An Unpredictable Guide To London Attractions

You know what makes London so attractive?

Its attractions.

There’s a near infinite list of incredible things to see and do – everything from the Tate Modern (where you’ll find the world’s largest collections of modern art), to Kew Gardens (housing virtually every plant on the planet). But in the interests of time, we’ve narrowed it down to the 36 best London attractions worth your time, from the experiences that are kind of touristy (but totally worth it) to a few off the beaten track.

Personally, we’ve always known London is one of the most exciting cities on earth, however, after reading the below, we’re confident you’ll feel it too…

Note: a lot of London’s most famous sights are easy to take in on foot. Check out our guide to great London walks.

1. Turn the world into ants at the Sky Garden

Remember London is your oyster and guzzle one down whilst doing it, at the adjacent Fenchurch Restaurant & Bar.

Details: 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 3BY | Find out more HERE
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​​2. Pretend to be a king or queen at Hampton Court Palace

It’s like an episode of MTV Cribs but in the Tudor times. And you’re P. Diddy.

Details: Hampton Court Road, Town Centre, East Molesey KT8 9AU | Find out more HERE
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3. Stand under one of the world’s biggest domes at St Paul’s Cathedral

Robert Bye

Then let everyone know what you think in tiny whispers at The Whispering Gallery.

Details: St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AD | Find out more HERE
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4. Clink glasses at a champagne afternoon tea at The Ritz

It’s in the former ballroom of one of London’s grandest hotels, with resident harpists and pianists doing their thing in the background.

Details: 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR | Book HERE
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5. Picnic with pelicans at St James Park

Given to King Charles II in the 17th Century and there ever since, they take a late lunch 2-2.30pm. And you should too.

Details: Horse Guards Road, SW1A 2BJ | Find out more HERE
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6.Remember why you’re terrified of the ocean at Sealife London Aquarium

With over 500 different species of underwater creatures  – from tropical fish to venomous jellyfish…. penguins, crocs and sharks – this aquatic London attraction really has every-fin…

Details: County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB | Book HERE
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7. Get dressed up and dance at Notting Hill Carnival

On the late August bank holiday, Notting Hill becomes alive with the sound of soca floats, steel drums and plenty of carefree rum consumption.

Details: Find out more right HERE
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8. Go wild swimming in Hampstead Heath

Julian Simpson

The ponds are free and open all-year-round.

Details: Hampstead Heath, NW5 1QR | Find out more HERE
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9. Chow down on a slice of sporting history at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

The championships only take place once a year but you can go to the grounds and appreciate the hallowed grass courts/meet a hologram of John McEnroe whenever you want.

Details: Church Road, SW19 5AE | Book HERE
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10.  Watch the sun go down from the top of Primrose Hill

Timur Valiev/Unsplash

It’s hella romantic and the twinkling view of the London skyline is hard to beat.

Details: 49 Regents Park Road Primrose Hill, NW1 8XD | Primrose Hill is open at all hours, except Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve where it closes at 9pm and 1pm respectively.
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11. Learn the limits of your stomach at Borough Market

Acmanley

The market, the myth, the legend. London has a whole load of great street food markets, sure, but with stalls upon stalls of A-grade artisanal produce and critically-acclaimed restaurants hidden within, Borough is the granddaddy of them all.

Details: 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL | Find out more HERE
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12. Crawl your way through The Bermondsey Beer Mile

15 breweries and bottle-shops known to bring even the hardiest of men and women to their knees.

Details: Across Bermondsey | Check out an unofficial list of all the venues right HERE
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13. Sneak into the A Box at the Royal Albert Hall

Okay, maybe slightly ambitious, but inhaling the smells and sounds of arguably London’s most famous music hall is a must for any self-professed lover of acoustics.

Details: Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP | See the schedule HERE
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14. Traverse through a million years in a single day at London’s Natural History Museum

Yeo Khee

This free London attraction counts more than 80 million animal, fossil, plant and mineral specimens among its ranks, plus a skeleton of a blue whale on display in the central hall.

Details: Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD | Find out more by visiting their website HERE
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15. Pedal around the Serpentine Lake

Or row, if you can’t be bothered to use your limbs.

Details: Hyde Park, W2 2UH | See all the best places to go boating in London
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16. Make friends with the fallow deer in Richmond Park

Sophie Keen

The park’s famous tenants weren’t exactly the most popular lot with the locals when they were first brought in by Charles I, back in the 17th century. But as it often goes in life, time healed the relationship, and now in the present visitors flock to the wild 2500-acre landscape to see the animals and their antlers in action.

Details: Kings Road, TW10 5HS | Find out more HERE
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17. Show your feet no mercy at Shakespeare’s Globe

Clive Sherlock

For the bargain price of five pounds,  you can snare a spot in the yard as a groundling (think of it like moshing at a music gig in the late 1500s), standing metres away from the stage, and get a great snap of an iconic London attraction to boot.

Details: 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT | Book HERE
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18. Play restaurant roulette in Chinatown

You win some, you dim sum? Or something like that.

Details: Gerrard Street, London W1D 6JE | Find our guide to the best restaurants in Chinatown.
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19. Geek out to a cult classic at the Prince Charles Cinema

This indie darling in Leicester Square is where the proper film purists go.

Details: 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY | Take a look at our list of the finest cinemas in London
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20. Think deeply about the Tate Modern’s free art exhibitions

The gift of great art doesn’t cost a cent here. It’s also one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary works.

