Attractions in London and viewing places. Fun for kids in and around London London's newest attraction

There are a lot of amusement parks in Great Britain. The most famous are in Staffordshire (Alton Towers, Drayton Manor Park), Lancashire (Pleaure Beach Blackpool), Windsor (Legoland) and London. Let's take a closer look at the attractions of the capital of Great Britain.

London Eye

Probably many developed cities have a Ferris wheel. From here you can often view the roofs of distant high-rise buildings. But another thing is the Ferris wheel in London, on the south bank of the famous Thames.

The London Eye Ferris wheel has won a competition for designs for buildings to be built in the capital in connection with the advent of the new millennium. Its architects, D. Marx and D. Barfield, designed a truly gigantic structure. Just think about it: the height of the London Eye is 135 meters. It is considered one of the largest attractions of its type in the whole world.

Such a huge structure took 6 years to build. The builders managed to put the facility into operation just before the onset of the third millennium: December 31, 1999. In its shape, the attraction resembles a large bicycle wheel with spokes. The wheel parts were of such impressive size that they could only be delivered by river barges. They combined the individual elements of the London Eye into one whole, also on the water. River platforms were built for this purpose. The most difficult thing was to lift the finished object, because its weight is 1700 tons! A special system raised the wheel at a speed of only 2 degrees per hour.

All Ferris wheel cabins are tightly closed, which is the reason for installing air conditioners in them. The weight of each cabin exceeds 10 tons, and their shape resembles an egg. The London Eye booths can accommodate 25 people each. By the way, the number of booths—32—implies the number of London districts.

The wheel rotates at a speed of almost a kilometer per hour. Thus, from boarding to disembarking, 30 minutes pass enjoying the amazing landscapes of London. They say that if the weather is clear, then at the highest point of the wheel you can see objects that are 40 km away from you.

In 2006, the rides were equipped with Color Kinetics lighting, and now the wheel can be used to navigate the area even at night. And from January 20, 2011 to January 20, 2014, the official name of the wheel is EDF Energy London Eye. At the beginning of the name is the sponsor of the attraction.

The London Eye is located at Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, SE1, Waterloo tube. An adult ticket costs approximately £15, and a child costs £8. Prices are constantly changing, so you can find them on the official website.

Thorpe Park

Attractions in London are presented a large number of amusement parks. The most famous is Thorpe Park. It was built back in 1979, but this does not mean that all the attractions in it are outdated not only physically, but also morally. It was created for people who want to get a huge adrenaline rush without risking life and health.

Thorpe Park is divided into specific zones. The most popular is Port of Atlantis. It features a Lost City with lots of unique things to do. These are Colossus, Zodiac, Vortex, Samurai and others. There are also shops, bars and restaurants in Port Atlantis.

In addition to this area, Thorpe Park has Amity Cove, Canadian Creek, Calypso, Octopus Garden and others. Each zone contains attractions of a certain type.

For young children, Thorpe Park always has entertaining show programs, the Seashore, where children can safely swim and sunbathe on an artificial beach.

Thorpe Park is known all over the world for its unique attractions. Aren't you afraid of blood? Then you should definitely visit the building called Stay Alive. This entertainment was created based on the plot of the horror film “Saw”. You need to go through 6 rooms in which you will see a lot of blood, broken human bones, you will watch how a person breaks his leg or jaw, and other terrible “entertainment”. And to get out of this nightmare, you need to fall down a 30-meter-high slide. The park is located outside London, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN, the price of an adult ticket is 45 pounds.

London Duck Tours

Do you want to tour the historical sights of London on the very same landmark? Then the London Duckling tour is perfect for you. The vehicle used is an amphibious vehicle that can drive and swim on water. These cars are rare; they even took part in the Second World War. Without leaving such an amphibian you can see the County Hall building, Westminster Bridge, Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, etc.

Excursions are conducted daily, departing every 30-60 minutes. Cost for adults is £21, for children £15.

Skyscraper The Shard

If you saw a very tall building from glass itself in the center of London - rest assured, this is The Shard skyscraper. With a height of 309 meters, the English skyscraper became the tallest building in the EU. It has more than 70 floors, and the observation deck occupies as many as 4 floors - from the 68th to the 72nd floor. A unique elevator will take you to the top of the building in just 30 seconds. Entrance to the site costs £25 for adults and £19 for children.

