Out-Of-The-Ordinary Attractions the Whole Family Will Love

The Capital has much more to offer for a family minibreak than the usual suspects like the Natural History Museum and Madame Tussauds. We’ve put together some of London’s top alternative attractions that the whole family will love, to help you plan the perfect family mini vacation in the city. Our all-ages activities include a selection of unexpected places to go, things to buy, where to sleep, and what to eat.  

Play

Go Ape – Head to the treetops of Battersea Park for this inner-city family-friendly forest adventure. Go Ape’s zip lines, rope crossings and wobbly bridges are designed for different levels of climbing ability and bravery. They even have challenges that are for small kids who aren’t afraid of heights. It’s the perfect London summer destination, mixing the beauty of a historic London park with an adrenaline adventure. 

Small Car Big City – You can hop on an open top red London bus or jump in the back of a black taxi for a classic London experience, but Small Car Big City offer something a lot more memorable. Their fleet of classic Mini Coopers are available for hire, or for a personalised London tour of the city’s famous landmarks. There’s space for four if you hire your own, or three (plus the tour-guide driver) if you’d rather someone else navigate London’s traffic. 

Hoxton Street Monster Supplies – Forget Hamleys, if you want something a little different for the kids, then head to Monster Supplies at  159 Hoxton Street to ‘London’s oldest supplier of goods for the living, dead, and undead!’ They aren’t as spooky as you might think, with Time Out recently voting them the ‘No.1 Kids Shop in London’. Pick up a tin of ‘The Chills’, a bottle of ‘Fairy Dust’ or even a bottle of ‘London Smog’. If your kids love Harry Potter, this is a must. 

Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour – Departing from Victoria Coach Station or Trafalgar Square, this 90-minute London tour is as quintessentially ‘London’ as it gets. Make yourself comfortable on board a classic routemaster bus, enjoy an assortment of tasty afternoon tea treats, and raise a cup of tea to Her Majesty as you drive past Buckingham Palace. 

Eat

Crosstown Doughnuts – Crosstown’s doughnuts are available quite literally across the town, with shops and market stalls all over London, but if you’re staying at The Gate, then the Shoreditch shop is just a 15-minute walk away. At 157 Brick Lane the doughnut flavours evolve and change with the season, but summer 2021 has some of their best yet, including lychee and raspberry, blueberry and lemon and mango and chipotle. 

Dip & Flip – Located just outside Clapham Common at 87 Battersea Rise, Dip & Flip is a messy delicious treat. The Dip is a roasted beef, chicken or lamb roll dipped in gravy with a side of even more gravy goodness. Imagine all the flavours of a Sunday roast squashed into one delicious sandwich. Just as tempting is the Flip, a ‘smash’ burger served in a brioche bun along with your favourite classic burger accompaniments. If you’re bringing smaller kids, it will get messy, but it’s worth it. 

Chin Chin Labs – Well worth the 30-minute tube ride from The Gate to 49-50 Camden Lock, this is where science meets ice cream. Chin Chin Labs changed the game when they first opened in 2010, and their liquid-nitrogen frozen-to-order ice cream does not disappoint a decade later. They have a menu of classic ice creams along with some very kid-friendly toppings, and the liquid-nitrogen frozen hand-churned ice cream is far from a novelty. The ice cream is as out-of-this-world as the clouds of liquid-nitrogen steam suggest. 

Stay

The Gate - Located just off of London’s famous Brick Lane, The Gate mixes luxury hotel amenities with the convenience and comfort of a self-contained apartment. From one-bedroom apartments with an interconnecting studio to a Family Accessible Room and two-bedroom The Residence, we have something to suit your unique family travel needs.