Best London experience gifts for 2024: Top experiences and days out to treat someone to
If you only have a few days in the capital city, you want to make it memorable, right? That’s why we've rounded up the best experiences in London for 2024.
If you’re a London local, it can be easy to fall into the routine of only doing things in your immediate area. The number of times we've suggested a picnic on the common during summer rather than actually exploring the city is diabolical; it’s important to be a tourist in your own city to shake things up.
If you’re travelling to London from elsewhere, you’ll certainly be looking for something exciting to do with your time in the Big Smoke. Selfridges, the iconic Oxford Street department store, even offers its own experience gifts like an afternoon (beau)tea experience, floristry workshops and a one-to-one skateboard session (yes, really).
Our London experience guide has something for everyone, with the best experiences to gift couples, family members, and your adventurous friends. You can rest assured that you're in good hands when selecting experience gifts as the RadioTimes.com Going Out team knows a thing or two about what to do in London just take a look at the best London walking tours, the best London art exhibitions and the best West End shows.
The London activities we've suggested below come from reputable UK experience day companies such as Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days, daysout.co.uk and Activity Superstore, who work hard to secure you the best deal.
So without further ado, let’s see what exciting things you can get up to in London this year.
Here's how to get cheap theatre tickets and how to get cheap cinema tickets to save some hard-earned pennies in the run up to Christmas.
Best London experience gifts at a glance:
Best food experience gifts in London
- Vegan Pasta Workshop Supper Club, £75
- River Thames Murder Mystery Three Course Dining Cruise for Two,
£214£196.99 (save £17.01 or 8%) - Mamma Mia! The Party tickets, from £109
- Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise, from £44
- Graveney Gin Tasting in Tooting Market for Two,
£81£60 (save £21 or 26%) - Original Chocolate Making Workshop for Two,
£120£78 (save £42 or 35%) - Comedy Night with Three Dish Dinner for Two at inamo,
£110.70£49.95 (save £65.75 or 55% - The London Cheese Crawl, from £34
Best London experience gifts for families
- Kew Gardens with Thames River Cruise for Two, £95
- Madame Tussauds London, from £25.20
- Tour of Wembley Stadium for two, £70
- London Eye and Lunch Cruise, £199
- Kia Oval Cricket Ground Tour for Two,
£50£25 (save £25 or 50%) - ZSL London Zoo, from £18.90
Best London experience gifts for couples
- Sauna and Plunge, £50
- The Lehman Trilogy tickets, from £25
- Become an Origami Master, £34
- London Ghost Boat Tour for Two, £39
- Painting Class at The Clapham North, from £25
- Escape The Power Cut at Control Room B for Two, £112
- Theatrical Cocktail Experience for Two at Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Bar,
£93£65.99 (save £27.01 or 29%)
Unique London experience gifts
- Harmonica Masterclass, £20
- Become a Zombie for a Day at The London Tombs, £153.50
- Up at The O2 Climb for Two, £89
- Thames Rockets Break the Barrier River Cruise for Two, £120
- The Dare Skywalk for Two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, £87
- Monopoly Lifesized Choice of All Boards Immersive Experience for Two, £98
- Full Moon Paddleboard Through London, from £36
Best London experience gifts to buy in 2024
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of attractions to visit in London, with classes, shows, and immersive experiences popping up every day.
To help you filter through the barrage of information, we've pulled together our recommendations of the best London experiences you can gift someone, then we've broken them down into categories.
Here are our favourites for 2024.
Jump to:
- Best food experience gifts in London
- Best London experience gifts for families
- Best London experience gifts for couples
- Unique London experience gifts
Best food experience gifts in London
Vegan Pasta Workshop Supper Club
Learn plenty of tips and tricks as you whip up a vegan pasta delight, plus get a vegan recipe booklet to take home in this workshop. There are different flavours on various days, so you can choose whether to make mushroom, butternut squash, spinach and ricotta, or pear and gorgonzola pasta — all of which sound delicious.
Buy Vegan Pasta Workshop Supper Club tickets for £75 at Fever
For more gift inspiration, take a look at our best experience birthday gifts, best London date ideas and best London baking classes guides.
If you're looking for a show-stopping gift for the foodie in your life, our friends at olivemagazine.com have a guide to Gozney vs Ooni, breaking down the positives of each pizza oven brand.
River Thames Murder Mystery Three Course Dining Cruise for Two
This next experience will see you cruise peacefully along the River Thames for an evening, but the events inside the boat will be anything but smooth: you'll have to put on your detective cap to work out who the cold-blooded murderer is who lurks on board... Alongside this game, you'll enjoy a delicious three-course meal which is sure to delight foodies and true crime fans alike.