From the very beginning of construction, the public protested against the construction of this skyscraper, arguing that it would spoil the appearance of the city. But soon all the problems were solved and the construction of the skyscraper continued.

The skyscraper houses offices, apartments, restaurants and even the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, which is considered one of the most elite hotels in the world.

Orbit Tower

A miracle of modern construction art, the Orbit Tower was created specifically before the 2012 Olympic Games, which were held in Great Britain. It is a 115-meter structure made of interlocking steel structures. The idea of creating such a tower did not find much support among ordinary Englishmen, but art connoisseurs recognized the tower as almost the main attraction of London.

At the top of the tower there are 2 observation platforms from which you can clearly see the entire city. The interlacing of the tower's rings symbolizes the famous Olympic rings, and the tower itself seems to be imbued with a sporting spirit.

Entertainment in London is aimed at vacationers of all ages - neither kids, nor their parents, nor noisy youth groups will be bored here.

Amusement parks in London

“ThorpePark”: small children here will be delighted with water activities, and teenagers and adults – with dizzying slides and other extreme attractions (“Samurai”, “Saw”, “Hellish Retribution”, “Detonator”).
“Chessington”: in this amusement park you can not only have fun on any of the 40 rides, but also visit the aquarium and zoo, attend all kinds of shows that are held throughout the day in different parts of the park. Visitors to the park have the opportunity to visit such thematic areas as “Wild Asia”, “Land of Dragons”, “Transylvania”, “Mexican”, “Pirate Bay”.

What are the things to do in London?

Can't imagine your vacation without visiting nightlife establishments? Pay attention to the club “Bagley's Studios” (4 stylish bars and 5 dance floors are at your service), “The End” (electronic music lovers prefer to have fun here, and in addition, this club hosts themed parties 2 times a week), “Roof Gardens” (here you can not only have fun on the dance floor, but also walk through the garden and attend interesting presentations and other cultural events that often take place in this club).

It is recommended to include a visit to the London Aquarium on your list of must-see places: here you will be able to observe the marine inhabitants living in the Atlantic and Pacific tanks. In addition, you can come here for lectures and also watch the process of feeding fish. And the kids will probably be delighted with the opportunity to touch starfish and stingrays.

Do you like unusual entertainment? Be sure to take a walking tour of “Beatle’s London Walk”: you will be invited to look into the houses of the members of the legendary British quartet, the Abbey Road recording studio, the gallery where John met Yoko Ono, and Paul McCartney’s office.

For entertainment, you can take a walk along the Thames on a City Cruises river cruise: on such a tour you will be able to admire the beauty of London and take unique photographs.

Entertainment for children in London

Museum ship “Cutty Sark”: its little guests will probably want to look at the numerous exhibits presented in the museum, attend interesting lectures and learn the art of tying sea knots.
“Namco Funscape”: the entertainment center offers couples with children to spend time at the racing track or in the laser maze, play air hockey, bowling and lip-pong.
Peter Harrison Planetarium: thanks to modern HD projection technology, your child will be delighted to go for a walk on Mars, find himself in the center of the Sun, and see the birth of a star.

London invites its guests to stroll along Trafalgar Square, see Buckingham Palace, spend time in one of the parks, take a ride on the London Eye...

If you decide to visit London with your children and want their holiday to be exciting and eventful, then it is better to think about entertainment for them in advance.

London can easily be called a children's paradise. This is where the largest toy store in the world is located. London is home to the oldest zoo on the planet, and there is also a safari park and the London Aquarium. And how can one forget the amusement parks and gardens "Thorpe park", "Chessington World of Adventures" (Chessington), "LegoLand" (Legoland). Or fairytale castles - Windsor and Tower, or children's musicals, boat trips and Europe's largest Ferris wheel? You can’t list everything!

We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with the section of our directory:
We will be happy to help you organize leisure time for your children!

This can be as an individual program, taking into account all your wishes and preferences, or you can choose a ready-made offer:

The excursion includes: a visit to the London Eye Ferris wheel, the London Aquarium, a walk on the Londonducktours (an all-terrain vehicle that looks like a duck), lunch at the children's restaurant Rainforest Cafe ( Rainy forest) in the Piccadilly area, visiting Europe's largest toy store "Hamleys" (Hamleys).

