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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Sir 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·Solo-friendly
God's Own Junkyard (neon paradise)Free to wander; cafe among the neonWalthamstow E17·Solo-friendly
Hidden 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·Group-friendly
Alcotraz 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·Group-friendly
Highgate 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·Solo-friendly
Brompton 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·Solo-friendly
Postman's Park (heroes memorial)Free; moving tiny hidden gardenCity EC1·Solo-friendly
London 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·Solo-friendly
Postal 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·Pairs/small
Greenwich foot tunnel + ObservatoryWalk under the Thames; stand on the MeridianGreenwich SE10·Pairs/small
Boulder for the first time with a coach on the matA one-hour coached intro to bouldering — no ropes, no partner needed — at a warehouse gym with a café and studios upstairs.Walthamstow E17
Wellcome CollectionFree; medicine, art & being human + free reading room. Closed Mondays. Free events.Euston NW1·Solo-friendlyLeadenhall Market wanderFree; Harry Potter filming spot, gorgeous VictorianCity EC3·Solo-friendly
Wilton's Music Hall (oldest in world)See a show in a magical crumbling hallWhitechapel E1·Pairs/small
Breathe underwater for the first timeA PADI Discover Scuba session — briefing plus about an hour on a tank in a training pool.Tolworth, Surrey KT6Sofar 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·Group-friendly
Neon 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·Any (solo to group)
Heritage bus route as a 'tour' (11, 24)Ride a normal red bus past the sightsCentral London·Solo-friendly
Mudchute city farmFree farm; animals + riding schoolIsle of Dogs E14·Pairs/small
Whiskers & 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·Pairs/small
Pinball / retro arcade leagueYes, there are pinball leaguesVarious·Group-friendly
Sandbox 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·Group-friendlyCold-water sauna + dip clubWood-fired sauna then cold dipRiverside/coast pop-ups·Group-friendly
Go behind the scenes at the EmiratesArsenal's self-guided audio tour takes you through the changing rooms, the tunnel and pitchside, and includes the Arsenal Museum. Works on a non-matchday, which is the point.Holloway N7·Any (solo to group)
Croydon Airport visitor centreWorld's first international airport; open select daysCroydon CR0·Family
Thames foreshore permit (mudlarking)A PLA permit is required to search/dig/detect; new permits are now limited so check availability. Valid only Teddington-Thames Barrier; banned at Tower, Greenwich Palace & Westminster. Standard permit digs to 7.5cm.West of Thames Barrier only·Solo-friendly
Design MuseumFree permanent 'Designer Maker User' gallery in Kensington; paid temporary exhibitions.Kensington W8·Solo-friendly
Late museum opening (Lates)Adults-only evening events with drinks & talksVarious museums·Group-friendly
Trainspotting / railway enthusiast groupSpotting spots + heritage railway groupsStations citywide·Solo-friendly
Horniman Museum & GardensFree; famous over-stuffed walrus, natural history & world cultures + big gardens. Aquarium and Butterfly House ticketed.Forest Hill SE23·Pairs/small
Cartoon MuseumSmall Fitzrovia museum of British cartoons, comics & caricature. Paid entry.Fitzrovia W1·Solo-friendly
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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