Hidden Gems of London – Episode 988

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March 21, 2026

On March 21, 2026

Hear about visiting the hidden gems of London, England, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about this city he once called home.

Why visit London?

London is one of the world’s great cities, and it can easily fill a week, if not two, exploring the city. Everyone has heard of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Tate Modern, Changing of the Guard, British Museum, and the London Eye, but there are so many more sights that are arguably as interesting and less busy.

Jonty lived in the UK for the first 29 years of his life, worked in London for 5 years, and visited London almost every year for 15 years after moving to New Zealand.

Itinerary

Itinerary details – plenty to fill a week, but more to give ideas if you’re returning to London or want to mix in some more off-the-beaten-track sights on your first visit

Greenwich & East London

Greenwich – Famous for the Cutty Sark, a 19th-century tea clipper beautifully restored after a major fire in 2007. Walk under the Thames through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel (a Victorian engineering marvel), visit the Old Royal Naval College and its stunning Painted Hall, the elegant Queen’s House (the first Palladian-style house in Britain, designed by Inigo Jones), the vast National Maritime Museum (one of the largest in the world), and the Royal Observatory, home of Greenwich Mean Time. Allow a full day here.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – The legacy of the 2012 Olympics, now London’s largest urban park (560 acres). Explore landscaped gardens, the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower, canal walks, and the V&A East Storehouse (a new visible collection and research centre). It’s also next to the ABBA Voyage show.

The City of London

busy in the week, very quiet at the weekends

Sky Garden & The Lookout – Free entry (book online in advance) for panoramic views of London from the top of 20 Fenchurch Street — a great alternative to paying £25 for The Shard. The building is also known as The Walkie-Talkie (like The Gherkin and The Cheesegrater). After it was built, it was also known as the Death Ray, with an egg able to be boiled on the street due to solar glare issues when it opened, six times brighter than sunshine.
London Mithraeum – A Roman temple dedicated to Mithras discovered beneath Bloomberg’s new headquarters. Free but booking recommended — includes artefacts and an immersive light-and-sound reconstruction.
Postman’s Park – A tranquil pocket of greenery in the City with the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, commemorating ordinary people who died saving others. Incredibly moving.
- “David Selves aged 12, Off Woolwich supported his drowning playfellow and sank with him clasped in his arms.”,
- “Henry James Bristow, Aged eight – at Walthamstow, On December 30, 1890 – saved his little sister’s life by tearing off her flaming clothes but caught fire himself and died of burns and shock”,
- “William Fisher, Aged 9, Lost his life on Rodney Road Walworth while trying to save his little brother from being run over”
Bank of England Museum – Learn about the history of British money and even try to lift a real gold bar.
Guildhall Art Gallery – A compact collection of Victorian art, particularly strong on Pre-Raphaelites and paintings of London, built above the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, which can be visited in the basement.
City Churches – Many designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire, including St Mary-le-Bow, St Stephen Walbrook, St Andrew Holborn, and St Mary Aldermary — all worth stepping into for quiet reflection and architecture.

Barbican, Clerkenwell & Bloomsbury

Barbican Complex – Brutalist architecture at its best. Book ahead to visit the Barbican Conservatory, the second-largest indoor garden in London, hidden above the arts centre.
Museum of the Order of St John – A niche but fascinating museum tracing the Knights Hospitaller and the origins of the St John Ambulance.
Freemasons’ Hall – A monumental Art Deco building and headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England. Free guided tours available.
Grant Museum of Zoology – A wonderfully eccentric university museum packed with animal skeletons, specimens, and oddities.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology – Part of UCL, this is a hidden gem with over 80,000 artefacts, mostly small but fascinating everyday items from ancient Egypt.
Hunterian Museum – Recently reopened in the Royal College of Surgeons; displays anatomical specimens, surgical instruments, and remains of Joseph Merrick (“the Elephant Man”).

West End, Covent Garden & Soho

National Portrait Gallery – Behind Trafalgar Square’s National Gallery, recently refurbished and full of fascinating portraits — from Shakespeare to Stormzy. Wonderful combination of British art and history, arguably more enjoyable than the National Gallery.
London Transport Museum – In Covent Garden, celebrating 200 years of getting around London. Interactive displays, vintage buses, and Tube trains are great for kids.
Somerset House & Courtauld Gallery – A riverside cultural hub with regular events, exhibitions, and one of London’s finest small art collections, particularly Impressionist and Post-Impressionist, such as Manet, Van Gogh, and has the UK’s most significant Cézanne collection.

Marylebone & Fitzrovia

Wallace Collection – A gem in Marylebone, housed in a grand 18th-century mansion. Known for one of the finest collections of arms and armour in Europe, as well as works by Titian and Rubens.
Design Museum – Founded by Sir Terence Conran and now in a stunning modernist building originally designed for the Commonwealth Institute.

Westminster, Victoria & Hyde Park

Westminster Cathedral – Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey. This is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, built in striking Byzantine style with red-and-white brickwork. Near Victoria Station.
Kensington Palace – A royal residence once home to Princess Diana, Queen Victoria, and currently the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate). The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in nearby Hyde Park divides opinion for its design.
Apsley House & Wellington Arch – The Duke of Wellington’s home, known as “Number 1 London.” Full of treasures presented to him after the Battle of Waterloo.
Imperial War Museum – One of the best war museums in the world, with powerful exhibits on conflict and its human impact.

South Bank & Southwark

South Bank – Always buzzing with culture: National Theatre, Hayward Gallery, Royal Festival Hall, plus book markets and street performers. Book tickets early.
Tate Britain – Often overshadowed by Tate Modern, but home to the world’s best collection of British art, from Turner and Constable to contemporary works.
Old Operating Theatre Museum – Near London Bridge, housed in an old church attic; see the original surgical theatre where 19th-century operations were performed before anesthesia.
Golden Hinde – A replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship that circumnavigated the globe (1577–1580). Surprisingly small — you’ll see how cramped life was at sea.
St Katharine Docks – A peaceful marina just east of Tower Bridge, filled with yachts, restaurants, and historic warehouses — a hidden oasis in the city centre.

Close to Heathrow

Historic Houses – Osterley Park and House, Chiswick House, and Ham House are grand estates with rich history and extensive gardens, all within easy reach of West London.

Getting around

The Tube works well, but central London isn’t that large — walking is often faster and more rewarding. The city is flat, pavements are wide, and cycling is now hugely popular with easy-to-hire e-bikes. Walking lets you stumble upon London’s random delights. Cycling is also now super popular, and it’s easy to hire e-bikes.