50 Cool Things To Do In London

London is full of cool things to do but sadly too many of them are smack at the top of everyone else's London bucket list and cram full of tourists.

However, there are actually loads of cool things to do in London that are unusual, quirky and off the beaten track but still either super fun and adventurous for thrill seekers or hidden gems for culture vultures and nature lovers.

So whether you're a Londoner - like me - looking for new cool things to do or a visitor after something special do bookmark or save this big list of the very best cool things to do in London.

Cool Thrill Seeking Adventures In London

If you love dare devil adventures or being seriously spooked check out these cool things to do in London guaranteed to give you a thrill ...

• Explore London's Caves By Candlelight
• Climb A Victorian Pumping Station
• Discover London's Ghost Stations
• Ride The Orbit Slide
• Zip Line A Quarry
• Race Vintage Cars
• Ride Hyperia
• Ride A Steam Train

Explore London's Caves

London's has its very own labyrinth of underground caves stretching for over 20 miles that you can explore on mysterious candlelit tours.

Climb A Victorian Pumping Station

London's coolest climbing centre is built into the ruins of a Victorian pumping station and offers bouldering for beginners and roped climbing for experienced climbers.

Discover London's Ghost Stations

Go underground to explore the forgotten ghost stations and lost tunnels on the London tube that were used as wartime bomb shelters but have been closed up since the 60s.

Ride The Orbit Slide

Ride the orbit slide - the world's longest and tallest tunnel slide - if you dare at the Olympic Park. Or just take the lift on a clear day to enjoy the view.

Zip Line A Quarry

London has a whole bunch of seriously cool zip wires for all ages including :

• HangLoose : England's longest & fastest zip line over an old quarry near Bluewater.
• Gripped : Dual line zip racing near Heathrow.
• GoApe Cockfosters : London's most challenging course through the tree tops of Trent Park.

Vintage Car Racing

If you love driving, race a classic vintage car round the old race track at Brooklands or alternatively take the controls of the Concorde flight simulator.

Ride Hyperia

Ride Hyperia - Britain's tallest roller coaster - or "enjoy" the inversions on the classic Colossus at Thorpe Park.

Ride A Steam Train

For little kids there are a whole host of opportunities to ride steam trains in London.

Also check out the Postal Museum and the RAF Museum in the quirky museums section below both of which have cool rides.

Cool Things To Do In London On The Water

The Thames is the very lifeblood of London and there are loads of brilliantly cool things to do on the river and London's other waterways ...

• Kayak To Hampton Court
• Canoe Around Canary Wharf
• Power Boat Down The Thames
• Sail On The Thames
• Ride The Gravesend Ferry
• Paddle The Regent's Canal
• Whitewater The Olympic Course

Kayak To Hampton Court

You can kayak down the Thames to Henry VIII's palace at Hampton Court on both supervised trips or with open hire kayaks.

Canoe Around Canary Wharf

At the other end of the river you can canoe around Limehouse and Canary Wharf.

Sail On The Thames

Sailing is a massive part of London's history and you can learn to sail today all along the Thames from Richmond to Greenwich and also on lakes like Colne Valley Park.

Power Boat Down The Thames

if you really want some speed you can power boat down the river on a Thames Rocket.

Gravesend Ferry

Or to get a real feel for the old river take the tiny Gravesend Ferry past the huge freight liners still coming into Tilbury and then explore the brilliant Tilbury Fort.

Paddle the Regent's Canal

See north London in a whole new light from a paddle board or canoe on the Regents Canal.

Whitewater The Olympic Course

Or for real thrills whitewater the Olympic course and more at Lee Valley Park.

Cool Things To Do In London At Night

London's obviously awash with cool bars, restaurants and clubs for night time adventures but there are also some seriously cool things to do at night in London you may have missed ...

• Climb The O2
• Camp In The Wild
• Sleep With Lions
• Candlelit Museum Tour
• Meet Ghosts At The Tower
• Sleepover On A Naval Warship

Climb The O2

Go on a sunset or twilight hike over the roof of the O2 for amazing views of London at night.

Camp In The Wild

Camp out in the woodland at an "almost" wild camping site right by the river Lee. 

Sleep With Lions

... or at least in the Gir Lion Lodge within roaring distance of the lions at London Zoo and get after dark access to the animals.

Candlelit Museum Tour

Set in in Lincoln's Inn Field John Soanes wonderfully quirky house is as he left it 200 year ago and is open once a month for atmospheric candlelit tours.

Meet Ghosts At The Tower

Get taken around the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels by a Yeoman of the Guard after the crowds have gone. But watch out for the visitors who never left!

Sleepover On A Naval Warship

If you are looking for cool things for kids to do in London at night check out all of these sleepover adventures ...

• ... on a naval warship on the Thames
• ... with the mummies in the British Museum
• ... or the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum
• ... or on a space race to Mars at the Science Museum!

Cool Things To Do Outdoors In London

Some of the coolest ways to enjoy London are just to get out and adventure in the great outdoors ...

• Cycle In Epping Forest
• Swim In The Serpentine
• Go Wild In The Woods
• Spot Wild Harriers
• Pick Your Own Fruit
• Ride Horses In Richmond Park
• Olympic Mountain Biking
• Olympic Track Cycling

Cycle In Epping Forest

Ancient Epping Forest on the Central Line in east London is over 8 miles long so brilliant for long cycle rides through stunning woodland.

Swim In The Serpentine

Swimming in the Serpentine in Hyde Park has to be the ultimate outdoor swim in London but it's just one of London's lidos & outdoor pools.

