London by myself- what should I do?

[User050105]

I'm going to London next week with dh, but he's working during the day. Usually we go with kids and meet up with family with kids and do kid friendly things. The highlight of our last trip was Airthrill in Catford and looking at the outside of Brentford football stadium.

But this time it's adult only, we're staying really centrally. So grown-up London is my oyster.

I like reading and knitting, so any great shop recommendations?

I'm interested in history, social history in particular. I might visit the foundling hospital, is that interesting? Is there anything to see around Woolwich Arsenal? I had ancestors there. But I can't work out if there is any sort of museum, I suspect not?

I like interesting buildings, I think I'll visit the Tate Modern, but I'm not madly interested in modern art so will mainly just look at the building.

Nice areas to wander round and drink coffee and read books? Covent Garden?

Should I take a day trip somewhere further afield, is Hampton Court Palace worth a visit?

I still have a notion to visit the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace. I realise they're probably not very interesting but I'd like to see them all the same.

Oh and maybe nice cocktail bars. I'm not that interested in shopping.

Any suggestions welcome. I've wanted kid-free time in London for so long and now I have it I don't know what I want to do with it.

I've only got 3 days as well.

I think Punchdrunk has closed now

Yes - there is one at Docklands that is still open

As you are thinking about Hampton court I would buy Historic Royal palaces membership and do one day at Kensington palace, one day at the Tower of London and one day at Hampton Court. If it’s still possible to book on your days.
And I would buy a book in each about the place and sit and read with a cup of coffee.

The Waterstones at Gower St near UCL is enormous and always had a big sale section.

Take a walk through the City of London, Leadenhall is very interesting to see and there are loads of old and new buildings there. I'm also very fond of the Museum of London.

If you like Dickens, the Dickens museum is not far from the Foundling hospital.

@MakingPlans2025 Viola's Room is on at punchdrunk next week. I havent been yet, but theyre usually fun!

You could go for a walk []https://secretldn.com/sightseeing-london-map-walking-route/
A river boat with commentary from Westminster to Greenwich and then there’s the Maritime Museum, the Cutty Sark, the Queens House, the Royal Naval College and the Royal Observatory to choose from.

Sorry but I live in Catford (very close to Airthrill actually) and I'm laughing at Catford being the highlight of your trip - you might be the first person in the world to say that 😁

Since you're obviously comfortable with going south, if one day the weather is nice and you just want to sit outside with a glass of wine and a book, I'd strongly suggest Beckenham Place Park, which is a gem of a park in South East London.

I spend a lot of time alone in London (including Catford yes) and there's nothing like sitting outside with a book. London has a lot to offer for that, whether it's parks, beergardens or cute coffee shops.

My favourite places to have a coffee / drink and read a book:

Angel / Islington - probably my favourite area in London. There's a japanese coffee-shop called Katsute, it's super cute and there's a nice garden in the back.

Ladywell / Brockley - Very "normal" London but very relaxed, family oriented and just nice. There's a bar called Joyce, I could spend hours there.

Victoria park village - Head to Pophams for a good coffee, and try to sit outside to watch people.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I wondered if people would be bored of "What can I do in London?" type posts so thank you.

I will definitely swim. That sounds like a fab idea. I've never done that before. Which is best do you reckon?

LOOP knitting shop.

In two minds about the dinosaurs. I know they're a bit out of the way and the kids always thought they would be boring compared to today's animatronic models but I can just imagine people being fascinated by them when they were new. I think I will probably go, visit the nearby museum, and if they're rubbish I'll never visit again. But I'm glad at least one other person here thinks they're worth seeing

My ex husband took me to see the dinosaurs, he hadn't been since he was a kid. He was disappointed that they seemed smaller than he remembered. I pointed out that he'd got considerably bigger in the intervening 20 years.....😂

Brick lane for the market, walk up to Caledonian road if the flower market is on. Fascinating area with loads of interest and diversity

@User050105

https://www.walks.com/

This is what you need. They are excellent. Pick your subject and have a guided walk.

The Painted Hall in Greenwich is something special.
The Maritime Museum is also nearby.

If you head up to Loop, Noci in Islington do a great pasta lunch menu, and make a decent aperol.

