London is one of the most visited cities in the world. Whether it’s a honeymoon or a casual tour with friends and family, London has always been on everyone’s bucket list.
There are uncountable things to enjoy in this city at night. London offers many exclusive things to make your trip here worth it. The city has it all, whether strolling across the famous monuments or taking a scary ghost tour.
Things to Do in London at Night
1. Night Flight (London Eye)
A night flight around the big wheel is one of the most entertaining and mesmerizing things you can do once you are in London. You can witness the beauty of the London Eye, the Shard, and even the Tower Bridge, all illuminated in a manner that will surely leave you amazed.
If you are out on a romantic trip, this is more than you could ask for. It is a complete cliché yet worthwhile experience you will surely remember in years.
2. Night at the Museum
Well, visiting a museum is always fun, but what makes a night at the Museum special is that they often hold sleepovers where you would spend a night in a museum, which is a geeky yet thrilling experience.
The only thing to remember is that the sleepover is only for adults. If there are kids, they should be accompanied by one adult. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will never forget.
3. Night Tour
London is quite a place to walk around and explore at night, though we suggest that only those with an adventurous and curious mentality join in as it could be scary or troublesome for the majority.
The city has much history, both said and unsaid, alongside the local logic of ghosts, murderers, and even the ladies of the night. These are fun and explore-worthy if you all have a heart for them.
4. Dinner Cruise on the Thames
As it is a dinner cruise, it is sure to have a lot of fun, and of course, it will be filled with delicious food. You can enjoy your dinner alongside drinks, music, and live performances while sailing through the Thames and enjoying the illuminated city of beauty.
Well, you would be visiting the same famous sites, but the perspective you would get from the cruise, especially at night, would be quite different and all the more spectacular.
5. Shard Viewing Gallery
The Shard Viewing Gallery is an open-air sky deck on top of the Shard, the highest viewing platform in London. It is situated around the Tower of London, the Thames River, the London Bridge, and even the Tower Bridge.
The view from the deck, especially at night, is satisfactorily calming. If you are out on a couples trip, you can grab a drink and ignite your flames of romance there.
6. Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is undoubtedly one of the best squares in London, where you can enjoy the nightlife revolving around clubs, bars, restaurants, and even phenomenally beautiful landmarks.
The things you should not miss while visiting the square are the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain and the statue of Anteros. It is where you would go to have the mundane fun that would help you let loose and leap through the night.
7. A Cabaret or Burlesque Show
This is an adults-only entertainment option, but it is suggested for people who enjoy the nightlife while travelling. It would be wild and outstanding fun, even for those who appreciate creatively jazzy shows.
There are multiple joints all across London where you could entertain yourself. If you are unsure, Proud Cabaret would be widely advised as it hosts cabaret, jazz, and burlesque in a retro style while also providing a delicious British dinner.
8. Dinner at Sky Garden
As the name suggests, Sky Garden feels like a literal garden in the sky. It is an amazingly built skyscraper that would give you a classic top view of London. Alongside the garden is a restaurant named Fenchurch, which provides tasty British food with vegan options.
In addition to the restaurant, there are multiple bars where you can grab a drink while enjoying the city’s night views.
9. The Ceremony of Keys (Tower of London)
The ceremony of the keys is a ritual from the past that has been consistently performed every day, irrespective of the situation or period. The Tower of London is undeniably a famous landmark, and thus, it is extremely hard to get yourself a ticket for the same.
Even though the wait for the ceremony is quite long, it is free of cost and will surely leave you amazed. It is highly recommended for people who tend to fawn over historical events and traditions. You can book a ticket online on the Tower of London’s website.
10. Kew Conservatory
If you are interested in botany, Kew Conservatory is a must-visit site if you ever would be in London. It is one of the largest botanical gardens and is way more mesmerizing to roam around at night.
It is undoubtedly worth all the curiosity and excitement.
11. Walking along the Thames
As suggested, taking a cruise across the beauty of the Thames is one of the best ways to spend your night in London. However, walking alongside the river is the best option if you want something simpler, more cost-effective, yet more meaningful.
You can witness those amazingly built landmarks while walking calmly, holding and taking in the mesmerizing view as you see fit. If you are on a couples trip, what more could you ask for than a romantic stroll down the Thames?
12. Hyde Park Visit (To Watch Bats)
So, visiting Hyde Park at night could not be a thing for people lacking in adventurous spirit, as you would be out there to observe and enjoy the presence of bats, which people usually associate with the concept of scary or creepy.
If you are a phobophile, then this is absolutely what you might want to spend your night at. And if you are confused or weirded out by this idea, we would like to add that bats are quite cute when observed without unease or disgust.
13. National Theatre
Visiting the National Theatre to witness absolute art could be another way to spend your night in London. The place is known for producing and showcasing brilliant shows at an affordable rate, making it all the more worthwhile.
14. The Barbican
The Barbican hub includes a movie theatre, library, art gallery, concert hall, restaurants, and conservatory. Above all, the architecture for the same is art in itself. So, if you are out in London and unsure what to do at night, you could visit the Barbican.
For people interested in creative art, this is a blissful place trying to soothe their leisure time in a rather entertaining and maybe educational manner.
15. Roof Terrace (One New Change)
Well, it is another simple, cost-efficient, and mesmerizing way to spend your night in London. You can visit One New Change, a roof terrace with an amazing view of the London skyline and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
It is free, and you can visit it any day from 6 am to midnight. The roof terrace also has a bar and restaurant, making it the perfect hang-out spot with your friends or significant other.
16. Hampstead Observatory (Stargazing)
It is an observatory that has a refracting telescope that is worth visiting. It has a purpose-built rotating dome that is open to visitors. Ensure that the sky is clear and has no weather-related hindrances to enjoy the mesmerizing night sky of London.
