7 days of indoor family fun in London

Explore everything astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. You’ll see where east meets west, discover how the seas and the stars were first mapped out by scientific pioneers, and explore the historic home of the first Astronomer Royal.One of the most important historical scientific sites in the world, the Royal Observatory Greenwich, offers an educational and entertaining visit back in time. There’s a host of things to see in this fascinating museum, learn how time was standardized, how the first telescope was made, and how science and astronomy have changed through the ages. You’ll also get to explore legendary inventions such as the UK’s largest refracting telescope and get hands-on with a 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid.And while you’re there, don’t forget to take in one of the best views in the city outside of the Observatory.

Soccer stadiums don’t come much more hi-tech than Tottenham’s, the winner of multiple prestigious awards for design and architecture.Here’s your chance to go behind the scenes, with access to the very changing room used by the first team. Imagine the roar of the crowd as you make your way through the players' tunnel and run out pitch-side. You can even take a seat in the manager’s chair!It’s a self-guided tour, so you can take your time and soak up the atmosphere of the place. Grab a multimedia device for fascinating stories and exclusive interviews with the club’s legendary players. Tour guides around the stadium will answer your questions to help bring the stadium to life.You’ll also learn about the stadium’s impressive retractable pitch, which transforms the space for a range of other uses – not least as the home of the NFL in London.

Walk in the footsteps of Olympic legends and football greats with a fascinating tour of one of London’s most impressive stadiums.The London Stadium, formerly known as the Olympic Stadium in Stratford,was commissioned for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the 2012 Summer Paralympics. During this time, it served as the athletics track and field venue and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Since 2013, the stadium has received over 5.7 million visitors. It has hosted the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, the 2017 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships,the London 2017 World Athletics Championships, the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series, Soccer Aid for UNICEF, and performers like TheRolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Beyoncé, Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.Go behind the scenes on this fascinating tour, and enjoyaccess to the players’ tunnel and pitch-side access to the managers’ dugouts. You’ll also get to explore the home changing room, hospitality restaurant and indoor athletics track.

The iconic Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse in which Shakespeare worked, and for which he wrote many of his most famous plays!Their expert guide-storytellers provide a fascinating 50-minute tour of the Globe Theatre auditorium, vividly recreating colourful stories of the 1599 Playhouse, the London Shakespeare would have known and the Globe reconstruction process in the 1990s. Their guides will also bring the theatre to life for visitors, exploring how the ‘wooden ‘O’ works today as an imaginative and experimental space for performance.You’ll hear stories of the 1599 Globe, learn all about its reconstruction process in the 1990s, and find out how the building works today as an experimental theatre space. Take a seat, listen, absorb and ask questions as the secrets of the Globe unfold.Tours are available in English only, with written information available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, or Simplified Chinese.

This 1-hour guided tour will bring you even closer to the matchday experience as you go behind the scenes into the most exclusive areas of Stamford Bridge.Chelsea’s live tour guides lead you through Stamford Bridge on a fantastic 60-minute experience, including Dressing Rooms, Press Room, players’ tunnel, pitch-side and much more.The Chelsea FC Museum, home to the most complete collection of football silverware in London, can be visited either before or after the tour and is included in the price of the visit.Each guest receives a free Chelsea FC lanyard and the opportunity for an official photograph with both the 2012 and 2021 UEFA Champions League trophies on arrival (photos must be purchased separately).You’ll be able to download a digital guide to your device, which features stunning videos, 360-degree films, historical footage and quiz content to enhance your visit at the start of the tour.The guide is available in 12 languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Mandarin, Japanese, Thai and Arabic, and tells the full history of the club from 1905 to the present day.

QUEENS has been entertaining Londoners of all ages since the 1930s when it was known as the QUEENS Ice Club.The ice rink here has legendary status: it was the first to be used for televised ice-skating on the BBC and is often used as a practice rink for contestants on Dancing On Ice.You get an hour to strut your stuff on the ice, whether you’re performing pirouettes and jumps, or just trying to get round the rink without falling over!There’s plenty more to do at QUEENS after your skating session. Challenge your friends to a game of bowling. Better still, book your own private VIP ‘liquor lanes’ with private bar, host and comfy velvet banquettes.Head for the arcades to relive your lost youth playing classic video games including Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong and Tetris.You’re sure to have worked up an appetite after all that. The Meatliquor diner serves a mean burger, plus fried chicken, stacks of sides and an excellent selection of cocktails and craft beers.

