Best Things to Do in London (tips from a local!)

Looking for tips on the things to do in London?

As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Lucy Dodsworth who lived and worked in London for over ten years, and is now starting to get to know London as a visitor instead of as a resident.

Lucy shares with us her insider tips on the best things do in London including where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore.

Why Visit London, UK?

London is a real world city – with some of the most famous buildings, museums and galleries in the world and 2000 years of history to go with them.

But it’s not just looking backwards, there’s always a new bar, play or concert to see.

London is also one of the most international cities, with people from all around the world making their home here, so it’s just as easy to get Indian street food as it is a roast dinner.

Yes, it might rain a lot and no people won’t smile on the Tube, but whatever you’re interested in – from museums to shopping, rock to opera, budget to luxury – there’s a London that will suit you.

Best Things to Do in London, UK

Walk along the Southbank

Follow the Thames from the London Eye along to Tower Bridge and you’ll pass some of London’s most famous buildings, like the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Modern.

Find a great London view

To see the city from above, you can climb to the top of the Monument and the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, and from February there’ll be a viewing platform at the top of London’s new tallest building, the Shard.

Visit the London museums

The permanent collections at London’s museums are free so you can dip into as many as you like.

Choose from big names like the British Museum and National Gallery, or check out some of the smaller museums like Sir John Soane’s Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms.

Try this guided tour of the British Museum and National Gallery

Visit London parks and Escape the city

London has plenty of parks and gardens, from the manicured gardens of Hyde Park and St James Park to huge, hilly Hampstead Heath and the hidden gardens tucked away in residential squares.

Walk through London’s history

London Walks run themed walking tours around London, from the haunts of Jack the Ripper and night-time ghost tours, to Harry Potter film locations and Olympic London.

Tours of London + Sightseeing & Passes

Get Your Guide has an incredible variety of tours, activities, tickets and passes with a list of handpicked tours and things to do in London.  Like this original Harry Potter Guided walking tour

The London Explorer Pass

gives you free entry to 60+ top London attractions, Hop on and Off sightseeing tour, and fast track passes at popular London attractions. 

Get yours and save money on travel to London.

The London Sightseeing Pass

Our favorite of the tourist discount cards is the London Sightseeing Pass for their flexibility and diversity. They offer entry to top London attractions, plus quirky local tours, and discounts on shopping and eating out.

See more information and get your pass here.

Best Neighborhoods in London

Covent Garden

One of London’s early markets and the original marketplace still stands in the Piazza.

But today it’s one of the city’s main entertainment and shopping areas, with stalls selling crafts and gifts rather than fruit and veg, with street performers and musicians, surrounded by bars and restaurants.

South Kensington

The place to go for museums, with the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A are all in easy reach of each other.

From here you can walk up to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, or window-shop at the seriously expensive shops in Knightsbridge.

Bloomsbury

London’s academic heart.

It’s still home to the University of London, the British Museum and British Library, but was made famous by the Bloomsbury Group of 1930s intellectuals.

You’ll find blue plaques on their former houses all around the area, along with garden squares and coffee shops.

Where to Eat in London

You can find food from almost any part of the world in London – like Bangladeshi in Brick Lane, Middle Eastern in Edgware Road and Caribbean in Brixton.

Good-value food chains to look out for include Leon, Busaba (Thai), Tas (Turkish), Pho (Vietnamese) and Wagamama (Japanese).

Street food has really taken off in London too, try Portobello Road Market and the Real Food Market on South Bank.

My favorite London food market though is Borough Market with over 70 different stalls selling produce from the UK and beyond and lots of tasting samples. While you’re there, don’t miss nearby Neal’s Yard Dairy for amazing cheeses.

You can’t visit London without eating

For a classic English tradition, it’s got to be afternoon tea.

Preferably with a glass of Champagne to go with your sandwiches, cakes and pastries, all served on an elegant cake stand with a pot of tea.

Some of the most well-known places for tea are The Ritz or Fortnum & Mason. But I love the afternoon tea at the Kensington Palace Orangery, in a light airy building in the park.

Where to Drink in London

Steer well clear of the overpriced touristy bars and clubs around the Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. If you’re looking for recommendations in a particular area, check out the review on the Time Out website.

Some of my favourites are the Booking Office and Champagne bars at St Pancras – a train station might not sound the most exciting place for a drink but the setting is beautiful.

Or for city views, perfect for a sunset cocktail, try Vertigo 42 in the city. And you can’t beat a cosy pub with a log fire in the winter, like The Flask in Highgate.

St Pancras Station

Best places for a night on the town in London

London’s West End has a huge choice of musicals and plays. For the best tickets either book in advance or try the tickets booth in Leicester Square on the day.

