We all know the famous London sights – the Big Ben, Saint Paul’s, Tower bridge, but few of us know that there are so many London off the beaten path places to visit! Here are my favorite secret magical places in London:
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Where to Stay in London
Budget accommodation in London
Barmy Badger Backpackers, Booking.com rating: 8.3, Price per night: 83 EUR
22 York Street, Booking.com rating: 8.1, Price per night: 99 EUR
Affordable accommodation in London closer to the city center
Curzon Street by Mansley, Booking.com rating: 8.7, Price per night: 343 EUR
Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel, Booking.com rating: 8.3, Price per night: 291 EUR
1. Highgate Cemetery
Entrance fee: 12 GBP (combined ticket)
Time to visit: 2 hours
Address in London: Swain’s Ln, Highgate, London N6 6PJ, UK (closest tube stops: Archway & Highgate)
The Highgate cemetery is one of the ultimate non-touristy things to do in London! It’s usually never crowded and you can only visit the West part via a guided tour. The tour lasts about 75-90 minutes and it’s led mainly by volunteers working at the cemetery. The Egyptian Avenue, the centuries-old Tree of Lebanon and the stone crypts will absolutely take your breath away.
If you’re sold on visiting it, here is all you need know about the Highgate cemetery before you go!
2. St Dunstan Church in the East
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 30 minutes
Address in London: St Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 5DD, UK (closest tube stops: Monument & Tower Hill)
Saint Dunstan’s is another spectacular London off the beaten path place to see. If you’ve visited London a few times, chances are you’ve walked very close by without even realizing there is an off the beaten path London location right under your nose. It’s located at the heart of London, just a few-minute walk from the Tower of London!
So why is this church so special? Well, it’s not just a pretty sight. You’ll often see locals taking a break and reading a book. It’s very quiet, there is even a small fountain – it’s the perfect escape from the London noise while still at the city center. It’s also not crowded at all, especially on a weekday, and it’s so, SO instagrammable.
3. Queen’s House in Greenwich
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 15 minutes
Address in London: Romney Rd, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF, UK (closest tube stop: Greenwich)
Let the tourists and the crowds go to the Greenwich Meridian while you explore this London off the beaten path place – Queen’s House. It’s honestly one of the prettiest things my photographer’s eye has seen in London! The tulip staircase is the first geometric self-supporting spiral staircase in the UK and it is really breathtaking to see it in person. You can also see the vast halls of Queen’s house and enjoy this off the beaten path London sight!
Looking for more to explore of London? Check out this perfect London itinerary!
4. Hampstead Hill Garden and Pregola
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 30 minutes
Address in London: The Pergola, Inverforth Cl, Hampstead, London NW3 7EX, UK (closest tube stops: Hampstead & Golder’s Green)
Source: Andreas Kambanis, Flickr
Winter or summer, autumn or spring – you won’t regret visiting this unusual thing to see in London in any season! Each time you go there you’ll see a different charm, and you might even get some Game of Thrones vibes, as it has that lovely Dorne atmosphere. But be careful and ALWAYS check the opening times before you visit (as they wildly vary) – we went to see the Pregola on a very windy day only to find it closed 🙁
5. Kyoto Garden in Holland Park
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 1 hour
Address in London: Holland Park, Holland Park Ave, Kensington, London W11 4UA, UK (closest tube stop: Holland Park)
Another magical place to see in London is the Kyoto Garden in Holland park! It’s a true London off the beaten path place and you aren’t likely to find it unless you look for it specifically. You’ll find Japanese trees, koi fish in the cute pond and even a small waterfall! Holland park as a whole quickly became one of my favorite parks in London – it’s located in one of the prettiest neighbourhoods in London and the few buildings inside it are gorgeous!
6. St.Martin’s Window at Trafalgar Square
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 5 minutes
Address in London: St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4JJ, UK (closest tube stop: Charing Cross)
When I was researching unusual places to visit in London, I couldn’t believe how I’d missed this before! If you’re overlooking Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery is behind you, the St Martin-in-the-Fields building will be on your left. You have to go to its side that is opposite the square and you’ll find this true London off the beaten path gem – the warped window!! It was larger than I had imagined, but that optical illusion was soul food for my inner nerd <3
If you’re curious to explore more of London’s unusual places, check out these 10 hidden gems in London’s West End while you’re in the area!