Note: you can also jump on The Tate Boat down the Thames to it’s older sibling, the Tate Britain – an ode to the work of British artists over the past 500 years.

Details: Bankside, SE1 9TG | Find out more HERE
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21. Mingle With Movie Stars At The BFI

The home of British cinema, known for its eclectic programming, including a glitzy premiere or two.

Details: 159 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB | Opening times: Open 24 hours
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22. Find your inner zen at Kyoto Garden

Good job we’re so solid with Japan, eh? This peaceful patch of horticulture in Holland Park is a product of the longstanding friendship, boasting a waterfall, a pagoda and plenty of peacocks.

Details: Holland Park, Holland Park Ave, Kensington, W11 4UA | Find out more HERE
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23. Test your bargaining skills at Portobello Market

Jack Gisel

With over 1,000 stalls, it’s one of the biggest antique markets in the world.

Details: 174, Portobello Road, W11 3DJ | Fancy exploring further than Portobello Road? Check out our guide to Notting Hill.
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24. Wish you were wealthier at Harrods

Marvel around the floors and stroke things. Then nip down below to the food hall where you can grab a sarnie and one of their iconic green bags.

Details: 87–135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL | Find out more HERE
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25. Hold up traffic on Abbey Road

Don’t let a couple honking cars get in the way of nailing that perfect Beatles’ album cover photo…

Address: Abbey Road, Westminster NW8
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26. Savour every last drop of a martini at the Connaught Bar

We’re not going to lie, they’re eye-wateringly expensive. However The Connaught Bar isn’t just one of London’s best cocktail bars, it’s the world’s best bar as voted by, well, The World’s Best Bars and the dry martini is its weapon of choice – made table-side from a special, bespoke trolley.

Details: Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL | Find out more HERE
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27. Neck a butterbeer on the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour

See where all the magic happened from inside Hogwarts itself to the original sets of Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest (which here you’re permitted to enter).

Details: Studio Tour Drive, Watford, WD25 7LR | Find our full Harry Potter in London guide here
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28. Spend an hour at Trafalgar Square

Approximately 1 minute snapping a quick pic of Nelson’s Column and the lions and then the other 59 darting around the National Gallery exchanging looks with London’s largest collection of European art.

Address: 65 Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN | For more info, head here
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29. Wake up and smell the roses at Kew Gardens

There’s 170 types of them in the rose garden here, plus virtually every other kind of plant known to man.

Details: Royal Botanical Gardens, W9 3AE | Find out more HERE
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30. Spot your yard from the top of The Shard

When it comes to London attractions, The Shard is the tallest, standing at 306 metres. It’s got panoramic views of the city, as well as a pretty decent selection of restaurants and bars.

Details: 2 London Bridge Street, SE1 9SG | Find out more HERE
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31. Practice your cockney rhyming slang at Columbia Flower Market

If your windowsill is looking a bit sad or you’ve had a fight that needs to be nipped in the bud….Columbia Road is where you want to be. The East London flower market is open every Sunday and, while the early birds may have their pick of the bunch, it’s also a shrewd move arriving after 2pm when the traders start slashing their prices.

Details: Columbia Road, E2 7RG | Find out more HERE
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32. Catwalk down Carnaby Street

Under the arches of one of its flamboyant displays.

Details; Carnaby Street, W1F 7DL | Find out more HERE
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33. Make up for any childhood disappointment at Hamleys

It’s five floors of mass-manufactured heaven for kids (and not so kids) of all ages.

Details: 188-196 Regent Street, W1B 5BT | Find out more HERE
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34. Roam the Barbican Centre

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Looks wise, this brutalist block of architecture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but when it comes to possibility – thanks to its concert hall, cinemas, theatre, library, art gallery, and conservatory… –  it’s got it in spades.

Details: Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS | To book ahead for performances, exhibitions and the conservatory, check out their website HERE.
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35. Try pull an Albert Gunter at Tower Bridge

Orrrrrr just read about it, visit and stand amazed.

Details: Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2UP
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36. Go on a street art tour of Brick Lane

Nicholas Doherty 

Then have a curry, because Banksy loves curry, right?

Details: Brick Lane, E1 6SA | Check out our ultimate Brick Lane guide here
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37. See the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London

It’s a priceless experience…

Details: London EC3N 4AB | Find out more here
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38. Take a stroll around one of the best parks in London

Whether it’s Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Battersea Park or one of the other 3000 parks dotted around the city, there’s no denying green is London’s second favourite colour (after grey of course).
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39. Ride the London Eye

Then cast your own eye over the city below.

Details: Riverside Building, County Hall, London SE1 7PB | Find out more here
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40. Go to the British Museum

And casually take in over two million years of human history and culture over the course of an afternoon…

Details: Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG | Have a look at our guide to the best museums in London
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41. Be a culture vulture along the Southbank

By visiting some of the city’s best public art and performances spaces, including the Hayward Gallery, the National Theatre, and the Southbank Centre – then when you’re all out of cultural juice, toast to your exploits with a drink at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden Bar & Café.

Details: The easiest way to reach the South Bank is to get the tube (Bakerloo, Jubilee, City and Northern lines) to Waterloo Station, head towards the river, turn right and walk.

A couple of London attractions down and you’ll probably find yourself getting peckish… which is where our guide to the best restaurant in every neighbourhood comes in.