Things To Do Indoors In London

Let’s be honest: London in the rain is a bit like that friend who insists on talking about their keto diet. You love them, but sometimes you just need a break. When the sky turns the colour of a used tea bag, and your umbrella inevitably turns inside out, it’s time to embrace the great indoors. Forget the outdoor bucket list; here’s your survival guide to staying dry and actually having fun.

Museums That Won’t Make You Feel Smart (Unless You Want To)

London has this weird superpower: it can make a free museum feel like a blockbuster movie. The British Museum is the obvious choice, but don’t just shuffle past the Rosetta Stone like a zombie. Instead, pretend you’re an art thief. Find the weirdest object—like a 4,000-year-old board game—and give it a dramatic backstory. I once spent an hour convinced a tiny Egyptian statue was plotting my downfall. Highly recommend.

If you want something less crowded, try the Sir John Soane’s Museum. It’s basically a Victorian hoarder’s dream home, but curated by a genius. You’ll weave through narrow corridors filled with sarcophagi and paintings that slide out of walls. It feels like a secret clubhouse for history nerds, and you’re the coolest member.

The Great Bookshop Safari

You know that feeling when you need a new book, but you have no idea what you want? That’s a prime indoor activity. Foyles on Charing Cross Road is a labyrinth designed to swallow your afternoon. You go in for a birthday card and emerge three hours later with a biography of a forgotten potato farmer and a hardback on Swedish death cleaning. No judgement here.

For the more adventurous, head to Daunt Books in Marylebone. It smells like old wood and expensive calm. The ceilings are glass, and the shelves are organised by country. Tip: pick a country you’ve never been to, grab a book, and plan a fantasy trip from a cosy armchair. It’s cheaper than a flight and has zero jet lag.

Escape Rooms: Where You Become a Daft Detective

If you’ve ever watched Sherlock and thought, “I could do that,” an escape room is your reality check. You and three friends will be locked in a room themed like a Victorian pharmacy, and within ten minutes, you’ll be arguing over whether a stuffed raven is a clue or just a decoration. The key is to lean into the chaos. Someone will shout, “Push the bookshelf!” It won’t move, but the guy outside will laugh into his walkie-talkie. Pure gold.

The best part? When you finally escape (or are mercifully released), you’ll bond with your crew over the one friend who tried to turn a coat hanger into a skeleton key. You’ll laugh about it forever.

Indoor Markets That Feel Like a Treasure Hunt

Borough Market on a rainy day is a sensory overload in the best way. The steam from the cheese stall mingles with the smell of sizzling chorizo. You don’t go there to shop; you go there to eat a truffle-infused something while standing under a leaky awning. It’s basically a festival for your stomach, and nobody cares if you drip rainwater into your doughnut.

For a calmer vibe, try Maltby Street Market. It’s smaller and feels like a secret spot. You can buy a jar of fancy honey from a man who looks like a retired rock star. When it’s raining, the whole world slows down, and you can actually talk to the falafel vendor about his cat. It’s the small things, you know?

The Cinema’s Sweet Escape

There is a special, almost sacred joy in a rainy afternoon film. Not at a soulless multiplex, but at a classic like the BFI Southbank or the Picturehouse Central. You buy a giant popcorn, and for two hours, you forget that your socks are wet. The movie could be a masterpiece or a ridiculous rom-com—it doesn’t matter. The darkness is your cocoon.

My personal rule: if the rain is biblical, pick a film set in a sunny place. Watching La La Land while London drowns outside is a form of psychological warfare. You win.

The Pub: The Final Boss of Indoors

Ultimately, the most reliable indoor thing to do is the classic pub. But not just any pub—a proper one with a fireplace and sticky floors. Order a pint of something dark and sit by the window. Watch people outside struggling with umbrellas while you feel smug and warm. It’s like being in a nature documentary, but the predator is a puddle.

Pro tip: find a pub with a board game collection. Nothing builds camaraderie like accusing your best mate of cheating at Monopoly while the rain hammers the roof. In London, indoors isn’t a consolation prize—it’s the main event. You just have to know where to look.