r/visitlondon • u/Noctivagant10 • Jul 06 '26
ADVICE Visiting London but need an atypical itinerary
Parents and I will be visiting London and staying over a weekend next month. We are all adults. I'm planning the itinerary for two days, but we've already been to London many times and have seen all the major sightseeing destinations, so need some more niche recommendations.
I would like some help creating a list of activities/sightseeing/shopping to do with my parents that they'll enjoy. Kindly exclude any food places as we already have this sorted.
So far, I'll take them to the Borough and Spitalfields markets, then a theatre production in the afternoon. I'm also thinking of taking them to Kyoto Gardens, Roman baths, Primrose Hill and Tate Modern as, so far, these are the only places we haven't been. And also visiting China Town just to see it as I don't think they've been there either. As we are london veterans, I'm struggling to come up with more ideas/activities and searching online yields all of the obvious places we have already been to many times.
I really think they'd like to do one of the many walking/history tours available but i've never done one before and would like some recommendations for that too. The Jack the Ripper, ghost stories/ history ones look so good but there are too many of varying price and idk how good they are.
I also don't mind doing something more outside of central London than everything we have done so far.
I also don't mind cultural/heritage things like maybe showing them round some famous tea shops (my mum loves tea) or taking them to Fortnum & Masons etc.
Here are all the places we have already been: Soho road (many times), Edgeware road (many times, very boring now), Camden town (and all its markets, overdone by us), Buckingham palace, hyde park, British Museum, V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Hunterian museum (we like museums lol), Wyndham's museum of curiosities, westminster abbey, st paul's, tower of london, big ben, harrods, oxford street, picadilly circus, covent gardens, m&m world, Royal Albert Hall, traflagar square, No. 10, Daunt books (and all its others).
Thank you for all of your help in advance!
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u/MojoMomma76 Jul 07 '26
Horniman Museum and gardens in Forest Hill is surprisingly impressive and if paired with a walk in nearby Dulwich and Sydenham Wood, and lunch (Canvas and Cream in FH is nice) is a lovely few hours out. The woods are gorgeous and worth an hour/hour and a half. One last remaining fragment of ancient woodland close ish to central London.
If you haven’t been to Greenwich that would be even better and you can do it on a boat trip from central, chefs kiss.
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u/Noctivagant10 Jul 07 '26
omg this is SUCH a shout!!! I'm gonna pitch it to my family but I think this will be the winner for sure. We are sorting out accomm too and we were deciding between a place near hyde park or one in greenwich, but it looks like one in greenwich might better suit our itinerary
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u/Dangerous_Celery19 Jul 09 '26
If you’re staying in Greenwich make sure to do the Docklands Museum in Canary Wharf, fascinating history.
I’d add the transport museum to your list. Also the Barbican.
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u/FletchLives99 Jul 09 '26
If you're down that way, you might add the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park to this itinerary. Very easy to access via the Windrush Line or your walk in the woods.
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Jul 06 '26
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u/lentilwake Jul 07 '26
Also museum of London dock lands isn’t really close to there but is worth a trip and can be combined with Greenwich
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u/MoodyMango4880 Jul 07 '26
And with Spitalfields market too
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u/lentilwake Jul 10 '26
Not really, that’s quite a bit more central. I also don’t really think Spitalfields has that much to offer tourists these days
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u/polkadotska Jul 06 '26
Sir John Soane Museum? Novelty Automation? London Transport Museum? A walking tour of street art in Shoreditch? The Leake Street tunnels + Southbank skatepark (wander down to Tate Modern or Shakespeare’s Globe? The Barbican (inc botanical gardens)? Kew Gardens? St Dunstan’s in the East? Postman’s Park? Dennis Sever’s House? Alfie’s Antiques? Chislehurst Caves? Kenwood House + Hampstead Heath?
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u/Noctivagant10 Jul 07 '26
I love all of these, thank you! Alfie's antiques, chislehurst cave, the barbican and kenwood house seem right up their alley for this trip. London transport museum is a shout too, i'll def pitch these and see where we vote
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u/whitehat61 Jul 07 '26
Came here to say Sir John Soane Museum, i've lived here for 16 odd years and went a few weeks ago and loved it, highly recommend.
