Best Museums in London

By Dom Bewley
best museums in london

Knowledge is power. Every day, many of us look to nourish our withered brains with learning. Whether online, in a book, or in the scary outside world, it's good to learn. After all, a strong brain is a happy brain. So, if you're looking to flex those synapses on a day out in London, where should one go? Why, a museum, of course! London has a boat-load of the info hives just waiting for you. 'But there are so many, which are the best?' we hear you cry. Stop crying, and start reading, because these are the best museums in London.

Featuring:

  • Museum of London
  • Natural History Museum
  • Science Museum
  • V&A Museum
  • British Museum
  • Royal Museums Greenwich
  • London Transport Museum
  • Museum of Brands

Museum of London

Best Museums in London

Why not start our trip down museum lane with one about the city itself? It may shock you to discover that the Museum of London is a museum about London. Step inside, and you'll find out about the city's long history, which dates back thousands of years to the Romans. You'll discover the rise and fall of nations, the coronation and usurping of leaders, and how the city's culture has shifted through generations.

See exhibits dedicated to famous events like the Olympics, as well as those dedicated to fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes. London is a city absolutely brimming with history. Visit the Museum of London, and have it condensed into a bite-sized chunk that'll fit perfectly in your brain.

 

Natural History Museum

Best Museums in London

Arguably one of, if not the best museums in London, the Natural History Museum is known worldwide for its stunning collection of fossils. How many, you may wonder? Well, there are around 80 million contained within! You'll gaze up at the life-sized blue whale skeleton, see dinosaurs and other ancient creatures, and explore floor upon floor of exciting history!

During your visit, why not get yourself a free guidebook? Thanks to the guide's map, you can make your way around all the museum's best exhibits, so you don't miss a thing. Plus, it's a great keepsake to take home with you!

Science Museum

Best Museums in London

And right next door to the Natural History Museum is the Science Museum, a must-visit for any of you curious minds out there! Within, you'll discover humankind's scientific progress throughout time, from the humble wagon to the spacefaring rocket. Explore the evolution of technology, medicine, and existence through a multitude of interactive exhibits, artefacts, and videos.

There's also a 3D IMAX screen housed within, featuring a number of family-friendly films that'll excite as much as they educate. Swim beside fish in the sea, or travel to the stars, all while sitting comfortably in a dark, warm cinema.

 

V&A Museum

Best Museums in London

London's leading art and design museum, the V&A Museum is easily one of the best museums in London. Featuring collections of art and design from both the past and the present, the museum's collections touch on everything from fashion, performance, and cultural diversity.

With a rich rotation of exhibits taking place throughout the year, make sure to check what's on and book ahead before you travel. If you need to refuel, there's a restaurant that serves warm lunches throughout the day. And, if the weather is good, feel free to grab a cold drink and sit in the vast open garden you'll in the middle of the museum!

British Museum

Best Museums in London

Step inside the British Museum and discover 2 million years of history and culture. Discover 8 million artefacts from humanity's history. See ancient relics from all across the world, and enter exhibits dedicated to some of the most exciting periods of the past!

Whether it's a gallery full of Egyptian sarcophagi, medieval tapestries, or Roman war artefacts, you're sure to find something to stun and delight you!

 

Royal Museums Greenwich

Best Museums in London

If you prefer your history more seaborne, take a trip to the Royal Museums Greenwich in the eponymous London suburb. There's so much to see and do, including a visit to the National Maritime Museum. There, you can chart the history of sea exploration and reminisce on amazing human endeavours. With a vast collection of historically-significant maritime artefacts to see, and interactive displays to enjoy, it's easily one of the best museums in London.

Then, take a stroll over to the Queen's House, a delightfully-designed villa that was built in the 17th century by Inigo Jones. Within, you'll see works of art from esteemed painters like Turner and Hogarth, ascend the Tulip Stairs, and marvel at the marble finish throughout the villa.

 

London Transport Museum

Best Museums in London

Get an insight into London's colourful transport history at the London Transport Museum. From black cabs and tube logos to red buses, London is known worldwide for its unique transport offerings. Here, you'll see how these choices came about, and how London transport has evolved through the years. Featuring a huge gathering of vehicles, artwork, artefacts, and footage, it's a great place to discover the origins of some of the world's most recognisable icons.

You even get the chance to explore real buses, tube trains, and other transport types. Perfect for small and big kids alike, it's a great place to take the family.

 

Museum of Brands

Best Museums in London

Take a trip through time, and see how advertising and consumer culture have evolved over 200 years of history! With over half a million artefacts on display, the Museum of Brands is one of the best museums in London!

See how brands and advertising have evolved through all parts of our lives, whether entertainment, music, or magazine. It's a great way to explore how social and political influence has changed our culture. And, how technology has allowed brands to evolve along with it. With an entire section dedicated to television advertisements throughout the years, you'll laugh and cringe in equal measure, as you're cruelly reminded of how awkward ads were back then. And, by extension, how old you are now.

