NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON: Chiswick Mosaic House
Do you live in London or have been too many times? Had enough of Big Ben? Then you’re in the correct place.
London is undoubtedly the best city in the world. Well, I may be biased, but it is pretty awesome. Part of its awesomeness is that there are unlimited things to do which range from simply the unknown to the most ridiculous. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of non touristy things to do in London. The list is never ending: as soon as I experience more non touristy things to do in London, I will include them here, so remember to pin this post.
NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
QUIRKY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
Have afternoon tea at a Cat Cafe
If you don’t know it already, Cat cafes are a thing. And London couldn’t be left behind in this feline trend. Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium offers a chance to have tea with kittens roaming around. To add more to the fun, it’s vegan friendly! Just remember to book in advance.
Hit up an immersive experience!
As a Londoner, one of my favourite absolutely non touristy things to do in London is immersive experiences! An immersive experience is the perception of being in one place when you are actually in another. It is essentially the suspension of reality, even if just for a few moments. London has tons of immersive bars, theatre and dining experiences. Check out the best here.
NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON – Cat Cafe
Rave before going to work
Yes, this is also a thing! Morning Gloryville is becoming increasingly popular in London. It offers you the chance to rave from ~6 to 10.30 AM, on an alcohol free environment. Superfood smoothies, massages and lots of dancing instead. And yes, tickets sell out early so do book.
Check out a house made with one million mosaic tiles: Chiswick Mosaic House
Carrie Reichardt’s is the artist behind this house, which is hidden away on a quiet, suburban street in Chiswick. It is covered from top to bottom in colourful mosaic tiles. It tells a thousand stories, each reflecting the various artists who have helped to create this masterpiece, ever since the project first began in the 90s.
BYOC: Bring Your Own Cocktails
The BYOC bars invite you to bring your own bottle of your favourite spirit to then have a skilled bartender create cocktails designed just for you. The bars, spread across four locations in London, are set with a 20s prohibition style to add more to the experience. And yes, in this one you also need to book quite in advance.
Looking for immersive experiences in London? Well, good, because I’m a London immersive experience expert. Whenever an immersive experience launches in London, I’m there no matter how weird it is.
Below London’s best immersive experiences that I have tried and tested, organised by type. This article gets updated regularly, check the last published date for the latest update time.
LONDON’S ALL-ENCOMPASSING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
London’s immersive experiences where it’s about the experience itself rather than the drinks or food (even if they are available).
Burnt City by Punchdrunk
Punchdrunk, the world’s leading immersive theatre company, is back in London. You will explore a complete sensory world at your own pace, experiencing scenes in a non-linear way as the story unfolds around you. The story this time is the fall of Troy, where you will witness a mythical world of Gods and mortals who rise from the ashes. It has been one of the most immersive immersive experiences that I’ve ever been to and unlike anything I had seen before, noting it was my first time at a Punchdrunk show. Tips to enjoy: do some research before going, go early to maximise the time in the venue, ditch your group and explore on your own, go more than once! Book it here.
Candlelight
Concerts illuminated by candlelight? I’m definitely in! Fever has recently launched Candlelight, affordable and intimate concerts performed by live musicians in some of the most iconic venues in London that transport you to a fairytale. I had the chance to attend a concert in the beautiful conservatory in Syon Park to listen to City String Ensemble play Movie Soundtrack Disney classics, and I might have shed a tear or two. Book it here.
DARKFIELD create immersive experiences at the forefront of technology and theatre. As their name implies, most of their experiences involve being completely in the dark with binaural sound headphones, as well as movement to help ignite your other senses (touch, smell) and in turn your imagination. Their latest show is EULOGY which is available to book now across the UK. If you miss it, they have also create Darkfield Radio which allows you to enjoy their productions from home. Book it here.
London’s Best Immersive Experiences: Candlelight
Electric Gamebox
Electric Gamebox is an immersive, digital adventure you can try with friends. The experience consists in stepping into the Gamebox: a fully-private, interactive digital room featuring projection mapping, touch screens, motion tracking and surround sound to enjoy a hyper-immersive 60 minute adventure. It is unlike any other immersive gaming experiences I’ve tried! The available change all the time, and new are launched pretty frequently which is great because you’ll want to come back for sure. Book it here.
meetspaceVR
meetspaceVR is one of the world’s greatest VR experiences and much unlike any I’ve been before. It involves a free roam multi-player experience. You can bring up to 8 friends, put on your kits and kill Zombies or save a spaceship from enemies. Because the room where everything happens is huge you can roam and walk around which makes it even more immersive than other VR experiences available in London. All you need to worry about is having fun (and not bumping into the walls!). Book it here.
London’s Best Immersive Experiences: Otherworld
One Night Records
One Night Records is the UK’s First Immersive Music venue. It is not just a gig but an adventure through the ages: from the glitz and glamour of 1920’s Jazz to the neons of 1950’s Rock n Roll, you’ll immerse yourself in our beautifully designed spaces, set across a 30,000 sq ft venue in London Bridge. It is perfect for a date or night with friends, and you can experience it at your own time by moving through the different music rooms along the evening. Tickets are very accessible and food and drinks available at the venue. Book it here.
Otherworld
Otherworld is a virtual reality immersive experience where you step into a beautiful parallel world, an island. In this world you can choose any from sixteen very fun VR experiences. And it’s 4D which means you’ll be able to feel the heat from the sun was you emerge from a cave, or the wind as you gush down a tunnel. Once you are done adventuring, you can enjoy one of their exotic cocktails in a futuristic setting. Book it here.
Secret Cinema
The mother of immersive experiences in London, Secret Cinema was founded in 2007 and specialises in immersive theatrical experiences based on film and television, combining film screenings with interactive performances in purpose-built bespoke sets. In simpler terms, imagine being able to step into your favourite film, to interact with the characters, dressed as one of them and hence becoming part of the story yourself. That’s Secret Cinema! It has been held on movies like Back to the Future, Star Wars, Casino Royale and currently, on Stranger Things. Book it here.
From Olivier Award winning producers, London’s longest running immersive theatre production The Great Gatsby is now playing in the West End. In this immersive play, Jay Gatsby invites you to one of his infamous parties.Learn more here.
Around over two hours from London by car, the Jurassic Coast makes a wonderful day or weekend trip from London if you are looking for stunning seaside views and cute towns.
Wait! Jurassic Coast? Am I going to see dinosaurs?
You wish! The 154km long Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It spans from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset.
Why is it called Jurassic Coast? Well, this site has around 185 million years of geological history. Erosion in the coast has exposed rock formations from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and this is why it is a World Heritage Site. The fossils of the various creatures who lived here have been preserved in the rocks. You can actually see sea shells, and who knows what else, encrusted in them.
What up? Vegan for over three years and London expert here. This is the ultimate guide of London’s best vegan restaurants (and vegan friendly) restaurants in the capital. If I’m missing any new vegan restaurants in London, please let me know in the comments section below.
Best Vegan Restaurants In Balham, London
The Ultimate List Of Vegan Restaurants In London: Wicked Vegan via happycow.net
Wicked Vegan
Wicked Vegan serve delicious vegan burgers, baps and wraps. Their patties are made from scratch!
