Location: London
Top Things to do in London
10 Hidden Gems Things to do in London That You Shouldn't Miss
The crown jewels, Buckingham Palace, Camden Market…in London, history collides with art, fashion, food, and good British ale. A perfect day is different for everyone: culture aficionados shouldn't miss the Tate Modern and the Royal Opera House. If you love fashion, Oxford Street has shopping galore. For foodies, cream tea at Harrod’s or crispy fish from a proper chippy offers classic London flavor. Music and book buffs will love seeing Abbey Road and the Sherlock Holmes Museum (at 221B Baker Street, of course).
Restaurants in London
1. Brick Lane
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,809 reviews
This historic street dates back approximately 450 years, and is now a popular place for great Indian food and Sunday markets.
Reviewed By Aveyron13 - Rodez, France
Been here a few years ago, wasn't disappointed with my second visit. The place is still as vibrant as ever, the indoor food market is heaven…...make sure you do the full tour before starting to eat as there's so much variety to choose from. Many food stalls outside also, together with a converted London Cab that's a coffee stall…...not just a novelty photo opportunity, a super cup of coffee too! Try the Dutch pancake stall if you have a sweet tooth...delicious :-) Spitalfields market within walking distance on the way back to Liverpool Street, also worth a visit...
2. Wallace Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,471 reviews
A free to visit, national museum in the heart of central London. Originally a private collection, the artwork was bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace in 1897. This attraction features one of the world's best collections of French 18th-century pictures, porcelain and furniture, plus a fantastic array of 17th-century paintings.
Reviewed By RoySensei - Mount Claremont, Australia
This is a MUST SEE - conveniently located off Oxford Street, in the Wallace Collection you'll have the most delightful collection of art works, suits of armour, elegant writing desks, exquisite porcelain, and other magnificent heritage items. Arrive mid morning and you can spend a whole day there - time very well spent and you won;t be disappointed. It's a one-stop-shop of culture and heritage.
3. Sir John Soane's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,821 reviews
The unusual and unique home of Sir John Soane, eccentric architect of the Bank of England, presents a chimera of colors, unusual perspectives and decorative ornaments drawn from many centuries. Entry is free but timed tickets must be booked online.
Reviewed By MartinDee - London, United Kingdom
This is an individual museum as distinct as the individual who lived there. As you wander the house you go from the kitchen to a crypt as one might go to a bathroom. There you will find the most intricately carved Egyptian sarcophagus amidst ancient friezes and more marble statues than a Roman auction. It is a heady and cramped collection as you might have come across in the basement of the British Museum a hundred years ago. It is certainly more a place of storage than of show. There are no labels excepting those that came with some of the items originally. So you feel like you are finding the treasures yourself at an antiques fair. Should you wish to ask, there are knowledgable staff on hand to tell you the history of the house and details of the items. There is no photography allowed and watchful eyes keep the house a place of peace and enjoyable reverence. Entrance is free but a five pound donation is suggested for those that can afford it.
4. Holland Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,599 reviews
Situated west of Kensington Gardens, this city park is particularly attractive in the spring when tulips are in full bloom, and in summer when performances are staged at the open-air theater.
Reviewed By ponsomp1 - Whitstable, United Kingdom
A lot of your experience will depend on weather conditions, the season, and expectations of what a park in London ought to be. Having said that, my parents were visiting me in Spring (2019) from the US and were looking for flowers in bloom. The main parks (Hyde, St James and Green) were already past bloom. We were staying in Kensington, and on our last day we decided to walk over to Holland Park via seeing the Burges Tower House. The Park definitely has a more local feel and less of a tourist-centred one. It is a nice place for walking, jogging, and even meditating. We were very fortunate since the tulips were in full bloom -- brilliant colours. The friendly peacock was a wonderful surprise as was the Kyoto Garden. Japanese gardens can tend to be over-decorated and landscaped, but the Kyoto Garden was nicely designed and well maintained. Not gimmicky. In short, Holland Park capped a wonderful visit for my parents, and with the Design Museum just next to the Park, it makes for an uncrowded venue that ought to be high on the list of places to visit in London.
5. Charles Dickens Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,133 reviews
The Charles Dickens Museum in London holds the world's most important Dickens collection with over 100,000 items including manuscripts, rare editions, personal items, paintings and other visual sources. Based in 48 Doughty Street, the author’s only surviving London house, we offer visitors the chance to experience what Dickens’s home would have been like and learn more about the great novelist and social commentator. We are open from Tuesday to Sunday, and welcome visitors of all ages.