Alton Towers

The most popular theme park in the UK, Alton Towers, is located in the heart of the UK near the cities of Manchester and Birmingham. In 2014, it was visited by 2.9 million people. The park became the most visited in the United Kingdom and the seventh in Europe. Its territory occupies 42 hectares. It houses four hotels, a water park, an aquarium, several types of roller coasters, a challenging rope path along the treetops and entertainment attractions for children.

Thrill-seekers will enjoy roller coasters such as Nemesis (flying over the rocks and river of the Forbidden Valley), Obvilion (almost vertical fall from a height of 60 meters), Rita (you can experience a g-force of 4.5 G in 2.5 seconds, reaching a speed of 100 m/h ). Galactica, a new virtual reality attraction that opened in 2016, sees visitors soaring through interstellar space, experiencing the wonders of the cosmos up close.

There is plenty for younger children to do too. You can ride on the boats of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory attraction, take a trip on a vintage train, visit a shark aquarium and a water park. All of the above is just a tenth of the entertainment offered by Alton Towers.

The four Alton Towers hotels offer visitors double rooms from £130, including breakfast, parking, free WIFI and a free second day in the park. Hotel guests can also enjoy early morning access to the park while there are no queues for popular rides.

Alton Towers is open from March to November, from 10am to 5pm. Ticket prices fluctuate depending on the season. In May 2016, full first day tickets were £51.60 for adults, and £46.40 for children under 12 years of age. A second day in the park costs just £7.50. If you order tickets on the park website https://www.altontowers.com 5 days in advance, you will receive a 30% discount.

The water park is open from 10am to 5pm. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £10.50 for children (3 to 11 years).

How to get there

From London you can get there by public transport in three hours. It is best to take the train to Manchester from Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley) station. One-way ticket costs £34. The journey takes one and a half hours. It takes another hour to take bus 32A from Uttoxeter Town Center to Alton Towers Entrance.

Thorpe Park

Located near the town of Chertsey, 20 miles from London, Thorpe Park is designed for people with strong nerves. It is home to some of Europe's largest roller coaster rides, with a scary twist, such as Stealth (flying at 80 mph at 205 feet), SAW – The Ride (the world's first horror film roller coaster, based on the film " Saw"), COLOSSUS (flight including vertical loop, cobra, double corkscrew and barrel roll). The park is ideal for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers, but there are activities for young children too.

The I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here labyrinth, opened in 2015, is suitable for families with children aged eight years and older. This is a journey through the jungle, through vibrating bridges, catacombs and a tropical cyclone.

In May 2016, the world's first psychological attraction DERREN BROWN'S GHOST TRAIN opened, designed by famous illusionist Derren Brown, in which a virtual journey on a Victorian train will make you question the reality around you.

Adjacent to the park is The Shark Hotel, with rooms starting from £130 and including a two-day ticket, parking, breakfast and early access to attractions.

The park is open from 9.30 to 17.00. Entry tickets for 1 day at Thorpe Park Resort are £51.50 or £27.99 if purchased online.

The queues can be very long. If you don't want to spend most of the day waiting, purchase a package ticket including Fastrack entry and lunch for £75.99 or online for £49.99.

How to get there

The most convenient way to travel is to take regular trains from Waterloo Station to Staines. Travel time is from 30 to 50 minutes. From Staines railway station there is an express bus number 950 every 15-20 minutes to THORPE PARK. The cost of a return express ticket for adults is £3.70, for children from 4 to 12 years old - £2.70. Travel time is 8 minutes.

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

What child doesn't dream of becoming a knight, explorer or pilot and enter the exciting world of adventure? There are more than 55 LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort parks where kids can fly through the treetops, hunt fearsome dragons, ride on Viking longships, or join divers on a magical underwater adventure to Atlantis.

Legoland Windsor opened in 1996 and is designed for families with children aged 3 to 12 years. It is just a few miles from Windsor Castle and 8 miles from Heathrow Airport.

The park has many water attractions in which visitors can be drenched from head to toe. Luckily, there are stand-up dryers nearby that can get you back into salable condition in a matter of minutes and pounds, and stores sell raincoats. The most dangerous attraction in this regard is DUPLO Valley, in which 1200 liters of water pour out of the tower, flooding everything around.