 

And that about does it for the best museums in London you simply cannot miss! If you're looking for other things to do when visiting the English capital, why not check out our guides to Shoreditch, Notting Hill, and Mayfair? Or, if you want to see the city but don't know where to sleep, check out our guide for the best places to stay in London!

And, if you want to check out all the very best London attractions the capital has to offer, pick up a London pass and see it all for one low price!

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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A couple laughing together in front of the London Eye
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Things to do in London for couples

Whether you’ve been together six months or 60 years, there’s a wide array of things to do in London for couples. Strolling hand in hand through the grounds of palaces and stately homes, taking in views of the River Thames’ meandering path or soaking up some culture are just some of the experiences that await. Share in London’s historic wonders After six weddings and two beheadings, Henry VIII’s record as a husband may come into question, but it’s hard not to admire his taste in homes. Riverside Hampton Court Palace was his favorite residence, and the only Tudor royal palace in London welcoming the public. Having wondered at the Great Hall and historic kitchens, save some time for tackling the famous maze together – like couples have been doing since it was first planted in the 1680s. Continuing the theme of important London homes is Hampstead’s Keats House. The 19th-century romantic poet John Keats lived in the building for less than two years. However, as visitors will discover, in this time he not only wrote Ode to a Nightingale beneath one of the garden’s plum trees, but also fell madly in love with neighbor Fanny Brawne. And all before dying of tuberculosis at the age of 25. The magic figure at St Paul’s Cathedral is 259, the number of steps leading to the Whispering Gallery. Forming part of the 65,000 ton dome, it has the intriguing property of amplifying even the slightest sound around its walls. Couples who make here also get a close up with the focal point of Sir Christopher Wren’s original 17th-century structure. Check out London’s food scene Couples in London looking for a foodie treat are well catered for. The capital’s list of places to be wined and dined is a long one, meeting all tastes, budgets and dietary requirements. Though there may be more shared benches than tables for two, one of the newest kids on the block is Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey. A short walk from Tower Bridge, Venezuelan arepa share the space with Ethiopian wat and Chinese gyoza in a celebration of world cuisine. More traditional dining experiences still don’t have to cost the Earth. Home of the capital’s Bengali community, Brick Lane is the cherry on top of the cake of London’s love-affair with curry. Even so, prices are a fraction of those charged by celebrity chefs and London’s 60 or so Michelin-starred restaurants. If you abide by the idea that couples which drink together stay together, look no further than a cocktail-making class. Guided by the skilled hands of a professional mixologist, you’ll get to create a perfectly-balanced Old Fashioned, Dark and Stormy or Cosmopolitan. Alternatively, you could go one step better and take a tour of the Beefeater gin distillery, revealing just some of what goes into making the spirit so popular with bartenders across the city. Enjoy views of the Thames Even dirty old rivers – to steal a phrase from The Kinks’ 1960s classic Waterloo Sunset – have a certain innate romance. Take to its banks pretty much anywhere along its 215 mile course, and you’ll have to agree the Thames is no different. Actually one of the cleanest rivers in the world, it’s further reaches are home to otters, dolphins and seals in addition to landmarks known the world over. What’s more, there are several ways for couples in London to enjoy the majesty of the Thames. The classic way is to take to its waters, with river cruises slipping up and down stream between Westminster and Greenwich. When it comes to timing, sunset is difficult to beat, and is known as the golden hour for taking in the city’s panoramas. Boarding a Thames cruiser isn’t the only way to fully-appreciate the capital’s lifeblood. A completely different perspective is offered from a gondola of London’s first cable car, the Emirates Air Line, connecting the two sides of the river via a journey which takes in the entire Greenwich Peninsula. At dusk the journey is extended, so you have even more time to admire the panoply of sights below you. Climb the O2 Arena and the only thing immediately beneath your feet will be its white canopy. However, to either side of the walkway hanging 50 meters above the ground, the river unravels in all its glory in either direction. Take in a show William Shakespeare’s words have echoed through the centuries. Where better to relive the romance of Romeo and Juliet or Anthony and Cleopatra, or the bromance of Prince Hal and Falstaff in Henry IV than Shakespeare’s Globe? Outside of performances, tours detail some of the theater’s most captivating tales, such as the time an audience member’s breeches burst into flames alongside the original playhouse. Meanwhile, the velvet-clad seats of Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House is the foremost destination for opera and ballet. The West End has shows to suit any couple, with contemporary playwriting, musicals and classic plays all fighting for attention. When it comes to foot-tapping fun, there are venues large and small where it’s possible to let your hair down. They include the likes of the Sky Garden, hosting regular concerts to continue the traditions of the capital’s legendary music industry, which has given voice to everyone from David Bowie to Amy Winehouse. London’s Madame Tussauds – the first wax works to hold the name – is a great option for couples in need of a rainy-day activity. It’s array of famous faces from British history and worldwide popular culture are one way to get close to your idols. Movie lovers also have the option of taking in a multitude of sites forming backdrops to some of the silver screen’s best-known scenes including the James Bond franchise, Paddington and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Save on things to do in London for couples Reserve your hard-earned cash for spoiling your significant other by saving on London attraction admission and exploring more with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Ian Packham
London's Soho lit up neon blue at night
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Top things to do in Soho London

