What can I do near Waterloo on Monday?

[LondonMonday]

Friend and I are going to have a couple of hours spare on Monday from 1.30 pm onwards. We need to be at Highbury and Islington around 5 pm. Please can any one give me relatively cheap ideas of what we could do for a couple of hours either around Waterloo station or on the way towards H&I station. TIA

If the weather is good just hang out snd stroll along the embankment and enjoy the river!

www.treasuretrails.co.uk/products/things-to-do-south-bank-london

Stroll the south bank is the obvious choice, you could walk down to the globe or up to Westminster/Lambeth palace.

Somerset house sometimes has free stuff on

imperial war museum is close by

I would walk down the river path to Tate Modern, stopping for street food and people watching on the way. You could walk back to Waterloo, or just hop on the Northern Line at London Bridge.

Tate modern? I believe it's free unless you want to go into special exhibitions.

Walk along the Embankment from Waterloo to the Globe theatre and back. Loads of cafes and buskers along the way. You could look in at Tate Modern if you like art. The Hayward gallery usually has a free small exhibition in the room on the right of the entrance too. There's a great street food market most days at the back of Royal Festival Hall. Often free concerts in the hall. Good chain restaurants along the side of the Festival Hall too.

Perfect thank you for these. I will forward the treasure trail to my friend but love the ideas. It's been a while since I've been to London.

Weather permitting, I'd stroll along the South Bank as far as you want/can. Lots of interesting things to look at on the way, people watching opportunities abound, shops and stalls, plenty of pubs, restaurants and coffee shops. Tate Modern has free entry if that appeals.

Another option: walk over Waterloo Bridge and up to Trafalgar Square to go to the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery. (Or get the bus.) Also free entry.

British Museum is a bit further from Waterloo but (again!) free entry. Northern Line from Waterloo to Tottenham Court Road and a short walk.

(I love museums and galleries.)

Cross post with millions of others!

If you do go all the way to London Bridge you’ll be going past / through Borough Market, loads of food choices there.

I assume you will be taking the Jubilee Line to Green Park and Victoria line to H & I. As pp said a walk along the South Bank there are plenty of places to get a coffee. Depending on your budget you might be able to get tickets for the London Eye.

You could walk to Green Park Station (or Westminster), this would take you through Westminster past a lot of the sights - Elizabeth Tower, Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey and then St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Green Park. You will also pass Cabinet War Rooms or Westminster Abbey and could pop in but be aware both incur a cost.

If you’re travelling by train, look into it in advance but the London Eye (South Bank), Cabinet War Rooms and Westminster Abbey all used to be available on 2for1 with National Rail tickets…..