Another popular attraction for young children is Fairy Tale Brook. It's a slow boat ride through a magical world made from 5 million Lego bricks, where children meet Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Pirate camp

The English weather doesn't often offer sunny days. Therefore, although all attractions remain open even if it rains, some of the attractions at Legoland are indoors. Among them, LEGO Star Wars Miniland Model Display, depicting scenes from the Star Wars films, Atlantis Submarine Voyage, a journey through the underwater world.

The park is very popular, especially on sunny days and during school holidays. To save time waiting in line, you can purchase Qbot. Depending on the cost, Qbot offers different levels of services.

Q-Bot Regular (£20) - Same waiting time as the others, but you don't have to queue.

Q-Bot Express (£35) - Cuts wait times in half.

Q-Bot Ultimate (£75) - Gives almost instant access to attractions.

The Legoland® Resort Hotel offers themed family rooms (2 adults/up to 3 children) from £247 low season to £337 high season, which include breakfast and two day park passes, plus special benefits such as early arrival times for popular attractions. While the park is closed from November to March, the hotel is open year-round.

1. Download the Resort App for free from the Legoland Windsor website in advance, because there is no WiFi or any 3G signal in the park.

2. Buy tickets online and print them at home.

3.Although the rides open at 10 am, the turnstiles open as early as 9:30 am.

4. It's better to start from the back of the park, where the lines are shorter.

5. Dress children in bright clothes and put your phone number in the child’s pocket.

6. There are many food outlets in the park, but you will save time and money if you bring food and especially water with you.

The park is open from March to November from 10 am daily. Closing times vary throughout the season from 5pm to 7pm.

Tickets in 2016 were from £34.20 for adults and £27.45 for children (3-15).

How to get there

Just half an hour by train from Paddington to Central, via Slough, or from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside. Travel time from the station is less than one hour. There is a bus from both train stations to the park. There is a charge for travel.

LONDON:

1 Science Museum. In no other museum in Europe will you find so many interesting exhibits (more than 300,000). Believe me, the objects exhibited here can captivate not only your children, but also you! You will be able to see a prototype of a modern computer weighing three tons - a computing machine invented by the mathematician Babage. And also the oldest steam locomotive, the first jet engine...

2 Natural History Museum. The greatest museum dedicated to life on Earth. In the hall of dinosaurs you feel like you are part of the movie “Jurassic Park”, and in the hall of “Underground Energy” you almost feel like the axis of the globe. Most of all exhibitions telling about the history of the development of our Universe and scientific discoveries are interactive, which is always attractive to children. Particularly popular is the “Dinosaurs” hall with a thirty-meter-tall skeleton of a monster that lived 60 million years ago. The highlight of the exhibition is the battle of robotic dinosaurs.

3 Puppet theater "Little Angel"". This is a puppet theater with funny fairy tales and performances on weekends. Performances are at 11:00 and 15:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. It is better to book tickets in advance.

4 London Zoo. One of the oldest zoos in the world, located in the beautiful Regents Park. Open daily from 10 to 16:00.

5 London Aquarium. Several aquariums (together more than two million liters of water) display a rich collection of aquatic flora and fauna from all over the world. Open from 10.00 to 18.00 daily.

6 London Planetarium. Offers the "Possible Reality" attraction (3-dimensional) as part of a star show and a journey through the solar system. New exhibition areas: Star, Planet and Space reveal the secrets of the galaxies. Open daily.

7 London Transport Museum. A colorful collection of buses, trams, trains and more tells the story of London and its transport system. Experience the opportunity to become, for example, a bus driver or a subway train driver - and history will come to life! The exhibits are equipped with information in six languages - you just need to touch the screen. Open from 10.00 to 18.00 from Saturday to Thursday, from 11.00 to 18.00 on Fridays.

8 Pollock's Toy Museum. Three floors are literally crammed with a variety of toys. The museum specializes in miniature theaters. Toy theaters live here and their colorful characters and decorations are stored. Exhibition of dolls and teddy bears. Two stores sell antique toys and famous paper toy theaters.
Open from 10.00 to 17.00.

9 Bethnal Green Childhood Museum. The museum has a magnificent collection of dolls, dollhouses and children's costumes, puppets and everything related to childhood. The highlight of the program is the Venetian puppet theater of the 18th century. On Saturdays there is an art workshop where anyone can come. Open: 10.00 to 17.50 Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 14.30 to 17.50 on Sunday. Closed on Friday. The entrance is free.

