If you’ve already ticked off London’s must-see attractions and secured seats for a West End show, rest assured – there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the capital. From cutting-edge experiences like the award-winning ABBA Voyage in Stratford and Phantom Peak in Canada Water to historic walking tours and memorable activities such as stargazing at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, there’s an abundance of exceptional experiences to discover. Read on to explore our pick of the finest quirky activities in London.
The best unique and unusual things to do in London
Quirky attractions in London
- Learn about London's bloody history at The London Dungeon: Delve into the capital's dark past through immersive performances, thrilling rides and special effects in a hair-raising walk-through experience.
- Meet your favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds London: Pose for a selfie and get up close and personal with more than 190 lifelike wax figures including Taylor Swift, Dwayne Johnson and the Royal family.
- Experience mind-bending optical illusions at Twist Museum: Test your perception on colour, perspective, shape and sound through exhibits and interactive illusions.
- Uncover cutting-edge artworks at Lightroom in King's Room: From pieces by David Hockney to a thrilling retelling of the Apollo missions narrated by Tom Hanks, check out this immersive gallery space near Coal Drops Yard.
- Find yourself at the heart of some of the most famous artworks at FRAMELESS: Walk through rooms where Edvard Munch's The Scream come alive, or watch the brushstrokes of Van Gogh's Starry Night come together as your movements bring the masterpiece alive.
- Pick up a London Pass to save on top attractions: Unlock access to more than 100 top landmarks such as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Kew Gardens and Tower of London.
Find more of top quirky attractions in London.
Unusual experiences in London
- Jump into a Monopoly Lifesized board: Roll the giant dice, move around the interactive board and take part in exhilarating challenges.
- Become a prison inmate for the day at the Alcotraz Immersive Prison Cocktail Experience: Don your orange jumpsuit and smuggle in liquor for some deliciously crafted cocktails during the most unusual immersive experience.
- Put on all the glitter and be a dancing queen at ABBA Voyage: See the iconic Swedish band come to life and perform their greatest hits as if they never left the stage.
- Travel to Phantom Peak, a live gameplay where you uncover the ultimate secret plot: Immerse yourself in the old town of Phantom Peak and mingle with the locals as you complete quests that will lead you to the whereabouts of Jonas, the enigmatic mayor.
- Head to Trafalgar Square to see the smallest police station in London (some say, the world): Cunningly built into a lamppost, this tiny cubby was just big enough for one policeman and was designed as a way of keeping an eye on demonstrations in the square.
- Walk through the right-hand side of Admiralty Arch from Trafalgar Square and you'll notice one of London's secret sights, a small protrusion on the left known as the London Nose: According to one popular theory, it's a spare in case Nelson's one falls off!
- Step into The FRIENDS™ Experience at ExCel London: Explore sets, costumes and discover a 3D rendition of Joey's hilarious London map.
- Seek out the sham bridge hidden within Hampstead Heath: Look at the bridge by the Thousand Pound Pond in Kenwood House, and at first glance it appears perfectly normal. But view it from the side, and you'll realise the bridge is totally fake! This strange folly was built in the mid-1700s, when the grounds belonged to the first Earl of Mansfield.
- Treat the little ones to a family-friendly experience: Book tickets to The Paddington Bear Experience or meet your favourite characters at Shrek's Adventure!
Take a look at more immersive London experiences.
Unusual tours in London
- Join the Jack the Ripper walking tour: Follow in the footsteps of the notorious killer and learn about some of the greatest unsolved murder mysterious in east London.
- Step on board the ghost bus tour: Unearth terrible truths and sinister secrets on a ghost bus tour, taking in sights such as the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament.
- Whizz down the Thames on a speedboat tour: Get the adrenaline flowing with a speedboat tour to see the capital's iconic skyline.
- Learn about London’s interesting and unique destinations on a guided walking tour: Have an expert guide you around London on an exciting themed walking tour, from Royal London and Sherlock Holmes to Harry Potter film locations.
- Take your friends our for an adrenaline-pumping challenge at Dare Skywalk: Climb to the top of Tottenham Hotspur's stadium and take in the views 46 metres above the pitch.
- Discover iconic London sights on the London landmarks walking tour: See more than 50 landmarks in three hours and learn fun and quirky facts along the way.
- Uncover secret tunnels on a London Underground Tour: Go behind the scenes at some of the capital’s busiest stations and explore historic passageways, vintage signage and Second World War shelters.
- Seek out The Seven Noses of Soho on a special tour: These unusual additions to the area’s streets were created by artist Rick Buckley as a protest against CCTV cameras in 1997 and remain to this day.
Discover more unusual tours in London.
Quirky museums in London
- Get close to one of the 250,000 stories inside the V&A East Storehouse: Discover something new from the V&A collection at an Object Encounters drop-in session led by its curators.
- Ride the Mail Rail at the The Postal Museum: Explore the museum dedicated to the postal service and take a ride on the Mail Rail through the stations and tunnels of the 100-year-old postal railway.
- Visit the notorious Clink Prison Museum: Learn about the dark and eerie days of London’s medieval past through original objects and creepy installations.
- Discover the Jack the Ripper Museum: Check out the historical Victorian museum in the heart of Whitechapel and learn about the gruesome murder story that gripped the world.
- Enter the unique, living museum, the Household Cavalry Museum: Admire dazzling displays of military uniforms and watch troopers prepare their horses in the stables.
- Marvel at the weird and wonderful at the Horniman Museum: See a Victorian taxidermist's overstuffed one-tonne walrus, giant musical instruments and travel underwater as you marvel at aquatic life in the Horniman's basement aquarium.