Go Wild In The Woods

London has an amazing 50,000 acres of woodland you can visit. Check out this guide to the best woods in London to plan your own totally free outdoor adventures.

Spot Wild Harriers

If you love wildlife head out to the enormous riverside RSPB reserve at Rainham Marsh to see wild harriers, owls and more.

Pick Your Own Fruit

There are still a good number of pick your own farms in London open from the first strawberries in June to the pumpkins at Halloween.

Ride Horses In Richmond Park

There are riding schools all over London but Richmond Park is perhaps the most beautiful.

Olympic Mountain Biking

Enjoy London's ultimate mountain bike track at the Olympic Velo Park ...

Olympic Track Racing

... or head down to south London for track racing at Herne Hill Velodrome the track for the 1908 Olympics.

Cool & Quirky Museums In London

London's big museums are brilliant but if you're looking for something quirky and cooler check out these ...

• Postal Museum
• RAF Museum
• Grant Museum
• Hunterian Museum
• Clink Museum
• Somerset House

Postal Museum

The Postal Museum is a fun hands on museum for kids but the main attraction is the mail rail London's 100 year old underground mail train reborn as a cool ride.

RAF Museum

Away from the main beat of central London museums the fantastic RAF Museum is free but has cool extras including the 4D Theatre and the Eurofighter simulator flight over the Lake District.

Grant Museum

The Grant Museum is a tiny but uber cool museum of natural history barely changed since first founded.

Hunterian Museum

The Hunterian Museum is the weird and wonderful collection of the Royal College of Surgeons. Not for the faint hearted!

Clink Museum

If you are great with gruesome head down to the Clink Museum in one of London's first prisons.

Somerset House

If you are looking for amazing art rather than weird and wonderful check out the Courtauld Gallery - London's best collection of impressionist art - at beautiful Somerset House with its fine fountain courtyard.

Historic Houses In London That Are Hidden Gems

London is full of beautiful historic houses you can visit but these hidden gems are some of the coolest and right off the main tourist trail :

• Dennis Severs House
• Two Temple Place
• Emery Walker House
• Stafford Terrace
• Leighton House
• Carlyle House
• Hogarth House

Dennis Severs House

The Dennis Severs House in Spitafields is a breathtaking time capsule that captures the lives of 18th century Huguenot refugees and silk weavers.

Two Temple Place

William Waldorf Astor commissioned the stunning neo-gothic Two Temple Place in the late 19th Century - you'll recognise the interior from Downton, The Crown and more. You need to join their mailing list to register for visits.

Emery Walker House

The Emery Walker House is a beautiful Arts & Crafts decorated terrace by the river in Hammersmith.

Sambourne House

Near Holland Park Sambourne House is a lovely family home unchanged since Victorian times.

Leighton House

Just five minutes from Sambourne House is Leighton House the fabulous house of artist Frederick Leighton which is home to over 70 of his paintings.

Carlyle House

Near the Albert Bridge in Chelsea Carlyle's House was home to Thomas Carlyle and was a salon to many of the great writers of the early 19th century.

Hogarth House

Another hidden gem in west London the Hogarth House tucked away by beautiful Chiswick Park was home to artist William Hogarth.

For more ideas check out this big guide to London's historic houses with gorgeous gardens.

Cool London Places For History Buffs

If you love history but have done London's big historic sites check out these cool historic sites in London that are off the beaten track ...

• Track Down King Harold
• Await The Armada At Tilbury Fort
• Enjoy The Peace Of Lesnes Abbey
• See Shakespeare At Copped Hall

Track Down King Harold

If you've got into everything Anglo Saxon from The Last Kingdom track down King Harold's resting place at Waltham Abbey which is right on the edge of Lee Valley Park and a short walk from the Royal Gunpowder Mills Museum. It's also just a quick drive or bus ride from Epping Forest and Copped Hall.

Await The Armada At Tilbury Fort

A Thames side fort where Queen Elizabeth roused her troops before the Armada, Tilbury Fort saw continued service defending the Thames right up to WW2. Cool for history buffs and kids - plenty of space to run round - and is best visited by the very cool Gravesend Ferry.

Lesnes Abbey Ruins

Sitting in the shadow of bluebell and fossil filled Abbey Woods the ruins of 12th Century Lesnes Abbey are a lovely stop on the Greenchain walk to Oxleas Wood.

Shakespeare At Copped Hall

Beautiful Copped Hall was the setting for the first performance of Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream - it is re-performed most summers - and is home to one of London's coolest archeological digs.

Unusual Things To Do For Free In London

Some of the cool things to do in London are undoubtedly expensive but some of the coolest things to do in London are actually free. There's a massive list here of 101 free things to do in London but check out some of these gems as starters :

• Dig For Fossils
• Mudlark By The Thames
• See London From A Skygarden
• Climb A Working Windmill

Dig For Fossils

Unbelievably there is an open access fossil bed in Abbey Wood where you can very easily find 50 million year old fossils including Angel Shark teeth.

Mudlark By The Thames

You can easily uncover old china, clay pipes, rather gory bones and more lost in the river in centuries past along the Thames.

See London From A Sky Garden

The Sky Garden at Fenchurch Street has some of the most beautiful views of London and can be visited free.

Climb A Windmill

There's all sorts of things to explore in modern Brixton from the fabulous food markets to the David Bowie mural but if you head just a short way up Brixton Hill you can actually climb the working Brixton Windmill and mill some flour.

So there you go, over 50 cool things to do in London for all ages. Enjoy.

For more ideas check out my other guides to fun things to do in London and follow me on Pinterest.

Original images under Creative Commons : View from the Sky Garden, The Shard, London, Somerset House, London