I’ve lived in and around London all my life and raised both my boys here, and I still find something new most weekends. So when friends ask me what to do with children in London, my answer is always the same. You could stay a month and not run out, and a surprising amount of the best of it is free.
This is the guide I would hand every family heading our way, whether you’re crossing the world for a first trip, coming down from elsewhere in the UK for half term, or a fellow Londoner after fresh ideas for the weekend. It’s everything I’d tell a friend over coffee, from the museums my two still talk about to the mistakes that cost us a whole morning.
I’ve organised it by the kind of day out you’re after and tagged each idea with the ages it suits, then pulled it together into a quick pick by age near the end. All the prices are current, and I’ve flagged what to book ahead so you’re not caught out at the gate with tired, hungry children.
London with kids at a glance
Who this is for: families visiting or living in London, with children from toddlers to teens.
How long you need: 3 to 4 days for a first trip. A week if you want museums, a show and a day trip without rushing anyone.
Decide first: stay somewhere central and walkable, set up contactless or an Oyster card, and book the big paid attractions before you arrive.
Best free days out: the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum, Young V&A, the royal parks and the Changing of the Guard.
Best paid tickets: the London Eye, the Tower of London and London Zoo. Book these online in advance.
Best treat: the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych.
Best time to visit London with kids
London works all year, but the weather and the crowds pull in opposite directions. Spring, from April to early June, is my favourite. The parks turn green, the days stretch out, and you dodge the peak summer queues.
July and August bring the warmest weather and the school holidays, so expect longer waits and higher hotel prices. Attractions lay on extra family activities, which is a plus, but you’ll want to book everything ahead. Autumn half term, in late October, is lovely, and by December the city dresses up beautifully, with ice rinks, pantomimes and Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Just pack warm coats and plan more indoor time, because it’s dark by mid-afternoon.
My recommendation: if you’ve got pre-schoolers or any flexibility, May and the shoulder weeks either side of the summer holidays give you the best balance of decent weather and manageable crowds. For most UK families, though, the summer holidays are simply when you’ll come, and they’re a lovely time to do it, with long days, warm evenings and extra activities laid on. Yes it’s busier, but it’s very doable.
Book the big attractions well ahead, start early or head out late afternoon to dodge the worst of the crowds, and keep the free museums, the parks and the lidos up your sleeve for the hottest days, when cool galleries and a paddling pool are exactly what you need.
How many days do you need in London with kids
It depends on how you’re getting here and how old your children are. Here’s a rough guide.
- Just the day, up on the train. Very doable. Pick one area and stick to it, say the South Kensington museums or the South Bank from the London Eye down to the Tower, so you’re not spending the day on the Tube.
- Three full days. Enough for a first visit that hits the headline sights without melting anyone down. Think a museum day, a landmarks-and-river day, and a park-and-show day.
- Four or five days. Lets you slow the pace, add a day trip and build in downtime, which with younger children matters more than squeezing in another attraction.
- Local, or visiting often. Treat this as a pick-and-mix rather than a checklist.
For a comprehensive ready-made plan, see our 4-day London itinerary.
How to get around London with kids
London is far easier on public transport than by car, and the journey itself is half the fun for little ones. Skip the ticket-machine faff and just tap in with a contactless card or phone, which uses the same fares and daily caps. If you’d rather hold a card, a standard Oyster card works the same way, and 11 to 15-year-olds can get a Zip Oyster photocard for cheaper fares.
The best bit for families is that under-11s travel free on the Tube, the DLR and buses when they’re with a paying adult. That makes hopping on and off cheap.
A few things I always pass on. Grab the front seats on the top deck of a red double-decker, and you’ve got a sightseeing tour for the price of a bus fare. The DLR is driverless, so sit right at the front and your children can pretend they’re steering through Docklands, which mine did for years.
And the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river service is a fantastic boat ride at close to bus prices, and you tap on with contactless. We use it to get down to Greenwich on a sunny day, and it beats the Tube every time.
