Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best London has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- Book a ride on the London Eye, the South Bank’s big wheel (www.londoneye.com), for sight‑spotting and vertigo‑inducing views of five counties. Then amble over Waterloo Bridge at sunset to reacquaint yourself with the cityscape from the ground. Want to work harder for your views? Climb the spiral steps of St Paul’s Cathedral to the Whispering Gallery and then up and out to the Stone and Golden Galleries for magnificent panoramic views of the capital. At King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park, six miles away, there are incredible westward vistas of Berkshire, plus an amazing view back to St Paul’s.
- Arts and culture
- There's something to tickle all tastes: Tate Modern and Tate Britain house British and international art collections (www.tate.org.uk). Hoxton’s White Cube gallery (www.whitecube.com) is edgier, or, for the more experimental, try the galleries lining Vyner Street in Bethnal Green. At Somerset House, there are open-air pop and classical concerts in summer; ice-skating in winter (www.somerset-house.org.uk). Arm yourself with a copy of weekly listings magazine Time Out for the latest information about what’s on; visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk to book anything from West End drama to stadium gigs.
- Something for nothing
- The Changing of the Guard, at Buckingham Palace, 11.30am daily in summer. If it’s sunny, head to a green space (www.royalparks.gov.uk). If not, lots of museums are free: try the Photographers’ Gallery (www.photonet.org.uk), or the Serpentine (www.serpentinegallery.org). For more free museums, see www.londonnet.co.uk/museums. In summer, pull up a pew on the South Bank (www.southbanklondon.com) and, before long, street theatre will start happening all around you. Take note of Covent Garden’s buskers – they often go on to do greater things.
- Shopping
- Designer-label zones are Sloane Street and Knightsbridge, and Bond Street and South Molton Street. Markets abound in London: Camden gets packed on Sundays with students and tourists (good for vintage and clubwear); over east, Spitalfields Market sells funky babywear, T-shirts, artworks and organic food; get up early for Columbia Road Flower Market at the top of Brick Lane (itself a teeming Sunday-morning institution); for organic-food tasting opportunities, Borough Market is open Fridays and Saturdays; Portobello Market in Notting Hill is a Saturday stop for antiques, fashion and fruit and veg.
- Daytripper
- Catch the boat from Embankment Pier to maritime‑tastic Greenwich. Check out the covered arts and crafts market, the National Maritime Museum (www.nmm.ac.uk) and the Royal Observatory (www.rog.nmm.ac.uk), where you can, literally, straddle time, before chilling over a pint of real ale in a historic pub, such as the Trafalgar Tavern (+44 (0)20 8858 2909; www.trafalgartavern.co.uk).
- Perfect Picnic
- The 791‑acre expanse of Hampstead Heath has panoramic views, secret woods and enough grass to spread a rug out and still have room to get a good Frisbee session going. Fill up your hamper at the nearby Rosslyn Delicatessen (+44 (0)20 7794 9210).
- Walks
- For city strolling, head for the river, then stick with it. Try the towpaths around Richmond, Barnes, Putney or Chiswick for leafy ambling. In town, take in the South Bank from Westminster to Tower Bridge, ticking the reconstructed Golden Hinde galleon (www.goldenhinde.org) and City Hall (aka the Leaning Tower of Pizzas) off your to-see list.
- Children
- The Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk) in South Kensington keeps those obsessed with dinosaurs or body parts enthralled. In winter, ice‑skating rinks freeze into life all over town. The one at Somerset House was the first, and is still the best (www.somerset‑house.org.uk); Kew Gardens and the Natural History Museum often have rinks, too.
- Activities
- Cool off at the Serpentine Lido, where you can sling yourself into a deckchair, paddle, or show off your 110‑yard crawl (www.serpentinelido.com). Or see the city on blades: roll up for the Urban Rites Friday Night Skate (www.thefns.com) and just follow the pack through the city streets. No skates? That’s no excuse: hire some from Slick Willies on Gloucester Road (+44 (0)20 7225 0004; www.slickwillies.co.uk) and you can wheel wherever the wind blows you. Go horse riding in Hyde Park (www.hydeparkstables.com) or Richmond Park (+44 (0)20 8948 3209; www.royalparks.org.uk). Visit a tailor on Savile Row; we like Maurice Sedwell (+44 (0)20 7734 0824).
- And...
- London moves so quickly that, by the time you’ve heard about that hot club, exhibition or under‑the‑radar boutique, chances are it’s, like, so over. Tag along with an Urban Gentry guide, however, and you’ll get an up‑to‑the‑minute take on city life; choose from themed tours including Art Insider, East End Hip and Market Fresh, or get them to tailor a bespoke itinerary around your tastes. See www.urbangentry.com for details.
Diary
Late March Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race from Putney to Mortlake (www.theboatrace.org). Mid April The London Marathon: a 26‑mile race for athletes, fundraisers and mentalists in diving suits (www.london‑marathon.co.uk). Late May Chelsea Flower Show brings marvellous blooms to SW3 (www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea). See our events guide Smith 52 for details, or buy the book for the full insider lowdown). Late June The Wimbledon Championships (an event also featured in Smith 52) sends the capital tennis mad for a fortnight (www.wimbledon.org). July–September The BBC Proms concerts (www.bbc.co.uk/proms). August Bank Holiday weekend Notting Hill Carnival, a float‑filled, bass‑thumping weekend of musical mayhem. Go to our events site Smith 52 to read more details. September Open House Weekend sees 600 buildings, old and new, open to the public, free of charge (www.londonopenhouse.org). Mid October–early November London Film Festival (www.lff.org.uk). 5 November On Guy Fawkes’ Night, there are fireworks displays in parks all over town; book an eighth-floor table at the Oxo Tower (+44 (0)20 7803 3888) for a premium view of the Lord Mayor’s fireworks on the river. London Jazz Festival – nice (www.serious.org.uk).