Bingeable TV shows, movie hotspots and celebrity music videos inspire Brits to venture to less-known parts of the capital
Forget Big Ben and Oxford Street – there’s a whole new side of London waiting to be explored, and it is beautifully bizarre! Our new research* into the capital’s lesser-known attractions has revealed a wonderfully quirky cultural bucket list based on what people actually want to see.
It turns out that a whopping 58% of us are itching to skip the usual tourist traps this year and dive deep into London’s outer boroughs instead. Thanks to social media, the real hype is all about these ‘unofficial’ landmarks, with over half of recent visitors saying they get way more excited about discovering these secret, viral spots. So, if you’re ready to peel back the layers of the capital and see what makes it truly tick, it’s time to start ticking off the weird and wonderful side of London!
🥇 London Transport Museum
Adults from £46.50 | Children from £43.50
Topping the list is the disused Jubilee line part of Charing Cross Tube station, where the London Transport Museum runs one of its Hidden London guided tours. The closed platforms and concourse have been used as a set location for films, including Skyfall and Paddington.
Within the London Transport Museum itself, you can climb aboard historic red double-decker buses, wander through vintage tube carriages from the 19th century and marvel at the iconic, mid-century graphic design that shaped the city’s visual identity.
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🥈 The Notting Hill Bookshop
Free
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If you’re a fan of 90s rom-coms, stepping into The Notting Hill Bookshop will feel like walking straight into a movie set! A quarter (24%) of Brits say they look forward to visiting spots featured in movies, and The Notting Hill Bookshop is the perfect pilgrimage site for fans of the 1999 romcom classic.
Famous for inspiring the charming travel book store owned by Hugh Grant’s character in the film Notting Hill, this cosy literary haven is a must-visit. While it might look like a quaint neighbourhood shop from the outside, inside it’s a bustling treasure trove packed with beautiful special editions, quirky gifts and a fantastic selection of literary top picks. What makes it truly unusual is the delightful mix of die-hard movie buffs recreating their favourite scenes outside and book lovers quietly hunting for their next read inside.
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🥉 Ted Lasso Walking Locations Tour
Adults £27.00 | Children £16.00
If you’re ready to trade the usual central London tourist traps for a heavy dose of pure, unadulterated joy, you need to head southwest to Richmond for the Ted Lasso Walking Locations Tour! The Ted Lasso Walking Locations Tour, which takes fans of the series around various filming spots in Richmond, ranks at number three in our list. This isn’t just a stroll; it’s a full-on immersion into AFC Richmond. You’ll wander down the quaint, cobblestoned alleyway of Paved Court to snap a selfie right in front of Ted’s famous front door, channel your inner soccer pundit outside ‘The Crown and Anchor’ pub (known to locals as The Prince’s Head), and even sit on the exact riverside bench where Ted and Coach Beard have their iconic deep chats.
Led by passionate local guides who bleed Richmond red and blue, this tour serves up the perfect blend of Hollywood behind-the-scenes magic and idyllic, village-style London charm. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the show or just someone who loves beautiful riverside views and a quirky bit of pop-culture history, this experience will leave you itching for even more of this beloved TV show.
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⭐ Mudlarking Tours Along the Thames
£30 per adult and children aged 8+
Brits also voted for quirky attractions such as Thames mudlarking tours to ‘beachcomb’ for treasures in low tides. If you’ve ever wanted to literally unearth London’s history with your own two hands, a guided mudlarking tour along the River Thames is an absolute must. For centuries, the Thames has served as a giant, watery time capsule, and every time the tide recedes, it leaves behind centuries of lost treasures on the foreshore. Led by expert guides, these tours allow you to explore the riverbanks for a range of artefacts, including Victorian clay pipes, Tudor shoe leather, and ancient Roman pottery fragments.
It is the ultimate hands-on history lesson – there is nothing quite like the thrill of picking up an object that hasn’t been touched since a Londoner dropped it hundreds of years ago. Just be sure to wear some sturdy boots, embrace a little mud and get ready to discover London’s past one tide at a time!
⭐ Highgate Cemetery
Adults £10 | Children £5 aged 8-17
Highgate Cemetery is easily one of the city’s most beautifully unusual attractions, voted by Brits, where nature has spectacularly reclaimed the elaborate Victorian tombs, creating a delightfully eerie, secret garden. While many visitors flock here to tip their hats to the towering bust of Karl Marx, the real magic lies in wandering the winding, ivy-draped paths to spot some of the UK’s most beloved cultural icons. Pop fans can pay a quiet, respectful visit to the final resting place of legendary singer George Michael, who is buried in a peaceful plot next to his mother.