Buggies are fine on buses and on step-free Tube lines, but plenty of older stations are stairs only, so check step-free access if you’re travelling with a pushchair. And once you’re in the centre, walk where you can. You see so much more at street level than you ever will underground.
If you want a overview on day one, an open-top hop-on hop-off bus tour is worth the outlay with children. Tootbus and Big Bus both run red open-top double-deckers past the big sights, with a separate audio channel written for children, and Tootbus even runs a live-guided 45-minute Kids Tour with stories and quizzes at weekends and daily in the holidays.
Tickets last 24, 48 or 72 hours and often include a river cruise, so it doubles as transport. It costs far more than a normal bus fare, but the open top wins children over, and it takes the navigating off your plate on a tiring first day.
Free things to do in London with kids
This is where London really earns its keep. The national museums are free, the parks are free, and some of the moments my boys remember best didn’t cost a penny.
The free museums, all ages
The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is the one to do if you only manage one. Hope the blue whale hangs over the entrance hall, there’s a dinosaur gallery with an animatronic T. rex that still makes small children jump, and a floor that shakes to recreate an earthquake. Entry is free, though it’s worth reserving a free timed ticket to skip the worst of the queue. My youngest used to be obsessed with Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures – and seeing his time-travelling clock was a highlight, as was the dinosaur exhibition.
Next door, the Science Museum on Exhibition Road is all buttons, levers and space rockets, and the main galleries are free. When mine were little, we lost an afternoon in the Energy Hall and the space gallery, and walked about three miles without leaving the building. The hands-on Wonderlab gallery and the IMAX are paid extras worth budgeting for, and there’s a great splash-and-build play area called The Garden in the basement for under-sixes, so bring a change of clothes. I’ve written up the whole visit in our full Science Museum guide.
The British Museum in Bloomsbury is free and home to the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian mummies, which are the bits children make a beeline for. It’s vast, so pick two or three galleries, download a family trail and don’t try to see everything. That’s the mistake that ends in a meltdown by the Assyrian lions.
For the youngest, the Young V&A in Bethnal Green is my top free pick. Formerly the Museum of Childhood, it reopened in 2023, won Museum of the Year in 2024, and its Play, Imagine and Design galleries are built entirely for children to touch, climb and make things. Entry is free and you can just turn up, though it can get busy at weekends. Best for under-14s, and brilliant with toddlers.
One to watch, the old Museum of London closed its Barbican site and is due to reopen as the London Museum at Smithfield in late 2026, so it may be back by the time you visit. Check before you plan around it.
Parks and playgrounds, all ages
Start with Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, which run into one huge green space. The Diana Memorial Playground here has a wooden pirate ship in a sea of sand and is a favourite with under-10s. It’s been renovated and runs a one-in, one-out system when it’s busy, so go early. The Serpentine has pedalos to hire in summer, and the Diana Memorial Fountain is a shallow, splashable channel on a hot day.
In St James’s Park you can watch the resident pelicans get fed in the afternoon and get one of the best free views of Buckingham Palace across the lake. Over in north London, Hampstead Heath is where locals fly kites on Parliament Hill and take in the skyline for nothing. And in summer, the free splash fountains at Granary Square behind King’s Cross and the Appearing Rooms on the South Bank are a magnet for children, so pack a spare set of clothes.
Watching the world go by, all ages
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is free, and the bearskin hats and the marching band land well with children. It doesn’t run every day, so check the schedule and arrive at least 45 minutes early for a spot. My tip is to watch the guards form up at Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk first, where you’re closer to the band and it’s far less of a scrum than the palace railings.
Trafalgar Square has the giant bronze lions children love to climb, plus street performers, with the National Gallery right behind if you fancy ducking inside out of the rain. And Hamleys on Regent Street, the world’s oldest toy shop dating back to 1760, is free to walk around, with staff flying gliders down the stairwell across seven floors. Go on a weekday morning when it’s quieter, and set a firm “we’re looking, not buying” rule on the way in. We’ve never once stuck to it.
