Best things for teenagers to do in London
Looking for things to do with teens in London? Luckily, London is such a brilliant city with tons to do for any age and so even the pickiest teenager should be able to find something to that suits them! Here’s our top things to do in London with teenagers and older kids.
Eat Dim-sum in China Town
If your teenagers are like my teenagers, the way to their heart is often through their stomachs! Kids will love exploring the different variety of restaurants in Chinatown and there are lots of different restaurants to suit any budget! If your teen loves cooking, there are also a really great range of supermarkets in Chinatown offering authentic ingredients for any Chinese cuisine. You could even try a cooking class – try ‘School of Wok’ or ‘Borough Kitchen’ for a whole variety of cooking classes for all ages.
Best things for teenagers to do in London
Visit the scary sights in London!
Teens love horror and with London being a very old city, there’s a great many scary activities to excite older children of all ages! The Tower of London (which is great for a bit of History too!), the Clink Museum, and the London Dungeons are brilliant day trips for kids in London that love a bit of excitement! The Clink Museum is a cheap visit in London so it’s also perfect for those on a budget. If you want to see the sights of London at the same time then you could also do a ghost walk allowing you to see the sights as well. The Ghost Bus Tours allows you to learn lots about the history of London too.
Hit the shops!
London is the shopping capital of the world and this is sure to thrill all teenagers. There are obviously the big shopping centres such as Oxford Circus Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden or the big indoor mall at Westfield but also try venturing to some smaller shopping locations such as Camden Market – this is a brilliant place to find quirky clothes and jewellery and a great ‘people watching place!’ There’s usually street food and a market which is on at but beware, the street food can be pricey! There are cheaper places to eat though – try Made in Brazil or Blues Kitchen.
Shoreditch and Brick Lane
Shoreditch is a vibrant, arty and trendy part of London that is a must for visiting with tweens and teens. Try exploring the street art (you can take a street art tour here) check out an art exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery or Spitalfields market is lovely for a mooch around. You could try a curry on Brick Lane – world famous for its Indian food and browse round Brick Lane Vintage Market. This huge indoor/ underground market has loads of vintage clothes and accessories, homeware and vinyl records – it’s a treasure trove of beautiful finds!
Cable Cars
Riding the cable cars in London is a fun way to get around the city and a good way to get aerial views all over London. The cable cars cost £6 for adults or £3 for children and it’a a more exciting way to get to Greenwich from the Royal Docks although you can also do a return journey back. Find more information here.
God’s Own Junkyard
Is a brilliant place to visit with teenager in East London – it’s basically a huge shop/ junkyard full of neon lights! It includes Neon art made from found objects, retrieved and renewed waste and lights as well as fairground and circus lighting. It’s very instagrammable and a perfect place to take photos! Check opening times and find out more information before you visit here.
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is a free art gallery in London which hosts loads of different modern art from sculptures to photography. Usually they have a central exhibition or interactive activity in the Turbine Hall and then there are lots of exhibitions to visit. There are a small number of special paid for exhibitions but most are free. If you visit Tate Modern – another great thing to do while you’re there is to head to level 10 which is situated at the top of the Blavatnik Building, accessed by lift only from Levels 0–4. It’s a coffee shop but also offers brilliant views over London.
Borough Market
Not far from the Tate Modern is a lively, large food market. It’s also a 5 minute walk from London Bridge Station and is one of London’s oldest food markets – Borough Market. There’s delicious food at every turn, friendly traders and amazing variety of traditional English food as well as more unusual and world food too. There a small shops and stalls that are perfect for buying gifts. There are plenty of spices, wines & alcohol, cheese, meat and vegetable stands, there are lots of things you can’t find in your average shop. It’s a perfect place for any meal with something that should suit every taste. It does get very busy at weekends.
Leake Street Arches
Leake Street is worth a visit with teenagers. If you are visit the London Eye, then this is about 5-7 minutes walk from there. It is a long tunnel with arty graffiti on the wall. It changes all the time as artists leave their mark. You can also take along spray paint or paint pens and add to the display! The closest station is Waterloo, but you can also take a longer walk from Westminster Bridge where you can see all the sights of London such as St Pauls.
What to do in London with teenagers
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a great place to visit with kids of any age. There’s usually street performers to entertain and lots of bars, shops and cafes to explore. If you have theatre tickets, you’ll be pleased to note that many of the local eateries accommodate theatre goers with fixed price menus, early dinners, and later than usual opening hours. There are lots of fancy cosmetic shops immediately as you come out of Covent Garden tube which teenagers will like. There are a few including Charlotte Tilbury where you can book free tutorials/ treatments. There are also some good clothes shops for teenagers like Subdued and Brandy Melville. You should also explore the streets around Covent Garden, Seven Dials, Neal Street/ Neal’s Yard which are all pretty streets for photo opportunites. For places to eat, near Covent Garden is ‘Ave Mario’ for Italian food. It looks great inside and is ‘instagrammable’ and Inamo has interactive tables as menus you order from for Asian food.
Twist Museum
Situated a few mins from Oxford Circus, you get a small clue about the interior by the doorway in. The Twist museum is so visual, as you walk through, there are rooms to experience, all sorts of quirky pics and illusions and other oddities, including holograms and trick photos. It only lasts 1-2 hours so it’s perfect to pair with a visit to the shops or to Covent Garden.
Peggy Porschen
Peggy Porschen is another of our favourite instagrammable places. It’s a beautiful cake shop with wonderful flower displays in Belgravia. If you fancy something classy to do, then afternoon or morning tea here is a must!
If you’re only in London for a short time – you might like our One Day London Itinerary. Hope this has convinced you that London is a brilliant place to visit with teenagers with loads to do. You could also check out a local show on the West End or visit one of the many museums, most of which are free. Here’s our list of the best London Museums for older kids and teenagers.
