What would you do with 4 hours in central London this Saturday afternoon?

[fourhours]

Me and DP have an unexpected 4 or so hours in central London on Saturday. We are visiting for the night and had planned to meet friends in the day and then my cousin at night for dinner however our friends have just cancelled. Already booked our train tickets (arrive kings cross at 2.45pm) and still plan to meet my cousin for dinner in Farringdon at 8pm which gives us an unexpected 4ish hours to fill!

Struggling to decide on what we should do with the afternoon. Forecasts are saying rain (although whether it's all day or not is anybody's guess!) but I think we need to plan for it being wet regardless, I would have liked to visit garden at 120 if the weather was better but alas.

DP suggesting heading to Camden for some food which I'm happy to do but will it be crazy busy on a Saturday afternoon? I've only ever been on a weekday. We will need a bit of lunch but nothing too big as we are eating out later on.

Basically I'm open to any and all suggestions, we've done all the 'big stuff' and quite a few smaller museums but there's always plenty to do I just can't think of much right now!

Any children? What sort of thing do you both like doing?

I'm trying to persuade DP we should go for a fancy proper hot chocolate somewhere but he doesn't like hot chocolate so I'm getting nowhere!

I'd walk. Along the river, up through Westmister to Trafalgar Square. Stop for coffee/beer as often as desired.

Or see if there are any last minute matinee tickets to be had.

No kids, we are really open to anything (museums, nice places to mooch, unusual places to go for a drink), I thought asking on here might give me some different suggestions .

Book a tour of the houses of parliament. I live in London and have not done it!

I'd still walk if it's raining, I did read the OP! So actually I'd probably stick with your original plan if that's what you wanted to do. It will be quieter and more beautiful in the rain

@Waydown ah a matinee I hadn't thought of that!

If we don't decide on anything else a walk along the river stopping off for drinks is inevitably what we will do, it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon

Afternoon tea in a really fancy hotel
Boat trip on the Thames
Tower of London
Cabinet war rooms

Don't mind walking when there's plenty of pubs to dip into

Don't mind walking in the rain I meant!

Great idea and DP would love this I'll take a look, thanks!

You might be a bit late for a matinee, as 99% of them start at 2.30pm

But the walk along the iver is great and there are plenty of pubs to stop off at and grab a drink!

Ive done it many times, start at Tower/London Bridge, go all the way to Westminster. Or you can do it the other way around, which might be better to get to Farringdon for dinner, as Tower Hill is on the Circle line. I usually walk on the Southbank, as you get a better view of most of the landscape!

The Dali experience in Shoreditch if you can get a walk-in ticket. Or the Van Gogh one round the corner. 15 minute walk from Liverpool Street station

Go and watch the Arsenal! 😀

Nearish Kings X-
Coal Drops Yard for food/ window shopping
Wellcome Collection, British Library or British Museum for culture. Or walk a bit further and try the completely fascinating Soanes Museum (some nice old pubs in the vicinity) and on the way to Faringdon-ish.
Or catch the tube to Old Street or Liverpool St and wander round Shoreditch and Spitalfields Market (miles nicer than Camden)
Four hours is not that long in London so I would try to stick broadly in that sort of area and not waste time travelling to different parts of the city tbh.

I really like spending an hour or so in the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road.

If you're coming into Kings Cross then head towards Coaldrops Yard/Regents Canal- plenty of choice for a light lunch/coffee and some window shopping or actual shopping! Then stroll along the Regents Canal towards Camden/Regents Park if it's a nice day or otherwise go to the British Library and see the free exhibition - Treasures of the British Library.

Camden markets will be heaving on a Saturday afternoon, especially with the school holidays just started, but arguably that's the authentic Camden Market experience! You can then walk north and over me the pedestrian bridge that is just west of Chalk Farm tube station into Primrose Hill and then back down through Primrose Hill (look at the view from the top of the hill), through Regent's Park and down Marylebone High Street.

If raining, British Museum, Wellcome Trust Museum or Postal Museum are all near Kings X. Same as above re school holidays, though.

If you are looking for sublime hot chocolate then google knoops, there are quite a few in central London and worth tracking down.

if you like gardens then the Chelsea Physic Garden is worth a trip, Sloane Square tube then a bit of a walk past some very extraordinary real estate, there is one 1930 deco block ( nearly opposite the Chelsea Physic) where I imagine Hercule Poirot hanging out, I have my eye on a penthouse there when I am super rich.. You will also go past the Chelsea Hospital where the flower show is held, and the Army Museum which often has interesting exhibits ( and a very good cafe). Chelsea Physic also has a cafe which isn’t as good as it used to be but you do spot the odd celeb there.

South Bank is always worth a visit, bars,galleries, cafes, BFI if you fancy a film.
from there :
You would have time for a boat ride down to Greenwich, or up to Tate Britain.
Or
London Eye, though if the forecast is cloudy maybe not.
Or
visit the aquarium

Or walk down river to the millennium bridge across to St Paul’s then go into Paternoster square to visit my favourite London statue, the Frink one, and enjoy the animal tea party statue next to it.

enjoy your afternoon.

ps if it is really rainy head either to Libertys for retail therapy and a very good value afternoon tea, or Fortnums for the perfume department and deliciously tempting Easter goodies in the chocolate bit. While you are in the Fortnums area I would nip down the road to the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

Matinee of a show - I definitely recommend Hamilton!!

David Hockney exhibition at Lightroom Kings Cross - takes about an hour. You would need to book in advance although we phoned on the day and managed to get an extra ticket.

I'd explore the granary area behind kings cross station with the canal, shops and restaurants. Them the British library is next door so you could always go and sit in the cafe and people watch there.

Buy some peanuts at the Waitrose at Holborn and feed the squirrels in Lincoln's Inn Fields, visit Sir John Soanes museum and then go for afternoon tea at the Delaunay on the Aldwych, or cocktails at One Aldwych.

I really like the Temple Church (the one the Temple tube is named after) it’s such a hidden gem. Or British museum, or Covent Garden. Not a fan of Camden 🥱

OP doesnt get into Kings Cross until 2.45pm. Act 1 would be over by the time they made it to Victoria!
SiX, with a matinee starting at 4pm, is probably the only viable option, if there are tickets.