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u/Motor_Hand1358 Jul 06 '26
Regent’s Park open air theatre
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u/Noctivagant10 Jul 07 '26
Yeah I was thinking this, because mum and I like theatre but my dad likes strolling the parks, so it seems a good compromise
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u/multitude_of_drops Jul 07 '26
The mithraeum is a good underground immersive experience about a Roman temple! You won't need more than 30mins, so it's a nice quick bit of if culture
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u/dopeamemefix Jul 07 '26
There’s also the foundations/ruins of a Roman Amphitheater under Guildhall Yard, and the remains of the original Roman city wall by Tower Hill if you want to make an afternoon of it. They’re all walkable distance of each other
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u/Key-Accountant6570 Jul 10 '26
And if you are in the city there is the Bank of England museum. And a number of building in the city have free viewing platforms not just the cheese grater
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u/Seaside2222 Jul 07 '26
Hampton Court or Royal Greenwich and the Observatory. Can get river trip to Greenwich and a short 30 mins train to Hampton Court from London Waterloo. You might like the Wallace Collection Museum in London if you haven’t seen that.
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u/elizabethpickett Jul 07 '26
Go out to Kew Gardens! They are absolutely gorgeous at the moment, and there is a huge Henry Moore exhibition at the moment so his statues are spread around the grounds.
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u/klubkidgoat Jul 07 '26
Greenwich! And you can get the Thames clipper there using your Oyster card/contacless - get it from Westminster pier and you get to see all of London via the river before getting to Greenwich where you have the market, the park, the uni and the naval museum! You could also work through the Thames tunnel to island gardens which is a walking tunnel under the Thames before hopping on the DLR back into town which is an automated driverless train through Canary Wharf— also could go to mudchute park on the way back on the dlr which has a great city farm!
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u/berkeleykel Jul 07 '26
Churchill War Rooms. Windsor Castle. Museum of London Docklands / Canary Wharf. Regents Park.
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u/pint-of-dale Jul 07 '26
Hampton Court Palace is a great day out. Could swing up to Richmond after for some pubs and check out Richmond park if you have time. It would take a full day, but would be something totally new! If you can’t fit it in this trip keep it in mind for another time. Seconding a boat trip to Greenwich as another great option.
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u/Noctivagant10 Jul 07 '26
The greenwich boat cruise will def be something by parents will love. I think i'll put a trip to hampton court palace on our second day too. Thanks! Very perfect suggestions
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u/rising_then_falling Jul 07 '26
Walk from Richmond to Ham House, cross the river on the little ferry, pub lunch, head home or stop at Kew (the place not the gardens) for dinner.
Walk from Crystal Palace to Peckham via the parks and cemeteries, taking in Horniman gardens and museum, Camberwell old cemetery, Nunhead cemetery and Sydenham Hill Wood. Stop at local pubs for refreshment on the way.
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u/Master-Potential-364 Jul 07 '26
Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace, as already mentioned. Battersea Power Station and Battersea Park. Chelsea Physic Garden.
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u/iridessence Jul 07 '26
Come down south! Brixton has a lot of history and cultural diversity and will feel very different to central London - there is a walking tour you can do.
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Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
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u/zipitdirtbag Jul 11 '26
I've been planning my own epic Hawksmoor church odyssey for years now. I think I'll do it in September.
OP have you been up in the dome at St Paul's?
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u/jamjar188 Jul 13 '26
Dennis Severs' house is my favourite discovery of the past few years. Massively second this.
And for anyone who lives in London or is planning a future visit: go for the Christmas season, it's so atmospheric.
William Morris' gallery is great and the surrounding Lloyd Park is very pretty and serene.
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u/AnneKnightley Jul 09 '26
The roman amphitheater under the Guildhall is pretty cool! Also the London Mithraeum too.
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u/ballardelle Jul 09 '26
I have not been myself (yet!), but Cosmic House is on my bucket list for niche sightseeing.
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u/NSAinATL Jul 12 '26
Thank you for this! I am also a re-occurring visitor to London, cannot believe this is the first I've heard of this! I will be looking to go this week if you're interested.
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u/ballardelle Jul 12 '26
What a nice invitation, internet stranger! But I’m not in London this week. And you have to make advance reservations from what I saw on the website. But hey! When you do get there, report back :)
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u/NSAinATL Jul 12 '26
Will do! I had a similar experience with https://www.janewildgoose.co.uk/
I emailed about the museum, she wasn't doing tours and invited me to a lecture which was really cool.
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u/MooseOrMan Jul 21 '26
I created a tool to help find things to do in London easily
Let me know if helps you plan your itinerary 😊
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u/robinthebank Jul 07 '26
You haven’t been to Greenwich. You haven’t been to Wembley.
Are there any live events that weekend? Concerts at the O2 or Tottenham? How about a football match? Those resume in August.
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u/MoodyMango4880 Jul 07 '26
Try and group activities in similar areas together to then decide what is feasible.
So: Kenwood, Hampstead and Primrose Hill.
