London event weekends: what to do between sessions

Free world-class museums, royal parks, West End theatre and markets, with Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge as easy day trips.

Events we cover in London

Arriving

Heathrow (LHR) has the Elizabeth line to central London in 35 to 45 minutes and the Heathrow Express to Paddington in 15 minutes. Gatwick (LGW) has the Gatwick Express to Victoria in 30 minutes. Stansted and Luton have trains to Liverpool Street and St Pancras.

Where to stay

Budget	Where	Why
Budget	King's Cross and Paddington	Big stations with many lines and cheaper chain hotels.
Mid-range	South Bank and Bloomsbury	Walk to the museums, theatres and the river.
Splurge	Mayfair and Covent Garden	Grand hotels near the West End.

Three hotels we would book

Budget: Premier Inn London King's Cross
Mid-range: Hub by Premier Inn London Covent Garden
Splurge: The Savoy

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Half day · Family · Indoor

Tower of London and Crown Jewels

Beefeater tours and the jewels.

See times and prices

Half day · Family · Indoor

Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter

Sets and props north of London; book weeks ahead.

See times and prices

Half day · Low walking · Family

Thames river cruise

Westminster to Greenwich.

See times and prices

Full day

Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath day trip

Three classics in one long day.

See times and prices

Evening · Nightlife · Indoor

West End show

Musicals and plays most nights.

See times and prices

Half day · Family · Low walking

London Eye

Thirty minutes over the river.

See times and prices

Half day · Food

Borough Market food tour

Tastings at London's oldest food market.

See times and prices

Evening · Nightlife

Jack the Ripper walking tour

East End evening walk.

See times and prices

Full day

Oxford and the Cotswolds day trip

Colleges and honey-stone villages.

See times and prices

Half day · Low walking · Food

Thames afternoon tea cruise

Tea, scones and the skyline.

See times and prices

Half day · Family · Indoor

Wembley Stadium tour

Dressing rooms and the tunnel.

See times and prices

Where to eat

Borough Market Food stalls under the railway
Dishoom Bombay café; queues at peak times
Padella Fresh pasta at Borough
Flat Iron Cheap good steak
Mercato Metropolitano Big food hall in Elephant and Castle
Rules London's oldest restaurant, game and pies
Brick Lane Bagels and curry houses
Dishoom King's Cross Breakfast bacon naan

With kids

Natural History Museum dinosaurs.
Science Museum.
Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens.
London Zoo.

Rainy-day backups

British Museum.
V&A.
Churchill War Rooms.

Free things to do

British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Natural History and Science museums are free.
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (check days).
Sky Garden viewpoint (free with booking).
Walk the South Bank from Westminster to Tower Bridge.

Getting around

The Tube, Overground and Elizabeth line run on contactless with a daily cap. Some lines run all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Twickenham: trains from Waterloo; Wembley: Jubilee and Metropolitan lines or Chiltern trains; Wimbledon: District line to Southfields.
Tap in with a contactless card on buses, trams and most urban trains.
Book long-distance trains early on the operator app or Trainline: walk-up fares are expensive.
Uber works in most UK cities; local black cabs are metered.