One of the best free views in the whole city is from the Sky Garden, a tropical glasshouse near the top of the tower everyone calls the Walkie Talkie. It’s free but needs booking ahead, and there’s more on it in the views section below.
Best museums for kids beyond the free ones
A few paid museums earn their ticket for the right child.
The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden lets children clamber onto old buses, Tube carriages and trams, and press every button going, with a play area for under-sevens. Adults pay, children go free, and the ticket lasts a year. Read our London Transport Museum review before you go. Best for ages 2 to 10.
The Postal Museum near Farringdon has Mail Rail, a ride on a tiny driverless train through the old underground postal tunnels, plus a sorting-office soft play called Sorted. It stays quieter than the big names. Best for ages 3 to 9.
New on the scene is the Museum of Illusions London, which opened in 2026 on Tottenham Court Road. It’s a hands-on maze of optical tricks and tilted rooms built for photos and giggles rather than quiet contemplation. Adult tickets are from around £29, children from £24, and under-4s go free.
Pre-book a slot, especially in the holidays. There are two similar illusion attractions if you’re nearby: the Twist Museum on Oxford Street and the Paradox Museum in Knightsbridge. Best for ages 5 and up, and teens love it.
Big landmarks and the best views
The London Eye on the South Bank turns slowly for 30 minutes and lifts you 135 metres over the river, with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament laid out below. Standard tickets start from around £29 for adults and £26 for children online, and under-2s are free. Book online for the lower price and a timed slot, and consider a fast-track ticket in peak season to save queuing with fidgety children. It sits next to a cluster of paid attractions, so you can bundle a few into one South Bank day. All ages, though nervous toddlers may not love the height.
The Tower of London is the paid attraction I’d never skip. You get the Crown Jewels, the ravens, and a free tour from a Yeoman Warder who really knows how to hold a crowd of children, though some of the execution stories are on the dark side for the very young. Tickets are from around £35 for adults and £17.50 for children (5 to 15), with under-5s free. Book through Historic Royal Palaces and go first thing, because the Crown Jewels queue is partly outdoors with little shade.
We’ve got a full Tower of London with kids guide with everything we learned. Best for ages 5 and up.
Right beside it, Tower Bridge has a glass floor walkway high above the road, so you can watch buses and boats pass under your feet, and a Tower Bridge family trail app for families. Best for ages 6 and up, or anyone happy with heights.
My favourite view in London, and it’s free, is the Sky Garden, three storeys of tropical planting and ferns under a huge glass dome at the top of the Walkie Talkie tower. You’re 155 metres up with the Shard, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s and the river laid out below, and because it’s indoors and warm, it’s a brilliant one for a grey or cold day.
Entry is free, but you book a timed slot online, released every Monday for three weeks ahead, and the sunset slots go within minutes. There’s a quick airport-style security check on the way in, and it’s step-free, so buggies are fine. If the free tickets have gone, you can still get up there by booking a table at one of the bars or cafes. All ages.
For a higher, paid view, older children who fancy a proper wobble can go up The Shard, and over the river Battersea Power Station has a glass lift ride up one of its restored chimneys, alongside shops, restaurants and a little museum about the building. The Shard is a pricier ticket.
Hands-on history and historic ships
If your children like their history to climb on, the Golden Hinde near London Bridge is a full-size replica of Francis Drake’s Tudor galleon, so small it shocks you that anyone sailed round the world in it. Older children can take on HMS Belfast, a Second World War warship moored by Tower Bridge with nine decks to explore, though the steep ladders make it tricky for toddlers or buggies. There’s a third ship, the Cutty Sark, down in Greenwich, which has its own section below. Golden Hinde from around age 4, HMS Belfast from around age 6.
Immersive experiences kids love
London has gone big on walk-through, story-led experiences, and they’re a brilliant standby on a wet day.
The Paddington Bear Experience at County Hall on the South Bank is the newest, a multi-room immersive adventure where you help Paddington and the Browns get ready for the Marmalade Day festival, with live performers along the way. It runs about 70 minutes, suits all ages, and finishes with a photo with the bear himself. Tickets are from around £34 for adults and £24 for children, with under-2s free. Book a timed slot ahead. Do note this is the South Bank experience, not the separate Paddington musical in the West End. Best for toddlers to age 8.
