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London is one of those places that is both familiar and different, it’s modern and classic. A city that doesn’t deserve its stodgy reputation, as there are so many quirky things to do in London. Like most big cities, it’s what you want it to be. Take what you need, and leave the rest. Our goals were to discover some of the histories, enjoy the classic architecture, and in general to have some London fun.

As a family, I think we all defined London fun a bit differently. For me, it involves classic art and things related to the royal family. For hubby, his London fun included history and food. And for our teen girls, London fun required something to do with Harry Potter.

Here is what we found:

Fun Things to do in London

When we ignore the cold, rainy weather, the shockingly expensive food, and the crowds, I would have to say we had boatloads of London fun. We, of course, visited all of the traditional sites (see below). It was the rest of the time that we blurred the line between fun activities in London and quirky things do in London.

Quirky Things to Do in London

Life in our family is never dull. For instance, our teen daughter can’t just walk by an art display without joining in.

Platform 9 3/4 inside the Kings Cross Station in London, England
No visit to England with teenagers would be complete without some element of Harry Potter. This is the “entrance” to platform 9 3/4 inside the Kings Cross Station.
Cafe across th street from New Scotland Yard in London, England
Sometimes my teen just can’t help herself. The tape line was a joke on the floor of a coffee shop directly across the street from New Scotland Yard.
Brilliant or ridiculous?
Tate Modern Art Museum in London, England
If you are into contemporary art, don’t miss the Tate Modern Art Museum.
A visit to the Leicester Square in central London is one of the quirky things to do in London
There is a giant M&M store in Leicester Square in central London. I know Dubai claims the world’s largest candy store, but this one must be close. One of the more quirky things here was a scanner to determine your m&m colour. Despite finding it ridiculous, I couldn’t resist. Apparently, I am like a black m&m as I am naughty and nice.

Offbeat London Tours

 

Classic Fun in London

So much history, and so many classic London icons. We tried to see as many as we could, intermixed with markets, modern buildings, movie premiers, candy shops, and of course Harry Potter. Regardless of where we went, I was glad to always have a camera in my hand. Regardless of the weather, there are always plenty of activities to do in London.

Trafalgar Square in London, England
Trafalgar Square.
Parliament, one of the places of interest in London, England
Many people think the British Parliament building is the most beautiful building in London. What do you think?
Westminster Abbey is one of the top things to see in London, England
Westminster Abbey is one of the top things to see in London. We took a fascinating self-guided tour of the interior.
Parliament and Big Ben in London, England
No collection of classic London fun would be complete without Big Ben.
Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace is one of the top things to see in London England
We saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. As we didn’t get here early enough, we couldn’t get up to the fence. Sorry about so many backs of other people’s heads.

Pro Tip: Arrive about 30 minutes early if you want to be guaranteed a spot at the fence for the changing of the guards.

Wellington Arch in London, England
Wellington Arch.
Globe Theatre in London, England
The original Globe Theatre built in 1599 burnt to the ground in 1613. The second build was completed a year later but destroyed in 1644. The current theatre design is a best effort to replicate that original Elizabethan open-air playhouse. It opened to the public in 1977 under the name Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Pro Tip: Check Globe Theatre tour schedule before you go as there are no tours during rehearsals and matinee performances.

Tower of London, England
A tour of the Tower of London is one of the really cool things to do in London.

Read Next: Beheaded at the Tower of London – A Not To Be Missed Destination

St. Pauls Cathedral in London, England
We made two attempts to go to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the first time it was closed as it was Sunday the second time it was closed for a special ceremony for the Dali Lama.
A double decker bus passing in front of the Tower Bridge in London, England
A classic double-decker bus passing in front of the Tower Bridge.

Practical Information on Visiting the Top Sights in London

  • Check out Travel Tips for the UK and Ireland Visitors for all our travel tips before you go.
  • If you are an overseas visitor and love castles and old ruins, get either a 9 or 16 day English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass. It will give you unlimited access to over 100 sites across England.
  • We stayed at Premier Inns throughout the UK. Although the rooms are small, the Premier Inns are affordable, clean, and consistent. Plus the breakfast is substantial, albeit British. We found the best prices at Booking.com.

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Parliament and Big Ben in London, England

Are you a fan of the classic or quirky things to do in London? What will you do first?

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About Rhonda Albom

Capturing the essence of travel through photography, Rhonda Albom is the primary author and photographer at Albom Adventures. She is an American expat based in New Zealand. She travels the world with her husband.

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Comments

  1. Tony Payne

    Looks like fun. I miss London at times, there was so much to see and do there, but when you live there you tend not to go out and see all the sights very often. I would love to go back and walk around the parts where I used to live in the late 1970’s when I moved to London, around St. Pauls, Holborn and the Embankment.

    Reply

  2. stevebethere

    The weather has been awful for the last month (nothing new there then)

    I like your fun photos, I hope your finding your way around on the Underground OK it can be a bit daunting just avoid the rush hour heheh!

    Reply

    • Rhonda

      Love the underground, very easy to navigate. So much easier with the station names in English letters 🙂

      The weather . . . well we had great weather in China and Russia when it was supposed to be cold, so I guess it is just our turn.

      Reply

  3. Jeremy

    It was a good thing you decided to have fun in London before the Olympics. It will surely be very busy, with a lot of sports buffs, media people and more to add to the normal tourist traffic.

    Reply

    • Rhonda

      We planned to be out of the UK at least a month before the Olympics started to avoid the crowds and the higher prices. We forgot about Diamond Jubilee.

      Reply

  5. Comedy Plus

    Looks like you’re having a grand time. You even have toilets and toilet paper right? Yes, you do. Enjoy.

    Have a terrific day and a fabulous cruise. 🙂

    Reply

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