Indulging Your Niche Interests in London

You guys. London is such a big city and there is so much to do, that it is impossible (and expensive!) to try doing it all! While I already rounded up must-dos when visiting London for the first time, there is so much more to explore. I’ve broken down some interesting things to check out to spice up your trip and target your niche interests.

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Literature:

Head over to 221b Baker Street to check out the Sherlock Holmes museum and shop. Yes, it’s touristy, but if it’s what you’re into, own it. Inside the museum is Holmes’s house, recreated based on the descriptions provided in the original novels. The neighborhood around Baker street is a really cute place to spend an afternoon.

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Harry Potter fans can line up for a HP souvenir and photo op at King’s Cross Station and take a Potter-centric Warner Bros studio tour! Don’t forget to walk across the Millennium Bridge, featured prominently in the beginning of the Half-Blood Prince movie. Buzzfeed has an even more detailed, nitty-gritty list of exterior Harry Potter filming locations.

Sports:

If you are into football (soccer), you can tour your stadium of choice. Wembley is the city’s largest and most famous, but is not tied to one particular Premier League team. Keep in mind that team-centric pilgrimages are practically religious experiences for some! If that’s not your thing, you could tour Wimbledon, the world-famous tennis complex, or Lord’s if you’d like to learn a thing or two about cricket!

Read about visiting Arsenal’s home, Emirates Stadium, here.

Theatre:

Shakespeare’s Globe Theater could easily be included in the Literature category above, but some of the plays performed here are not written by the Bard so I’m including it under “theatre.” Most people know that this Globe is a recreation of the original, but no less interesting. A tour would be really informative; a show, delightful.

Visiting London is a theatre buff’s dream. You know how famous actors often take a break from making movies? During that time they often devote themselves to live stage productions. Broadway draws the American talent and the West End draws British talent. See who’s on stage now, buy your ticket, and plan your trip around that.

Music:

Well, obviously, you must walk across the famous crosswalk at Abbey Road. London has been a dominant city in music since the British Invasion, and there are so many stories beneath the streets and behind closed doors. Of course, the city is a living thing (not a time capsule) so you might not notice something historic even if you’re standing on the right corner. Lucky for your, there are many companies who exist to illuminate these hidden places for you.

This is just a starting point… What are you into?

Abbey Road photo by Martin Alvarez Espinar on flickr.
All other photos by Staci and Doug Jackson for The Voyageer.