A few doors along, Shrek’s Adventure is a walk through Far Far Away with themed shows and a 4D flying bus, better for primary-age children than toddlers. See our Shrek’s Adventure review for the full lowdown. And for something more grown-up, Frameless near Marble Arch turns famous paintings into room-sized moving projections you can walk right into. Shrek’s best for 4 to 10, Frameless all ages.
Animals, water and the great outdoors
ZSL London Zoo in Regent’s Park is a full day out, with more than 10,000 animals, keeper talks and playgrounds to burn off energy between enclosures. Adult tickets run from around £30 to £38 and children from around £21 to £27 depending on the day, with under-3s free.
Book online in advance to save. There’s a role-play area called Zoo Town where little ones can try zoo jobs, which is the nearest thing London now has to that kind of dressing-up play. 2026 is the zoo’s 200th anniversary, so look out for extra events. If your children are small and the zoo feels pricey, Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is a gentler, cheaper half-day – and it’s in a lovely spot close to the River Thames. All ages.
On the South Bank, right beside the London Eye, Sea Life London is an easy win with younger children, with more than 600 species across three floors. They’ll pad through the glass Shark Walk with rays gliding beneath their feet, watch the gentoo penguins, and stroke a starfish in the rock pool. It’s on the small side and can get busy, so book a timed slot online.
Online tickets are from around £24 for adults and £21 for children off-peak, rising at weekends and in the holidays, with under-3s free, and a family ticket saves a little. It’s in the same County Hall building as the Paddington Bear Experience and Shrek’s Adventure, so you can pair them up, and a Merlin multi-attraction ticket works out cheaper if you’re doing the London Eye too. Best for toddlers to age 8.
On a hot day, nothing beats a lido, one of London’s outdoor pools. The water is unheated at most of them, so bring towels and something warm for after, and pre-book in summer. Prices vary by borough, usually around £5 to £9 for adults and less for children. My favourites for families are:
- Tooting Bec Lido – the largest freshwater pool in the UK at around 90 metres, with a shallow paddling pool and colourful changing huts. Open roughly May to September.
- Brockwell Lido in Herne Hill, known locally as Brixton’s Beach – a 50-metre pool with a good café and Brockwell Park’s playgrounds next door for an easy all-day plan.
- London Fields Lido in Hackney – heated and open year-round, with family swim sessions.
- The Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park – a gentle summer option right in the centre, good for toddlers.
Confident swimmers get the most from these, but the paddling areas suit toddlers too.
If you’d rather stay dry, Kew Gardens in south-west London has a Treetop Walkway 18 metres up in the canopy and a dedicated Children’s Garden built for climbing and splashing. And for a slower afternoon, hire a self-drive electric GoBoat from Paddington and potter along the canal past Little Venice, which feels a world away from the traffic. Kew best for 3 and up, GoBoat all ages with an adult at the wheel.
Greener days out, away from the crowds
When the centre feels like too much, London has whole pockets of green where children can run and you can breathe. These are my go-to escapes, and most are free or close to it.
Richmond and the river
Richmond Park is the largest of the royal parks, and its herds of red and fallow deer roam free, so you can watch them graze from a safe distance, and you must keep well back, especially in autumn. Climb King Henry’s Mound for a protected keyhole view all the way to St Paul’s, 10 miles off, and in late spring the Isabella Plantation is a blaze of azaleas. Down on the Richmond riverside you can hire a rowing boat, walk the towpath past the meadows where cows still graze, or just watch the boats go by from Richmond Hill.
Tucked between the park and the river is Ham House, a 17th-century Stuart mansion on the Thames looked after by the National Trust. The gardens are made for children, with all hidden corners, a cherry garden and a working kitchen garden; there’s a resident cat who holds court in the sun, and the house has a good ghost story or two. It’s free for National Trust members; otherwise from around £14 for adults and £7 for children, with family tickets. We’ve written it up in full in our Ham House guide, and it makes an easy half-day with a riverside walk to follow. Best for ages 4 and up.