Some may still remember Soho’s seedy past, but tucked in between Mayfair and Covent Garden this part of west London has once again found its stride as a fashionable and upmarket place to be. Whilst it may not have the historic attractions of other neighborhoods, no one can say there aren’t things to do in Soho London! It’s an area that’s actually something of a rare find – a part of London where locals and visitors rub shoulder to shoulder without distinction. Packed full of bars and nightspots, it also has shopping on Regent’s Street and the theaters of the West End to help maintain its stance as the capital’s entertainment hub. But amongst the rainbow flags and shopfronts of everyone-is-welcome Soho, you’ll also discover an array of galleries and restaurants. What are the best things to do? Keep reading to find out all you’ll ever need to know with this guide to London’s Soho. Must-visit shops The western bounds of Soho are delineated by Regent’s Street and its northern bounds by Oxford Street – two of London’s most famous and most important shopping thoroughfares. Running for almost two kilometers, Oxford Street is dominated by flagship stores for the country’s big names and department stores including Selfridges’ five floors of delights. Regent’s Street has a slightly more genteel air thanks to its mix of high-end fashion boutiques and Hamleys – the world’s oldest and biggest dedicated toy shop, with a range that spans 50,000 items. For contrast, drift into Carnaby Street, which was the center of fashion during the swinging sixties and continues to go its own way with its selection of independently-owned stores. Between the two, on Great Marlborough Street, is the mock Tudor edifice of Liberty London. A department store with a difference, Liberty highlights bold handcrafted designs from smaller workshops and artists. Known for its floral prints, it has previously championed everyone from arts and crafts designer William Morris to the creator of the punk look Vivienne Westwood. Soho theaters and shows Following Regent’s Street round to its natural end at the Statue of Eros on Piccadilly Circus will bring you to Shaftesbury Avenue. Otherwise known as the West End, it’s where many of London’s major theatres are located, including the London Palladium, Gielgud and Lyric. Seen as the pinnacle of performances alongside New York’s Broadway, its theaters are a favorite with movie stars. Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ian McKellen and Benedict ‘Sherlock’ Cumberbatch have all played to packed out audiences in recent years. Shows range from productions of Chekov and reinventions of Shakespeare to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind The Phantom of the Opera and Cats. If sitting down in one place for two hours leaves you cold, you don’t need to look further than the Crystal Maze Live Experience, recreating the television game show with its four zones and four different challenge types teams must take on. Soho’s top nightspots It’s nightspots like G-A-Y and Ronnie Scott’s that take much of the attention, but Soho London nightlife also includes traditional British pubs and semi-secret cocktail bars, ensuring there really is something for everyone – including teetotalers thanks to some choice late night coffee bars. G-A-Y is just one of a clutch of LGBTQ+ venues dotted around Old Compton Street, creating a hub for queer individuals and their allies, alongside the original branch of Patisserie Valerie – a demonstration of just how diverse Soho can be. When it comes to live music, one of the best places to head is Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, which has played host to some of the legends of jazz and blues including Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix and Jamie Cullum. Spice of Life and Ain’t Nothing But Blues have similar vibes. Galleries in Soho Although just a stone’s throw from the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square and Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly, you don’t even have to leave the area for artistic things to do in Soho London. The first private art space created for nothing but life through a lens, The Photographers’ Gallery has a pedigree which dates back to 1971. During that time it has brought new international artists to British audiences whilst also supporting homegrown photography talent, bringing the very best imagery of the moment to the streets of Soho. The main space of Frith Street Gallery on Golden Square has developed such a reputation for its exhibitions of painting, sculpture and installation art that the artists it represents are entering the permanent collections of museums globally. But if it’s moving images that capture your attention, the Curzon Soho Cinema provides an escapist’s delight, with some of the largest screens in London to watch the latest Oscar contenders. Places to eat in Soho Dine at each of our favorite places to eat in Soho and you’re either going to need a longer vacation or a larger stomach. Or possibly both. Trustworthy places to spend your hard-won cash include the flavors of Bombay of Dishoom’s Carnaby outlet and modern British cuisine of Bill’s Soho. Yotam Ottolenghi’s NOPI is one of a host of restaurants where it’s easy to impress and be impressed, with a menu comprising Middle Eastern and Asian-inspired dishes. Korean, Italian and pan-European meals all vie for attention just a few steps away. However, it’s Quo Vardis that takes the crown for staying power in a part of the capital where restaurants can seem as if they come and go with the seasons. First opening its doors in 1926, before that it was the home of Karl Marx, who now resides in Highgate Cemetery. The best things to do in Soho London Filled with entertaining ways to spend a morning, afternoon or evening, there are lots of worthwhile things to do in Soho London. Helpfully located not all that far from other attractions including the Household Cavalry Museum and Westminster Pier – for Thames sightseeing cruises – there’s really very little reason not to pay the area a visit as part of your travels with Go City!
Ian Packham
London Eye
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