- Gaze at fantastically bizarre exhibits at the Grant Museum of Zoology: One of the UK's oldest natural history collections, this quirky London museum is home to more than 1,000 species of rare and extinct animals.
- Discover a gruesome history of surgery at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garrett, one of London's more unusual medical museums: Rediscovered in 1956, this 19th-century theatre in the roof of an English baroque church examines what surgery was like in the pre-anaesthetic and antibiotics era.
- Step into the basement of cocktail bar The Last Tuesday Society and discover a world influenced by pre-Enlightenment wonder at The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art and Unnatural History: Uncover everything from a collection of McDonald’s Happy Meal toys to two-headed kittens, dodo bones and a stuffed lion seated at a table.
Explore more unusual London museums.
Unique food experiences in London
- Indulge in a deliciously themed afternoon tea: Tantalise your tastebuds with burger-bites, space-themed cakes or an interactive Wizardry afternoon tea.
- Dine in a quirky London restaurant: Experience your meal in complete darkness, eat within the walls of a prison or order from a virtual 3D menu at a quirky restaurant in London.
- Sample tasty food on a London food tour: From flavoursome Asian cuisine to the best of British fare, indulge in delicious food while touring the capital.
- Sail down the Thames on a jazz dinner cruise: Savour a delicious three-course meal accompanied by live jazz performances as you spot the city's renowned attractions.
- Feast at London's top food markets: Explore Borough Market, Maltby Street Market or Old Spitalfields Market for a global mix of flavours.
- Enjoy afternoon tea and London’s famous sights on an afternoon tea bus: Combine delicious sweet and savoury treats with panoramic views of iconic London landmarks.
Find more delicious food and drink places to add to your must-visit London list.
Cool places to visit in London
- Take a boat to Greenwich and explore this beacon of maritime history: See the historic Cutty Sark, a world-famous tea clipper and masterpiece of maritime engineering, before heading to the Royal Naval College and taking time to admire the Painted Hall – a must for art and cinema lovers.
- Explore a tropical oasis at the Barbican Conservatory: Escape reality in the heart of the brutalist Barbican, amid lush foliage, palm trees and a room of spiny cacti.
- Step back in time to the 1940s and find yourself in Cahoots, an abandoned railway station transformed into a speakeasy: Enter the ticket hall and mingle with fellow scoundrels as you immerse yourself in the illicit world of this underground speakeasy.
- Find yourself surrounded by giant neon signs at God's Own Junkyard: Step into one of the coolest exhibitions you can find in London, with a collection of over 1,000 neon signs that could rival Las Vegas' own jazzy, lit-up landscape.
- Walk into the weird and wonderful world of artist Stephen Wright at his House of Dreams in east Dulwich: This hidden gem is crammed full of his own work and collections, ranging from dental moulds to masks and dolls’ heads. It's only open on select days throughout the year.
Find more cool places to visit and hidden gems in London.
Unique activities to do in London
- Spend the evening stargazing at the Royal Observatory: Join astronomers in the planetarium as they guide you through the night sky, teaching you about everything from constellations to meteor showers.
- Get ready to be spellbound at a Magic Masterclass with dinner at a drink at Inamo: Learn all the tricks and uncover illusions while tucking into delicious Asian cuisine at this interactive Covent Garden restaurant.
- Embark on a boat trip along the tranquil waterways of Little Venice in London: Cruise the Regent Canal past London Zoo and Regent's Park on one of the quaint narrowboats to Little Venice.
- Explore the charming neighbourhood of Fitzrovia and make a pit stop at The Attendant, a rather unique coffee shop: Walk down the Victorian public toilets transformed into one of London’s quirkiest coffee shops, complete with its original porcelain urinals.
- Find endless adventures at Hobbledown Heath: Bring the kids to the unique adventure park and zoo, where enchanting play structures, interactive activities and friendly animals bring a whimsical storybook world to life.
Bookmark more lesser-known spots in London.
Quirky shopping in London
- Shop nautical goods at 500-year-old yacht handlers Arthur Beale: Browse a wide variety of nautical equipment and accessories including reels of rope, nautical books and lifejackets.
- Get rave-ready at Camden Market’s Cyber Dog: Shop fluorescent accessories, LED-covered clothes and rave clothing to the backdrop of a techno DJ.
- Visit London’s oldest umbrella shop James Smith & Sons: Explore a treasure trove of umbrellas and walking sticks at this untouched original Victorian shop dating back to 1830.
- Buy goods for the living, dead and undead at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies: Shop quirky gifts such as werewolf biscuits and zombie fresh mints, with profits from the shop going to Ministry of Stories, a creative writing and mentoring charity for young people.
- Live the complete guitar experience at Gibson Garage: Explore the Gibson Gallery of world-renowned musicians and live the ultimate rock'n'roll experience with over 300 guitars on display. You can even have your own guitar made in the store.
Find unique gifts and quirky souvenirs at the best unusual shops in London.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in London out of the ordinary?
Discover many unusual things to do in London for everyone of all ages to enjoy! From themed afternoon tea tours and immersive escape room experiences to panoramic helicopter tours and climbing iconic London attractions, there are so many quirky things to do in London.
What are fun activities for adults?
Don’t just let the kids have all the fun! London is home to plenty of fun activities for adults, including exciting immersive experiences and escape rooms. You could be a detective in Sherlock: The Official Live Game or take part in a range of challenges from the hit TV show The Crystal Maze.
For quirky places to eat, why not check out Mercato Mayfair and dine in the surroundings of an 18th-century church-turned-eatery, feasting on worldwide cuisine including Asian bao buns and dumplings, fresh Italian pasta dishes and Japanese delights.
Want more quirky stuff? Take a look at our secret London itinerary for unusual attractions, check out 101 secret things to do in London or discover some of London's hidden gems.
