Unique London Experiences

When planning a vacation, there are always the must-dos: the museums, the tourist attractions, historic landmarks, the shopping and the restaurants. But I always like to include at least one unique event or experience during my trips. Keep reading for five unique London experiences that you can book for your next trip!

Decode Secret WWII Messages over Cocktails at The Bletchley

I love escape rooms and The Bletchley is like an escape room with cocktails – sounds amazing, right? My cousin had told me about this unique WWII-themed cocktail bar about a month before my last trip to London in 2018, when I took my mom on a mother/daughter adventure for her birthday. So of course, we had to give it a try.

Five years later, we’re still raving about our experience! To set the mood, the entrance is hidden at the back of a restaurant. You have to give the host a password that you receive once you’ve booked your reservation and then they escort you to a secret staircase. There you descend into a basement speakeasy where you are seated at table and instructed to don a recreation of a British military jacket. As you sip on a welcome cocktail they bring over an old WWII metal ammo box – your first puzzle! I don’t want to share too many more spoilers because the experience is just so much fun to figure out on your own. But trust me, you are definitely going to want to book a table at The Bletchley. 

I will warn you, after three cocktails I found myself pretty drunk during the cab ride back to our hotel, The Grand Royale London Hyde Park. I am a natural lightweight so I’m usually a lot more aware of how much alcohol I’ve consumed. I’ll blame the fun time we were having with distracting me, as well as the fact that we didn’t have anything to eat while there. My advice: have a large dinner first so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about the after affects. 

See one of Shakespeare’s Works at the Rebuilt Globe Theater

I am a planner when it comes to my travel, but I do love a spontaneous moment and during my first trip to London in 2011, as we were walking by the recreated Globe Theater, we decided to grab some last-minute tickets to As You Like It. That evening, under the London night sky, we watched one of my favorite Shakespearean comedies in a recreation of the theater it was originally performed in. I think that I remember it costing us about £10 for the two standing-room-only tickets. But at The Globe, standing room is right at the base of the stage, so I felt like I had been transported back to Elizabethan England. While we did buy our tickets directly at the box office, you can also book online here.

Take a Palace Tour with a Retired Royal Guard

I have not taken this tour but those who have rave about their experience which you can book through Airbnb. For about £23 (£15 for children age 2 through 12, children under 2 are free) you will 

discover London’s famous royal palaces with a retired member of the Royalty Protection Squad, an elite unit of London’s Metropolitan Police tasked with keeping the Royals safe. During your tour, you’ll witness the Changing of the Guard (we stumbled upon this ancient ritual in 2011 and it was fascinating), as well as walk the Mall to Clarence House, where King Charles currently calls home. Also on the docket is St. James Place, Buckingham Palace as well as Parliament Square. All the while, you’ll hear fascinating tales of a former Royal Guard’s time as a bodyguard to one of the most famous families in the world. Come in comfortable clothes and shoes because this is a walking tour, but I believe that to be the best way to see a new city!

Sip Afternoon Tea on a 1960s London Bus

We took a classic London Bus tour in 2011 and it was so much fun, but next time I would love to climb aboard Brigit’s Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Not only will you take in some of the best sights of London like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, and The Royal Albert Hall, you’ll enjoy afternoon tea, sandwiches, and cakes in a 1960s double-decker London Bus. You’ll also receive a complimentary glass of bubbly during your 90-minute tour and you can request a vegetarian, pescetarian, halal, vegan or gluten-free menu upon booking. 

A few things to consider: Children under 5 are not allowed on the tour and there are no bathrooms on board. 

Enjoy a private photo shoot at London’s most picture-worthly locations

It can be so hard to get photos taken of you and your travel companions while on a trip. First off it’s awkward to ask someone, then you have to teach them how to use your camera (yes, I still use a camera), and then as a realist, I am always concerned that this stranger I’ve enlisted to take our picture will simply grab my DSLR and run. But next time I book a trip anywhere, I’m going to arrange for a private photo shoot of the location’s most picture-worthy locations. That way, I can grab those family photos without fear of them coming out blurry or excluding someone because they have to take the picture … or losing my camera. You can book a photo shoot in London – just check out all of the photographers that list their services on Airbnb! Pro tip: Don’t go for the cheapest option. Find the photographer who offers the locations you are interested in and takes photos that you find beautiful, then make sure you check out the reviews. 

If you are planning a London getaway, make sure you check out these unique experiences, as well as my essential must-dos in this beautiful, old city.