Natural History Museum and other London, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

We headed to the Natural History Museum one day specifically to see an amazing wildlife photography exhibition that was on there. I am not a big museum fan...I get tired and bored pretty quickly, so just planned to see the pics and move on.

The first thing that blew me away was the building the houses the museum - it is magnificent. I have walked past it several times in the past - can't believe I never noticed it properly!! The inside is pretty special too.

This museum is the UK's national museum of nature and is filled with many amazing collections to interest even the most anti-museum person. I am very keen to get back to check out the dinosaurs...

It is a great place for the kids and there are several cafes for that mid - tour caffeine hit.

Oh, and the photography exhibition was excellent!

Can't believe it took me nearly 3 years to make it to the Natural History Museum - and even then I barely saw anything!! It is definitely on the list to get back to - soon!

Admission is free, except to special exhibitions.

Opening Hours:
Monday-Saturday 10.00-17.50
Sunday 11.00-17.50
Last admission is at 17.30

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Phone: 020 7942 5011
Address: Cromwell Road, SW7
Directions: Nearest Tube: South Kensington
Website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk

Borough Market is a foodies paradise! This historic market dates back to 43AD, though has only been trading on its current site for around 250 years. The market is filled with stalls selling a huge range of products - a mix of gourmet items and 'ordinary' items. There are a few different sections to the market - Crown Square, the Green Market, the Jubilee Market, and the shops and restaurants which surround the market.

The market is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It is a very popular place and is always very crowded, especially on a Saturday. Friday lunch times are also very hectic, with all of the nearby office workers descending on the market to buy their lunch. If you are in the area on a Friday, queue up with the suits and buy your lunch - it may take a while, but it is worth the wait.

Things you can buy/see at the market include:
-the freshest fruit & vegetables
-full range of meat and poultry, including whole (headless) deer caught that morning
-bread, pastries and cakes
-fresh pasta
-cheese, cheese, cheese
-hot meat sandwiches, filled baguettes, excellent coffee
-excellent bacon and other deli products

We have made it our mission to taste-test all of the different chocolate brownies for sale at the market - after extensive research I can report that the best ones actually come from a small shop on Stoney Street (which borders the market), called Konditor & Cook.

Have also had some excellent fresh pasta from the markets, tasty bread and an amazing Treacle Pudding.

Opening hours
Thursdays: 11am to 5pm
Fridays: 12pm to 6pm
Saturdays 9am to 4pm

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Phone: 020 7407 1002
Address: 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL
Directions: Nearest Tube/Train: London Bridge station is just a few minutes walk
Website: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/
Other Contact: info@boroughmarket.org.uk

The London Eye is a huge "ferris wheel" type attraction situated on South Bank alongside the River Thames.

You travel inside a large capsule, which takes up to 25 people.

A ride lasts approx. 30minutes and offers amazing views across London.

You can hire a private capsule (for an additional cost) if you have a special occasion.

We went on a "flight" at sunset and it was fabulous!!

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Phone: 0870 5000 600
Directions: located on South Bank, just off Westminster Bridge.

Nearest Tube: Westminster or Waterloo
Website: www.londoneye.com

The Monument is a 60 metre high stone column, topped with a bronzed vase of flames.

It commemorates the Great Fire of London of 1666, which was started nearby.

You can climb to the top for great views of London, and a good workout!

We climbed up on a sunny morning and really enjoyed it....and it gave us a great excuse to have coffee and cake afterwards ; )

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Phone: 01716 262717
Address: Monument Street, London EC2
Directions: Nearest tube: Monument
Website: http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Business/The_Monument/2c17/

One of my favourite free things to do in London is to visit The Photographers' Gallery. Located close to Leicester Square, the gallery was established in 1971 and was the UK's first independent photographic gallery.

Over the years it has helped to increase the popularity of photography by opening it up to a wide audience - the general public - particularly by offering free admission. The exhibitions change every couple of months, so there is always something new to see.

Alex and I normally pop in for a look at the latest exhibition whenever we are in that part of town. We have seen several excellent series to date - one particularly interesting one was called "Stories from Russia", which included pictures containing passers-by who were asked if they would participate in the photos.

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Phone: 020 7831 1772
Address: 5 & 8 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7HY
Directions: Nearest Tibe: Leicester Square
Website: http://www.photonet.org.uk/index.php?latest
Other Contact: info@photonet.org.uk

New London Architecture is a very interesting (and free!) place to visit to learn about the future developments and improvements planned for London. It is a centre for display and education, which attracts school groups, professionals and the public who are eager to learn about upcoming improvements in their borough.