Follow in the footsteps of legends with an all-access tour of the iconic Wembley Stadium. It’s home to English football and plays host to all domestic club competitions such as the FA Cup Final, as well as international fixtures, other major sporting events and concerts.On arrival, you’ll be taken on a guided tour experience through Wembley Stadium with all its events and magic moments enhanced by a Wembley app that you download on your phone for the duration of your visit. Your Wembley Tour experience includes ‘The Crossbar Exhibition’ and ‘Walk of Legends’ which display objects dating back to the Empire Exhibition of 1924, as well as the famous crossbar from the 1966 World Cup final. You’ll also see the Olympic flag from the 1948 Olympics and Ed Sheeran’s guitar from his 2018 sell-out solo shows at the Stadium.After you’ve learnt all about Wembley’s history, you’ll get the chance to explore the stadium in full. You’ll see the Royal Box, the players’ changing rooms, the press conference room, and much more. You’ll even get the chance to walk through the players’ tunnel and right up to the pitch. Your experience will be enhanced by a newly updated app featuring exclusive, rich content with stories and facts shared through text, graphics and video.

Step behind the scenes at one of London’s most iconic football clubs and experience Arsenal FC like never before.Walk down the players’ tunnel, stand in the home changing room and soak up the atmosphere of a stadium that hosts 60,000 roaring fans on match days. Take in the pitchside views, peek inside the Directors’ Box and Diamond Club, and imagine the pre-match adrenaline.Newly added areas, including the Head Coach’s office and the Physio Room, give you a glimpse into where strategy is planned and players are prepped before a game. As you explore, interactive video features allow you to hear from players, watch behind-the-scenes footage and even try out the Arsenal interactive shirt cam.The Arsenal Museum complements the tour, showcasing iconic memorabilia from the club’s history. Highlights include Jens Lehmann’s goalkeeper gloves from the unbeaten Invincibles season, Michael Thomas’s boots from the legendary 1989 Anfield match, and shirts from FA Cup finals across the decades.With video theatres, twenty major displays, and a collection of historic kits, this tour is a must for football fans and sports history enthusiasts alike.

This award-winning museum charts the story of Britain’s postal service through a range of fascinating exhibits that help you learn about its origins and evolution over time.Get up close and personal to the sheets of the world’s first postage stamp or try your hand at sorting through mail on a train carriage. You’ll also get the chance to see a historic mail coach that delivered mail around the country in the 1800s while learning about the history of Britain’s Mail Rail and riding through its old tunnels on an authentic Mail Rail train. With over 60,000 unique objects in the museum and numerous interactive activities to keep you busy, you’ll learn everything there is to know about postal communication while having lots of fun in the process.

Get ready to dive into the world of The King's Mounted Bodyguard at The Household Cavalry Museum! This isn't your typical museum experience – here, you'll get up close and personal with history as you explore the fascinating past and present-day role of the Household Cavalry. Wander through the working stables, where you can witness the troopers in action, and uncover the captivating stories of the regiment through interactive exhibits, personal anecdotes, and rare artifacts. Nestled within the historic Horse Guards in vibrant Whitehall, The Household Cavalry Museum is a true gem of London's past. Dating back to 1750, this iconic building still serves as the beating heart of the Army in London. Step inside, and you'll find yourself immersed in the timeless traditions of the Household Cavalry, where the daily ceremony of the King's Life Guard has stood unchanged since 1660. The museum's setting provides a unique backdrop, transporting visitors back in time to experience the rich history and ongoing activities of the regiment.Since its grand opening by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007, The Household Cavalry Museum has offered a rare glimpse behind the scenes of two esteemed British Army regiments – the Life Guards and the Blues & Royals. Through captivating exhibitions and a literal window into history, visitors can witness troopers tending to their horses in the original 18th-century stables. Dive into the regiments' history, from the theatres of conflict to Royal ceremonial occasions, and gain a deeper understanding of their ceremonial and operational duties.More than just a museum, this is a living testament to over 350 years of history, where the spirit of the Household Cavalry thrives. Each morning, the King's Life Guard ceremony unfolds, alongside the daily afternoon inspection, offering a firsthand glimpse into the regiment's daily routine. With interactive exhibits, personal testimonies, and the chance to don the iconic uniform yourself, The Household Cavalry Museum invites you to step into the shoes of a true cavalryman and become a part of this storied legacy.

