Myself and 14 year old son trip to London, what do we do during the evenings?

[Confused92739572]

Im taking my son to London for 5 nights next week. I have tickets booked to the attractions and an itinerary planned but will only take me up to about 5pm
What do we do after that time? I must admit I feel slightly vulnerable and dont know if i will feel safe after a certain time.
But also dont want to be stuck in a travelodge room with him from that early either.
We are staying in tower bridge area. Area looks abit sketchy. Want to get a taxi back to the hotel each evening.
Am I being silly? Any ideas of things to do? We will eat during the day so won't want to go out for an evening meal and he won't be interested in seeing a show

Go for a walk around china town, the W hotel is right there, go to the bar and relax with snacks , ice cream etc

South bank great and very close. Film at the BFI, last minute theatre at national theatre or Globe? Also IMAX cinema at Waterloo. Great restaurants on Bermondsey street. Area not too bad, just keep your wits about you!!

Where are you from? I’m from the midlands & was kind of stunned by how late shops etc are open in London 😂.

We went in July. Shops were open until 10pm & everywhere was still busy well into the evening. Even on Sundays the hours are 12 to 6 rather than 10 to 4 in the rest of the country.

We browsed Oxford Street until maybe 8pm, had tea at Pizza Hut near Marble Arch & got back to our hotel at maybe 10pm. It’s a different world to where we live.

Stranger things the first shadow is on at the phoenix theatre at the moment, if he's a fan? It's a great show.
I was worried about navigating London and being sage with my teen dd but it was totally fine. We walked 10-15 mins back to hotel at night, loads of people around and felt safe.

Walk down South Bank along the river from Waterloo to Borough Market - free, lots of famous landmarks, good people watching and cool street food stalls, you'll go past the skateboard park and just take in the vibes. Have a mooch around Gabriels Wharf, the free mini art gallery in the Oxo Towers, you can pass (or visit) the Tate Modern and the Globe. My teens love it.

I went away with my DS similar age and you have some great advice but for 3 nights we got back for our adventures tucked up and ordered in food, we live rurally so we don’t have a delivery service the novelty of sitting in bed eating Chinese food!!

To be fair he still talks about the food and the noodles etc we were both fast sleep by about 10pm and it was bliss!

so give yourself permission to do that as well as he may just want a lounge about and some food after your busy days. Enjoy!!

I know you said no shows but if there are tickets for The Comedy about Spies it is worth seeing .

Just potter around the south bank or borough market area or anywhere central. Everything’s open late and busy, you can walk straight to your hotel from busy areas it isn’t rough don’t worry - I’ve stayed there before.

We did the open top bus tour in the evening with our teens and they loved it, it was so beautiful seeing everywhere lit up.

There are loads of offices etc near Tower Bridge so definitely a safe place! And the river there is wonderful with the view of the Tower of London/Shard.

Just wander along the river and soak up the vibe in the evening ! He'll love it

Will you really not want to eat an evening meal?

OP might not want to, but I can't imagine a lad of 14 not wanting to eat in the evening!

China Town in the evening is fun too (and reasonably priced and yummy food)

Tower Bridge is lovely :)
These are the times when the bridge's bascules are set to lift to admit a taller ship to pass through https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times

I'm not sure if the film If (U, 2024) is too young for him but it's being screened completely free at the SCOOP amphitheatre at 'More London', which is between London Bridge station and Tower Bridge, this Tuesday at 7pm. Recommend getting there half an hour early for seats (big concrete steps). Location is https://what3words.com/goat.signal.mini (there are nice public loos nearby or were the last time I was there plus an M&S and other shops for snacks. Also there will be riverside snacks as the film event is part of 'Summer By The River'. [Note that the King's Cross free films end tomorrow evening].

Once at Scoop you're also on the same side as Hay's Galleria (massive and beautiful structure, with a mix of fancy and regular shops (there's a Boots and a Pret nearby), it's right next to Tooley Street too and London Bridge station, and a short walk from Borough Market and a slightly longer walk to The Globe Theatre.

Could also take a Thames Clipper ferry ('river taxi') to North Greenwich (approx £22 for adult return and £11 for child) from Tower Pier and go on the cable car and back (£13 roundtrip adult, £6.50 child under 15). Does he like pylons?... (bit niche but you never know!) as there's one you can walk under on the Royal Docks side :)

Tower Pier and London Bridge City Pier are on opposite sides of the river and LBCP is same side as Scoop.

