What to do on a Rainy Day in London?

Wondering what to do on a rainy day in London? Look no further. Here you’ll find some awesome ideas.

According to ClimaTemps there are, on average, 164 rainy days in London each year. But don’t let that stop you from visiting the UK’s capital because London’s got something for everyone, even when it rains.

1. Visit a Museum

There are over 200 museums in London. Ranging from the large and iconic to the small and quirky, London has a museum to suit every taste.

Here are some suggestions to get you started.

The Natural History Museum in Kensington is a firm favourite, and for good reason, it’s ace!  But why not check out some of the others too.

The British Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world. It’s located in the Bloomsbury area of London and is dedicated to human history and culture.

Art lovers will love the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and The Tate Modern on The Bankside in Southwark.

If science and technology is your thing the Science Museum in South Kensington is fantastic. Current exhibitions include robots, spacecraft and an interactive Wonderlab.

Then there’s the Design Museum in Kensington, the Imperial War Museums (which includes the Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast WarShip) based in three different locations in Central London and The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden.

Smaller museums in London worth a visit include, The Clink Prison Museum in Southwark, The Museum of Brands in Notting Hill, The Ragged School Museum in East London and the Museum of Comedy in Camden.

Honestly, there’s so many great museums in London, I could easily write a whole post about them.

2. Explore an Abandoned Underground Station

The London Transport Museum periodically runs small group exploration and photography tours to some of London’s historic hidden sights. Current tours include Euston Underground Station, London’s first skyscraper, Clapham South Subterranean Shelter and Winston Churchill’s secret underground station.

Prices range from around £30 – £100 and tickets sell out fast.

3. Join The London Bridge Experience

Learn about The London Bridge and get a few frights walking through the London Tombs. The London Bridge Experience is located in the Arches and Vaults under The London Bridge.

Prices range from around £20 – £30. Typically, morning time slots are the cheapest times to visit.

4. Delve into the London Dungeons

The London Dungeon on the South Bank, right next to the London Eye, is another great way to learn a bit about London’s gruesome past while having some fun, and a few scares at the same time.

The London Dungeon is a popular tourist attraction and that’s reflected in the ticket price between £21 – £27.

5. Star in The Crystal Maze Game Show

If you were around in the 90’s in the UK, you’ll most probably have seen the prime time TV game show, The Crystal Maze.

In the past few years, escape rooms have popped up all over the UK, and indeed the world. But The Crystal Maze is the original and arguably the best.

The Crystal Maze London is located in Islington and costs £60 per person.

I haven’t managed a trip to the Crystal Maze yet, but as soon as I can round up a team of 7 willing friends, I’ll be there with bells on. I’ve seriously fantasized for years about standing in the giant crystal trying to catch golden tickets. I can’t wait to do it.

6. Explore The Tower of London

Gaze at the Crown Jewels, get to grips with weapons and royal armoury, learn about horrifying torture methods, discover the legend of the Ravens and explore the medieval palace. These are some of the highlights of a visit to the Tower of London.

An adult ticket costs around £25 (or £23.10 if you buy online).

7. Step Inside Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is London’s, and possibly the world’s, most famous bridge. Step Inside Tower Bridge to explore the bridge’s interior, visit its engine rooms and climb the grand Victorian staircase (or take the elevator) to the top and walk across the glass floor.  If you plan your visit well, there’s a chance you’ll get to see a bridge lift below your feet.

Tickets are reasonably priced, starting at £8 per adult.

8. Become a Private Detective at The Sherlock Homes Experience

Put your detective skills to the test at The Sherlock Homes Experience. Just a minutes walk from Baker Street underground station, The Sherlock Holmes Experience is part of Madame Tussaud’s London. It’s a fun, fascinating and interactive walk-through tour that’ll unleash the detective within you.

The Sherlock Homes Experience is staged in the basement of London’s Madame Tussaud’s and is included in the Madame Tussaud admission fee, which is cool, because while you’re there you can also become a Coach for the day on the TV Show, The Voice. Tickets for Madame Tussaud’s start at approx £29 but there are loads of discounts and special offers available.

9. Follow in the Footsteps of Olympic Athletes

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford was built to host the 2012 London Olympics. Here you can follow in the footsteps of some of the UK’s best loved Olympic Champions.

Take a swim in Tom Daley’s training ground at the London Aquatics Centre, cycle the indoor velodrome at Lee Valley VeloPark, or take a tour of the London Stadium. If you get in quick you can also ride the worlds longest and tallest tunnel slide at ArcelorMittal Orbit. The slide is due to close on 31 March this year so at the time of writing, you’ve still got a few weeks but you will need to book tickets at least a day in advance.

10. Take a Backstage Tour of one of London’s Famous Theatres

Enter the world of live entertainment with a backstage tour of one of London’s famous theatres.

The Royal Albert Hall in Kensington offers a whole host of backstage tours including classical tours, secret history tours. architecture tours and behind the curtain tours. Prices start at £13 and tours last around an hour.

