London is jam-packed with treats for visitors. But what happens when you’ve exhausted the tourist favorites? There’s only so many times you can visit the Tower of London and pose next to Big Ben.
For something different from your trip to the capital, here’s a guide to some of the lesser-known treats to uncover.
Get trippy
East London is renowned for being the coolest corner of the capital and if you’re looking for an attraction to light up your London stay, head to God’s Own Junkyard. Here, you can spend hours looking at the handiwork of Chris Bracey, also known as the ‘Neon Man’, who created weird and wonderful glowing signs. Grab a bite in the onsite café and mull over which piece you’d love to have in your home.
Remember the past
If you love nothing more than something spooky, pay a visit to Highgate Cemetery, where you can visit the resting place of some of the most famous people in history. Well-known names you’ll come across include Karl Heinrich Marx, the man behind Communism; Henry Moore, the painter; and George Eliot, the novelist who wrote Middlemarch.
This is also the cemetery that inspired the designers of Tom Riddle’s gravestone for the film ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, so if you’re a Potter fan, this could be an ideal part of your London tour.
Grab a coffee
If you’re looking for some caffeine to pep you up between shopping sprees on Oxford Street, pop into The Attendant in Fitzrovia. This is a coffee shop in a former Victorian toilet, making it a quirky spot for some light refreshments.
Become a history buff
Did you know that there’s a Roman temple in the heart of the capital? Using your holiday apartment in London as a base, you can easily hop on the Tube to The City to explore the Temple of Mithras. This is an ancient space that recalls the foundations of the capital we know today. Take a look at the excavated artifacts and find out more about the past.
Go to jail
Combining history with some compelling tales, the Clink Prison dates back to 1144 and is the notorious jail that lent its name to others. Take a tour and find out about the people incarcerated within these walls.
Where will you visit during your trip to London? Will you be drawn like a moth to the neon lights or are you thinking of taking a journey back in time to find out more about past inhabitants of the city?