Things to do in London 2025

From the iconic Tower Bridge to the historic Houses of Parliament, London offers a wealth of attractions. Our guide simplifies your search for the best of them, whether it's your first visit or you're a returning explorer. We've compiled a list of top recommendations, mirroring those we provide to our own passengers.

London holds a crucial position in our luxury train journeys, serving as a key city for both departures and arrivals. The British Pullman embarks from London on day trips across the UK and even through the channel, connecting with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Conversely, many journeys originating in popular European cities culminate in London, making the capital a popular destination.

We've curated a comprehensive list of our top 10 London attractions for you to discover. This guide encompasses a wide range of things to see and do in this magnificent city, from essential landmarks to perhaps some lesser-known gems.

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Top 10 Things To Do In London:

1. Buckingham Palace
2. Tower of London
3. South Bank
4. Tate Modern
5. Hyde Park
6. Camden Town
7. South Kensington Museums
8. Borough Markets
9. Traditional Afternoon Tea
10. See a West End Show

1. Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is globally recognised as the residence of The King and is a central location for national and royal festivities. It also serves as the setting for the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony. Visitors can tour the splendid State Rooms, which are accessible for ten weeks every summer.

Buckingham Palace's magnificent State Rooms open to visitors each summer. This year, the dates are 10 July - 28 September 2025.

During the rest of the year, the Palace only opens on selected dates for small-group guided tours.

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2. Tower of London

Discover over 900 years of captivating history and intriguing tales at the Tower of London, one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Explore the dazzling Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries in the White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower. Visit Tower Green to learn about famous historic executions, including those of Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey, and discover the infamous Traitor's Gate, once used for prisoners.

Keep an eye out for the legendary ravens, believed to protect the monarchy!

3. South Bank

A stroll along the South Bank is the perfect way to take in a variety of sights in one go! One moment you're wandering through an art gallery, and the next you're enjoying some delicious street food whilst looking out onto the River Thames.

This riverside walkway is lined with trees, restaurants and historic pubs, and is the site of regular fairs and events. Sightseers admire iconic landmarks like Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral from the London Eye Ferris wheel. The Southbank Centre is a fantastic destination for families, offering a wide array of top-tier entertainment and numerous free activities and events during the summer. Beyond its distinctive Brutalist architecture, the Southbank Centre area boasts a variety of other captivating London attractions. These include Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern art gallery (providing stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral across the river). Speaking of...

4. The Tate Modern

Experience some of the world's most innovative modern and contemporary art at Tate Modern. This free gallery showcases works that have shaped art as we know it, with paintings, sculptures, and large-scale installations by international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, and Henri Matisse. Discover the iconic Turbine Hall and the underground Tanks, a dynamic space dedicated to live performances and video art.

5. Hyde Park

This expansive urban park offers a wealth of attractions. The Serpentine, a central feature, provides scenic lakeside paths, waterfront cafes, the official Royal Parks shop, and diverse wildlife, including a heron often seen under the bridge. The Serpentine Lido, home to Britain's oldest swimming club, also hosts hardy swimmers.

Speaker's Corner is another iconic spot, known as a historic platform for free speech, where figures like Karl Marx and George Orwell once spoke. This concept of a public forum for open discussion has since been replicated globally.

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6. Camden Town

Famous for its buzzing market, Camden Town is filled with great food, quirky shops and colourful characters. You can expect a thriving nightlife scene with live music, alternative clubs and late-night Jazz bars.

If you come to Camden to eat and drink, you may find that there are too many options to choose from, so here are some recommendations:

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The Cheese Wheel - Handmade tagliatelle spun in a giant wheel of Grana Padano?!

Andy's Greek Taverna - A family-run restaurant serving traditional Greek cuisine with exceptional service

The World's End Pub - A large corner pub with the best atmosphere. Expect great beers, music and service

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7. South Kensington Museums

Some of the country's most famous museums can all be found in South Kensington. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A are all within walking distance of each other, so you can easily experience them all in one day.

We suggest starting at the world-famous Natural History Museum, which is home to life and earth science specimens comprising around 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology. Make sure you don't miss the giant animatronic T.Rex!

Next, stroll over to the Science Museum, featuring a record number of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. We aim to inspire visitors with award-winning exhibitions, iconic objects and stories of incredible scientific achievement. Be sure to check out the Apollo 10 Command Module and Watson and Crick’s model of DNA's double helix.

After this, head to the V&A Museum. This might be a good time to grab some lunch at the V&A Cafe. (the world's first museum restaurant) This lavish gallery cafe serves delicious food in the most beautiful surroundings. It has to be seen to be believed! The Victoria and Albert Museum itself is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects.

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8. Borough Market

Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. The organisers pride themselves on providing sustainable, high-quality food and creating a social connection. There's something for everyone at the market, and you can spend hours wandering around, sampling goods from fishmongers, cheesemongers, wine bars, Middle Eastern food trucks; the list goes on! Be sure to check out 'Arabica To Go' for the best falafel, homemade dips and salads. If you're an oyster person, don't miss 'Richard Haward's Oysters' - a family-run enterprise who have harvested oysters for over 100 years.

Now, that's the food market taken care of. If you enjoy vintage and antique shopping, you will need to pay a visit to Portobello Market, known for its extensive antique stalls, vintage clothing, street food, and artwork, with the best selection of antiques and vintage items available on Saturdays. While it operates daily, Saturday is the main market day when all sections open.

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9. Traditional Afternoon Tea

The ultimate British tradition, Afternoon tea originated in the 1840s, attributed to Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who felt a gap between her light lunch and late dinner, leading her to request a tray of tea, bread, and cake around 4 PM. There are many places in London for you to enjoy this age-old tradition, from Fortnum & Masons & The Dorcester Hotel to the Swan Bar, located at the iconic Shakespeare's Globe. You can even book an afternoon tea on a bus so you can see the sights at the same time!

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10. See a West End Show!

London's West End is renowned for its long-running musicals and plays, similar to New York's Broadway. Here, you can experience some of the world's most popular musicals, including The Lion King and Les Miserables, as well as dramatic plays and comedies. From historical prestige to iconic landmarks, some West End theatres are as famous as the productions they host, including the London Palladium, the Dominion Theatre and the Apollo Theatre.

You can research the productions and purchase tickets in advance online, but for spontaneous folks, TKTS offers excellent last-minute deals online and at their Leicester Square booth. It's an ideal way to experience a West End show for less, and their knowledgeable staff are always on hand to assist with any queries.