Alexandra Palace
Up in north London, Alexandra Palace, or Ally Pally to everyone who goes, sits in 196 acres of parkland with one of the widest views over the city. There’s a year-round indoor ice rink with skate hire and little penguin skating aids for beginners, a boating lake with pedalos, a Go Ape treetop course with a lower level for smaller children, pitch and putt, a skate park, playgrounds and indoor soft play. The park is free, ice skating is around £10 for adults, and the individual activities are paid. It’s an easy, active day out well away from the centre. Something for all ages.
Eltham Palace
Over in south-east London, Eltham Palace is one of the city’s strangest and best days out, a glamorous 1930s Art Deco mansion built right onto a medieval great hall, once part of Henry VIII’s childhood home. Children love the gold bathroom, the map room, the dressing-up, and the story of the Courtaulds’ pet ring-tailed lemur, Mah-Jongg, who had his own heated room. There’s a wooden play area and 19 acres of moated gardens outside. It’s run by English Heritage, free for members, otherwise from around £17.50 for adults and £10.50 for children, with under-5s free. Best for ages 5 and up.
Crystal Palace dinosaurs
In a park in south London stand the Crystal Palace dinosaurs, the world’s first life-sized dinosaur sculptures, built in the 1850s when the word dinosaur was barely a decade old. They’re gloriously wrong by modern standards, which is half the charm, and after a big restoration, they were repainted in 2026 to look as they did to the Victorians. The park is free, with a playground and visitor centre, and it’s a lovely low-cost day out for a dinosaur-mad child. Best for ages 3 and up.
The Horniman Museum
Out in Forest Hill, the Horniman Museum is a quirky, quieter free museum with a world-music gallery, an aquarium and 16 acres of gardens that have one of the best views across London. A new nature play area and café opened in 2026 for its 125th birthday. One heads-up, the famous overstuffed walrus and the natural history gallery are closed for refurbishment and due back in early 2027, so for now it’s the gardens and aquarium that carry a visit. The museum and gardens are free, and the aquarium is around £6 for adults and £3 for children. All ages, and lovely with toddlers.
Chelsea Physic Garden
Behind a high wall in Chelsea, the Chelsea Physic Garden is London’s oldest botanic garden, founded in 1673 for apothecaries to study healing plants. It’s small, calm and full of glasshouses and hidden corners, with pond dipping and craft trails in the holidays. Adult tickets are from around £13.50 and children from around £5, with under-5s free, and note it’s closed on Saturdays. Best for a gentle morning with younger children.
Hampstead Heath and Kenwood
Up in north London, Hampstead Heath is 790 acres of proper wildness, free and open at all hours. Three spots make it a family day:
- Parliament Hill – fly a kite and take in the protected skyline view, with the Heath’s biggest adventure playground and a summer paddling pool at its foot. Confident older swimmers can brave the chilly bathing ponds or the lido.
- Golders Hill Park – a lovely little free zoo with flamingos, deer, wallabies, lemurs and meerkats, plus a butterfly house and playground.
- Kenwood House – an English Heritage mansion in the parkland, free to walk into, with a Rembrandt self-portrait on the wall and an ice cream on the terrace.
A whole day, and barely a ticket between you. All ages, and a gift with young children.
A day out in Greenwich
Greenwich is our happy place, and an easy one to reach, best of all by Uber Boat down the Thames or the driverless DLR to Cutty Sark. It packs a full day into one riverside spot, most of it maritime. Here’s what to hit:
- Cutty Sark – the last of the great tea clippers, which children can explore from the copper hull right up to the deck.
- National Maritime Museum – free, with the Ahoy! play gallery for under-sevens.
- Royal Observatory – stand with a foot either side of the Prime Meridian line, where east meets west. The planetarium is closed for redevelopment until 2028, so check what’s open before you climb up.
- Greenwich Park – one of the loveliest royal parks, with a deer enclosure, the Cove playground for little ones, and the famous view from the hill back to the towers of Canary Wharf.
