London is the absolute best place for children and families. With dozens of attractions and museums, we guarantee you’ll never be bored exploring the city. Here are our top family-friendly activities to keep you entertained this weekend, next weekend and at least 45 weekends after that.
Museums
Harry Potter studios
It’s often fully booked, but check daily for tickets. Just outside London so will need to hop on a train.
Where: Studio Tour Dr, Watford WD25 7LR
Book tickets on WBStudioTour.co.uk
Natural History Museum
During the summer they have a great butterfly house.
Where: Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
Find out more on NHM.ac.uk
The Science Museum
Where: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2DD
Visit ScienceMuseum.org.uk
Museum of London
Don’t miss the Beasts of London exhibition
Location: 150 London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5HN
Visit MuseumofLondon.org.uk
The V&A Museum
Where: Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Visit VAM.ac.uk
Gardens and Parks
Kew Gardens
The children’s garden just opened at Kew and is definitely worth a look
Where: Kew Gardens, Richmond, London TW9 3AE
Visit Kew.org
Boating in Hyde Park
Where: London
Find out more on RoyalParks.org.uk
Regent’s Park
It has Gorilla Circus Trapeze which is fantastic. Also an open air theatre.
Where: Chester Rd, London NW1 4NR
Find out more on RoyalParks.org.uk
The Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park
Find out what’s on OpenAirTheatre.com
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stadium
Find out more on QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk
Where: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST
Go Ape in Battersea Park
Where Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ
Book now on GoApe.co.uk
Shopping & Boroughs
Central:
Covent Garden
See what’s on: CoventGarden.London
Marylebone High Street
This is really central and has great shops and cafes.
Carnaby Street
Just by Oxford Street and great fun
Find out what’s on Carnaby.co.uk
South West:
Pavillion Road
There’s a lovely Bill Grainger restaurant there. It’s best to start on Pavillion Road and then pop on to Sloane Square and up the Kings Road.
Where: Pavilion Road, London, SW1X 0BP
East:
Borough Market
Where: 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 8EL
Find out more on BoroughMarket.org.uk
Spitalfields Market (close to Soft Serve Society)
Visit OldSpitalfieldsMarket.com
Where: Old Spitalfields Market 16 Horner Square London, E1 6EW
West:
Westborne Grove
We love shopping on Westborne Grove. It has great shopping adults and kids, and great restaurants.
Where: Westbourne Grove, w2
North:
Primrose Hill
This is a lovely spot (and where Paddington was filmed!).
Where: Primrose Hill, NW1 8XL
Food
Soft Serve Society
Where: Unit 35 BOXPARK,, 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, Shoreditch, E1 6GY
Visit SoftServeSociety.com
Milk Train Café
Go for the candy floss ice creams
Visit MilkTrainCafe.com
Where: 12 Tavistock St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PH
Cereal Killer Café
Where: Stables Market, Mezz 2, Chalk Farm Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8AH
Visit CerealKillerCafe.co.uk
Peggy Porschen for cakes
Where: 116 Ebury St, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ
and
116 Ebury St, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ
Visit PeggyPorschen.com
Ice cream parlour at Fortnum and Mason
Where: 1st floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1A 1ER
Visit FortnumandMason.com
Hamleys for toys
Where: 188-196 Regent St, Soho, London W1B 5BT
Visit Hamleys.com
Theatre
Matilda
Where: The Cambridge Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2
Book tickets on MatildaTheMusical.com
School of Rock
Where: Gillian Lynne Theatre, 166 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PW
Book now on SchoolofRockTheMusical.com
Royal Albert Hall
Where: Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
See what’s on RoyalAlbertHall.com
Royal Opera House
If you have children that enjoy ballet, this is perfect.
Where: Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
Visit ROH.org.uk
The O2
This place is great for shows in Greenwich
Where: Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0DX
Visit The02.co.uk
Afternoon Tea
Sketch
Where:9 Conduit Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2XG
Visit Sketch.London
Claridges
Where: Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR
Visit Claridges.co.uk
Tourist Attractions
London bus tour
Madame Tussauds
Where: 8 Marylebone Road, London W1
Visit: MadameTussauds.com
Coca Cola London Eye
Where: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SRE1 7PB
Book tickets on LondonEye.com
Shrek’s Adventure
Where: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SRE1 7PB
Visit: ShreksAdventure.com
Body World London
This place is fantastic but better for over 7 year olds.
Where: 1 Piccadilly Circus, London W1
Visit BodyWorlds.co.uk
ZSL London Zoo
It’s London’s Regents Park and is close to Primrose Hill, so would be nice to combine the two.
Where: Outer Cir, London NW1
Find out more on ZSL.org
Zip Now
It looks amazing but terrifying!
Where: Zip Now London, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1
Visit Zip-Now.co
Emirates Cable Cars
Where: 27 Western Gateway, Royal Docks, London E16 1FA
Visit EmiratesAirline.co.uk
Speed boat down the Thames
Go Boat is a self-drive boating experience, ideal if it’s a nice day
Visit GoBoat.co.uk
Tower of London
Where: St Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB
Visit HRP.org.uk
Hampton Court Palace
Where: East Molesley, Surrey KT8 9AU
Visit HRP.org.uk
Buckingham Palace
If you go to Hyde Park corner, go the little arch, there is a museum there and if you go up to the top floor you can peek into the Queen’s gardens
Where: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA
Changing of the Guards @ Buckingham Palace
Where: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA
Find out more on Changing-Guard.com
Houses of Parliament
Where: Westminster, London SW1A 0AA