And if the points align, it is the best spot to explore while looking at the beautiful stars.
17. BFI IMAX (Movie)
BFI IMAX is one of the biggest screens in Britain. Of course, most people enjoy watching films, and the screen size here at BFI is more than enough to add to the excitement of watching a new movie in the cinema.
The cinema gives you a feeling of immersing within the story itself, for it is huge and breathtaking alongside an amazing sound system that makes you feel as if you are a part of the film you are to watch.
18. The Southbank
Walking along the Southbank is one of the best and most cost-efficient ways to entertain yourself at night on a trip to London. It is between Westminster and London Bridge and has miles of venues showcasing art and providing creative entertainment.
Furthermore, the area is quite traffic-free and has a brightly calming view, which makes it even more a place worth having a stroll. And the fact that you could walk through it at night would make it an illuminated experience.
19. Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is quite close to most of the city’s famous attractions, and walking through the bridge at night will let you enjoy a beautiful view. The view is enough to keep you satisfied, but if you manage to time your walk perfectly, you could even get a chance to hear the Big Ben chime.
This is yet another cost-effective and efficient way to spend your night in London if you are out on a couple’s trip. Who would deny a free romantic walk across the Westminster Bridge?
20. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is undoubtedly one of London’s top tourist spots, but visiting it at night makes it 3000% more mesmerizing and magical. The Palace is said to be lit with over 10,000 lights every evening, making it a view one would not want to miss.
It would help if you remembered that you could not get a tour of the Palace at night, but you can surely gasp at its beauty from the outside. The best spots to do that would be from Green Park or the start of the Mall near Trafalgar Square.
21. Duck & Waffle
Duck & Waffle is about 40 stories high and offers an amazing view of London while you enjoy delicious British cuisine unlike most places, which close after a particular time, Duck & Waffle is open all day and night, making it the perfect place to visit when you have nothing planned.
If you visit the restaurant, do not forget to get yourself a crispy duck leg confit, as it is their signature dish.
22. Speakeasy
If you are out to get into some secretive fun, visiting a Speakeasy would be quite a unique experience. The place would be filled with leisurely fun, where you could get drunk in bars playing jazz music while having vintage décor.
If you are unsure where to go, Discount Suit Company is a well-known suggestion that will give you an enchanting vibe with some laid-back yet creative cocktails.
23. Open Air Cinemas
As the name suggests, it is a cinema where you can watch the classics on a big screen out in the open. However, the city’s varying climatic conditions make it only possible in the summer.
So if you are in London during the summer, an open-air cinema at night must be added to your list of must-visit spots.
24. Dance with Drag Queens at G-A-Y
G-A-Y is one of the most famous spots for people associated with the LGBTQ+ community to go if they were in London. It is open not only to those who belong to the community but also to everyone. The place has three floors and hosts multiple karaoke and parties that tend to turn wild sooner or later.
Furthermore, the drinks are cheap, and the vibe is friendly and laid back. Thus, it sets you up for a night you will remember for years.
25. Old School Pub, Farringdon
You will find a pub in every nook and corner of London. Even though pubs are abundant, they are still one of the best ways to spend a night in the town. So you should find yourself in a creaky old-looking pub that speaks history and will entertain you more than those that look lavishly new.
If you are unsure where to begin, Farringdon is the best place. It hosts a pub named Ye Olde Mitre, which gives you the vibe of an old palace.
26. Ronnie Scott’s
Ronnie Scott’s is a jazz club that hosts the best musicians in the world. It is the best place to visit for late-night live music performances. For decades, it has hosted the top talents in the field.
The performance has a menu and some drinks you could enjoy while immersing yourself in the music. The fact to remember is that the place is open till 3 in the morning, but you will have to get yourself a ticket quite a bit in advance.
27. Jack The Ripper Tour
As we talk about terrific things to do in London at night, it is one of the most unsaid yet spine-chilling experiences you could ask for. Again, this is one of those things that not everybody can join in on and is a highly adult-only experience. You would be taking a tour around the areas that Jack the Ripper was known to hold down during his era.
The tour will fill you with multiple legends and unsaid facts about Victorian London that were reigned by a notorious serial killer. It is explained in an incredible manner that would leave you curious and squeaky.
28. Night Bus Tour
Well, getting yourself a night bus tour in a city like London is another worth-remembering touring experience you could get. If you are too lazy to walk around the city but still want to roam and see all those sites, then this is exactly what you could pitch yourself in for.
The bus will also have a live guide who will throw interesting facts at uneven intervals, making the journey more educational.
29. China Town
If you are a food or cultural enthusiast, Chinatown in London is a great place to spend a night. You can experience multiple delicious core cuisines originally from China while enjoying the replication of a Chinese street market filled with lanterns.
The place is always quite chaotic and is one of the aspects that adds to the beauty of it. The restaurants here are always busy, and getting a table may take a lot more time, but it is worth the wait.
30. The London Dungeon
The London Dungeon is yet another adult-only scheme for tourists to enjoy the mindful nights of London. The tour is a unique and scary experience as it combines many aspects like special effects, storytelling, and theatre, and to sum it all up, it is tinged with a hint of alcohol.
The tour is one of the best things you can do in London.
31. Ghost Walk
As the name might suggest, it is a tour of London’s most haunted and historical lanes and spots. Yet again, not everybody might like it, but if you are a phobophile or a history enthusiast, it is sure to entertain you.
You will walk around gardens, castles, and other places in London. At the same time, you will learn about horrific historical events that took place in those very spots in the past.
London’s nightlife has so much to offer every tourist. The city is bright and beautiful during the day and turns into a super interesting hub at night. The same buildings and monuments have a completely different view when the lights are on.
Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by Annanya Chakraborty