There is an exhibition of a 1:1500 scale model of Central London which is a fabulous way to get a great overview of the city, and a great way to orientate yourself if you are new to London. Buildings shown in white are to be future additions to the city landscape.

Surrounding the model are displays showing recent and current building projects, with artists impressions of the finished product. I was amazed by some of the intriguing looking buildings that will be added to the London skyline in years to come.

There are also some temporary exhibitions explaining some issues facing London and possible solutions to clean up the streets and redevelop some areas.

A small café is on the premises if you need a break and there is an interesting book shop as well.

Opening Hours
Mon to Fri 9am to 6pm; Sat 10am to 5pm; Closed Sun

Free admission

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Phone: 020 7636 4044
Address: 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT
Directions: Nearest Tube: Tottenham Court or Goodge Street are both about a 5 minute walk away
Website: http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/

The National Portrait Gallery is located in the heart of London, between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, and has been in operation since 1856.

One of the great things about the Gallery is that admission is free, except to some of the special exhibitions, when a small cost applies.

We have been there a few times now, mainly to see particular exhibitions, which normally change every few months. We are mainly into photography, and went recently to check out an exhibition called "The World's Most Photographed", which focused on series of photos taken of ten different famous people - including James Dean, Adolf Hitler, Audrey Hepburn & John F Kennedy. We have also seen the "BP Portrait Award" finalists work the past couple of years - some pretty amazing stuff there.

On our last visit we also discovered a hidden gem on the top floor of the Gallery - the Portrait Restaurant, which has some fabulous views, and I would highly recommend it just for that! We had some afternoon tea here, which was quite nice, but the service was shocking....lucky the view made up for it.

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Phone: 020 7306 0055
Address: St Martins Place, London WC2H 0HE
Directions: Nearest Tube: Leicester Square or Charing Cross
Website: http://www.npg.org.uk

The British Museum is the largest museum in the UK and one of the oldest museums in the world.

I read that it is the most visited attraction in London!

It is free to get in, so if the crowds get too much, or your feet get sore, then you can always visit again and again.

The egyptian section - with mummies on display is really interesting.

There is a nice cafe too if you need a caffeine injection.

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Phone: 020 7636 1555
Address: Great Russell Street, WC1
Directions: Nearest Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Russell Square
Website: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

The central London district of Covent Garden is a magnet for visitors to the city. It is a hive of activity day and night - famous for its shopping, bars & restaurants, streets performers, theatres and the Royal Opera House.

The Covent Garden Piazza is located in the geographical centre of the area and is normally a buzz with buskers and tourists. In the middle of the piazza you can browse through the market or stop off for a meal or drink and enjoy the passing entertainment.

If you're into shoes, head to Neal Street for the largest range of shoe stores in town. For those wanting a healthy lunch try one of the colourful cafés on Neal's Yard, and then perhaps head into the Neal's Yard Dairy check out what this master cheese-maker has on offer.

Afterwards there are historical pubs to drink in before heading off to see the latest smash hit show at one of the nearby theatres.

Yes, it can get pretty crowded here, and you do have to keep your hand on your wallet, but there are some great things to see just off the main drag, so have a wander and see what you can discover!

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Phone: +44 (0)20 7836 9136
Address: Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
Directions: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden
Website: http://www.coventgardenlife.com/

Love Borough Market but don't love the crowds - perhaps Broadway Market is for you! Broadway Market is a farmers market located between Bethnal Green and Hackney, just south of London Fields. It is open from 9am-5pm every Saturday.

Ok, it is tiny compared to Borough, with no where near the selection of goods, but it is growing on a weekly basis and soon they hope to have 120 stalls each week. Even so, we were pleasantly surprised with the selection of goods available, recognising some of the vendors from Borough, and discovering some new ones as well. We found it a lot easier to browse and shop here as there was room to move.

The shops lining the street are also worth a browse. Perhaps you a feeling peckish and have a hankering for a some hot jellied eel, or need to buy a gift, or want to relax in one of the small cafes and watch the market activity.

Broadway Market has a great community feel to it and I know we will venture back again soon - looking forward to seeing it grow and prosper.

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Address: Broadway Market, London E8 4QJ
Directions: Nearest train station: London Fields or Hackney Central
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green
Website: http://www.broadwaymarket.co.uk/index.html