20 Things To Do This Weekend
Stuck for things to do this weekend? Feeling uninspired? Well, we've noted down 20 different options that might help you to make the most of your weekend. Read on...
1. Go for a whirl on the London Eye and enjoy the views.
2. Enjoy the sun - and have a few beers!
The seasons change, but that's no excuse to pack away the BBQ or the beers, so fire up that barbie, get a few mates around, and crack open a cool one or three. Or better still, try out one of London's historic pubs and have a beer by the fire...
3. Get some culture - go to the British Museum
For those of you who don't know, the British Museum is a treasure house of goodies from throughout the world. The rooms and even some staircases are filled with such notable items as a range of Egyptian mummies, the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, giant Persian statues, Iron age artefacts, plus a few Roman mosaics and Greek temples thrown in for good measure. With the excellent £100 million Great Court now funnelling visitors more effectively throughout this vast complex, the Museum is rarely overcrowded. And the best thing of all? It's free.
Holborn or Russell Square Tubes.
4. Scare yourself at the London Dungeon
The London Dungeon is constructed under the ancient streets of Southwark, and is a dimly lit trip back through the gruesome 2,000 year history of London's mean streets. Watch as Japanese tourists and small children discover that the colour of fear is brown...
Check out www.thedungeons.com for details.
5. Enjoy an ale at an old riverside pub
There are few more enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon than on the terrace of an old English pub, especially if it gives you an eyeful of the Thames and its various maritime activities. You could even 'push the boat out' yourselves and have a roast with all the trimmings.
Check out Riverside Pubs for the low-down.
6. Have a walk or a picnic in one of the royal parks
If the weather's good, why not pack up the tartan rug, bottle of cheap plonk, bacon and egg sarnies, and head for one of London's parks. Even in a crowded place like London there's plenty of greenage to go around, and the beauty is you have stuff-all chance of getting sunburnt!
Try Regents Park for open-air theatre and boating, Greenwich Park for the Royal Observatory, or Hyde Park for Speakers Corner and wide-open spaces.
7. Go on, get fit - go for a run or join a gym! Check out our Health & Fitness page for more information.
8. Catch some sport - live or on the box
There is always plenty of sport on - check out our Calendar of Events, and remember that Britain's number one sport - Premiership Football - runs for nine months of the year.
9. Go on a day break or overnighter out of London
A couple of phonecalls - train and B&B - and you're away. There are plenty of options, specials, and ways of getting out of town.
For destinations, why not try:
Bath (pictured), York, Stratford, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, or Winchester for starters. Or get fancy and overnight in Paris or Bruges - there are always last minute deals going...
10. Explore a palace or castle
London and the surrounding areas have a great selection of ancient castles, royal palaces, and sprawling mansions that are well worth a look at.
For our recommendations - Click Here.
11. Plan your spring/summer travels
Spring and summer will be here before you know it, and that means there's no time to lose as you wave goodbye to your boss, pack your backpack, and head for the bright lights of Europe or further afield.
There are good deals for those that get in early, and for destinations you could consider: Paris, Venice (pictured), Bruges, the Greek Islands, Barcelona, Santorini, Rome, Prague, Dublin, or Amsterdam.
12. Hit the shops, and take no prisoners
The weekend always means there's time to hit the shops, and despite the crowds it's hard to beat the Oxford/Regent Streets axis as a destination. Niketown, Selfridges, Hamleys, Gap, UCB, FCUK, Virgin Megastore, Tower, Lillywhites, the boutiques of Bond Street, Carnaby Street...all within a stones throw of Oxford Circus tube.
13. Get off the beaten track
Go and see something different - the newly renovated Wellington Arch, Sir Joane Soane's Museum, Kew Gardens, Lords Cricket Ground, Ham House, the RAF Museum...there are hundreds of options.
14. Catch a movie or West End show
London never sleeps, even if the Tube turns off the lights just after midnight. Every day and night night there are hundreds of shows, exhibitions, and movies to choose from.
Check out the best shows in our wrap-up of London Theatre.
For current movies and session times the Odeon website is useful - www.odeon.co.uk.
15. Get an eyeful at the National Gallery
London's National Gallery is renowned as one of the great art galleries of Europe. Stacked full of Rembrandts, Canalettos, and Turners, and with a decent smattering of Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Monet, the Gallery is a great place to escape the noise and bustle of modern London. Oh, and it's free.
16. Drink and dance all weekend
London's bars and clubs have never been busier, so check Time Out or TNT for club listings and events, or try one of the options below if you want to hit the cocktails and/or the dancefloor:
Heaven, The Arches, Villiers St WC2. Charing Cross Tube.
Provocation, 3-5 Rathbone Pl W1. Tottenham Ct Rd Tube.
Camden Palace, 1 Camden High St NW1. Camden Town Tube.
Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt St SE1. Elephant & Castle Tube.
Home, Leicester Square. Leicester Square Tube.
Liquid Blue, 31 Duke St W1U. Bond Street Tube.
Voodoo Lounge, Leicester Square. Leicester Square Tube.
17. Go for a cruise on the Thames
The Thames has a rich and varied history, and there are numerous boat services that offer commentary, dinners, or a night out. Others will transport you to riverside sights of note, such as Hampton Court Palace, Kew, Greenwich, and Richmond.
Greenwich and Westminster Piers are the main riverboat terminals.
For information call Westminster Passenger Services on 020 7930 4721 or at www.wpsa.co.uk, or visit the London Transport site.
18. Explore London's history
London was founded nearly 2,000 years ago, and there are many areas where you can see clearly London's rich history for yourself. Just one example for a half day trip through waterfront 16th/17th Century London:
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Starting at Monument station it is only a short walk to The Monument itself, a 202 foot column crowned with gold flames that marks the spot where the devastating Great Fire of 1666 started. 311 steps lead you to the viewing gallery, and you'll even get a certificate for your efforts. Crossing London Bridge you can visit the London Dungeon, and then have the option of Southwark Cathedral, the moored replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, the Clink Prison Museum, and/or Vinopolis World of Wine. By then you'll need to stop for a cool one at the 16th century Anchor pub, just as travellers have for 400 years. After a refreshing pint, it's only 5 minutes to the recreated Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, where crowds thrilled to Shakespeare's new plays in the 16th century. With St. Paul's clearly visible across the Thames, the Queen's Walk riverside path then continues on to the Tate Modern and Gabriel's Wharf, which is only a few minutes from the London Eye. If you've survived this far you can cross the Hungerford footbridge for Embankment or Charing Cross, or head past the Eye for either Waterloo or Westminster tubes.
19. Go out for a restaurant meal with friends
London has several thousand restaurants, many of them reasonably priced. Check out our Indian Restaurants feature, our Restaurant Of The Month, or Restaurants section for ideas.
20. Go to the races
There are five race courses in the greater London earlier or a short distance beyond. Sandown Park holds top-quality meets, and Ascot and Epsom are renowned for their prestigious meets in June.
A night at the dogs is also a popular London past-time - Walthamstow and six GRA Stadiums scattered between Manchester and Portsmouth.
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