If you're a fan of murder mystery, you'll love our selection of the best Agatha Christie books and best Harlan Coben books, the man behind Fool Me Once.
Plus, read our Witness for the Prosecution review.
Mamma Mia! The Party
Dance, jive, have the time of your life at Mamma Mia! The Party this November. At this fun-filled experience, you'll enjoy a delicious four-course Greek meal as a musical theatre show takes place around you, then dance the night away at an ABBA disco.
As this is an experience for foodies, let us tell you a little more about the freshly-made meals: for meat-eaters, you'll enjoy traditional Greek mezze and Greek salad followed by confit lamb shoulder and slow cooked beef with roasted garlic potatoes, then, for dessert, it'll be a Greek lemon cake and a choice of tea or coffee. For vegetarian and vegan guests, you'll tuck into roasted cauliflower and stuffed tomato with lentil ragout, then loukoumades for dessert, which are delicious dough balls served with fig jam.
Buy Mamma Mia! The Party tickets from £109 at See Tickets
Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise
What better way to experience London than with a cruise along the River Thames accompanied by a delicious afternoon tea? In this relaxing experience, you'll dig into treats like oak-smoked salmon, pastries and, of course, scones, with as many teas and coffees as you'd like.
Don't focus too much on the tasty bites in front of you, though, as you'll miss out on seeing landmarks like the Tower of London, London Eye, and Tower Bridge.
Buy Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise from £44 at Headout
Graveney Gin Tasting in Tooting Market for Two
The iconic Tooting Market hosts this fun-filled experience: gin tasting for two. Learn about the history of gin, taste three variations of Graveney Gin’s spirits, and enjoy some nibbles.
If you like socialising but dislike how loud it can be, then read our handy guide on how do Loop Earplugs work and our Loop Earplugs review.
Original Chocolate Making Workshop for Two
Discover the rich history of chocolate and make your own sweet treats in this chocolate-making class. You’ll taste cocoa in its purest form, and try a variation of chocolate, then you’ll try your hand at making chocolate yourself! Create and decorate a giant chocolate button, and add toppings to gooey fudge. You should have some chocolates to take home with you if you can resist eating them before…
Comedy Night with Three Dish Dinner for Two at inamo
Switch-up the usual dinner time routine: asking your significant other what to cook for tea, opening the fridge to an uninspiring selection of food, then ordering a takeaway from your local. In this experience for two, you’ll begin the night on a high with a delicious three dish meal of Pan-Asian cuisine, like sushi, sashimi, tapas, dumplings and more, at inamo in Covent Garden, before enjoying a comedy evening at inamo’s in-house Comedy Club.
The London Cheese Crawl
It's time to break out your inner mouse, because this is the ultimate cheese tour in London. Starting at the iconic Fortnum & Mason store in Mayfair, this is two hours of non-stop cheese.
As well as sampling some of the finest cheese in London, you'll take part in an interactive cheese trivia quiz - and even watch some famous cheese clips from the movies. Sounds gouda? We think so too.
Buy The London Cheese Crawl from £34 at The Indytute
For more experiences from The Indytute, we have plenty in our best Brighton gift experiences guide.
Best London experience gifts for families
Kew Gardens with Thames River Cruise for Two
This experience includes a one-and-a-half-hour sightseeing cruise along the River Thames which will drop you off a 10-minute walk away from Kew Gardens, then you’ll also get entry for two into the beautiful botanical gardens. One of the RadioTimes.com team treated their mum to this last summer, and let's just say they were favourite child for a while...
Buy Kew Gardens with Thames River Cruise for Two for £95 at Virgin Experience Days
Our friends at MadeForMums have plenty of fun days out activities for the whole family, just take a look at the best UK zoos, best UK waterparks and National Trust family pass explainer.
Madame Tussauds
Who are your parents' favourite celebrities? This Digital Writer's mum has a huge crush on George Clooney, and her dad fancies himself a bit of a footballer. At Madame Tussauds in London, you can meet and take photos with 250 lifelike figures of your favourite celebrities, from the Royal Family and Taylor Swift to Beyoncé and ET, as well as experience 14 interactive zones, and learn all about London's history from up to 400 years ago.
