Off the tourist trail
Unusual things to do in London (that most people miss)
Everyone's done the London Eye. This is the other list — the quirky, hidden and slightly strange things to do that make London endlessly explorable.
We've gathered our favourite unusual spots and experiences across the city, most of them free or cheap, all of them worth the trip. Roll the dice or read on.
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Self-guidedSir John Soane's MuseumFree; the architect's house left as in 1837. Open Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30). 90-person cap, no advance booking for general entry - arrive at 10:00 to avoid queues. Narrow, no lifts. Free Private Apartment tours Wed/Fri/Sun 2pm (first-come). Paid Highlights Tour ~£25.Holborn WC2/Self-guidedFree
Self-guidedGod's Own Junkyard (neon paradise)Free to wander; cafe among the neonWalthamstow E17/Self-guidedFree–£
One-offHidden London abandoned tube tourLTM guided tours of disused Tube stations, secret tunnels & wartime shelters (e.g. Aldwych). Age 10+. Tickets sell fast - released in batches (currently to Sept 2026). New family tour of Aldwych.Disused stations/One-off£££
One-offThe Cauldron 'magic' potion bar'Magic' potion-making cocktail experience - robe, wand & molecular drinks. ~£35-45pp. 18+ (alcohol) with some family/mocktail slots. Book ahead. Single London venue on Stoke Newington Road N16; other Cauldrons are in US cities.Dalston N16/One-off£££
One-offAlcotraz prison cocktail experienceImmersive prison-themed cocktail experience - smuggle in your own spirit, they mix the rest in character. ~£50pp for ~2 hrs. 18+. Book well ahead. Alcotraz London is on Brick Lane E1; other branches in Manchester and Brighton.Shoreditch E1/One-off£££One-offHighgate Cemetery tourVictorian garden cemetery on Swain's Lane; Marx, George Michael, Douglas Adams, Christina Rossetti. Advance tickets needed; guided tours access areas you can't see alone.Highgate N6/One-off££
Self-guidedBrompton Cemetery / Magnificent SevenFree atmospheric Victorian cemetery walks. Brompton Cemetery SW10 is the most central of the Magnificent Seven; the others are Highgate N6, Kensal Green W10, Nunhead SE15, Abney Park N16, Tower Hamlets E3 and West Norwood SE27.West Brompton SW10/Self-guidedFree
Self-guidedLondon Mithraeum (free Roman temple)Free; reconstructed Roman temple of Mithras in an immersive space beneath Bloomberg HQ (Bank). Book a free timed slot online.Bank EC4/Self-guidedFree
One-offPostal Museum + Mail RailPaid; ticket includes one ride on Mail Rail (the miniature underground postal train) + a year's museum access. Sorted! play area for under-8s. Book online for a small discount.Clerkenwell WC1/One-off££
Self-guidedBrunel Museum / Thames TunnelTiny museum at the first under-river tunnelRotherhithe SE16/Self-guided£
Self-guidedGreenwich foot tunnel + ObservatoryWalk under the Thames; stand on the MeridianGreenwich SE10/Self-guidedFree–£
Self-guidedWellcome CollectionFree; medicine, art & being human + free reading room. Closed Mondays. Free events.Euston NW1/Self-guidedFree
Self-guidedLeadenhall Market wanderFree; Harry Potter filming spot, gorgeous VictorianCity EC3/Self-guidedFree
One-offWilton's Music Hall (oldest in world)See a show in a magical crumbling hallWhitechapel E1/One-off££
One-offSofar Sounds secret gigIntimate gigs in secret venues - you book before knowing the line-up or exact location (revealed ~36 hrs before). ~£25-35. Citywide.Secret venues/One-off££
One-offNeon Naked Life DrawingLife drawing with UV neon body paint at rotating London venues; ~£18-22pp, runs through the week. Materials provided, no experience needed. 18+. Book ahead.Various/One-off££
Self-guidedHeritage bus route as a 'tour' (11, 24)Ride a normal red bus past the sightsCentral London/Self-guided£
One-offWhiskers & Cream cat cafe'Luxury' cat cafe on Holloway Road with afternoon tea (veggie/vegan options) & licensed bar. ~£11pp for 90 min incl. a drink; extend +30 min for ~£3.50; prosecco afternoon tea ~£46. Open Thu-Tue (closed Wed). Book ahead.Holloway N7/One-off££
One-offSandbox VR / immersive VRShared full-body VR adventures for small groups (~30-45 min). ~£35-45pp. Age 13+. Book ahead. The Post Building, High Holborn WC1 is the listed London venue; a second Sandbox bay sits inside Toca Social at Westfield W12.Holborn WC1/One-off£££
Self-guidedBritish MuseumFree permanent collection (Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, Parthenon sculptures). A timed entry ticket is now recommended to guarantee entry; some walk-up available. £5 suggested donation. Paid special exhibitions.Bloomsbury WC1/Self-guidedFree
One-offTaxidermy class – A Field GuideEthical taxidermy classes (e.g. mounting a mouse/bird), materials included, from ~£50-90. 18+. Quirky date or group; book ahead. Park Avenue Studios, Crouch End N8 — the exact street number is sent to ticket holders.Crouch End N8/One-off£££
Drop-inBell ringing taster (local towers)Local bands welcome learners, usually freeChurch towers citywide/Drop-inFree–£
One-offAlternative London street-art bike tourHidden gems, Ripper tales, Tower Bridge. Walking tours meet at the 'I Goat' statue, Brushfield Street E1; the studio on Hessel Street E1 is not a meeting point.Spitalfields E1/One-off££
Self-guidedNatural History MuseumFree; dinosaurs, blue whale, gems. Book a free timed ticket online to skip queues. Paid special exhibitions; winter ice rink (paid).South Kensington SW7/Self-guidedFree
Questions people ask
- What are the most unusual free things to do in London?
- Sir John Soane's Museum, the London Mithraeum's Roman temple, Postman's Park, Leadenhall Market and the Wellcome Collection are all free and all genuinely odd in the best way.
- What quirky things can you do in London on a rainy day?
- Head underground: the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum, the Brunel Museum's Thames Tunnel, a cat café, or the Wellcome Collection's medical curiosities.
- What unusual things can you do in London at night?
- A ghost walk through the old City, a Sofar Sounds gig in a stranger's living room, a silent disco walking tour, or a show at Wilton's Music Hall — the oldest surviving music hall in the world.
- Where are London's hidden gems?
- Mostly in plain sight: God's Own Junkyard in Walthamstow, the Greenwich foot tunnel, Highgate and Brompton cemeteries, and the city farms scattered across the east end.
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