I would probably plan my days around nice lunches, to be honest - lots of the big restaurants do good value lunch menus. If you go to the Foundling Museum, have a potter down Lamb’s Conduit Street and head to Noble Rot or La Fromagerie for a drink/lunch.

You could do the Docklands museum and then get the Elizabeth line out to Woolwich Arsenal - Woolwich Works is quite nice, and they’re trying really hard to make it a pleasant place to visit.

Just to add @User050105

Tate Britain and Beautiful Knitters (only 10min walk from TB)

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain

https://beautifulknitters.co.uk/

Docklands Museum of London is fascinating. There is loads there, so you might not have time to do all of it, but the history of the docks is fascinating and might give you a bit of an insight into what Woolwhich was like in the past.

Books and cocktails? Waterstones on Piccadilly has a bar. Happy hour is 5-8pm.

https://5th-view-bar-and-food.co.uk

Although I prefer book shopping at Daunts and the nearby molecular cocktail bar Purl in Marylebone. Marylebone High Street has lovely shops, even for someone who doesn’t like shopping, and good restaurants.

Dennis Severs house is another one to add to the list of social history museums. Leighton House is stunning. It’s worth combining a visit to nearby Sambourne House, if you do go.

https://dennissevershouse.co.uk

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/sambourne-house

www.walklondon.com

Why don’t you do a walk, taking in the sights. A few ideas on this website. I did the ‘ City of London’ tour a couple of years ago which took around both more well known and lesser well known points off interest. You can do as much or little as you want.

If you don’t fancy swimming in the Serpentine duck poo 💩 there is always the heated outdoor pool at the Oasis in Holborn/Covent Garden.

secretldn.com/oasis-sports-centre-swimming-pool/

I second this and Camden Passage is nice to wander down. Lots of places to have a coffee or a drink.

Greenwich.. You've got The palace, observatory and Maritime Museum. Then a 10 minute walk through the park will bring you out to The Cutty Sark and Greenwich Market that has tons of interesting little shops.. You've also got The tunnel that runs under the Thames.
You're also only about 5 miles away from Crystal Palace.

Museum of the Home and the Museum of Childhood are both well worth a visit.

Can recommend Uber boat to woolwich, there is a museum there and the old naval buildings are lovely.

I would also recommend the Horniman museum in Forest Hill if you combine it with the dinosaurs.

There is an outdoor pool in Hampton if you go over to Hampton court. i would prefer Parliament Hill pool in Hampstead over the Covent Garden one, but depends what time you have. Brockwell in Brixton is also very nice.

I found a walk tracing the path of the London Wall. which was interesting. There's a fab museum in the crypt of the All Hallows church by the Tower of London nearby the start. I also digressed from it and walked around the Barbican- social history housing.

You can also get a lift up to the top floor where the Oxo Tower is for a different view. Brick lane, Spitalfields market and Liverpool street were all areas I enjoyed exploring too.

I love the dinosaurs but we are fairly local and always with small kids. Horniman Museum is lovely but always totally over run with kids and buggies, so maybe not the vibe. It's not too much of a trek though if you tie it in with some other places on the Overground.

I love all of our green spaces in London and we always head to these or the river and canals.

A walk along Regents Canal from Little Venice to Camden is lovely and plenty of places to stop off along the way/spot some zoo animals from the inside. Or walk from Regents Park station through the park, past the zoo and up Primrose Hill, potter around the high street then up to Chalk Farm station/Camden.

Highgate Cemetery and Waterlow Park is a really nice walk, again with some nice stop off places for food and drink. Or a walk from Golders Green Park and cafe down through Hampstead Heath to Parliament Hill, maybe a swim in the ladies' pond or Parliament Hill Lido.

I love a solo gallery trip - Tate Britain is particularly nice and then a walk along the river.

Borough Market and the South Bank down to the Tate Modern and then the South Bank Centre at Waterloo

Check out the posh shops on Kings' Road (can tie this in with the gorgeous Albert Bridge and Battersea Park) or have a wander around Notting Hill to look at Portobello Road and all the lovely garden squares, then down into Hyde Park.