looking for new fun things to do in beloved London

I took a tour of Parliament last year and really enjoyed it. That says a lot because I usually don't like tours.

You can check out the baby pelicans at St. James Park.

https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park/pelicans-st-jamess-park

Haven't done Oxford either but it's a bit far for a day trip I think.

The train from Paddington to Oxford takes just a little over an hour so it is quite doable as a day trip.

Cambridge is also an easy daytrip from Kings Cross. The Rick Steves England guide has a good section on Cambridge which includes a self-guided walk. I did that and also took a walking tour that I booked through the tourist office. On my first trip to Cambridge, I attended Evensong at King’s College Chapel.

I’ve been to both the Museum of the Home (previously called the Geffrye Museum) and the Dennis Severs House, but it has probably been 15 to 20 years since I visited either. I thought they were both interesting for a short visit but I’d read about them to see if they are places that appeal to you. A less visited place that I found interesting was the Benjamin Franklin House.

Been visiting and exploring London since Nixon was in office. Last jaunt for 6 weeks was in 2024.
Always another neighborhood to explore, a park to wander, new spots to dine and another free museum to appreciate.

Last jaunt found the Hunterian Museum intriguing, the Parkland Trail from Finsbury Park to Crouch End a pleasant meander, the street art of Shoreditch visually appealing and cafes like the Blue Owl an ideal coffee spot.

Might I suggest you consider:

The Art Line Walk
Seeing the red fallow deer in Richmond Park
Visiting the Battersea Power Station Conversion
Visiting Mudchute Farm
Climbing atop the Millennium Dome
A movie at The Prince Charles
Visiting a converted loo in Clapham or Bloomsbury for a cocktail or meal

Countless things to do and see throughout London and its various neighborhoods

Alternative London’s Street Art tour! My friend has recommended this to folks from all walks and ages, and everyone (myself included) loved it. The docents are artists themselves, and do a tremendous job helping you appreciate what you’re looking at. It’s also a great launch pad for a neighborhood that’s mostly passed over by tourists. A curry on Brick Lane afterwards is a must.

Would you enjoy seeing CS Lewis's house in Oxford? You can get to the house of the writer and scholar and associated sites by taking the Oxford Tube (https://www.oxfordtube.com/); it is a bus line, not a subway line. The Oxford Tube has eight stops in London.

In 2017, I saw Lewis's house, his grave and the Eagle and Child pub, where he and friends in the Inklings writing group would talk about literature and drink beer. The house and grave are in Headington, a suburb of Oxford with stop on the Oxford Tube, and the pub is in central Oxford. A taxi can take you between Headington and Oxford, where you can pick up the Oxford Tube to go back to London.

Here is a post I wrote nine years ago about my visit to Lewis's House: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/i-too-was-surprised-by-joy

There are so so so many things that are "hidden," if you can give a bit more info on what you're interested in (e.g. historic homes, small museums, parks, churches, historic sites) then I can help.

Geffrye Museum/Museum of the Home is very good, altho it's not super huge. They have a few period rooms set up which are fun.

Dennis Severs House is great, especially to visit after dark, very atmospheric.

I cannot highly enough recommend a Big Ben tour- wow- it's so amazing to be up there at the top with the bells and then behind the clockface. You need to book those tickets as soon as they go on sale so check the website and plan ahead (not sure if by Friday you meant this Friday or one coming up). Parliament tour is good as well but hard to beat climbing Big Ben.

Cambridge and Oxford are both about the same distance and very good for a day trip. For me, there's a bit more to do in Oxford (in addition to the colleges, you have the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt-Rivers Museum, Bodeian Library, etc). The Bodleian Library is one of the best sites in the city but this is another one you need to book as soon as tickets are released- again you can check the website.

If you like theatre, there are tours of the Royal Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and the National Theatre. Tours of the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre take you backstage as well as through the front of house areas. Both the Opera House and National Theatre also do themed tours (ex. with a focus on Costume design or the architecture).

I'm going to push for Oxford, too, because I love it so much. Honestly, though, if you're able to, I would consider spending a couple of nights there. It's such a wonderful city with so much to see and do that you'll barely scratch the surface on a day trip.

But if you can't, a day trip is certainly better than nothing. Plus as Laura pointed outra, it's really not that long to get there.

how about:

Dinner at Sarastro before a theater show in the West End. (Operation mincemeat?)

Dinner at Circlo Populare

Charles Dickens Musuem

Postal Museum and underground rail ride

Bletchley park

Kew Gardens, take boat on the thames one way or round trip.

Leake Street tunnel.

Ben Franklin house

Beatles Walking tour in London

Day trip to Cambridge, take walking tour, take a punting excursion on the river

Day trip to Oxford- lots of sights to see here.

Day tour out to highclere castle ( if you are a Downton abbey fan)

See Witness for the Prosecution at County hall

do the dinner and show- Mamma Mia the party at the O2

Sunday roast dinner at a pub of your choice.

Last time I was in London, I went to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. It’s a bit of a trek and kind of niche, but if you’re a Morris fan, it’s well worth the trip — they have an original piece of The Strawberry Thief wallpaper.

Also a bit out there, but worth the trip, we enjoyed London Museum Docklands. From Waterloo pier, we took the Uber boat out and DLR (Docklands Light Railway) plus the tube back.

On our next trip to London in March, I plan to check out the V & A East Storehouse, which just opened last year. I’ve been to other museum warehouses and really enjoy a behind the scenes experience.

Last time I was there I took a London Walks tour of the East part of the Thames.
It focused on Brunel’s bridges and his history.
It was partially by boat.
The Wallace Collection museum behind Oxford St is really good, especially if you get a docent explaining it all.

On our next trip to London in March, I plan to check out the V & A East Storehouse, which just opened last year

JenS should really enjoy going there. We did last fall, although trying to get there by Tube and bus was frustrating, because there was a football (soccer) game going on at the stadium nearby. It had been the stadium for the 2012 Olympics, and is now home for the West Ham United team, and the game caused cancellations and huge delays for public transportation.

Since then, a separate, new V&A East Museum has opened, and it’s a 12-15 minute walk from the Storehouse. You’d be one of the first to see it, if you went to one or both of those latest V&A’s.

Richmond is a great daytrips. I see both Richmond Park and Kew mentioned above. Those two locations would make a VERY full day, so pick one or consider 3 nights in Richmond for a change of pace.

Bletchley Park also a worthwhile journey and be sure to check Time Out or https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/ for upcoming special exhibits and events. I followed Ian Visits’ newsletter for a few months prior to our last visit and picked up on a couple of exhibitions that would occur during our brief 3-night stop.

Like you, we’ve been there a LOT for stays of 1 or 14 nights as it is an easy stopover when arriving or departing Europe.

If you like art, there is Leighton House in Holland Park (Pre-raphaelites) and the Dulwich Picture Gallery (major historical artists - eg Rembrandt).
Highgate cemetery (Karl Marx).

Cyn, thanks for the heads up on getting to V&A Storehouse. I’ll keep an eye on arena events and plan around that.