Whether it is your first time or your fiftieth, there is always something fun and new to do in London and this London bucket list has something for everyone.
From classics like visiting Buckingham Palace to checking out new sites and sounds, it really is the city that has something for everyone.
As Samuel Johnson famously said “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”
Whether you live in London or are just visiting, there is always something new to do and quite frankly, I could write a never-ending bucket list for London.
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I’m a Londoner born and bred so I put this ultimate London bucket list together based on my own experiences, and the many things I still want to do in London!
You’ll find ideas related to famous sights, the best food, cultural events, and seasonal activities.
Make the most out of the city with this London bucket list!
Activities
Watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
Picnic in Hyde Park
Visit Chinatown
Ride in a black cab
Walk across London Bridge
Ride a double decker bus
Glide high above the Thames with the Emirates Air Line cable car
Take the tube (London Underground)
Go clubbing at the Ministry of Sound
Take a trip on the London Eye
Enjoy the crowds at Piccadilly Circus
Take a river cruise on the Thames
Go shopping in Camden Market
Enjoy a pint in a pub
Sip champagne on top of the Shard, courtesy of Virgin Experiences
Catch a football (soccer) match
Walk across Trafalgar Square
Compare yourself to celebs at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
Have a cocktail at Mr Foggs in Mayfair.
Cultural
Stand on the Prime Meridien in Greenwich
Check out the costumes at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Visit the ultimate selfie collection at the National Portrait Gallery
Immerse yourself in history at the Tower of London
Tour the Cutty Sark
Take a Jack The Ripper ghost tour
Enjoy some Shakespeare at The Globe Theatre
Visit St Paul’s Cathedral
Catch a show in the West End
Visit The Sherlock Holmes museum
Check out Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament
Visit the artifacts at the British Museum
Spend an afternoon at the Churchill War Rooms
Stroll on Abbey Road
Harry Potter fans can visit Platform 9 ¾, inside Kings Cross Station.
Food
Grab a quick bite at Borough Market
Have curry on Brick Lane (here are 5 of the best)
Eat fish and chips
Eat a kabob late at night
Splurge on high tea at the Dorchester
Have a winter dinner in the heated igloos at the Coppa Club
Have lunch in Covent Garden
Take in the view with dinner at Sky Garden
Seasonal Events
Go ice skating at Alexandra Palace
Visit Harrods at Christmas
Take in the holiday crowds on Oxford Street
Enjoy the botanical gardens festooned for the holidays at Christmas at Kew
Attend a Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall
Watch a traditional pantomime
Take the kids to Santa’s grotto at Hamleys
Visit a pop-up Christmas market
Outside Central London
Central London is where most tourists spend their time but the capital is surrounded by tons of fun day trips that are worth checking out.
Enjoy the sites at Windsor Castle (40 minutes by train from Paddington)
Have a day at the beach in Brighton (1 hour by train from London Bridge)
Visit Oxford University (55 minutes from Paddington)
Take a day trip to see Bath and Stonehenge (2 hours by car)
Visit the famous Canterbury Cathedral (1.15 hours by train from St Pancras)
Enjoy the English countryside in the picturesque Cotswold (2 hours by car)
Visit the ancient Roman city of Colchester (1.5 hours from Liverpool Street Station)
Get seeped in history at Leeds Castle (1.25 hours by car)
London Bucket List Ideas
You could spend every day trying something new in London, and never run out of things to do! I hope this London bucket list gave you some new ideas for what to do next.
Now go out there and make the most out of London!
More Bucket List Ideas