7. Chiselhurst Caves
Time to visit: 1 hour
Address in London: Caveside Cl, Chislehurst BR7 5NL, UK (closest train stop: Chiselhurst)
The Chiselhurst caves are not one of London’s top attractions, but they are intriguing! You can take as many photos as you’d like inside, but bear in mind you would need a proper camera in order to catch all available light. The visits to the caves are always organized by tour – it starts every hour and is about 40-50 minutes long. Here is more information you might need in order to better prepare for your visit.
Looking for even more hidden gems in London? Check out these dark tourism London spots!
8. The London Mews
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 1 hour
Address in London: Kensington, UK (closest tube stops: South Kensington, Notting Hill Gate, Holland Park)
Now, there are many mews around London, but the main and prettiest ones are around the lovely neighbourhood of Kensingon! But what is a “mew”? Nope, it’s not related to cats! It’s actually from old times when horses were the main form of transport around the city. The mews are large rows of houses, originally some of which were stables with living quarters above them. Nowadays you can still see some operational stables around!
And right here you can explore some of London’s prettiest streets <3
9. Kew Gardens
Entrance fee: 16.50 GBP
Time to visit: 4-5 hours
Address in London: Richmond TW9 3AB, UK (closest tube & train stops: Richmond, Kew Gardens, Kew Bridge)
Source: Roger Lighterness, Flickr
I had been in London about 7-8 times before I even heard about the Kew Gardens! For tourists, this is definitely a London off the beaten path hidden gem, but for locals – not at all. These gardens are so vast, they have 4 entrances! They’re located in Richmond, so definitely not in the city center, but not that far by public transport. There are so many things to see there that you’ll absolutely need a whole day if you’d like to explore everything – the Temperate House (largest Victorian glasshouse in the world!), the Rock Garden, the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Carnivorous Plants, The Hive and many, many more – I guarantee that these will be love at first sight for you <3
Don’t forget to check the opening times before you visit, as they also vary quite a bit depending on the season. I highly recommend visiting during late spring/early autumn or summer if you’d like to get the most of your visit!
10. The Hindu Temple in London – Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 1 hour
Address in London: 105-119 Brentfield Rd, London NW10 8LD, UK (closest tube & train stops: Neasden, Stonebridge Park)
Of course, you don’t need to pay in order to explore this spectacular Hindu temple in London – but you need to be respectful! You can take photos from the outside, but not from the inside, and you will be asked to leave all sharp & dangerous objects behind, as well as your shoes. The atmosphere you’ll feel once you step into the temple will be something you’ve only felt before if you’ve visited Southeast Asia <3 It cannot be explained!
This London off the beaten path place is not just pretty on the outside – some of the rooms inside are so unique and ornate, that it’s really worth taking a peak. We even talked a bit to one of the temple’s managers and he told us how many nations are represented there – the carpets, the drapes, the gold – everything is from a different country (and the limestone came from Bulgaria!) 🙂
11. The “Opposite” London Street
Entrance fee: free
Time to visit: 5 minutes
Address in London: 2 Savoy Ct, London, WC2R 0EZ, UK (closest tube stops: Leicester Square, Temple, Charing Cross)
If we exclude some bus stops, this is almost the only street in London where you must drive… ON THE RIGHT! Yep, not on the left, as they usually do in the United Kingdom. You’ll find it right next to hotel Savoy and there are (of course) markings on the ground to let you know how to enter this tiny unusual London street 🙂
Which one of these would you like to visit the most??
3 comments
A really useful guide!! We go in a couple of weeks and your page has been SO helpful planning our trip.
While you’re in Greenwich, do yourself a favour and pop in for a look at the magnificent ceiling of the “Sistine Chapel of the UK”?
It’s the largest painted ceiling in London, the impressive baroque hall, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor, took artist Sir James Thornhill nearly 20 years to paint in the early 1700s. If you’ve not seen it then get on down to Greenwich… it’s well worth it!
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