You’ll also encounter a literal Who’s Who of creative history, from the celebrated Victorian novelist Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot), to the romantic poet Christina Rossetti and punk pioneer Malcolm McLaren. It is the ultimate hidden gem for history buffs, music lovers and anyone looking to experience a totally different, wonderfully atmospheric side of the capital.
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⭐ Infernos
From £10
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Wildly popular with Londoners south of the river is Clapham’s Infernos nightclub – which Margot Robbie couldn’t stop talking up during her Wuthering Heights press junkets, describing the moment she was kicked out of the club, ‘that no one could be chucked out of’.
While London is famous for its sleek, underground electronic clubs, Infernos is a gloriously disco anomaly that proudly defies all definitions of cool – and that’s exactly why it’s a legendary, unusual attraction. Walking through the doors is like stepping into a parallel universe where the year is 1999. Complete with disco balls, pop anthems and an energy that is simply pure joy, it’s the ultimate antidote to London’s sometimes-serious nightlife scene. It’s loud, it’s unpretentious and it is an absolute rite of passage for anyone looking to experience the capital’s nightlife!
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⭐ The Whitgift Centre
Free
Forget the Tower of London or the London Eye – if you want a truly unique slice of local culture, head south to Croydon’s iconic Whitgift Centre! Once a bustling, futuristic 1970s retail utopia, this sprawling shopping centre has evolved into one of the city’s most fascinatingly unusual spots. It beautifully straddles the line between retro nostalgia and modern pop-culture cool. In fact, if you get an eerie sense of déjà vu while walking through its bright, airy concourses, it’s probably because Taylor Swift recently used its distinct, retro backdrops to film her Opalite music video!
Aside from being a magnet for music videos and filmmakers looking for that perfect liminal-space aesthetic, the centre hosts incredible hidden gems like the delightful Pollock’s Toy Museum pop-up, packed with eccentric Victorian toy theatres and quirky clockwork relics. Whether you are hunting for vintage vibes, exploring its quiet, cavernous corners or just want to walk in the footsteps of global pop stars, the Whitgift Centre is an unexpected, delightfully surreal addition to your alternative London bucket list!
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⭐ Kentish Delight
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If you had ‘pop culture pilgrimage at a late-night takeaway’ on your London bucket list, then you are in for a treat! Tucked away on Kentish Town Road, Kentish Delight looks like your standard, unassuming local kebab joint from the outside – but it hides some seriously legendary star power. This modest little spot was actually Taylor Swift’s absolute favourite kebab shop when she lived in North London and it even famously co-starred in her End Game music video.
Swifties from all over the globe now make the trek here just to step inside, see the photos of Taylor plastering the walls, and order her exact go-to: a chicken doner with garlic mayo and heaps of fresh salad. It’s the ultimate, wonderfully unusual slice of London’s music history, proving that magnificent attractions really do come in the most unexpected, delicious packages!
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⭐ Chicken Shop on Baker St
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Move over, Sherlock Holmes, because the real mystery on Baker Street is how Chicken Shop manages to pack so much legendary flavour into one vibrant spot! True urban explorers know that this bright, high-energy joint is the ultimate unusual pit stop on London’s most famous literary street. Forget your standard greasy takeout; this place serves up insanely crispy, double-fried halal chicken burgers, habanero ‘Hot Honey Hustle’ masterpieces, and house-made sauces that have reached absolute cult status. Even Beyoncé reportedly bought £2,000 of chicken from here!
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⭐ Amy Winehouse Mural
Free
Want to experience the true, beating heart of London’s alternative culture? You have to head to Camden Town and check out the incredible Amy Winehouse mural. On the side wall of her favourite pub, The Hawley Arms, you’ll find massive, breathtaking tributes to the late, great music icon. Painted by renowned street artists like Mr Cenz and Pegasus, these larger-than-life murals perfectly capture her soulful eyes, sharp winged eyeliner and that unmistakable, towering beehive hairstyle. It’s not just a brilliant photo op for your London photo dump; it’s a beautifully raw, moving celebration of a local legend that gives you a genuine taste of Camden’s gritty, artistic soul.
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