Buy Madame Tussauds London tickets from £25.20 at Madame Tussauds
Tour of Wembley Stadium
With the success of the Lionesses this year combined with the World Cup frenzy, we recommend taking a tour of the UK's best-known football ground. It's the ideal gift for a football fan in your family; the Wembley Stadium tour allows you to see the changing rooms, take a picture in the Press Conference Room and walk through the players' tunnel.
Buy Tour of Wembley Stadium for two adults for £70 at Buyagift
Are you a sports fan? Check out the best BT Sport offers and Sky Sports offers for this month.
Plus, here's how to get cheap football tickets to watch the Premier League without a membership.
London Eye and Lunch Cruise
There are a few landmarks which are synonymous with London: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and, of course, the London Eye. Experience London from new heights (135 metres up, to be exact), then enjoy a two course lunch, plus tea and coffee, on a blissful river cruise.
This experience is for Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year.
Buy London Eye and Lunch Cruise for £199 at Activity Superstore
Kia Oval Cricket Ground Tour for Two
The Kia Oval Cricket Ground tour is the perfect experience to pull out of the bag when your parent comes to visit you in London. When your parents come to see you in the Big Smoke, they're probably not going to want to visit your local pub, and dishing up a microwave meal while you catch up on soaps together might not cut it, either. So, if they're fans of cricket — we've got you sorted!
In this experience, you'll visit the birthplace of the Ashes, The Kia Oval Cricket Ground in Kennington, and enjoy a 90-minute guided tour of the iconic stadium.
Buy Kia Oval Cricket Ground Tour for Two for £50 £25 (save £25 or 50%) at Buyagift
ZSL London Zoo
Who doesn't love a trip to the zoo? With the chance to see over 750 species of animals from leafcutter ants to silverback gorillas, families will fall in love with London Zoo. It's one of London's most historic attractions, and you'll be able to experience talks and feeding sessions which take place throughout the day.
London Zoo is located in London's Regent Park, so it's the ideal place to enjoy a family picnic after your day out.
Buy ZSL London Zoo tickets from £18.90 at Fever
Best London experience gifts for couples
Sauna and Plunge
Are you looking for a relaxing activity away from the hustle and bustle of the Big Smoke? Then head on over to Shoreditch in East London for a sauna oasis. Complete with designer saunas, energising plunge pods, wellness classes which focus on controlled breathing, and there's even a café for a post-sauna tea and nibble.
Buy Sauna and Plunge for £50 at The Indytute
A West End show like The Lehman Trilogy
If you have more than one day in the capital city, we'd recommend going to see Sam Mendes's The Lehman Trilogy. We say if you have 'more than one day' because the epic is three hour's long (with two intervals) so it will certainly take up a lot of your evening!
This brilliant, limited time only show tells the infamous story of the Lehman brothers. The RadioTimes.com team were lucky enough to experience the show for ourselves, and you can read all about it in our The Lehman Trilogy review. Plus, we interviewed The Lehman Trilogy's John Heffernan, too.
Buy The Lehman Trilogy tickets from £25 at London Theatre Direct
These are the best London theatre shows and best Manchester theatre shows, and here's how to get cheap theatre tickets and Black Friday theatre deals, because if there's one thing we love, it's a discount!
Plus, if it's your first time attending a show, you might want to check out top West End theatre tips and advice.
Become an Origami Master
Located at The Snooty Fox in London, this Become an Origami Master is for you and a plus one. In the class, you'll learn how to fold and mould paper into beautiful sculptures to take home, and with numerous designs to learn, we're certain you'll feel like a professional by the end of the session! Plus, it's been shown that paper folding aids relaxation, concentration, hand eye co-ordination and memory.
Buy Become an Origami Master for £34 at The Indytute
London Ghost Boat Tour for Two
If you and your other half are fans of all things spooky then, boy, do we have an experience for you! Unlike your typical ghost walking tour, this creepy experience will see you explore London by boat, taking you to Green Park, St James's Palace, Mayfair, Westminster, and the Tower of London — places which are rich with horrifying stories of murder, plague and torture.
Buy London Ghost Boat Tour for Two for £39 at Find Me A Gift
Looking for a ghost tour in other UK cities? Then take a look at the best Edinburgh ghost tours and the best York ghost tours.
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Painting Class at The Clapham North
This painting class in south west London is a great way to finish off a day exploring the city. Depending on which day you pick, you can either paint Three Sunflowers In a Vase or The Starry Night by Van Gogh, or paintings by Steinlen, Kandinsky, Hopper and Monet. No matter which painting you choose, you’ll enjoy your time in a relaxed environment and have a piece of art to take home with you at the end of the day.