Are you or he interested in science, history or any particular subject? Might be able to find some evening talks to attend...

Jo

Some great suggestions here @Confused92739572

I second lots of them and would definitely suggest you consider a show. Maybe not, yunno, Phantom, but there are loads of things that might appeal. What Shakespeare is he doing for GCSE? Could you see if that is on anywhere? Or if not, then the big big cinema screens are special too – the big ones in Leicester Square for example.

Please don’t be worried about taking the tube – it’s is perfectly safe and will be busy through the evening. DD and I often go to London for concerts and plays and get the tube home at 10.30pm, all good. As others say, maybe just don’t have your phone out. Don’t waste money on taxis if it’s just about safety concerns, there’s no need.

I would also suggest eating out, surely you will be hungry? Chinatown is a great experience, there’s street food, amazing cuisine in loads of places in London.

Hope you have a great time, London is a special place for sure.

Can’t believe you’re going to spend 5 nights in London with a teen and not go out after 5!!!!!!
I was in London with my 12 and 15 year olds over the last week both girls. 2 separate trips. Saw two shows. Shopped. Ate. Walked the streets. Caught the bus and the tube. Caught trains at 11pm. Never once felt threatened or at risk.
Woman up!
Find a show/theatre and take him!

London as a whole is VERY safe and you certainly needn’t worry about the Tower Bridge area.

Definitely go on the Uber boat at sundown - great way to see so much whilst relaxing. And there is a bar on board!

The top of a double decker bus is another great way to see so much: routes 15, 11, 9, 24 come to mind. Get a bus map.

You should really see a couple of shows, e.g. The Play That Goes Wrong, Witness for the Prosecution, Operation Mincemeat, or a musical. Check out the TKTS website.

The PROMS are on until (I think) mid- September. Book promming (= standing) tickets for the day online (just £8). Great music and great atmosphere. The Gallery is more relaxed than the Arena. Late night Proms tend to be a bit more ‘edgy’ than the main events.

So many museums…… Imperial War Museum, Natural History, British Museum, the National Gallery…

Good places to eat with several branches that don’t break the bank: Tas, Prezzo, Wildwood, l’Ulivio.

And do wander through St. James’s Park, but try to do so in the morning as it gets busy.

I live in London and have worked around that area before. You'll be fine to wander around in the evening, you just keep your wits about you in the same way you would during the day. The biggest risk will be pick pocketing and phone snatching but in the 25 years I have lived here I have not had that happen to me.
Some evenings options could be:
Clays - Virtual clay pigeon shooting
F1 Arcade - formula 1 machine racing by St Pauls. The food is good here too.
Fairgame - arcade type place in Canary Wharf. Plenty of places to eat round there too.
Boom Battle Bar - think there is one in Aldgate. Axe throwing, pool, crazy golf, shuffleboard. Might be time limits for under 18s though
Skygarden
Night tour bus
Cinema

Hope you have a lovely time. London is wonderful, especially in the summer.

Midsummer Nights Dream at The Bridge ( next to Tower Bridge) is immersive and so much fun for even teenage boys.standing tickets are cheap

Also immersive experience Phantom Peak is supposed to be very good

The top of a double decker bus is another great way to see so much: routes 15, 11, 9, 24 come to mind.

No.11 route has changed. It buggers off south of the river now instead of going to the City.

Something else to do - Docklands Museum near Canary Wharf then go and eat fish and chips in the Prospect of Whitby. If you're lucky you can get a table right over the river. That's all in walking distance of the Tower - I know, because I've walked it.

oooh yes promming tickets is a thought! Only £8 for some marvellous music. We’re going to the Marriage of Figaro in a couple of weeks. Next week Beethoven’s ninth (Ode to Joy) is on which would be amazing. If you do this you need to be quick on the website first thing to book. Your DS might love it!

I came to say exactly this - A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre (right by Tower Bridge) is utterly joyful and hilarious - my two teens loved it a few weeks ago. And they do half price tickets for young people. Definitely get the standing ones!

OP honestly please don't worry about safety

The two risks are 1. Pickpockets...don't leave your bag on the floor when you're in a cafe. 2. the phone thieves who target people holding their phone in the air.

Neither is a risk to your person and can be avoided just by being sensible.

Today Tix app. Rush Seats a Theatre show. He would love The Choir of Man

Ooh, Enigma Quests is a lot of fun too

Yes why did they change the glorious number 11 route?