Visiting London - 6 Activities Your Family Will Love

If you are a regular reader to my blog you probably already know we visit London a couple of time a year, usually with the kids and with so many families flocking to the Capital over the Festive season and New Year I thought I would share a few family friendly activities you should check out while there.  London is an exciting city and there are so many things for a family to do there. Exploring this city is like peeling the layers off an onion, but you will never reach the centre because there are so many things to do.

The fact it's so accessible and easy to get to via trains, buses and If you are planning on flying into London, then Heathrow or London City are the nearest airport's. There are excellent public transport systems from both the main train stations and airports, however if you are going to be arriving at rush hour, then it might be best to avoid the packed commuter underground and take a taxi instead, I highly recommend booking in advance if your travelling with children especially if it's been a long trip.

Once you are all settled and checked into your hotel and are ready to head out here are six activities that you and your family will love.

Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London founded by the wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in 1835 but it was moved to its current location in 1884. It displays wax replicas of famous personalities such as historic people, politicians, movie stars, and musicians. The statues are remarkably lifelike and you can take selfies with all of your favourite icons from different eras. The Wanderblogger has a great review on her blog so do check it out.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is such an iconic landmark that will fascinate both children and adults. You don't have to fork out the admission fee to explore the palace (although a tour including the throne room is amazing) to be inspired by this place. Located just in front of the Victoria Memorial with it's beautiful sculptures and pretty fountains as well as being right next to Green Park and St James Park means there is plenty of space for children to run and explore making this a fantastic free sight and walk around on a dry and sunny day.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is home to 80 million historical items that you can view on a tour of the museum. It is the 4th most visited museum in the world and there are great areas to visit like the Darwin Centre, The Attenborough Studio, and the Geological Museum. Best of all is it's free to enter and children will happily explore this treasure trove of exhibitions and displays for hours. It also has a very popular Dinosaur exhibition which both of my boys love and I highly recommend you factor this into your trip as you won't be disappointed.

London Eye

The London Eye is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe and it is a fabulous way to see the iconic landmarks from a bird’s eye view. The ride takes 30 minutes and you can sit in the comfy capsule or walk around it to see Big Ben, The Parliament Buildings, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the river Thames, and many more iconic landmarks that this beautiful city is known for. It is a little pricey but the views are incredible and if your short on time and want to at least view most of the famous sights then this is a great way to do it. 

Harry Potter Tour

The Harry Potter films and books have captured the hearts and imaginations of people from all over the globe. You can take a “Making of Harry Potter Tour” that allows you to explore film sets, see props, costumes, and discover the secrets behind how some of the special effects were done. There are also several walking tours that you can take like a “A Muggles Guide to Harry Potter”, or taxi tours with your own private guide. 

London Transport Museum

This is a great little family friendly haven right in the heart of Covent Garden and is particularly good if you know you are going to be visiting the capital again as the ticket is valid for a whole year. The London Transport Museum offers a lot of interactive displays and exhibits and offers up a hands on learning experience all about the transport system across the capital. Kids can have a go at pretending to street the Thames Clipper as well as sit behind the wheel of a London Bus. 

Despite London being a Capital city and of course can be very pricey there are still plenty of free attractions as well, I wrote a post a while ago about our 3 favourite free things to do in the City so do check that out.