Buy Painting Class at The Clapham North from £25 at Fever
Here are the best UK pottery classes to unleash your creativity this year.
Escape The Power Cut at Control Room B for Two
Nothing says testing your relationship like an escape room! The clock is ticking, and you have 90 minutes to solve puzzles and decipher cryptic clues with the aim of fixing the power cut before the time runs out. What makes this escape room different to a lot of others is that you'll step behind the Battersea Power Station Control Room's original control desks. Oh, and you'll also enjoy two cocktails each.
Buy Escape The Power Cut at Control Room B for Two for £112 at Virgin Experience Days
Are you a fan of live music? Here's how to get cheap concert tickets to see your favourite artists for less.
Theatrical Cocktail Experience for Two at Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Bar
An immersive cocktail evening is a great way to take date night to the next level. Come to Alcotraz and you'll be given an orange jumpsuit and told to smuggle in alcohol, all while avoiding the eye of the Warden.
Your smuggled spirits will then be used by the guards to create bespoke cocktails which you can enjoy throughout the rest of the immersive experience.
Unique London experience gifts
Harmonica Masterclass
With the imminent arrival of A Complete Unknown to our cinema screens, how about channelling your inner Bob Dylan with a harmonica masterclass? During the 90-minute workshop, you’ll learn all about the three Bs: breath, bars and blues, and learn the correct way to hold the harmonica. You'll come away from the class knowing how to play a single note and ‘harmonica train’, master chords and a three-bar blues riff, plus a blues jam improv.
Buy Harmonica Masterclass for £20 at The Indytute
Become a Zombie for a Day at The London Tombs
In this one-of-a-kind experience, you and a friend will be transformed into terrifying zombies and given a lesson in the art of scaring people, as well as how to apply your own FX make-up. You'll take these skills (and your creepy exterior) to scare visitors at The London Tombs.
Scaring people is thirsty work, so you and your zombie cohort will be treated to pub grub at The Bermondsey Bierkeller as part of the experience, too.
Buy Become a Zombie for a Day at The London Tombs for £153.50 at Virgin Experience Days
Take a look at the best UK zombie experiences and best UK Halloween events, if you dare...
Up at The O2 Climb for Two
View London from dizzying new heights with this experience. You and a fellow adventurer will climb 365m to the top of The O2, take the opportunity to snap some incredible photos with the whole of London stretched out behind you, before heading back down to earth.
Buy Up at The O2 Climb for Two for £89 at Virgin Experience Days
For special cinema trips, these are the best luxury cinema experiences. Plus, To save money on your cinema visit, here's how to get cheap cinema tickets.
Thames Rockets Break the Barrier River Cruise for Two
We all have that mate who’s a huge thrill-seeker; so if you’re planning a day out for them, you know afternoon tea isn’t going to cut it. Treat your daredevil friend to a speedboat ride across the River Thames. Take twists and turns along the river at high-speed and catch glimpses of landmarks like The O2, all while listening to tunes across the ages. Just remember to hold on tight!
Buy Thames Rockets Break the Barrier River Cruise for Two for £120 at Buyagift
If that wasn’t adventurous enough for you, check out the best UK driving experiences and best London escape rooms.
The Dare Skywalk for Two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Do you live life on the edge? How about the edge of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? Take in views of the capital city as you journey 46.8 metres above the football pitch and onto a glass walkway to scale the outside of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Buy The Dare Skywalk for Two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for £87 at Virgin Experience Days
Monopoly Lifesized Choice of All Boards Immersive Experience for Two
Take one of the most beloved (and arguably the most competitive) games to the next level with a life-sized version of Monopoly. Spend 80-minutes – any longer and we're sure arguments would begin! – building houses, taking rent, avoiding jail, and completing escape room challenges as you make your way across the Monopoly board. Afterwards, be sure to recharge in the on-site bar and restaurant, The Top Hat.
Full Moon Paddleboard Through London
As far as unique experiences go, this is about as unique as it gets! What could be more special than floating through the city under the light of the full moon? It feels like something straight out of a romantic movie.
This event occurs monthly in line with the full moon, and it's worth noting that it's suitable for fairly experienced paddleboarders — The Indytute recommends having paddle boarded at least three times before going on this experience.
Buy Full Moon Paddleboard Through London from £36 at The Indytute
Looking for things to do in 2024? Here's the best murder mystery experiences, the best VR experiences, and the best immersive experiences to try. And don't forget about Sabrina Carpenter final ticket sale.
