London for Families

From parks to waxworks to big green ogres, London truly does have it all! The city offers hundreds of ways to enjoy spending  quality family time together and enjoy days out to these attractions that everyone will love, all year round.

Holland Park

Holland Park is famous for being a quiet enclave in West London’s forgotten luxury neighbourhood, hidden away just 10 minutes from the centre of the city. It wins the title as the Royal Borough’s largest park, spanning an impressive 54 acres of gardens in a area that used to be Cope Castle. There is a wide range of features here to keep visitors entertained such as multiple sports facilities, a children’s play area, a café and large areas of woodland crawling with wildlife. You’ll also find the beautiful Kyoto Garden within the park – a Japanese-style landscape with a koi carp pond, perfect for a picnic or simply quiet reflection.

Certainly one of the most beautiful parks in London. The Kyoto Garden is breathtaking and so relaxing, it's always revitalising to spend a few hours there. The other gardens are beautiful too.

A lot more serene than its big sibling Hyde Park, Holland Park is named after its owner, the Earl of Holland, whose wife was the first person in England to successfully grow dahlias. The dahlias are still grown in this park today and they make a beautiful setting for the open-air theatre and opera which are staged in the park during summer. Little ones will love exploring the playground’s extensive climbing equipment, zip wire, giant see-saw and tyre swing. The park is open for adventure daily from 7:30am, closing 30 minutes before dusk.

Getting to the park is relatively easy, although you may want to consider leaving your car behind  as there is limited parking in the area. The closest tube station is Holland Park which is on the Central line, alternatively why not cycle your way to the gardens? Bikes are available to hire from the London Cycle Hire docking station near the park entrance on Holland Walk.

Shrek’s Adventure!

Go on a weird and wonderful immersive indoor adventure through the DreamsWorks Tours: Shrek’s Adventure! this summer – suitable for everyone but especially popular with little ones. The whole family can embark on a wacky walk-and-ride attraction which begins by hopping onto the DreamWorks Tours 4D magic flying bus to Shrek’s home… Far Far Away.

Pay a visit to all your favourite characters such as Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Princess Fiona, Pinocchio, Muffin Man and not to mention, Donkey. Star in your very own ogre adventure as you journey on a mission alongside Shrek and his pals to save the day. Look out for other DreamWorks stars like Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Madagascar, who can also be found along the way. There are 10 different hilarious fairy-tale themed live shows combining animation and laugh-out-loud fun also available for you to stop by and watch so you’ll never run out of activities!

Encounter a magic mirror maze, practice powerful spells and explore a smelly swamp as you venture through this unique trail. Battling Lord Farquaad and attempting to save Pinocchio are just a couple more of the exciting activities you will partake in on this visit. Along the way, don’t forget to jump into photo opportunities with Shrek and Donkey as the pictures make great souvenirs! Alternatively, bring your own camera to snap a few selfies with the characters - great additions to your photo albums. It’s recommended you practice your singing before arrival as a karaoke rendition of “I’m a Believer” will be played on the 4D magic flying bus; don’t say we didn’t warn you…

Fantastic! Great fun for all of the family and very interactive.

London Zoo

Families will love an exciting day out at London Zoo, home to more than 750 species of animals. The animals are all amazingly looked after and displayed to maximise enjoyment and learning whilst ensuring a natural and enriching environment is maintained. Guests will also be happy to know  that their visit helps to support the zoo’s conservation work in more than 50 countries around the world. It’s famously the world’s oldest scientific zoo and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study when it was first opened in 1828.

Meet the majestic Asiatic lions in a breath-taking exhibit that will make you feel as if you’re roaming their natural habitat of Sasan Gir in India. Immersive Indian-themed areas will inform, inspire and entertain big cat lovers of all ages - an experience like no other. Take a stroll through the lemur walk-through exhibit depicting a Madagascan shrub forest and come face-to-face with the cheeky ring-tail animals. Meet some of Africa’s most exciting residents in the Gorilla Kingdom which brings the African rainforest to the heart of London. The brave at heart can even get friendly with eight-legged arachnids from all over the world in the zoo’s popular B.U.G.S exhibit. You certainly won’t run out of things to see here!

The zoo offers a huge variety of daily experiences whereby guests can get up close and personal with some of the majestic animals, such as ‘Keeper for a Day’. You’ll experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain unique insights into the day-to-day lives of the London zoo keepers and get stuck in with feeding, washing and mucking out the animals. You’ll encounter a variety of animals whilst being educated by a friendly and experienced zoo keeper host before receiving a complimentary lunch and refreshments.

Madame Tussauds

Make sure you have your camera to hand as you hunt down your favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds waxworks in London. There’s a whole host of impressive figurines waiting to be discovered – from A-listers such as Angelina Jolie and Zac Efron to politicians amongst the likes of Donald Trump and Barack Obama. Not to mention, a variety of footballers, athletes, YouTubers and The Royal family even make an appearance.

We had an amazing time here, there’s something for everyone - 6 year old happy, 13 year old happy… mum and dad enjoyed it too. Money well spent!

To save time queuing (and to receive a decent 25% discount) be sure to buy your ticket online in advance instead of on the door. Take time to learn about Madame Tussaud herself here too – she learned her trade in wax modelling from the man who owned the house where her mother worked as a housekeeper. Interestingly, she’s most famous for creating death masks from the severed heads of those executed during the French Revolution, including Marie Antoinette.

If you’re feeling adventurous head to the jungles of Kong: Skull Island, an attraction that the whole family are sure to enjoy. Animatronics are cleverly used to trigger all your senses and will make you feel as if you’re truly walking next to King Kong himself. The brave can visit the Alien: Escape experience, but be warned, this isn’t one for the faint hearted! This fright-fest depicts the most infamously petrifying creatures from the iconic Alien franchise and displays them in front of guests in all their bloodcurdling glory. Don’t forget to snap a couple of pictures when you embark on your gruesome quest…