- Greenwich Market – a covered maze of food stalls and crafts for when hunger strikes.
- The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College – a Baroque painted ceiling worth the ticket, best seen lying back on the benches they lay out for you.
- Greenwich Foot Tunnel – free, and a proper adventure, ten minutes on foot under the Thames from beside the Cutty Sark to the Isle of Dogs.
- The London Cable Car – the aerial ride you might remember as the Emirates cable car, carrying you 90 metres up and across the river by the O2, with a family round trip from around £32.50.
Something here for every age.
A day out in Camden
Camden is more of a tween and teen day than a toddler one, but it’s a good one. Camden Market is free to wander, a sprawl of street food from every corner of the world and stalls of vintage and slightly odd things, and the canal-side Hawley Wharf end is the easiest with children. Go on a weekday if you can, and arrive at Camden Road Overground rather than the packed Tube station.
Underneath the market is Babylon Park, a space-themed indoor amusement park with the only indoor rollercoaster in London, plus bumper cars, a drop tower, arcades and a soft play for smaller ones. Entry is free, and you pay per ride, so it’s a handy rainy-day stop. From Camden Lock you can walk the Regent’s Canal towpath or take a narrowboat trip, and it’s a short stroll to Primrose Hill for one of the best free views in London, with Regent’s Park and London Zoo close by.
Best for ages 6 and up, though Babylon suits littler ones too.
Covent Garden, Leicester Square and the West End
If I had one afternoon to charm a child who thinks they don’t like sightseeing, I’d spend it here. The Covent Garden piazza has free street performers all day, from opera singers by the pub to acrobats balancing on ladders, and the acts audition for their slots so the standard is high. Wander the Apple Market stalls, duck into Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop for old-fashioned toy theatres, and warm up with some of the best hot chocolate in town. At Christmas, giant baubles hang under the glass roof.
Round the corner in Leicester Square, the LEGO Store is one of the largest in the world and free to walk around. It’s swallowed a good hour of ours more than once, between the build-your-own-minifigure wall and the life-size LEGO Tube carriage you can climb aboard for a photo. M&M’s World next door runs to four floors of sugar-fuelled silliness. Both are free to enter, and both are easy to escape when you’ve had enough, or when the pocket money runs out.
A West End show is the treat that lands with almost every age, and the theatres cluster right here. Long-running family favourites like The Lion King at the Lyceum and Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre are safe bets, and there are shows aimed at the very youngest too. For under-sevens, the dedicated children’s theatres are wonderful: the Little Angel in Islington for puppetry, the Unicorn near London Bridge from six months up, and the Polka in Wimbledon. Book a matinee so bedtime survives, check the recommended minimum age, and try the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for same-day discounts. All ages, matched to the show.
Top tip: If you like to plan well in advance, sign up to bulletins from KidsWeek where free child tickets are released for top shows across the West End across the whole summer. We saved a fortune when we went to see musicals including The Lion King and Back to the Future.
Sweet treats and themed teas
If you want one memorable splurge, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych near Covent Garden is pure fun. Think fizzy lifting drinks, snozzberry jam on the scones, and a warm chocolate dip poured from a little waterfall. It runs Wednesday to Sunday, adult tea is from around £75 with a children’s version, so it’s a special-occasion price. Book direct and well ahead.
For younger children, a Peppa Pig afternoon tea bus tour trundles past the sights while you eat, and unlike most afternoon tea buses it welcomes toddlers from age 2. Charlie’s best for 4 and up, the Peppa bus for 2 to 6.
Rainy-day and active fun
London rain is a given, so it pays to have a few indoor energy-burners up your sleeve.
Gravity Wandsworth, in the Southside centre, is a huge indoor activity venue with trampolines, electric go-karting, immersive game rooms and AR bowling under one roof. Open trampoline jumps start from around £12, and family go-karting from around £16. Prices vary by activity and it gets busy, so book ahead. Best for ages 5 and up, and a big teen favourite.
