Whether you are a first time tourist in London, travelling with the family, or a regular visitor, there is an enormous amount to see and do in the city. But, as well as the well known sights, there is a different side of London, lots of more unusual places and quirky things to see and do. I’ve rounded up a list of unique things to do in London: some are in central London, others further afield, but all outside of the usual tourist itinerary.
All of the sites listed can be located on the map at the bottom of the page. And – for even more ideas – have a look at my reviews of two books packed with quirky ideas: 500 Hidden Secrets of London and London, The Secret Atlas.
Contents
1. Go Behind The Scenes On The London Underground
If you visit London you are likely to travel on the tube trains, but have you ever thought about the history of the world’s oldest underground railway? Or had a desire to explore some of its disused passages? Hidden London Tours, run by the London Transport Museum, are a way of going behind the scenes, discovering secret spaces, and learning more about the Underground.
You can read more about my experience with Hidden London Tours.
2. See The Original “Wedding Cake” Church
There are many reasons to visit St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street. For one thing, it is popularly supposed that its ornate tiered spire was the inspiration for a local baker who wanted to create a spectacular cake for his own wedding. That was in the 1700s, but it is certainly the case that contemporary wedding cakes bear a striking resemblance to the tower of St Bride’s!
Whatever the truth of the story, the church is worth a visit in itself. It is built over Roman foundations and, if you look carefully, you can see evidence of several different periods of history. There is so much history that there is a whole museum devoted to it in the crypt. Here you can see remains from the Roman and Saxon periods, and lots of information about the story of St Bride’s from ancient times to the present day.
3. Ride On The Mail Rail At The Postal Museum
The Postal Museum is a great place for families and for anyone who wants to discover the history of the postal service from the earliest times to the present day. But, for a truly unique experience, you can take a ride on the Mail Rail, a railway that was designed not for passengers but for letters and parcels. The trains are tiny but, if you are willing to duck your head and squeeze into a small carriage, you can explore the passages that were used by postal sorting officers a hundred years ago.
Read more here – Postal Museum And Mail Rail: A Unique London Experience. And, if you have a bit of time to spare, the very interesting Foundling Museum is just a ten minute walk away.
Check out SIXT ride for affordable chauffeur service and airport transfer in London.
A reliable and family-friendly transport option for cities around the world.
4. Immerse Yourself In Modern Art At Moco Museum
Moco Museum has two highly successful outlets in Amsterdam and Barcelona, but now it has opened a new museum in Marble Arch. Exploring pop culture, street art, multimedia creations and more, it is a must for anyone who is curious about contemporary art. Featured artists range from Picasso and Andy Warhol to Tracy Emin and Banksy. And a whole floor is dedicated to ‘Moco Immersive Digital Artworks’, showcasing multidisciplinary artists from around the world.
You can save time by booking your Moco tickets in advance.
5. Admire The Architecture Of The Natural History Museum
London’s museums are well known, but have you ever stopped to look at the buildings themselves? One of my favourites is the Natural History Museum, which was purpose built in the late 19th century. Not only is it a grand Gothic design, but its design reflects the animals, plants and even the fossils that can be discovered inside the museum.
You can read more here – The Grand Architecture Of The Natural History Museum. And, if you are inspired to look more closely at London’s buildings, have a look at this post – 17 Unusual Buildings In London.
6. Enjoy The Eccentricity Of Sir John Soane’s Museum
Sir John Soane’s Museum is fabulously eccentric and not to be missed! Sir John Soane was an architect and a collector who acquired many paintings, sculptures and antiques over the course of his lifetime. When he died in 1837 he wished to disinherit his son and chose instead to leave his house to the nation. One stipulation of his will was that the building and its contents should remain unchanged, meaning that even today the house is almost exactly as he left it.
What you will find is a very ornate house crammed full of artworks, some by major painters such as Canaletto, Hogarth and Turner. In fact there are so many paintings that in one room they are mounted on movable screens, to be moved and displayed by a curator. Elsewhere you will find nooks and crannies full of architectural fragments, Roman or Egyptian artefacts, and anything else that caught the owner’s attention.
The museum is on the north side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Note that pre-booking is not required but visitor numbers are limited due to restricted space in some parts of the house.
7. Step Back In Time At Lincoln’s Inn Chapel
Lincoln’s Inn is one of London’s four Inns of Court, collections of grand historic buildings where barristers have their chambers. Although this is primarily a place of work and study, visitors are able to walk through the site and, in particular, to visit the Chapel.
The first thing you notice as you approach the chapel is the vaulted undercroft. Apparently this was once a place where poverty-stricken mothers left their newborn babies, but today it is a walkway and meeting place. The chapel itself mostly dates from the 18th century and features some interesting painted glass featuring heraldic coats of arms.
Members of the public are welcome to visit the church and to attend services. If you time your visit right you may also be able to hear one of the chapel’s music recitals.
8. Marvel At The Grand Charing Cross
You may think of Charing Cross Station simply as access to Trafalgar Square and the Strand, or to the stations of the south east. But have you ever stopped to look at the remarkable, and very large, monument in front of the station?
What you see today was designed by EM Barry in 1863, but it is a replica of a much earlier structure. This was the final of the “Eleanor Crosses”, erected by Edward I after the death of his queen in 1290. These were all splendid memorials, and you can read more about them here – The Story of the Eleanor Crosses.
(The original Charing Cross was a short distance along the road, where the statue of King Charles I now stands.)
9. Take A Peaceful Moment At St Dunstan In The East
It is surprisingly easy to find green space even in the busiest parts of the city. One such sanctuary is the garden of St Dunstan in the East, a 5 minute walk from Monument Station. At the centre of the garden is the ruins of St Dunstan’s, a Saxon church that was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London, but destroyed once more during the Blitz of 1941.
