Photo: Oxyman (CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in London
Wondering what to do in London? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near London
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Mega Mega: Romford's Suburban Sound Revolution
ATIK Romford, Romford · 14.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Preston Audio Tour: Echoes of Faith and Heritage
St George's Shopping Centre, Gravesend · 21.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Gravesend Audio Tour: Riverfront Legends and Fortress Footst...
Gravesend Railway Station, Gravesend · 21.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 20:30
BULPHAN, ESSEX. Party for Over 35's-65's+ FRI 13 NOV
Ye Olde Plough House Hotel,, Upminster · 21.5 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
0.5 mi from London
London Aquarium
SEA LIFE London Aquarium is a large underwater attraction spread across three floors in Lambeth, home to over 500 species in 14 themed zones. You can explore Polar Adventure with i...
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0.5 mi from London
SEA LIFE Aquarium London
SEA LIFE London Aquarium is a large underwater attraction spread across three floors, with 14 themed zones to explore, from the Gentoo penguin colony in Polar Adventure to the UK's...
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22.5 mi from London
Deep Sea Adventure
Deep Sea Adventure is a LEGO® City ride where you board a submarine and join the Deep Sea Explorers on a mission to discover a lost underwater city. Along the way you'll spot shark...
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Museums & Galleries
0.1 mi from London
British Optical Association Museum
This is the museum of the eye care professions, founded in 1901 and the oldest optical museum in the world, holding over twenty-eight thousand items including historic spectacles,...
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0.1 mi from London
Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin House is the world's only remaining Franklin home, found at 36 Craven Street in Westminster. You can take a guided History & Architecture Tour exploring Franklin'...
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0.3 mi from London
Churchill War Rooms
Visit Churchill War Rooms, part of Imperial War Museums, to discover the original Cabinet War Rooms, the wartime bunker which sheltered Churchill and his staff during the Blitz.
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0.5 mi from London
Museum of Youth Culture
The Museum of Youth Culture celebrates a century of teen life, with exhibitions and digital projects exploring youth subcultures, identity and self-expression. Past and current fea...
0.5 mi from London
Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts is one of Britain's foremost cultural institutions and a major attraction located in the heart of Piccadilly. Established in 1768 and run to this day by e...
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0.5 mi from London
London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum (LTM) is a transport museum based in Covent Garden, London, England. The museum predominantly hosts exhibits relating to the heritage of London's transp... — Wikipedia
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0.6 mi from London
Topolski Century
You'll find Topolski Century, an arts educational organisation, in its headquarters located in Feliks Topolski's first studio on the South Bank. Here you can explore 'Memoir of the...
0.6 mi from London
The Guards Museum
The Guards Museum sits beside Wellington Barracks in Westminster, moments from Buckingham Palace, telling the story of the five Foot Guards regiments through uniforms, medals, diar...
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0.6 mi from London
Museum of Freemasonry
Masonic museum located in Freemasons' Hall in London, United Kingdom
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0.6 mi from London
Royal Academy
6 Burlington Gardens is a Grade II*-listed building in Mayfair, London. Built for the University of London, it has been used by various institutions in the course of its history, i... — Wikipedia
0.7 mi from London
The Florence Nightingale Museum
The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates the life and work of the founder of modern nursing. Inside, you can see the actual lamp that earned her the nickname The Lady With The La...
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0.7 mi from London
Two Temple Place
Two Temple Place is a striking neo-Tudor building on the Thames in Westminster, originally built for William Waldorf Astor and now run by the charity the Bulldog Trust. It's open t...
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0.7 mi from London
Camera Museum
The Camera Museum sits in the heart of central London on historic Museum Street, combining a specialist Hasselblad, Rolleiflex and Fujifilm dealership with a true museum gallery tr...
