The Best Unique Experiences to do in London
We have both been to London before, but this was our first time visiting together. London is a city that feels like home to us, the vibe is similar to NYC in a lot of ways but also so different at the same time. Since we had both been to London before, we wanted to experience some of the iconic sights together but also do some different and unique experiences as well. We had the best time in London together and we wanted to share some of the things we did with you all!
Where to Stay in London
We stayed in two different areas in London, Mayfair and Shoreditch. They are both such different areas and each have a totally different vibe. Mayfair is more centrally located and has better access to the tube, and Shoreditch has a hipster, grungy vibe and is more on the outskirts of the city.
In Mayfair we stayed at The Mayfair Townhouse and absolutely loved it! The hotel is made up of a 7 Georgian townhouses that have been attached together, and has a modern, luxury feel with an Oscar Wilde style. The location is perfect, it’s in walking distance to SoHo and Buckingham Palace, but also close to a few tube lines as well.
In Shoreditch we stayed at One Hundred Shoreditch which is a brand new hotel that just opened. It’s located in the hip and trendy Shoreditch neighborhood of East London where you can find lots of street art, vintage shops, cafes, etc. We loved this area and this hotel, our only complaint was it was about a 10 minute walk to the nearest tube line. We would have loved to spend more time in Shoreditch as it was very much our vibe, but sadly we only had 2 days here.
Find other London accommodations here!
Unique London Experiences
Brick Lane Market
The Tower of London
The Common Press at Glasshouse
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Since we had been to London before, we were excited to do some unique and different experiences together. Like we said above, we did some of the iconic things as well but we also did some things we never knew you could do in the city!
The Dare Skywalk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - The Dare Skywalk is an experience where you walk on the roof of Tottenham Stadium, which is 46 meters high. You get to see the Stadium from the roof, as well as hangout at the top and have some drinks with your guide. Our favorite part was The Edge experience after, which is a controlled descent down the Stadium roof onto the ground floor. It was so fun and honestly not as scary as we thought! We would definitely recommend doing this once in a lifetime experience when in London!
Dragged Around London Walking Tour - This is not your usual walking tour, the Dragged Around London tour is led by two amazing Drag Queens who tell you the history of London but also the LGBTQ+ history of the city! We did the Westminster tour so we got to see the iconic sights around the Westminster area like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square, while also learning some interesting history.
Afternoon Tea at The Franklin - Afternoon Tea is a staple in the UK, and we loved that our first experience was at The Franklin! It had an Alice in Wonderland theme, and they had en entire tray of vegan sandwiches as well.
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern - It’s not just a bar, here you can see live performances and be in the same space that icons like Princess Diana and Freddy Mercury once stood in! The Royal Vauxhall is welcoming to all people. It also has such cool history — apparently Princess Diana wanted to go so badly, but was afraid of getting noticed because she was such high profile. So her friend, Freddy Mercury, would dress her up in drag and they would go to The Royal Vauxhall together unnoticed! Definitely a must see when in London.
Brick Lane Market in Shoreditch - Brick Lane Market is a flea market that happens on Saturdays & Sundays in Shoreditch. You can find vintage clothing, jewelry, food, etc. at this local market. We loved walking around, seeing what the shops had, and supporting local businesses!
The Tower of London - Probably one of the most popular things you can do in the city, but some things are popular for a reason. The former castle turned museum if full of history and beautiful sights, our favorite being the Crown Jewels of the British Monarchy! You’re not allowed to take photos of videos while in that exhibit, but it was so cool to see the ornate crowns, scepters, swords, etc. that has be used by the British Monarch over hundreds of years!
Book other London activities & tours here!
Best Places to Eat & Drink in London
Sketch
The Franklin
Sketch
Box Park
Balan’s No. 60
Beavertown brewery
The Common Press at Glasshouse
Made of Dough
She Bar
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern
The LGBTQ+ Scene in London
London is one of the most inclusive & welcoming cities for the LGBTQ+ community. We saw tons of Pride flags everywhere, and London’s historic SoHo neighborhood has tons of LGBTQ+ bars as well. We also went to a Black and Queer owned business by our friend! Aisha is an amazing human and owns an inclusive LGBTQ+ space in Shoreditch called Glasshouse. There is a cafe, a book shop, but it’s also just a safe space for anyone to come and feel welcomed. We felt very comfortable being ourselves and showing PDA as a lesbian couple in London.
If you want to see first hand what we did in London, make sure you watch our London YouTube vlog!
We were invited to visit Bristol by Visit Britain, the tourism bureau of the UK. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.