Bowling is a reliable crowd-pleaser and there’s a lane for every budget. Best for ages 4 and up.
- All Star Lanes (Holborn, Brick Lane, Stratford and White City) – retro American-diner bowling with light balls, ramps and bumpers for small hands, from around £9.50 a game for children. Under-18s play until 6pm.
- Queens in Bayswater – pairs bowling with ice skating under one roof.
- Rowans in Finsbury Park – the cheap-and-cheerful classic.
New for late 2026, the old KidZania site at Westfield reopens on 15 October 2026 as Wake The Tiger’s Absurd City, an immersive walk-through art experience. It’s aimed at all ages rather than being a young-kids role-play venue, so I’ll report back once we’ve been.
For older kids and teenagers
Teens can be the hardest to please, so here are the ones that tend to work.
For book and TV fans, the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street recreates the detective’s Victorian rooms across four floors, with a costumed bobby out front for photos. Tickets are from around £16 for adults and £11 for children, with under-6s free. It’s small and can queue, so it’s really one for the committed. There’s a free Sherlock statue by Baker Street station, and Madame Tussauds is a short walk away on Marylebone Road, all waxwork selfies with footballers and Marvel heroes. Sherlock best for 8 and up, Tussauds for tweens and teens.
The London Dungeon on the South Bank is live-actor scares and dark humour rather than gore, recommended for roughly age 12 and up, with under-15s needing an adult. A Jack the Ripper walking tour takes you round the Whitechapel streets where the 1888 murders happened, with a guide unpicking the Victorian East End as you go. It covers real crimes and can get grisly, so operators generally recommend it for ages 12 and up and leave younger children to parental discretion. It’s a serious history walk, not a costumed attraction. Both best for confident older kids and teens.
Active teens can climb over the roof of the O2 arena on Up at the O2, a harnessed walk with a minimum age of 8, and football-mad ones will love a stadium tour at Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal or Wembley, running down the tunnel and into the changing rooms.
For foodie teenagers, a graze round Borough Market near London Bridge beats any museum. And Harry Potter fans of any age should make time for the Warner Bros Studio Tour, a short train ride out of town, where you can walk the real Hogwarts sets. It’s a day trip in itself, covered in full in our Harry Potter Studio Tour review. Mostly ages 8 and up.
London with kids by age
Short on time? Here’s where I’d point you based on who you’re travelling with.
Toddlers and under-5s
- Young V&A and the Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford for free-roaming play
- The Diana Memorial Playground and feeding time at St James’s Park
- London Transport Museum and the Mail Rail ride at the Postal Museum
- The Paddington Bear Experience, Sea Life and Shrek’s Adventure on the South Bank
- A short hop on the Uber Boat, plus the Peppa Pig afternoon tea bus
Younger kids, roughly 5 to 8
- Natural History Museum dinosaurs and the Science Museum
- The Crystal Palace dinosaurs and the deer in Richmond Park
- A day out in Greenwich, best reached by boat
- London Zoo and Kew Gardens
- The London Eye and the Tower of London
- Hamleys, Covent Garden street performers and a matinee show
- A summer lido afternoon
Older kids, roughly 8 to 12
- Museum of Illusions and the British Museum
- Tower Bridge glass floor, HMS Belfast and the Greenwich ships
- Gravity Wandsworth and a bowling session
- The London Dungeon and the Sherlock Holmes Museum
- The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea
Teenagers
- A Jack the Ripper walking tour and Madame Tussauds
- Up at the O2, a stadium tour, and the Sky Garden or The Shard for the views
- Borough Market for a graze, then a West End show
- Camden Market and Babylon Park’s indoor rollercoaster
- The Warner Bros Studio Tour for Harry Potter fans
- Gravity Wandsworth for the go-karting
Where to stay in London with kids
If you’re making a weekend or a longer trip of it, base yourself somewhere central and well connected and you’ll waste far less time on the move. South Bank and Waterloo put you within a walk of the London Eye and the river. South Kensington is ideal for a museum-heavy trip, with the big three on your doorstep. Covent Garden and Bloomsbury are handy for theatres and the British Museum, and family-friendly chains around Paddington or King’s Cross keep costs down with fast transport links, which is handy if you’re travelling in by train.