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0.8 mi from London
The King's Gallery
The King's Gallery, previously known as the Queen's Gallery, is a public art gallery at Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch, in London. First opened to... — Wikipedia
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0.8 mi from London
Hunterian Museum
The Hunterian Museum explores the art and science of surgery from ancient times to the present day, built around the extraordinary specimen collection of 18th century surgeon anato...
0.8 mi from London
Sir John Soane's Museum
Sir John Soane's Museum is the preserved house and collection of the Regency architect Sir John Soane, kept just as it was at his death in 1837 and filled with antiquities, sculptu...
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0.9 mi from London
Handel & Hendrix
Handel Hendrix House brings together the homes of two very different musicians who lived next door to each other, two centuries apart: George Frideric Handel at 25 Brook Street fro...
0.9 mi from London
The Cartoon Museum
The Cartoon Museum is a small independent charity dedicated to preserving British cartoons, caricatures, comics and animation, and is the only museum in Britain focused on this art...
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0.9 mi from London
Twist Museum
Twist Museum is an interactive illusion museum on Oxford Street, made up of connected zones exploring how we see and perceive the world through science and art. You can take part i...
0.9 mi from London
Garden Museum
The Garden Museum, set inside the historic former church of St Mary-at-Lambeth next to Lambeth Palace, is Britain's only museum dedicated to the art, history and design of gardens....
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0.9 mi from London
Prince Henry's Room
Prince Henry's Room is situated on the first floor at the front of No. 17 Fleet Street, London. The house is one of the few surviving buildings in the City of London dating from be... — Wikipedia
Theme Parks
27.4 mi from London
Diggerland Kent
Diggerland Kent is located in Medway Valley Leisure Park, where guests of all ages can ride, drive and operate real diggers in a safe and family friendly setting. Alongside the dig...
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Zoos & Wildlife
13.1 mi from London
Hobbledown
Hobbledown is a family adventure park and zoo in Epsom, Surrey, combining outdoor play villages, indoor play in The Great Barn, and animal encounters ranging from meerkats and gian...
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17.7 mi from London
Old Macdonald Farm
Old MacDonald's Farm is a family attraction in Brentwood, Essex, offering animals to meet, rides, and both indoor and outdoor play areas whatever the weather. It's designed as a bi...
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25.6 mi from London
Barleylands Farm Park
Barleylands Farm Park is a family-friendly attraction in Great Burstead and South Green, Basildon, combining a working farm with animal experiences, a Craft Village of independent...
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Where to stay near London
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around London
Itineraries
- A weekend in London: an accessible itinerary · 2 days
- A weekend in London with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in London · 2 days
Haunted Britain
London is one of those places where the problem isn't finding something to do, it's choosing. The big-ticket landmarks sit alongside small, odd museums that most visitors never hear about, and with 1,384 places to stay on BritStays across the region you can base yourself somewhere that suits the days you actually want to have, rather than trailing across the city each morning.
The landmarks you already have in your head
Most first trips are built around a handful of names: the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the London Eye and The Shard. They're popular for good reason, but they're also the things that eat time, so treat them as anchors rather than a checklist. Pick one or two per day and let the rest of the day form around them. Book timed tickets in advance wherever that's an option — it's the single easiest way to avoid losing an hour of your break in a queue.
Good days out with children
The Twist Museum is the kind of hands-on, illusion-led place that works well with older children and teenagers who've had enough of glass cases. For younger ones, Beaver Water World is a gentler, animal-focused outing and makes a sensible alternative when the headline attractions feel like too much queueing and too many stairs.
If you're willing to look just beyond the city, there are family options within reach of a London base:
- Old Macdonald Farm in Essex for a straightforward farm day
- Trilakes Animal Park in Berkshire, another animal-and-outdoors option
- H2O Rampage Aqua Park and Aqua Splash Redricks Lakes, both in Hertfordshire, for warm-weather water days
Those last two are weather-dependent and seasonal by nature, so always check what's running before you build a day around them.