Kings and queens, statesmen and soldiers, poets and priests, heroes and villains - Westminster Abbey has witnessed them all. This must-see living pageant of British history is the spiritual home of British royal events – a place where 16 royal weddings have taken place and almost every British monarch has been coronated. Step into the glorious Gothic abbey church and walk in the footsteps of many kings and queens throughout history.You’ll explore the venue’s opulent period architecture – think dramatic vaulted ceilings, striking sculptures and stained-glass windows that throw rainbow-colored light across the room. Tour Poets’ Corner and the Nave and see strange life-like effigies on the tombs of famous poets, scientists and royals. The free multimedia guide will give you all the facts, history and information you need while you explore, and it’s available in 14 languages. After you’ve ticked off the otherworldly interiors, head outside to take some time out in the pretty College Garden, which are said to be the oldest cultivated gardens in the UK.

Swingers West End is a fun and sociable place to get competitive with your friends.Play on a Ferris wheel or helter-skelter themed nine-hole course in this smart venue that harks back to the faded glamor of the English Riviera in the 1920s. Tackle the loop-the-loop, ride the helter-skelter, negotiate the Ferris wheel and putt your way over the ramps and around any number of crazy curves and blind bends. Will you hit a hole in one?Swingers West End is just off  Oxford Circus in central London, and has a whopping four cocktail bars and street-food vendors selling pizza, tacos, burgers and donuts. You’re free to stay and socialize once your crazy golf experience is over.

Full of light, colour and movement, the London Transport Museum explores how transport has given the City its unique identity. The collection contains a wealth of heritage vehicles, posters, artworks, photographs, film and video footage, engineering drawings, uniforms, station signs and tickets.Highlights include the iconic red London Routemaster bus, the world’s first Underground steam train and the ‘padded cell’ - one of the first electric locomotive Underground trains dating back to 1890.The galleries are full of interactive exhibits for young people and adults alike, including real buses and trains to play on, and drama characters bring stories alive in an entertaining and informative way.

Enter the King’s Gallery nestled beside Buckingham Palace and begin your mesmerizing voyage through the annals of art and history. As a hub for changing exhibitions from the renowned Royal Collection, one of the globe’s most significant art repositories, the King’s Gallery offers a panoramic view of royal heritage. Traverse diverse mediums, from paintings to sculptures, and immerse yourself in their stories.Originally Queen Victoria’s private chapel, the gallery became an artistic haven after being destroyed in a 1940 air raid. Since then, it has stood as a bastion of cultural enrichment, inviting visitors to engage with unparalleled treasures from the trove of art history.Whether you’re a connoisseur of art, a student of history, or simply looking for an unforgettable experience in London, the King’s Gallery beckons with promises of inspiration and wonder.Don't miss the new exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style running from April–October! Explore the late Queen’s style across ten decades through this exhibition that marks the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth.

The walls of the Royal Albert Hall have plenty of stories to tell. You may think of the place as just a music hall, but did you know it once hosted a séance? Or that the auditorium was flooded with 56,000 litres of water for an opera? Or that criminals have even taken to the stage? And this is just a few examples of what you can expect on a tour of the Royal Albert Hall! With a friendly, knowledgeable guide, you’ll journey through the venue and see its best bits. Feel fancy in the royal areas of the Hall, marvel at the stunning auditorium, and witness the stage that’s hosted some of the globe’s most inspiring performers and personalities – from Arctic Monkeys to Muhammad Ali, BBC Proms to Beyoncé, Suffragettes to Winston Churchill, and Albert Einstein to Ed Sheeran. Delve into the building’s 150-year history, from its highs and lows to fascinating challenges like the Royal Albert Hall echo. If luck’s on your side when you visit, you may even hear an artist during their soundcheck! 

Robots, space suits, steam turbines and early computers are just some of the marvels on display in this extraordinary museum of human achievement and ingenuity.Visit the Energy Zone to see huge steam engines, including the oldest surviving James Watt beam engine, Old Bess, which dates to the 18th Century. The Apollo 10 lunar command module, the very first Apple computer and Crick and Watson’s DNA double helix are among the highlights in the Making the Modern World gallery, while the Flight zone features a cross-section of a Boeing 747 and pioneering aviator Amy Johnson's Gipsy Moth, the plane in which she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930.It’s easy to see why the Science Museum is one of London’s top attractions. There are dozens more things to see and do here across several different zones, including stacks of interactive areas. Wonderlab has over 50 exhibits that explore the incredible in the everyday. Here you can see live demonstrations, ride on a giant rotating model of our solar system, make lightning strike and experience opposing forces on a massive friction slide. For information on current exhibitions and to book tickets for Wonderlab (charges apply) check out the official attraction website.Your pass gets you into the futuristic IMAX cinema, which boasts an enormous screen and cutting-edge immersive technology with 10 times the image and sound quality of normal cinemas. Prepare to have your mind blown by recently released blockbusters, eye-popping educational films and classic movies.