The Best Things to Do in London with Teens

When you visit London with under-10s, you can take them to all the places you think they should enjoy and benefit from. They mostly soak everything up with excited glee. When they hit double figures, or way before that if you have the precocious type, they only want to go to the places that they think they will benefit from — a whole different ballgame. If they are into science, the Science Museum will be a hit; if they are not, they will be declaring it “boring” before you’ve even got off the tube at South Kensington.

So, I’m going to lay out London for teens here. It is based on the suggestions of my very own teen, but no two teens are the same, so before creating your itinerary, get it approved by your own kids. And, do build in some time every day to allow them to go to the current Insta/TikTok filming scene. One of these is currently a bagel shop in Primrose Hill; having inspected said bagels I do not see what the fuss is about, but it’s one expensive bagel you get to stand in a long line for.

Best Things to Do in London with Teens

What to Get Tickets For

Whatever time of year you visit London, there is always something amazing going on, but for the in-demand stuff — sports, theatre, pop concerts and art exhibitions — you need to book in advance. From August to May you should be able to catch a football game (don’t call it soccer), but know that Premier League tickets are pricey and while the atmosphere can be great, the language can be undesirable. For real fans, you can book tours of the stadiums too. Rugby is another winter game that is a little more refined, although the game is rougher. In the summer, there is cricket at Lords and tennis at Wimbledon and Queen’s Club.

For pop concerts, see what’s on at the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium. You can catch most of the globally renowned musicals in London’s theatreland and, if you don’t mind paying more, you can often get tickets a few days or even hours before. For a particularly English experience, get seats for Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which has been playing for 75 years. For more local productions, check out the National Theatre schedule. TodayTix is a good place to search for tickets for all productions big and small.

What to See 

As already mentioned, teens will want to lead when it comes to choosing which bits of London they visit and this will be governed by their particular interests. If they love animals, London Zoo is fun and if you want to really wow them, opt for one of its experiences, such as being a giraffe keeper, meeting the meerkats or even staying over in a Zoo Lodge. Art galleries and museums you’ll have to pick by their desires and, in addition to the well-known names such as the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery, there are some fantastically obscure ones, like the Old Operating Theatre Museum, the Clink Prison Museum and the Freud Museum.

Now, most British teens have very little interest in our royal family, but it might be different from the outside in, in which case a visit to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London should be on your list.

If they like adventure, you can climb the O2 Centre, which is not for the fainthearted; cross the River Thames by the IFS Cloud Cable Car; or explore the Regent’s Canal in a GoBoat.

For shoppers, you can find all the brands you find in most other cities around the world near Oxford Circus and Covent Garden, but there are more individual shops on Carnaby Street in Soho and Neal Street in Covent Garden. Hit Camden Town and Portobello Road for vintage shops and eclectic street markets, and Spitalfields Market for more one-offs.

Now, let’s move on to where to stay.

Best London Neighborhoods with Teens

The key here is to stay close to a tube line. You can easily crisscross central London in half an hour on the tube and most of the outer boroughs are less than half an hour from the centre. The City area is better to visit than stay in because it gets quiet when the workers leave and at weekends, and the Notting Hill area isn’t ideal for transport links. So I’d choose between a base in Kings Cross or London’s West End.

Kings Cross has been transformed beyond recognition in the last 15 years. You have the jaw-dropping St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and the hip Standard hotels minutes from Kings Cross station, a mainline train and tube hub that puts everything within reach. There are also a host of fantastic restaurants and bars here (under-18s can visit bars with their parents in tow in the UK), lovely pedestrianised boulevards and pretty canals to stroll along. The shops are super cool, but my teen’s take on this is that they are way beyond her budget and so pointless visiting.

Snap/Insta spot: Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross station, where you can see if you can take the train to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts.

Base yourself in the West End — Oxford Circus (the Langham Hotel); Soho (the Soho Hotel or Ham Yard Hotel); Covent Garden (Covent Garden Hotel or One Aldwych); or Mayfair (Brown’s Hotel or Claridge’s) — and you’re within walking distance of each of these areas, plus never far from a tube stop or the holy trinity of Brandy Melville, Subdued and Hollister. For something more unique, Beyond Retro is a treasure trove of vintage finds and, if you leave the main roads of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, you can discover a host of independent eateries.

Snap/Insta spot: Carnaby Street. The challenge is to see if you can take a selfie without getting another selfie taker in the shot.

Relevant Links: 

Browse all family-friendly accommodations and activities in London on Ciao Bambino

52 tips for traveling in England with kids

Where to stay in London with kids: 5 fantastic neighborhoods

Best restaurants in London for families

Game on! A sports-loving family’s guide to London

Best playgrounds and parks in London for kids

Editor’s note: This post was accurate when published. We advise checking independently for the latest information and updates. Ciao Bambino does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in, or for any actions taken based on, the information presented.