Relaxing things to do in London

Right then: you’ve made it all the way to London, so of course you’re going to want to indulge in a spot of sightseeing while you’re here. Unless you’re in town for work that is, or just passing through Heathrow en route to somewhere more exotic.

Anyway, if you want to do sightseeing the easy way, you can’t really get more simple and less stressful than the classic two-day hop-on hop-off tour with Big Bus. Just hop on the bus, find a seat and… relax. You literally do not have to hop off again if you don’t want to (well, not until kicking out time anyway), so you could, if you so desired, just sit on the bus the livelong day, cruising past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Leicester Square, the Royal Albert Hall, and oh look there’s Big Ben again and, well, you get the general idea. This is the lazy person’s way to sightsee London, and we’re absolutely here for it. 

NB: stepping off the bus to explore bucket-list London attractions up close is fun too, and can also be simplified by possession of a Go City London pass. Seriously, life really doesn’t get more relaxing than this.

In a similar vein to our bus idea above, a Thames river cruise also allows you to save your delicate human feet for more important matters, like the pub crawl you’re planning later. So, once again: step aboard, sit back, RELAX and cruise the city's watery artery aboard a sea-faring vessel and see – or sea – London from a whole new perspective.

Ride up and down the river to your little heart’s content, snapping sweet photos of iconic London mainstays like the London Eye, Big Ben (yes, again), and Tower Bridge. You’ll feel truly special (and maybe even a little big smug), and see your ‘Gram follower count rise like the highest wave. If, indeed, that kind of thing floats your boat (sorry).

Pro-tip: for further adventures on the ocean wave (oh ok then, on a barge along north London’s peaceful canals), hit up Jason for a tranquil trip out of Little Venice and all the way along to Camden, available in the warmer months only.

It can often be hard to relax in the city, with miles of concrete and brick in every direction. Fear not though, for – believe it or not – London is actually around 50% green space, meaning you’re rarely far from the kind of glorious flora that would turn rural England pastures green with envy. It doesn’t get a whole lot more relaxing than the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, where opportunities abound for smelling the roses, wandering treetop walkways, hiding out in hothouses, or simply lying stock still on a lush patch of grass for several hours.

But that’s not all. There are loads more gardens you could – and should – visit around London. We’re talking the springtime azalea frenzy of the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park, Regent’s Park’s famous rose gardens, the incredible edibles at Chelsea Physic Garden, the conservatory tucked in among brutalist towers at the Barbican Centre, and the historic kitchen garden at 18th-century Chiswick House, to name just a few. Heck, there’s even a Garden Museum in Lambeth, if you want to get really green-fingered about it. And you never know, all that flourishing foliage might even give you the inspiration you need to go home and nourish your own sad plants.

London’s boozing culture is the stuff of legend, and you’ll find old-school alehouses, chi-chi cocktail speakeasies and louche rooftop lounges on just about every street corner. But you don’t have to treat drinking like an Olympic event to have fun; a little moderate imbibing with friends is really all you need to relax and unwind in this otherwise bustling metropolis. If the weather’s fine (which, let’s be honest, it often isn’t), rooftops, beer gardens and pubs with a little al fresco elbow room are your friends. Summer also sees all manner of refreshing pop-up bars appear like magical absinthe fairies in major parks, as well as places like the South Bank and even the occasional multi-storey car park. And, of course, there’s that famously lofty Champagne Bar way up at the top of the UK’s tallest building, where you can quaff your bubbles and gaze down upon the city like some sort of god.

Nobody panic though, for there are plenty of ground-level pubs with roofs to keep the party going for the rest of the year. And the ones included with your Go City London pass seem as good a place to start as any. Raise a glass to capitalism with a Monopoly-themed cocktail, sweeten the deal with a signature Chocotini at The Chocolate Cocktail Club and take a trip through London’s maritime history with a gin-tasting experience in Greenwich. Cheers!

We know what you’re thinking: museums crammed with tourists aren’t relaxing at all! But bear with us, for we believe they can be – as long as you pick the right ones at the right times. Stepping into the Natural History Museum and coming face to face with its cavernous interiors and famous blue whale skeleton should make for a moment of hushed awe and a moment of peaceful reflection as you consider your place in this giant old universe of ours. But of course that won’t be the case on weekends and during school holidays, when kids swarm every nook and cranny of the place like so many ants, but minus the organization and sense of purpose. Go on a weekday morning instead and you’re all but guaranteed a relaxed experience. 

