London is one of my favorite cities. I've been lucky enough to visit many times, but I've still only scratched the surface of what's available. That said, these are some places I've been and can recommend to a new visitor. ## Museums - [Sir John Soane’s museum](https://www.soane.org) - A quirky museum in a converted row house. Soane was a famous architect in the early 1800s, and this is his private collection of art and architecture from his world travels. - [V&A South Kensington](https://www.vam.ac.uk/south-kensington) - Our favorite London museum. I love the architecture and furniture section on the top floor. - [London Transport Museum](https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk) - If you like trains, trams, double-decker buses, and black cabs, this is a can’t-miss museum about the history of London transit. - [British Museum](http://britishmuseum.org/) - The big dog of London Museums. Like the Louvre in Paris, it’s enormous and over-crowded, but it’s got a collection like no other. You gotta go at least once. - [Novelty Automation](https://www.novelty-automation.com/) - Sort of a museum, but more a tiny arcade / interactive art project. Completely quirky and delightful home-made machines that you can actually play with. ## Theatre There are endless options of shows to see in London. We’ve seen and can strongly recommend: [Hadestown](https://uk.hadestown.com), [Operation Mincemeat](https://operationmincemeat.com), and [The Play that Goes Wrong](https://www.mischiefcomedy.com/whats-on/the-play-that-goes-wrong/london/). I usually check [London Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk) to see what's on when I'm going to be in town, but will try to buy tickets directly from the theatre, if possible. If you're already in London, a stop by [TKTS London](https://officiallondontheatre.com/ticket-booth/) for half-price tickets is absolutely worth doing, but get there on the early side, if you can. Any production at the following are likely to be worth seeing: - [Shakespeare’s Globe](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com) - This is my favorite *place* in the world to see theatre. Whatever’s on it’s going to be a high-quality production. I’ve been a groundling; it’s fun once, but I’d rather sit. I highly recommend springing for a reserved seat and a seat cushion. - [The National](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/home-us/) - The National always does top-notch productions. Take a chance on whatever’s on. ## Restaurants - [Tas Pide](https://tasrestaurants.co.uk/tas-pide) - If you’re seeing a show at the Globe, Tas Pide is right across the street and it’s super-yummy food. - [The Ship Tavern](https://theshiptavern.co.uk) - This is a 400-year-old pub with tons of character. We’ve eaten here twice and were not disappointed. ## Parks and Public Spaces - [St. James Park](https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park) - The jewel of London parks, as far as I’m concerned. It’s near Buckingham Palace, so you can pop over for a quick glimpse of the changing of the guard, if you’re so inclined. Plus, it connects to The Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens, so you can just explore the pathways for ages. - [South Bank](https://southbank.london) - Go for a walk or run right along the Thames. Start just across the river from the Parliament building and Big Ben, stroll past the London Eye and the National Theatre, past vendors, public art, and diversions of all sorts and end up down near the Globe. It’s a delightful way to spend a day. --- **Relates to**: [[travel]], [[London]]