Whether you are there on vacation or even just a local looking for something new and exciting to do in your free time, you can never fall short of things to do in North London. From the beautiful landscapes to the historical monuments and amazing townscapes, you are sure to find something that can keep you occupied. Below is a list of some pretty interesting things you might want to try out while in North London.
- Visit Alexandra Palace
- Explore Camden
- Explore Abbey road
- Check out Forty Hall estate
- Explore Muswell Hill
- Visit Walthamstow village
- Explore the Asian indoor street food market in Colindale
- Check out the Wellcome collection
- Explore The British Library
- Check out Regents Park and Primrose Hill.
1. Visit Alexandra Palace
If you’ve been to the Haringey area of North London, then you most probably know of Alexandra Palace. Recently declared one of London’s nature reserves, this is the perfect place if you are ever up for a stroll or just feel the need to enjoy the beauty of nature at its finest. With a boating lake being among the many things this beautiful place has to offer, you may even opt to try your hand at rowing.
If you are heading inside, then you might want to grab a seat and enjoy the various concerts and shows that happen all year long. A range of artists is hosted, ranging from internationally recognized musicians to DJs.
If you are in the mood for a snack, you will find what you are looking for at the amazing Sunday farmers market. You are also free to swing in the trees at go ape, explore the trails, enjoy the palm gardens, and if you are lucky to visit in the cold seasons, get to enjoy the amazing skating rinks.
2. Explore Camden
Most people would describe Camden Town as a really special neighbourhood to get to explore. Camden is one of those down-to-earth and alternative North London areas with a charm that you don’t find easily. Once you get here, your first stop should probably be the Vagina Museum or exploring the stables for all the amazing vintage shops.
In Camden, you won’t even notice how quickly time goes by because of all the exciting things to do after work and the wonderful places there are for you to explore.
If the evening finds you in Camden town, you might as well decide to enjoy a show at the Roundhouse, one of London’s best music spots. Lining the street and markets are hundreds of street food vendors that provide you with anything you might want to eat in case you get the need while in the area.
3. Explore Abbey road
Made famous mostly by the Beatles, North London’s Abbey Road has become an internationally recognized spot for its association with musical legends and is slowly becoming a popular spot, especially for music lovers. There is also the Abbey Road Studios, another very popular spot for music enthusiasts.
Even though this place is completely legendary, you might not enjoy it as much as music enthusiasts would, especially if you are a die-hard Beatles fan. With this in most people’s minds, most of those who choose to come and visit this place are either die-hard fans of the Beatles or general music enthusiasts.
4. Check out Forty Hall Estate
If you are a keen history buff, then you will most definitely enjoy taking a visit to Forty Hall. You can take your sweet time exploring the forty halls, which gives you a beautiful glimpse of some 1629 property and its heritage. Here, you will also be gad o find permanent exhibitions detailing the life of Sir Nicholas Rainton and life in the 17th century in general.
If you are in the mood for a morning trip in the outskirts of North London, then Forty Halls is the place to go. The gorgeous parklands running all across the beautiful Elysing palace and the entire estate provide the perfect spot to relax and clear your head. This is a place that should be on your bucket list of places to go when in North London.
5. Explore Muswell hill
If you enjoy small and simple shops, then Muswell Hill should be your next stop while in North London. Being one of London’s commercial centres, Muswell hill is a great spot to come pass time. Whether it is for some shopping or simply just taking a walk, Muswell hill will always have something exciting to do, see or buy.
Another thing that makes many people love Muswell hill is the fact that the place is filled with so many restaurants, coffee spots, and other eateries to choose from whenever you feel like grabbing a bite. You’ll also find spots you can enjoy one or two London after work drinks.
In case you are done with business in Muswell hill or you don’t find what you were looking for, then you can head over to Crouch End, where you will find plenty of independent bakeries and restaurants as well. This is just a walking distance from Muswell Hill.
6. Visit Walthamstow village
Walthamstow is often attributed to East London, however since it is kind of far to the north, probably on the same level as east Finchley and Highgate, it will appear here. Walthamstow is an upcoming area that’s still growing, it is incredibly fun and filled with great places you can have yourself a great time. Probably the best part about this town is how multicultural and diverse it truly is.
Here, you can grab something to eat at the amazing food joints in the area. There are plenty of cute shops and restaurants so you aren’t likely to run short of options. There are also plenty of fun and unique places nearby, like God’s Own Junkyard, which you can explore.
7. Explore the Asian indoor street food market in Colindale.
If you are a foodie who happens to enjoy Asian cuisine, then you will most definitely enjoy coming here. From Indian to Philippine delicacies, you will find all this in the more than 50 stalls in the market.
The stalls have so much to offer, and it is nearly impossible for one person to visit all of them and have a bite from each spot. This is quite literally heaven for any foodie. A visit to this place will leave you yearning for more.
8. Check out the British Library
Named the world’s largest library and the UK’s national library, the British Library holds well over 150 million items on nearly 625 kilometres of shelving. As an official legal deposit library, copies of all books produced in Ireland and the UK are handed over to the library. The library was opened in 1997 and was shortly after recognized as the largest public project constructed by the UK over the last century.
Within the library, there is a section known as the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, in which rare books and manuscripts are kept on display. Some of these include the 1215 Magna Carta, the Lindisfarne gospels, and the Golden Haggadah. This is undoubtedly one of the interesting things to do in North London for anyone who is into books.
9. Explore the Wellcome Collection
If you are fascinated by the wonders of medicine and the general health of the human body, then you will find this place to be quite appealing. The Wellcome Collection is in a small museum in Euston, North London, and is dedicated to health and general wellbeing.
Henry Solomon Wellcome curated the Wellcome Collection, which was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Medicine Man, the collection’s premier gallery, displays some of the artefacts amassed by Wellcome over the years, ranging from diagnostic dolls to sex aids.
Some of the collections tp items include a cutthroat razor belonging to Horatio Nelson, a British Naval Commander, Charles Darwin’s own walking sticks and horsehair bristles, and a toothbrush with a silver-gilt handle made for Napoleon Bonaparte.
10. Visit Regent’s Park and Primrose hill
Bordering St. Pancreas, Marylebone, and Paddington, Regent’s Park covers nearly 395 acres. It was designed by John Nash in 1811 and borders the outer circle road. This street is most famous for its stucco terraced houses, which make up some of the most expensive real estate globally.
However, the principal attraction of this place is Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, named after George V’s wife. The garden contains over 9000 begonias, the national collection of delphiniums, and over 30000 roses in total from 400 species. Sounds almost like the garden of Eden.
These are not the only attractions. You will most definitely enjoy the boating lake and the adjacent beautiful boathouse cafe, the open-air theatre, the bandstand, and three children’s playgrounds. There can never be a shortage of fun things to do once you come to this part of North London.
11. Explore Alfie’s antique market
If you are a fan of antiques, then you won’t want to leave Alfie’s antique market in North London once you get in. entering this place feels like you are leaving reality and have been transported back in time. The huge one-of-a-kind indoor antique market is a total treasure trove for lovers of vintage artifacts.
The art decor building is a maze of furniture sellers, milliners, and bronze sculptures flogged around by lovable misfits. The place also has an amazing rooftop section where you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee accompanied by your antique goodies.
Exploring North London can be quite complicated for anyone new to the area. However, with the list above containing some of the fun and interesting things to do in North London, your stay or visit there is bound to be fun. There are other interesting things you can decide to do like a visit to Parliament Hill or even bonding with the lions at the London Zoo.