The same is true of pretty much any major museum or gallery in London. But for maximum laid-back vibes our money’s on some of the slightly smaller, statelier venues – the kinds of places that don’t tend to be on most sightseeing hit-lists (at least not for first-timers anyway) and where the chance of getting to contemplate world-class art and artifacts in calm, quiet awe is frankly much higher. Ok, we’ll let you in on the secret: we’re talking the stately opulence of the King’s Gallery at Bucky Pally, home of priceless pieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, da Vinci and more, the Painted Hall – aka the UK’s Sistine Chapel – at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and the marvelous collection of Impressionist masterpieces on display at the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House. You’re welcome.

Ah, parks. The perfect green getaway for city folk who need to stretch out and relax. In London, you're spoiled for choice, with a huge number of green spaces just waiting for you! Of course you already know the big hitters like Regent’s Park and Hyde Park, though they may not always be the best for relaxation as they're often the busiest. But they’re also pretty huge, so you’re bound to be able to find a quiet corner to lounge on the lawns… somewhere.

But if you’re willing to cast your net a little wider, you’ll soon find that there are plenty more fish parks in the sea London. We love Richmond Park for its varied landscapes, large population of red and fallow deer, and unexpected views of of St Paul’s Cathedral – some 10 miles away – from the top of King Henry’s Mound. Then there’s Crystal Palace Park with its spooky headless statues and herd (troupe? swarm?) of not-entirely-anatomically-accurate Victorian dinosaurs. Big shout out too to Greenwich Park which, along with one of the most storied oak trees on the planet and some rather extraordinary views of the London skyline, also puts you in close proximity to the neighborhood’s chief attractions, to wit: the aforementioned Naval College with its Painted Hall, the Royal Observatory and Prime Meridian Line, and the tea-tastic Cutty Sark.

London’s lido culture is legendary, and you’ll find locals dipping in and out of these (mostly unheated) al fresco pools pretty much all year-round. Strip down to your smalls and take the plunge at one of several across the city. Parliament Hill Lido at Hampstead Heath is perhaps the most bucolic and picturesque of the bunch, with greenery all around and several splendid London skyline views to be had. Then there’s Brockwell Park Lido, an art deco south London gem that’s within strolling distance of both Brixton and the lively weekend market at Herne Hill. There’s an Olympic-sized beast in London Fields way over on the other side of town and – perhaps the city’s best-known – the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park opens for cooling dips through the city’s sticky summer season. 

West London’s Ruislip Lido is probably the closest this fair city comes to a proper actual beach. Its 60 acre lake, complete with – yes – sandy shores, lies on the edge of the Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve and, well, pretty much has it all. Sandy beach? Check. Ice cream? Check. A miniature train that you can ride in? You better believe it. So suspend your disbelief and get yourself over there, stat. For surely a trip to the beach has to be one of the most relaxing things to do in London?

Yes, it might sound simple. Perhaps too simple. But throwing open the doors of your Airbnb and taking a stroll somewhere – anywhere – can do wonders for your mood, health and general mindset. Prepare your favourite tunes, stick in some headphones, and set off! Or, y’know, grab some friends and turn it into a mobile social event. You can walk anywhere really: meander through a park, join the Thames Path for river views, barge your way along the Regent’s Canal towpath or try short and scenic sightseeing walks around specific London attractions. Did you know, for example, that it’s less than a mile to wander from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square and that, along the way, you’ll get glimpses of the London Eye, the resident pelicans of St James’s Park, and the Horse Guards Parade? Well, now you do.

Hiking the three miles from the London Eye to the Tower of London may seem less daunting when you know that you’ll tick off the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Golden Hinde, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, Southwark Cathedral and more en route AND get a chance to pause for lunch at the mighty Borough Market en route. So, yeah, go for a walk. London is a beautiful city and sometimes all we need is a change of scenery to help us feel relaxed! So go on, try it for yourself. Here are a few more of our favorite walks to help give your little legs the get up and go they might need to succeed.