Aparthotels with a kitchen and a sofa bed are worth their weight with young children, and I’ve rounded up my favourite areas and specific properties in our full where to stay in London guide.
What to book in advance
Some things you can turn up to, and some you really can’t. Book these before you travel, especially in the school holidays.
- The London Eye and the Tower of London, for the lower online price and a guaranteed slot
- London Zoo, cheaper online than at the gate
- The Paddington Bear Experience, Museum of Illusions and Gravity Wandsworth, which sell timed slots
- Free timed tickets for the Natural History Museum and the Sky Garden
- Any West End show, plus the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea
- The Warner Bros Studio Tour, which sells out weeks ahead, and summer lido sessions
Mistakes to avoid
- Cramming in too much. Two attractions a day plus a park is plenty with young children. Build in downtime.
- Paying for free museums. The big national museums cost nothing, so spend your budget on the Eye, the Tower and the zoo instead.
- Turning up to sold-out tickets. The headline paid attractions do sell out in the holidays.
- Forgetting the weather. Have an indoor backup for every day and pack layers, whatever the forecast.
- Ignoring the free entertainment. The top deck of a bus, a river boat and the Covent Garden buskers delight children as much as anything with a ticket.
A sample 3-day London itinerary with kids
Day One: museums and South Kensington. Start early at the Natural History Museum, break for a picnic in Kensington Gardens, then let off steam at the Diana Memorial Playground. Finish with the Science Museum if you’ve got energy left.
Day Two: landmarks and the river. Watch the Changing of the Guard, walk through St James’s Park to see the pelicans, then head to the South Bank for the London Eye and the Paddington Bear Experience. Take the Uber Boat downriver to the Tower of London in the afternoon.
Day Three: a treat and a show. Spend the morning at London Zoo or the Young V&A depending on your children’s ages, then a matinee in the West End, with a wander through Covent Garden and Hamleys to round things off.
See our best day trips from London if you’re adding a fourth or fifth day.
Where to eat in London with kids
London is far more child-friendly at the table than it used to be, and you’re never far from somewhere that will happily hand over a colouring sheet and a babyccino. For my tried-and-tested family spots, from proper sit-down lunches to grab-and-go near the big attractions, see where to eat in London with kids.
London with kids FAQs
What are the best free things to do in London with kids?
The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum and Young V&A are all free, as are the royal parks, the Changing of the Guard, Trafalgar Square, the Covent Garden street performers and a walk round Hamleys. A ride on the top deck of a bus is free entertainment in itself.
Is London expensive for a family?
It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. The best museums are free, under-11s travel free on public transport, and you can balance one paid ticket a day with free parks and sights. The big costs are accommodation, paid attractions and eating out.
What’s the best area to stay in London with kids?
South Bank, South Kensington and Covent Garden are all central and well connected. Aparthotels with a kitchen suit families with young children. See our full where to stay in London guide for specific picks.
How do I get around London with children?
Use contactless or an Oyster card and tap on and off. Under-11s travel free with a paying adult, and the top deck of a bus doubles as a sightseeing tour. The Uber Boat is a cheap river ride children love.
What can I do in London with toddlers?
The Young V&A, the London Transport Museum, the Paddington Bear Experience, the Diana Memorial Playground and Sea Life all work well for under-5s, along with plenty of park time and a short boat ride to keep things moving.
Do you need to book London attractions in advance?
Yes, for the London Eye, the Tower of London, London Zoo, the Paddington Bear Experience, West End shows and the Warner Bros Studio Tour, particularly in the school holidays. Booking online is usually cheaper and guarantees entry.
What’s the best London attraction for teenagers?
Teens tend to enjoy the London Dungeon, a Jack the Ripper walking tour, Up at the O2, a stadium tour and the view from The Shard, plus grazing round Borough Market. Gravity Wandsworth is good for go-karting with a group.
