Things to do in London

edgyasasatsuma recommends: I loved walking on Marylebone High Street when I lived there. The architecture in that area is fantastic. I recommend going into Daunt Books. It’s also near The Wallace Collection, my favorite museum. The Columbia Road flower market is also lovely. jennifercwlee agrees: It’s still a pretty touristy thing but I love the Columbia Road Market on Sundays! Such a nice place with good food and very unique little shops.

booksloveback recommends: Go to the Icebar in Mayfair!

denimcollar recommends: Going for a drink and maybe a meal at The Dove in Hammersmith that was frequented by Ernest Hemingway! It also claims to have the smallest bar in Britain.  

robinburks recommends: The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. It’s been done since the 14th Century and is fascinating to watch and experience some of the ‘pomp and circumstance’ of royal London. lindseykeeler also says: No question! Ceremony of the Keys! For visitors it takes a bit of preparation because you need tickets in advance, but it’s a moment you will remember forever. I mean when else do you get to help lockup at night in the Tower of London?

dorothyinengland recommends: They’re a bit touristy but fun ones: the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker Street (which is also near a Beatles memorabilia store and a Rock ‘n’ Roll memorabilia store. The British Museum is amazing – just don’t go on Sunday when it’s absolutely packed.

thecakemaster recommends: Bus hopping! Take a random bus to the end of the line or a place that looks interesting and get off and get another bus. Just remember the bus numbers you got on before. (You can also take a London bus tour from these firms: The Original London Sightseeing Tour, or Big Bus Tours, or CitySightSeeing)

tenderlion recommends: Wake up on Saturday morning and go for breakfast somewhere along Brick Lane.  If you’re a musician, then make your way to Denmark Street and enjoy the architecture and some of the best guitar shops in the world! If music’s not your bag, then I suggest perusing one of the fantastic flea markets in the East End; the market at Spitalfields is renowned for its trinkets of all shapes and sizes, while Portobello Road antiques market retains a sense of beauty, history and Britishness that cannot be ignored. Then, if you’re up for it, be a punter at an English Premier League football match! Feel the waves of energy and power as thousands of drunken British men sing their teams on to glory in the stands. You’ve got options aplenty in the East End as well: Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge, Fulham play at Craven Cottage, West Ham at Upton Park, or join the rabid fans of Millwall. It will be a day well spent I assure you!

dearhoneybee recommends: I went to London last summer with my parents and found that one thing you absolutely must do while in London is visit a pub for drinks or dinner. The pubs in London are different and way more authentic from the pubs in North America. It will also give you a chance to taste some traditional foods or ales.

seabookmonger recommends: Treats at Maison Bertaux in Soho on a drippy day. Browse indie publisher Persephone Press on Lamb’s Conduit and attend a talk at London Review Bookshop. See the actual Rosetta stone and drink milky tea.

aza1234 recommends: I literally like going everywhere! I went a few months ago on my own and just walked and explored, I think that’s the best thing to do, I like it at night and the atmosphere, also places like Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square and catching the tube.

antiquethoughts suggests: Someone might have mentioned this already, but if you’re a Beatles fan, Abbey Road is a great place. If you visit their studio you can leave a memo on the wall, and also cross the street where The Beatles did on their album cover, Abbey Road.

saraconcoco said: I love Borough Market. It has a lot of interesting and unique foods, and even if you’re not food shopping, the area is gorgeous and it’s fun to window shop. It has a certain old-timey feel!

thedevilturnedup said: In case nobody suggested it yet: I thought Brompton Cemetery was absolutely beautiful (in nice weather, of course). A scene from the Guy Ritchie ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movie was filmed there.

meglichte recommends: I enjoy walking along the Thames at night, going down to touch the super gross water. I love walking through Piccadilly as all the clubs shut for the night and watch the people interact. I like traveling to Brixton to learn more about human rights violations and about Electric Avenue. I used to love going to Boombox, the dance party in Hoxton Square. Also used to love chilling on the spinning floor at The Foundry at Old Street. Or basking in the pukey smell of The Good Mixer in Camden.