some pictures of it. It’s also important to know that all coronations of English and British monarch have happened here since 1066. This is also where over 3000 famous people are curried such as prime ministers, monarchs, military leaders, poets, and more.
Victoria And Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum is another museum in London obviously named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This museum has over 2.27 million objects in it’s collections, which makes it the world’s largest museum of its kind. The objects include arts and design, and sculptures and spans over time period of 5000 years. I think the sculptures are so interesting to see in person, as you truly get to see the craftsmanship and skill that goes into making such beautiful works of art. If you’re anything like me, you should definitely check out this museum.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is another gorgeous building in London you can see. This cathedral is at Ludgate Hill which is the highest point in London and has a great view. The dome measures 365 feet high, and was the tallest building in London for over 200 years. This Cathedral is one of the most recognizable sights in London because of this, but I feel like it gets overlooked by tourists so make sure to check out St. Paul’s Cathedral while in London.
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is another type of museum in London worth the see. This museum focuses on exhibits of specimens and segments of natural history, and has over 80 million items within it’s 5 different collections. I love the idea of this museum and is something a little different but you can learn so much from this museum. Admission is free, but they also offer many virtual tours that can be enjoyed right at home.
Borough Market
The Borough Market is a market in Southwark London. This market features wholesale and retail items, including lots of food. Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, I would suggest walking through this market because you’re sure to find something you’ll like and it’s great to support the smaller businesses as well.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park is a popular park in central London. It is the largest of four Royal Parks near Kensington Palace towards the entrance of Buckingham Palace. The grounds of this park are beautiful and a great way to get away from the city for a little while.
Camden
Camden is a borough in central London. This is a great little town to check out for so many reasons. Some of those reasons are that this town is known for its many markets, cuisines, and live music venues. Camden is a very popular place the live in London and is very desired because of everything going on there.
London Eye
A great London attraction I don’t think you should miss is the London Eye. This is a pretty big tourist attraction and for good reason. The London Eye is basically a big slow Ferris wheel except you’re basically in a room going around. It is cantilevered over the River Thames, from which you can see so much of London and some amazing buildings you’ll want to see up close as well.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is another residential district in London. This area is what some might call a hipster area filled with clubs, bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Check out this area if you get a chance to see all the trend setting businesses they have.
Hampstead Heath
The Hampstead Heath is a large grassy area near parliament hill. If you’re looking to escape the city this is a great place to go for some walks and be in nature for a while.
British Film Institute
Another thing to add to the unusual things to do in London, England is to check out the shop at the British Film Institute. The British Film Institute is a charitable organization that promotes film and television in the United Kingdom. This is definitely an usual thing to do in London and won’t be full of tourists.
Sherlock Holmes Museum
The Sherlock Holmes Museum is a pretty self explanatory attraction. This museum is completely dedicated to the fictional detective work of Sherlock Holmes. This is something a little different but something really fun you can do in London.
Brixton Academy
The Brixton Academy is a concert venue that originally opened up in 1929 as a cinema. This building has been a popular spot for a long time and has a lot of history. This is an amazing venue and is worth checking out from the outside even if you don’t get to a concert there.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a place I loved when I went to London. It’s basically just some roads in a circle in Westminster. These roads are full of neon signs, theaters, shops, and restaurants. It’s a really cool area and I recommend checking it out while you’re in London.
Oxford Street
Oxford street is a street in Westminster. It’s most popular for being a shopping area and having over 300 stores. If you’re looking to do some shopping in London this is the spot you need to check out.
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a square in London for pedestrians originally from 1670. This area is also known for having some famous theaters such as Odeon Leicester Square, Prince Charles Cinema, and Empire.
Harrods
If you’re not from the London area, an interesting place to check out would be Harrods the department store. This store has over 5000 brands of fashion, beauty, jewelry, food, furniture, and more. If you’ve never been to Harrods before consider taking a look around this store.
Platform 9-3/4
One of my favorite things I did in London was take a picture with a trolley at Platform 9-3/4. If you’re a Harry Potter fan this is an absolute must see. Just like the books and movies, this is located at Kings Cross Station so make sure you make your way there to get your picture heading to the Hogwarts Express.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is a pretty obvious attraction in London to visit. This is the residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch so it’s cool to see. It’s also gorgeous there and depending on when you’re there you may be able to see the changing of the guard which is free to see.
The Shard
The Shard, also known as the shard of glass is a 72 story skyscraper in London designed by Renzo Piano. If you’re interested in architecture then be sure to make time to check out this building. This building is unlike anything I’ve seen and is worth making the time to go to.
The National Theatre
The National Theatre is known for it’s performing arts, royal Shakespeare, and royal opera. This is also a very large intricate building and has so many things going on there for you to see.
London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum is definitely meant for this list of unusual things to do in London, England. When people think of London they often think of the big red buses. With this museum you can see everything from the start of horsepower to now. There is also tons of different types transportation you can climb on board of.
Leadenhall Market
The Leadenhall Market is a covered market on Gracechurch street in London. This market actually dates back to the 14th century and was the center of Roman London. This market was originally for meat but now has tons of retailers, restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
The Warner Bros, Studio Tour is another attraction for those Harry Potter fans reading this post. This is an authentic behind the scenes exhibit of Harry Potter. I haven’t been here but I’ve seen videos and pictures and as a huge Harry Potter fan I’m so jealous that I haven’t been there yet and it is definitely on my bucket list. Some examples of what you can see there is the great hall, Dumbledore’s office, Diagon Alley, The Griffindor common room, and so much more.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is located in the west end of London. This was actually first known for being a fruit and vegetable market in central London. It’s now known for it’s shopping and entertainment, and royal opera.
Kensington Palace
If you’re interested in seeing places in London related with the royal family then you should check out Kensington Palace. This is where the royal family lives so if the royal family interests you then you should try to see the Kensington Palace.
Globe Theatre
The Glove Theatre is an amazing outdoor theatre originally build in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company. This Theatre still performs plays but they are only in the summer because it’s an outdoor theatre. If you’re in London during the summer I recommend seeing a play at this historic location.
River Cruise
Another fun and unusual thing to do in London is to take a river cruise. There are multiple companies that do this and there are plenty of different routes. I’ll link a few options through Get Your Guide which is a trusted booking company, so you know you’re getting a great cruise.
Imperial War Museum
Another interesting Museum to check out while in London is the Imperial War Museum. At this museum you can see recreations of WWI, tanks, planes, and more. If you like learning about wars then this might be the place for you to check out.
Abbey Road
Abbey Road is definitely a place you know but may not think about visiting. This road is the road that the Beatles crossed on their Album cover. I went here while I was in London and I thought it was so cool to walk across the road with my friends and take a picture in the same spot the Beatles did.
And those are all my suggestions for unusual things to do in London, England. London is one of my favorite places I’ve ever traveled, so I hope you make your way there one day and this post gives you some ideas for what to do while you’re there. For more posts on travel in Europe check out my Europe bucket list, Positano travel guide, beach bucket list, and Paris travel guide.