Reviewed By nhmo - Hanover, United States
My adult son and I happened on this museum by accident. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, The house was in excellent shape and the explanations of his life and life at that time were intriguing. There is a lovely cafe in the lower level adjacent to a charming little courtyard/garden. Will be returning in March and plan to share this gem with my husband.
6. Greenwich Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,634 reviews
This indoor market dates back to 1737 and is the only in London located on a World Heritage site. Antiques, arts and crafts and London designer-makers.
Reviewed By AnneP47
While the Maritime Museum, Observatory and Prime Meridian should be priorites, the Market is also a must with friendly vendors, great souvenirs, gift options, yummy foods and a relaxing stop on your way to tour the Cutty Sark!
7. Highgate Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,800 reviews
Beautiful Victorian cemetery near to Hampstead Heath. Highgate Cemetery has some of the finest funerary architecture in the country. It is a place of peaceful contemplation where trees, memorials and wildlife flourish.
Reviewed By NomadicKiwi1 - North Shore, New Zealand
My friend and I visited the Cemetery on a Thursday in February. We had booked a tour of the West Cemetery for 1:30pm so spent about 1.5 hours looking round the East Cemetery first (highly recommend visiting both parts of the Cemetery which cost £12 for both and goes toward the essential upkeep of the place) The East Cemetery has an amazing collection of graves including lots of beautiful Angel Headstones, Karl Marx Grave, Memorial to the London Fire Brigade, a number of Commonwealth War Graves, a Piano Tomb and a fascinating collection of the graves of Iraqi Human Rights Campaigners. We liked how many of the headstone engravings revealed the personality and spirit of the people with their descriptions. Our 70 minute tour of the West Cemetery was well worth it! Our tour guide Gordon was entertaining, knowledgeable and engaging. The West side is more overgrown and atmospheric and we stopped at a number of Graves to hear their stories. I particularly liked the Egyptian Avenue, atmospheric Catacombs and Crypts, Mausoleum, the Sleeping Angel and Sleeping Lion. A fascinating and atmospheric day out!
8. Columbia Road Flower Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 673 reviews
Columbia Road flower market and shops are open every Sunday from 8am until about 3pm. As well as the market, there is also a mass of independent shops, selling everything from jewellery and vintage clothes, to antiques, cupcakes, art and furniture. Columbia Road is located in East London, in between Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, near to Brick Lane and Spitalfields.
Reviewed By Z1091OSamandad - London, United Kingdom
For many years have been visiting columbia road for flowers and plants. An established fliwer market with some quaint and quirky shops. A really enjoyable way to spend a sunday morning. Stall holders friendly a lively atmosphere it can get very busy due to popularity an quality of flowers plants. Thoroughly recommend a visit not just for green fingered gardeners for everybody.
9. Freemasons' Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 521 reviews
Freemasons’ Hall has been the centre of English Freemasonry for over 240 years. It is the meeting place for over 1,000 Masonic Lodges and the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England, the first Grand Lodge in the world. The building, which is Grade II* listed, dates from 1927-1933, and has a richly decorated interior. The architects were H V Ashley and F Winton Newman. When the Grand Temple is not in use there are up to five tours per day. These tours are free, and each starts in the Library and Museum. Visitors should bring photographic ID which may be required to be shown before the tour commences. Please note: Freemasons’ Hall is not open on Sundays, public holidays, the Saturday preceding a Monday public holiday, or over the Christmas / New Year period. It is also not possible to hold tours when there are major events happening, some of which are arranged at short notice. If you are making a special trip to visit Freemasons' Hall then please contact us first.
Reviewed By Code8 - Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
As a Freemason it is worth while visiting, it is a totally free tour and for those sceptical of masons please come and have a look around. It is a fantastic building in the centre of London, with plenty of restaurants and bars nearby.
10. Old Operating Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 767 reviews
The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret is one of the most unusual Museums in London. It is in quite an amazing location - in the attic of an English Baroque church which was used as a Herb Garret, and later on converted into an Operating Theatre in the 19th century.
Reviewed By AthinaM_Al - Athens, Greece
Whether you're a medical professional or not, this interestingly creepy museum is great for everybody a little curious about how hospitals and modern medicine came to be. The collection is rather big, with several instruments and concoctions, and gives insight in many practices of the past and the lives of the hospital personnel. Definitely worth the visit! Be careful on the stairs, however! They're rather steep and narrow..
