London is a vibrant city, bursting with brilliant places to visit, including all the famous attractions such as the London Eye or Buckingham Palace, however being one of the most fast-paced cities in the world things can easily get expensive, especially if you are visiting as a family.
So to save you from searching, here are some of the best family-friendly, low-budget, activities and attractions London has to offer.
- Museums
There are so many museums in London you will be spoilt for choice and most museums are free to enter, although with current covid-19 precautions most museums require you to pre-book your free tickets.
Below are the best three museums in London for families.
You really can’t go wrong with the Science Museum, it is one of London’s best museums. It has many interactive exhibitions and is a great place to take kids of any age to immerse them in the wonder of Science.
Transport: South Kensington tube station
Price: Free - pre-booked tickets required. Book here.
Get up close with the dinosaurs at the fantastic Natural History Museum, with over 80 million specimens including a giant blue whale skeleton called Hope, in the Hintze Hall.
The Natural History Museum is also right next to the Science Museum so you can visit both of these museums in one day.
Transport: South Kensington tube station
Price: Free - pre-booked tickets required. Book here.
The British Museum is a brilliant place to visit if your children love exploring ancient history, art, and culture. The museum often runs interactive exhibits and even has free activities and tasks for the kids to complete, such as the Museum Mission, and there are also activities for the under 5s.
Transport: Tottenham Court Road tube station
Price: Free - pre-booked tickets required. Book here
- Park life
London is full of large open green spaces and some really wonderful parks, and even better they are completely free to visit. What could be more English than a picnic in the park?
St James Park, located next to Buckingham Palace is said to be one of the prettiest parks in London, it is also home to a flock of pelicans, in its expansive lake.
Transport: St. James's Park or Charing Cross.
Battersea Park, located south of the river, is a wonderful park that includes views of the Thames, its own art gallery, the Pump House Gallery, and even a children’s zoo!
Transport: Battersea Power Station
Hyde Park, located to the west of the city, is one of the better-known parks in London with many attractions including the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain and the Serpentine. Hyde Park also hosts many seasonal events throughout the year including festivals during summer and Winter Wonderland at Christmas time.
Transport: Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch
Greenwich Park, located in the southeast of London, is a hidden gem situated a short walk from the river, it includes a deer enclosure, a small boating lake, and a wonderful children’s play park.
Transport: DLR Cutty Sark
- Take a trip down the river on the Thames Clipper by UberBoat
There is no better way to see London than by cruising down the Thames on a beautiful day. The Thames Clipper by UberBoat is the commuter boat service that runs from the southeast of London all the way to the west, with large windows and an outside deck it's a lot cheaper than booking a river cruise.
Kids will love zipping past iconic buildings like the Shard and the Tower of London and the boat even goes under Tower Bridge.
The boat stops at Greenwich, London Bridge, the Tower of London, and Embankment (next to Charing Cross road), so you could easily incorporate a boat ride as your transport to another destination in London.
Prices: Children 4 and under travel free, river roamer and family tickets are available.
Download the app to book tickets and get discounts.
https://www.thamesclippers.com
- Fly through the sky with Emirates Airlines
Head over to southeast London where you can board the Emirates Airlines cable cars and whizz across the sky, taking in views of the river and the city in one swoop.
If you have older children you can also fly on the cable cars after sundown, when at 7 pm the flight times are extended to 25 minutes each way and you can see the city light up.
The cable cars are situated next to the O2 arena which is a bustling area with a cinema, plenty of restaurants, and a small shopping outlet.
Prices: Single adult tickets are £4 and children aged 5-15 are £2 each way.
Transport: North Greenwich tube station or the O2 on the Thames Clipper.
For more information click here.
- Toy Shops
If you are visiting London with children and want to give them a treat then take them to one of London’s best-known toy shops.
Hamleys of London, located near Oxford street, is a famous toy store boasting seven floors of toys with a different theme on each floor. Even if you don't buy something, it's a fun place to explore and even has a large Harry Potter section.
Location: Regents Street.
Transport: Oxford street or Piccadilly Circus tube stations
The Disney Store, on Oxford street, is the largest Disney store in Europe featuring an 81-metre high princess castle with an animated clock. If your kid is Disney mad this is definitely a place to visit while in London.
Location: Oxford Street
Transport: Oxford street or Bond Street tube station.
Harrods is an iconic store in London, situated in Kensington West London. It is a very upmarket department store and has a dedicated toy shop on the fourth floor.
It might be pricey but it's a delight to explore this unique store and marvel at its treasures.
Location: Kensington West London
Transport: Kensington High Street
- Go star-spotting at the Royal Observatory - Greenwich
If your kids love a bit of stargazing or are into space head to London’s only planetarium, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, where you can catch astronomy shows for all the family.
At the weekends there is a special show for under 7s, called Ted’s Space adventures, where children can join Ted as he explores the solar system. Book here.
Prices: Ted’s Space adventures: £5 for under 7s
Transport: DLR to Cutty Sark
*The Royal Observatory is due to re-open in March 2022.
Extra tip: Greenwich is also home to the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum which are also great places to visit with children, not to mention a brilliant Royal park which I mentioned earlier.
- View London from a garden in the sky.
Stunning views of London in a tropical oasis in the sky, the Sky Gardens are a wonderful way to see the skyline of London and it’s free.
Set at the top of one of London’s iconic skyscrapers, also known as the ‘Walkie Talkie’ you can grab breakfast or a coffee and a babyccino in what feels like an urban rainforest in the clouds.
Prices: Free but pre-booked tickets are required. Book here
Transport: Monument tube station
London is such a fun and exciting city with so many child-friendly things to do and see, that won’t cost the earth. If you enjoyed this article and plan to visit any of the places I mentioned or have your own unique places to suggest, please drop me a comment.