Rainy day options
London is well set up for bad weather. The Jewish Museum, Brent Museum and The Museum of Philatelic History are all indoor, all manageable in a morning, and all far quieter than the big sites. Dennis Severs' House is a different proposition altogether — an atmospheric, carefully staged house visit rather than a conventional museum — and it suits a grey afternoon better than a sunny one. Harlow Museum & Walled Gardens gives you an indoor collection with grounds attached, which is useful when the forecast can't make its mind up. For anyone interested in wartime history, Shoreham Aircraft Museum is a focused, single-subject visit, with the 1940's Experience in Hertfordshire as a longer day out in the same vein.
Outdoors, gardens and fresh air
Chiswick House is the obvious pairing of collection and grounds, and it's a good antidote to a day of pavements. Emmetts Garden, cared for by the National Trust, is the one to save for a clear day when you want hills, planting and somewhere to sit rather than another ticket desk. Both reward an unhurried visit, so don't bolt them onto the end of a packed itinerary.
Heritage and the National Trust
Bruce Castle is a genuinely low-key heritage stop and an easy pairing with a nearby lunch. Red House and Quebec House are both National Trust properties in the region — smaller, domestic-scale places where the interest is in the detail rather than the scale. If you're a member, these three plus Emmetts Garden make a satisfying two-day heritage run on their own.
Putting a day together
A pattern that works: one anchor attraction in the morning, a long lunch, then something small and indoor in the afternoon. For example, Tower of London followed by a walk over Tower Bridge, then somewhere quiet to sit. Or Kensington Palace in the morning and Chiswick House grounds after. Resist the temptation to pair two landmarks in one day — the London Eye, The Shard and Buckingham Palace each absorb more time than you expect once you've factored in arriving, security and getting out again.
Where to eat
We don't have a vetted list of hygiene-rated places for this region, so the honest advice is to check the Food Standards Agency rating displayed in the window or online before you commit — it takes seconds. Eat slightly early near the big landmarks, where lunchtime pressure is real, and book if you're a group of more than four. On garden days, a picnic is usually the easier and cheaper option, though it's worth checking the site allows it.
Turning it into a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot. Day one: one landmark and one small museum. Day two: head outward for gardens, heritage or animals — Emmetts Garden, Quebec House, Red House or Beaver Water World. Day three: whatever the weather dictates, with Twist Museum, The Jewish Museum or Dennis Severs' House held in reserve.
Before you go
Check opening days rather than opening times — several of the smaller museums here don't open every day of the week. Confirm seasonal closures for the water parks and gardens. Carry a card and a contactless-enabled phone. And keep one afternoon completely unbooked; you'll want it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best rainy day attractions in London?
Indoor options include the Twist Museum, Dennis Severs' House, The Jewish Museum, Brent Museum, The Museum of Philatelic History, Harlow Museum & Walled Gardens and Shoreham Aircraft Museum. All are indoor visits that can be done in part of a day.
Which National Trust places are in or near the London region?
Three National Trust sites feature in this region: Red House, Quebec House and Emmetts Garden. If you're a member, they pair well with Bruce Castle for a heritage-focused couple of days.
What is there to do with children in London?
The Twist Museum suits older children and teenagers, and Beaver Water World is a gentler animal-focused option. Slightly further out there's Old Macdonald Farm in Essex, Trilakes Animal Park in Berkshire, and H2O Rampage Aqua Park and Aqua Splash Redricks Lakes in Hertfordshire for warm-weather water days.
How many landmarks should I try to see in one day?
One. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the London Eye and The Shard each take longer than expected once you factor in arrival and security, so pair one landmark with a smaller museum rather than two big sites.
Where can I combine a museum with outdoor space?
Chiswick House and Harlow Museum & Walled Gardens both offer a collection with grounds attached, which is useful when the forecast is uncertain. Emmetts Garden is the better choice if you want a full outdoor day.
How many places to stay are there in London on BritStays?
There are 1,384 places to stay in the London region on BritStays, so you can pick a base that matches the attractions you most want to reach.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in London.