London Things to Do Tips by JulesH

If you want to really see London, delve deeper than the common or garden tourist possibly could...see places you wouldn't normally have time to discover and hear stories told by real characters 365 days a year, rain or shine...go on a London Walk! These are guided tours with a difference. The website lists nearly 400 different walks you can embark upon, all led by highly qualified guides and taking around 2 hours. No matter what your area of interest, there is a London Walk to slake your thirst for knowledge.

Even most Londoners don't know this much about their own city, so this is a real treat for a visitor to London...a chance to really dig beneath the surface of this facinating Capital and unearth the truth and the history beneath.

You don't need to book a London Walk, just turn up at the designated tube station exit at the time indicated on the website, pay your 6 quid directly to the guide, and you're off! Walking is by far the best way to explore London, to really get to know the little known back streets and alleyways which nestle amongst the main streets, and your guide will be sure to put on a highly individual show according to his or her personality. Some dress in costume...Mary Poppins or Pearly Queen or can even "become" the characters they include in their stories. Some are actors with a distinct air of drama about them. Others are factual raconteurs...authors and experts in their field. Don who runs the Jack the Ripper tour is the author of The Complete Jack the Ripper and used to be the curator of the city of London Police Crime Museum. It's a pleasure to find people with such interesting stories to tell.

Ghost walks, pub walks, architectural and themed historical tours of every little village and district within the Capital you simply have to go on at least one London Walk while you are here...even if you live in London!

And even beyond London Walks the site also offers Explorer Days: guided out of town days out within easy reach of London enabling you to really make the most of your time.

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Directions: The brilliantly written website is a cracking good read in it's own right and tells you everything you need to know about London Walks. It really whets your appetite for exploration without giving the game away too much.
Website: www.walks.com

London's museums: Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, Tate Modern (see picture) The British Museum
these are all free to get into...enough said! The Science museum is great especially for kids (or the childish!)as it has lots of interactive exhibits, buttons to press and handles to wind etc.

The Tate modern is a fab place to go and take some time to yourself. You need at least 3 full days to experience it all properly as it is huge! It has a huge ceiling giving a feeling of immense space and freedom and people can be seen just reading or soaking up the atmosphere for hours on end. It has many quiet areas for contemplation or study and is another real haven from the hectic city outside. It also has great views over the Thames and of the contraversial Millenium bridge, now able to be walked on without swaying!!!

The interior of the British Museum belies it's historic exterior being light and airy with two broad sweeping white staircases curving upward leading the eye towards the beautiful glazed roof. Wander around the interconnecting rooms covering historical and cultural exhibits from all over the world. Well worth the visit.

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Directions: The V&A, History and Science museums are in South Kensington, take the tube (Piccadilly Line). The Tate Modern is in Southwark (Jubilee Line) The British Museum is in Bloomsbury (Russell Square)

This is a mecca for street performers and has a cool flea market at the weekend. A nice place to just hang out on a nice day but there's plenty of shelter if it's raining. The London Transport Museum is here along with plenty of bars and restaurants. It's also part of "Theatreland" and many restaurants in this area have a "pre-theatre" menu at a very reasonable cost in the early evening. Not only is this a cheap way to eat in a nice restaurant, you often get much faster service if you mention you have theatre seats at a certain time (no need to prove this).

Neal Street, to the West of the tube station is a particularly cool area with the ever fully booked belgian bar/restaurant Belgo Centraal at it's heart. My favourite underground bar is in Langley Street and is memorably called: The Langley.

At Christmas there is a huge Christmas tree erected in the piazza and usually a Santa's Grotto and mulled wine stall too! Obviously this isn't a cheap experience, but it's lovely to soak up the atmosphere even if you choose not to take out a small mortgage for the traditional beverage!

Do have your ticket ready for the exit at the tube station though...there is no time at all to whip out your ticket before you are at the barriers and this can cause delays if you're not prepared. Covent Garden is a huge meeting place and lots of people tend to hang around outside the station, so it's always busy. It's a vibrant, arty and very trendy place to go.

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Directions: Covent Garden Tube brings you out in the centre of the action but Leicester Square is a good choice if you want to avoid the crush at Covent Garden station at the weekend. Turn Left out of the station to head towards Covent Garden.