Today the garden is a peaceful place, with squirrels scampering between the trees. Locals and visitors alike stop here to eat their lunch, read a book, or just take some time out.
10. Discover The Artist’s Garden
The Artist’s Garden is an outdoor space on the roof of Temple Station. It hosts a changing display of installations by women artists, and is also a quiet spot to sit and look over the river.
You can read more about The Artist’s Garden and other curiosities nearby in this post – A Walk Along the Victoria Embankment.
11. Relax In The Crossrail Roof Garden
Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf is a shopping and leisure complex, and an architectural wonder in itself. But one of its most remarkable features is the Roof Garden. This has been designed to resemble a ship laden with exotic plants, and is full of little corners where you can hide away for a while.
The garden is very close to the Meridian Line, and the plants are arranged according to their native hemisphere. It is free to visit and also includes an outdoor performance space.
12. Visit The King’s Horses At The Royal Mews
Buckingham Palace is one of the capital’s major tourist attractions but just around the corner, away from the queues, is the much quieter Royal Mews. This is where the royal horses are stabled, alongside the state carriages, and it makes a perfect family outing.
Read more about Visiting The King’s Horses At The Royal Mews.
13. Pay A Visit To Speaker’s Corner
Speaker’s Corner is on the edge of Hyde Park, close to Marble Arch. An Act of Parliament in 1872 gave anybody the right to use this area for public speaking, to expand on any subject they like. It soon became a place for peaceful demonstrations and individual diatribes, attracting well known personalities such as Karl Marx and George Orwell, as well as many unknown speakers.
The tradition continues today and you can often hear people proclaiming about subjects that are important to them. The speeches are frequently political; anything is permitted so long as it remains within the law. You may hear impromptu declamations at any time, but you are most likely to catch a speech at the weekends, particularly on Sunday mornings when crowds gather here to see what is going on.
14. Stroll Around Little Venice
Take a short walk from the back of the busy Paddington Station and you will find yourself in a different world. The meeting place of two canals – Grand Union and Regent’s – Little Venice is the perfect place to get away from it all. Enjoy a walk along the water, stop at one of the many cafés and restaurants, or take a boat trip along the canal.
Little Venice is a lively area with plenty going on. Whether your taste is for independent theatres, puppet shows or outdoor entertainment, there is always something to catch your attention.
15. Explore The London Canal Museum
A short distance from Kings Cross Station, on the Battlebridge Basin of the Regent’s Canal, is the London Canal Museum. Located in an old ice house it tells two different stories. Firstly, there is the story of the canal and the people who worked on it. Then there is the story of Carlo Gatti, who established the ice house, and later founded a flourishing ice cream business.
The museum is family friendly, and has activities and information for children. On the ground floor you can look down into the cavernous underground ice house and walk inside a barge with its very cramped living quarters. While upstairs you can learn about the history of the canals and the bargees, and watch some old films from the archives.
16. Browse For Books At Word On The Water
Walk along the Regent’s Canal from the Canal Museum and you will come to Word on the Water, a bookshop on a barge. It boasts an eclectic collection of everything from novels to politics to children’s books, as well as a range of collectable titles.
Come in the summer and you may also find live music or poetry sessions. Nearby are the Lighterman pub and Granary Square, with its hundreds of choreographed fountains.
17. Take A Tour Of The Crossness Pumping Station
One of the more unusual things to do in London is to take a tour of the Crossness Pumping Station, a purpose built Victorian sewage works. This might sound unpromising but the building has a truly magnificent interior. Tours also offer the opportunity to learn something about the problems of sewerage in the 19th century, and to see some of the engines that were used.
Visiting Crossness does take a bit of planning because it is only open at certain times (see the website for details). On visitor days a shuttle bus runs from Abbey Wood Station.
18. Check Out The Street Art At Leake Street Tunnel
While the street art of Brick Lane in east London might be better known, you can see some amazingly creative graffiti in the Leake Street Tunnel, a 300m long tunnel beneath Waterloo Station. This is a place where many street artists go to practice their trade, so it’s not uncommon to find people creating art at any given time. You probably won’t find same art there from day to day as it changes frequently.
Read more about the Leake Street Tunnel, and the art of the surrounding area, here – Street Art of the South Bank.
19. Be Part Of The Picture At Frameless
Frameless is a multi-sensory immersive art experience that really needs to be seen to be believed! It uses the latest projection technology to create a light and sound show that takes visitors inside the worlds of their favourite paintings. At times it even seems as if the audience is part of the picture…
Read more – Frameless: Immersive Art Experience in Central London.
20. Play Life Sized Monopoly
For something completely different, you could try Monopoly Lifesized. Based on Tottenham Court Road, this is a fun activity where competitors become the playing pieces, moving around the board, building houses and completing challenges. Choose from three boards – Luxury, City or Classic – and enter into the Monopoly world to engage with escape room type activities.
Monopoly Lifesized is ideal for both families (9 years and upwards) and groups of friends. Tickets can be booked in advance.
21. Have Afternoon Tea At The British Museum
Two things that typify London are the British Museum and afternoon tea, so why not combine the two? At the top of the museum, beneath a magnificent glass roof, is the Great Court Restaurant. Here you can enjoy a traditional cream tea with sandwiches, scones and a selection of cakes. You can even add a glass of prosecco if you wish!
The restaurant also serves lunches. Booking in advance is strongly recommended.
22. Join A Walking Tour
And, finally, a great way of discovering some of the city’s unique experiences is by joining a guided tour. There is lots to choose from: try tours of Street Art and Graffiti, Royal Historic Pubs, or Hidden Secrets of the City. Or, for a family day out, you could try a walk around Harry Potter Locations.
Map Of Unique Things To Do In London
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in London.