Step on stage at the the famous London Palladium in Westminster, the home of the Royal Variety Performances. With this tour, you’ll explore the London Palladium and learn about performances and performers, the venue’s architecture and its social history. Tours last a minimum of 2 hours and cost £12 for adults but you do have to book in advance as spaces are limited.

A backstage tour of London’s National Theatre on the South Bank gives you the chance to  see what goes on behind the scenes at one of London’s most iconic theatres. No two tours are the same so you might get the chance to see some rehearsals or prop and costume-making as well. Tickets cost £9.50 and tours last approximately 75 minutes.

Learn about one of the world’s greatest playwrights with a backstage tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the River Thames. Tours take place every 30 minutes or so, cost £16 and there’s no need to book in advance. You’ll probably need an umbrella for this one on a rainy day though.

The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden offers unique backstage tours where you’ll be introduced to the history of the Royal Opera House, learn about current productions and explore backstage technology. You might even be lucky and see The Royal Ballet in class. Tickets cost between £9 and £12 and tours last approximately 75 minutes.

11. Drink Afternoon Tea 

There’s few things more British than a nice cup of English tea. It’s no surprising then that London offers ample opportunity to enjoy a traditional/relaxing/alternative/quirky/unusual/boozy/entertaining (delete as appropriate) afternoon of high tea and high jinks.

Some cool options for afternoon tea include:

Betty Blythe’s Vintage Tea Room is a cute little tea room in West London. It specialises in hosting vintage tea parties for small groups celebrating special occasions. Prices start at £22.50 per person for pre-booked tea parties, but you can also drop in and visit the Vintage Cafe for breakfast, light lunch or tea and cakes. Obviously.

For an alternative afternoon tea experience, why not take a tour of some of London’s most famous landmarks whilst sipping tea and scoffing cake aboard a vintage London Bus? B Afternoon Tea Bus Tours will drive you around Central London where you’ll see The London Eye, Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and more. Prices start at £51 per person and tours last around 90 minutes.

You could combine your afternoon tea with a visit to The Shard, London’s tallest building. For £45, afternoon tea at Aqua Shard, located on the 31st floor, comes with spectacular views of the City.

12. Dine in one of London’s Unusual Restaurants

Dine in the dark at Dans le Noir? in Islington and let your senses determine the contents of the surprise menu.

Experience an “unchartered culinary adventure” at Archipelago Restaurant in Camden. As well as traditional fish, chicken and vegetarian dishes Archipelago serves up unusual cuisine including crocodile, kangaroo, zebra and bison. You can even experience a civilised bushtucker trial by sampling pan-fried crickets or a ‘love bug salad’.

For those with a less adventurous palette but who still want an unusual dining experience Circus restaurant in Covent Garden serves up great food and drink whilst circus acts periodically perform on and around the tables. Or head to Bounce, a table tennis themed restaurant in Camden where you can enjoy pizza, Prosecco and ping-pong games.

13. Drink in a Converted Public Toilet

Some might say the London Pub scene has gone down the pan, but I love the recent(ish) trend of transforming disused public loos into bars and eateries.

Why not spend a penny in one of London’s many aptly named converted public toilets.

Ladies and Gents is a cocktail bar located in Camden. Once a Victorian underground loo, Ladies and Gents is now a small but perfectly formed cocktail bar serving up high quality homemade cocktails and bar snacks.

WC is a cozy little bar located in a former water closet under Clapham Common underground station. Cleverly named WC, which stands for Wine and Charcuterie, the bar specialises in wine, cocktails, local beers and cheese and cured meat platters

If you can get your head around the idea of perching on stools against what were once urinals, The Attendant cafe might be just the ticket. With two cafes, one in Fitzrovia and the other in Shoreditch, The Attendant serves up breakfasts, pastries, light lunches and quality coffee.

14. Watch a film at a Unique London Cinema

With loads of cinema’s in and around London, there are quite literally hundreds of options to choose from.

The Electric Cinema on Portobello Road in Notting Hill, is one of London’s oldest cinema’s. Comfort is the name of the game here. You can watch both mainstream and independent arthouse films on huge leather armchairs or sofas.

The Gate Picturehouse, also in Notting Hill, is an intimate Edwardian style cinema which specialises in foreign language films as well as showing mainstream movies.

The Lexi Cinema is a boutique cinema in North West London. What makes it unique, is that it’s staffed mainly by volunteers and all profits go to charity.

15. Walk Along the River Thames

It’s only a bit of rain after all.

Grab an umbrella and take the tube to Waterloo Station, the closest  station to the The London Eye. Starting at the London Eye, walk along the River Thames, passing the South Bank Skatepark, The Southbank Centre, The National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and City Hall until you reach Tower Bridge. Cross Tower Bridge and walk back along the river, passing the Tower of London and the monument to the Great Fire of London, eventually arriving at Big Ben and then the Palace of Westminster. From here, cross Westminster Bridge, swing left and you’re back where you started – you’ll see the London Eye in front of you.

It’ll take you a couple of hours, or longer, to walk this route, depending on whether you decide to stop off anywhere along the way. You’re also likely to come across markets, stalls and street entertainers. And the great thing is, the riverside will be much quieter on a rainy day!

 

What’s your favourite thing to do on a rainy day in London?