For cinema, small independent places like the Screen on the Green in Islington, Curzon Soho and Prince Charles offer a wide variety of independent and foreign language films.

For live music, check out Ronnie Scotts in Soho for jazz, the Barbican for classical, the O2 for big names, and the Camden and Dalston areas for up-and-coming bands.

Where to Stay in London

London’s not cheap, but you can find a few London budget accommodation options.

• For a local and unique stay check out the properties available on Airbnb in London. 
• For a hostel, try the YHA London Central, about five minutes walk from Oxford Street, or the Safestay Hostel.
• For a budget hotel, the Asian chain Tune have four hotels across the city from about £35 a night.

• For high end, you can splash out on world-class hotels like The Savoy, The Dorchester or Claridges.
• Check out more places to stay in London from budget to luxury in this post. 

Markets & Shopping in London

London has a wide range of markets.

Some of my favourites are Borough Market for food and drink, Portobello Road Market for antiques and fashion, Camden Market for vintage and alternative clothes, and the Colombia Road Flower Market.

Oxford Street is the city’s most famous shopping street, but it’s mostly full of chain stores and big department stores.

For more interesting independent shops check out Carnaby Street, Covent Garden or the King’s Road.

Also worth seeing is Harrods, though more for its completely over-the-top décor – especially at Christmas – than for actual shopping.

Festivals & Events in London

London has hundreds of festivals and events each year, so you can usually find something going on whenever you visit.

For old-school British events, there’s the Trooping of the Colour in June, a huge military parade to celebrate the Queen’s Official Birthday (she gets to have two, her real one is in April) and the Lord Mayor’s Show in November.

Other major events include firecrackers and fireworks in Chinatown for Chinese New Year, the Caribbean style Notting Hill Carnival in August, cheering the runners at the London Marathon in April, and getting a glimpse into some of London’s normally inaccessible buildings over Open House weekend in September.

Getting around London

Central London is fairly walkable, but the city sprawls out so you’ll need to use the Tube or bus. Get an Oyster card to save money on transport – you load it up with money and touch in and out on the bus or Tube.

Also, try the riverboat services along the Thames for a scenic view of the city. But watch out for line closures on the Tube at weekends and it closes every night around 1 am, so you’ll need to get a night bus or cab after that.

Finding WiFi in London

Free wifi access in London isn’t great but it’s getting better. There are free wireless hotspots in Islington and the City of London.

Otherwise, chain cafes like Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Coffee Republic give free wifi to customers, and there are a whole load of other independent places with wifi listed on the Time Out website.

Best Time to Visit London

London’s weather is always unpredictable and if it’s bad then there are plenty of things to do inside.

In the summer, you can spend time outside in the parks and at outdoor festivals and events.

But winter is a great time to visit too, with Christmas markets in Hyde Park and along South Bank, and outdoor ice rinks in the Tower of London and (my favorite for its beautiful setting) Somerset House.

Best side trip from London

In the summer, I’d head an hour south of London to Brighton to paddle on the pebbly beach, eat candy floss on the pier and check out the cool shops in the narrow streets of the Lanes.

Otherwise, I’d head west to Oxford to see the famous university colleges, visit some of the museums and try out punting on the river.

• Day tour from London to Oxford and the Cotswolds

Getting to London

London is a major international hub with five main airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton and Stansted.

But watch out as although they’re described as ‘London’ airports they’re often way out of the city, so you’ll need to get a train or bus into central London.

There’s also the international Eurostar train service which runs from Paris and Brussels right into St Pancras Station in the centre of town.

Best insiders tip for London

To see the ‘real’ London, get out of the centre to some of the outer neighbourhoods. Each has their own totally different feel.

• Try Hampstead and Highgate for literary history, celeb spotting and leafy parks.
• Notting Hill for coffee shops, retro shops and antique markets.
• Shoreditch for street art, hipster boutiques and and Brick Lane curries.
• Or stand on the meridian timeline and check out the National Maritime Museum and pubs along the riverside in Greenwich.

I love London because …

There’s always something going on and you can come back again and again and see a completely different city every time.

Plan Your Trip to London

More London posts

• 5 unmissable attractions under London
• London Travel Tips
• Arriving in London Alone and Without Any Money
• 5 of the best accommodation options in London from budget to luxury
• Why you should plan a London vacation

BIO: Lucy is a UK-based editor and designer and part-time traveller. She started her blog On the Luce for people like her who want to make the most of their travel time as they combine their passion for travel with family, friends, work, love and everyday life. You can find out more about her travels on Twitter and Facebook.

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