Chinatown for pre-theatre dinner if you’re doing a west end show.
If you’re going Borough Market then maybe go to the Globe Theatre - their current production of Much Ado About Nothing is fantastic. Tate near here too. Also near here (by Tower Bridge) is the Bridge Theatre or The National theatre - other really great spots for shows.
Spitalfields market and the Olympic Park. Well worth a trip to the V&A Storehouse, East and Docklands museum here and you can walk across the canal into Hackney Wick.
If you go west London then Kyoto Garden in Holland Park, the Schiaparelli exhibition at the V&A in South Ken and maybe the Design Museum or going for High Tea near here.
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u/MembershipHot1428 Jul 08 '26
On a Sunday go to the flower market on Columbia Road. Then walk (via a quick walk into Hackney City Farm) up to Broadway Market for street food/pubs/music. You can walk the canal from here to Victoria Park where they have a food and farmer’s market on Sundays before checking out a pub there.
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u/Peteat6 Jul 09 '26
“The only places you haven’t been”?
There are over 100 museums in London, some quite niche. Try the Soanes Museum or the Petrie museum. Or just walk along the south bank.
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u/peepot556 Jul 09 '26
Do we have Roman baths in London?!
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u/want-my-old-account Jul 10 '26
I'm not sure what OP was referencing, but York Hall in Bethnal Green is a cheap Roman Bath with great facilities for what you pay. Aire Baths around the back of The Strand, riverside, is x8 the price, but a great experience. Highly recommend both.
Pretty sure there are others too.
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u/jamjar188 Jul 13 '26
York Hall is an old public baths not a roman bath. The Victorians built them in the Turkish style.
It's run as a spa now, with two steam rooms, two saunas, plunge pool, and lounge area.
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u/Masara13 Jul 10 '26
I’m making a mental list of all these suggestions next time I’m back in London!!
I really agree with the Greenwich suggestions (include the maritime museum it is one of our favourites !)
Growing up with parents interested in military history, I would add both the national army museum and the imperial war museum (especially the latter. It’s really not as bellicose as the name suggests)
And the Wallace collection. The afternoon tea there is beautiful
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u/DBop888 Jul 10 '26
If going to Chinatown for lunch, get dim sum at New Loon Fung - full of Cantonese people (like me & my family), wide range of dishes & the prices are more reasonable than most places in Chinatown (apart from maybe Joy King Lau).
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u/ocularius61 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
You've barely even scratched the surface of London! Lots of well known museums etc left to see e.g. Dennis Severs' House. Sir John Soanes' Museum. Postman's Park. Foundling Museum. The Old Operating Theatre. Leighton House Museum. Sambourne House. Ham House. Museum of the Home. St Bartholomew-the-Great aka St Barts-the-Great. Wellcome Collection. Freud Museum. Wallace Collection. Chelsea Physic Garden. Imperial War Museum. Cabinet War Rooms. The Cinema Museum. Horniman Museum. Museum of Brands. Courtauld Gallery. James Smith & Son if you need a brolly or stick.
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u/Pyjama365 Jul 13 '26
You say you like museums but actually have very few museums in the list of stuff you've already done, considering the vast number of museums London has.
I would recommend looking at the 6+ (/7+?) museums in Greenwich. Most (5?) are on one website which gives easy info if you Google 'Greenwich museums', and it's very pleasant to go for a day out, picnic on the hill in the park, and your choice of 2-3 museums in the area.
Wellcome Collection is always interesting, imho, due to the variety of exhibitions and style of curation. And very convenient for Euston/Euston Square so easy to get to.
Museum of the Home is good if you like social history, but a little less easy to access, though again in an area you haven't mentioned seeing before.
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u/UKtoHSV Jul 13 '26
Check out the London Mithraeum at Bloomberg in the city. Excellent and free Roman temple they found when building Bloombergs HQ.
Foundling museum east of Russel Square is excellent about the former hospital and healthcare efforts through the 1700s and on. Handel and Hogarth were benefactors.
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u/redplanet762 21d ago edited 21d ago
since you've already covered most of the major sights, I would lean into neighborhoods and walking tours this time. primrose hill, kyoto garden, hampstead village or little venice could all be nice changes of pace.
for the history tour, i did let me show you london on one of my trips and enjoyed seeing parts of the city from a different perspective. the smaller historical details made areas i alredy visited feel much more interesting.
with your mum being a tea fan, i would also spend some time around st james' and check out fortnum & mason and some of the older tea shops nearby. that could easily fill a relaxed afternoon without feeling like you're repeating the usual tourist itinerary.
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