5 Quirky and Unexpectedly Brilliant Things to Do in London
💂♀️ Because we’ve all done Big Ben, now let’s get weird (and fabulous).
1. Take a Dip in a Victorian Lido in Hampstead Heath
Yes, London has wild swimming and no, you don’t have to be outdoorsy to love it! The Hampstead Ponds are leafy, calm(ish), and oddly magical. One moment you’re in North London, the next you’re channelling lake goddess energy while dodging a goose.
🛟 Tip: Women’s pond is separate, cold, and absolutely spiritual.
*You can also try wild swimming in Hyde Park – specific times of the day.
2. Get Lost in God’s Own Junkyard (Literally)
Tucked in Walthamstow, this neon-lit wonderland is part art gallery, and part vintage Vegas fever dream. God’s Own Junkyard is filled with retro signs, glowing angels, and the kind of Instagram backdrops that make your feed pop!
🎨 Entry is free, the café serves cakes the size of your head, and it’s weird in all the right ways.
3. Dine in the Dark at Dans Le Noir
Ever wanted to eat a three-course meal in complete darkness, served by blind or visually impaired staff? Welcome to Dans Le Noir, where you lose your sight but gain every other sensation.
🍷 It’s surreal, intimate, slightly messy (don’t wear white), and oddly emotional. You’ll never look at mashed potato the same again.
4. Go Monster Hunting at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
Yes, it’s a real shop. Yes, you can buy bottled human snot, tins of “A Vague Sense of Unease,” or a “Night Terror Survival Kit.” And yes, it’s secretly linked to a brilliant charity helping kids with creative writing.
🧟♂️ Come for the giggles, leave with a jar of fear. Totally normal.
The kids will love the quirkiness of it all! I promise.
5. Visit Eel Pie Island (and try to explain it later)
A private island on the Thames with a bizarre rock ’n’ roll past, quirky artists’ studios, and a serious “what even is this?” vibe. Open to the public only a few days a year, Eel Pie Island is part magical escape, part fever dream.
🎸 Think: Hippie ghosts, river views, and creative chaos wrapped in ivy. I mean…. who wouldn’t love it?
London isn’t just red buses and tourist queues! London is layered, weird, wonderful, and full of hidden gems if you’re willing to wander a little off the ‘safe’ track. There’s something liberating about ditching the guidebook and exploring with curiosity instead of a checklist. You don’t have to cram in every attraction to have a brilliant time. Sometimes the best memories come from that odd little shop you stumbled into, the café down a side street, or the museum you didn’t even know existed let alone plan to visit! Think outside the box. Get lost on purpose. Be a little nosey. That’s where the real London magic lives.