10 London Butterfly Museum. In a real jungle, thousands of butterflies fly free. And young fans of horror films, of course, will be delighted with giant spiders, ants and other insects. Open: from 10.00 to 17.00 daily.

11 Pirate ships. "The Three sisters" and "The Sea Lark" - both schooners are exact replicas of pirate ships: the first was launched in 1789, the second dates back to the 19th century. One of the exhibitions talks about the history of piracy in general, and the other is dedicated to Robert Louis Stevenson and his Treasure Island. Open from 10.00 to 17.00 daily.

12 Trocadero Entertainment Complex. The largest entertainment complex in Europe. Modern attractions using computers and lasers, a cinema with an immersive effect - all this captivates and captivates not only children, but also adults. Open: Sun-Thurs 10-12, Fri-Sat 10-13. December 25 – closed.

14 London Eye-one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world, with breathtaking panoramic views of London. It will also be interesting to visit the new generation 4D cinema nearby.

15 Hamleys Toy Store– a real toy paradise for children, located on seven floors, where you can find anything you want! Open all year round, Mon-Fri from 10 to 20:00, Sat -9-20:00, Sun – 12 – 18:00

16 Rain Forest Cafe– a children's cafe, stylized as a jungle, a great place for a family lunch or dinner.

17 Ripley's Museum of Incredible Things- an interesting museum about the most extraordinary and incredible thing that has ever happened in the world. Open daily, all year round, from 10 to 24:00 (last entry at 22:30).

18 The Circus Space - teaching children simple circus tricks.

19 TheKidsCookerySchool - children's culinary school.

20 Musicals - In London there are performances of many musicals that will be of interest to children - “The Lion King”, “Shrek”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Mama Mia”, “Wicked”, “BillyElliot”, etc.

ENTERTAINMENT FROM LONDON:

1 Legoland in Windsor. The park, dedicated to the Lego constructor, popular among children all over the world, is located near Windsor ( 1 hour drive from London). It is recommended to visit the children's town for at least 5 hours to visit all the attractions. For children, this is an exciting show, where they themselves are part of it, there is a circus program all day long, there are carousels, a children's railway, and bicycle rentals. Children will be able to visit ice caves and, after passing through them, will find themselves in the tropical jungle, from the jungle - into the atmosphere of ancient Egypt, etc. Children walk along the narrow paths of a children's forest, which is inhabited by fairy-tale characters, pirates, and horror stories.
Legoland is open from the end of March to the end of September every day, in October - all weekends and the last week.

2 Adventure World in Chessington. Total half an hour from London by train, and you find yourself in a theme park that covers an area of 26 hectares and is extremely popular. This is England's largest amusement park. Here is one of the largest “hanging” roller coaster in Europe, a dragon river, a magic carpet, a crypt of horrors, flying elephants, a smugglers’ cave, a “vampire” from Transylvania, a pirate galley, steep canyons, and “Wild West” cowboys. In addition to its attractions, Chessington World of Adventures also boasts a zoo, Safari Skyrail and an international circus. Open from 10 to 17.30 daily.

3 Thorpe Park. Not far from London is Thorpe Park, which is considered to have the highest water slide, as well as a host of other attractions. There is also a farm, a safe swimming "seashore" for children with water sports and activities on the artificial beach.

4 Alton Towers. The largest amusement park in central England. Located 3 hours drive from London. Set among magnificent gardens, it is enlivened by frequent costume parades, musical performances and spectacular fireworks displays.

5 Baconscot - a children's model village, where miniatures of cities are presented, and there is also a model railway, so children can feel like giants. An hour and a half drive from London.
Open: daily from the end of February to the end of October, from 11 am to 4:30 pm. Children under 2 years old: free.

6 Drusillas- a luxurious children's amusement park and zoo, with the only population of lemurs in the UK, trampolines, swimming pools, numerous attractions - a paradise not only for children, but also for adults! Fans of the cartoon about Thomas the Tank Engine will be able to take an exciting ride on the real Thomas!
Open every day except Christmas holidays, from 10 to 17:00 in summer, from 10 to 16:00 the rest of the year.

7 Warwick Castle- a castle where many programs for children are held, the knightly theme for boys is especially interesting. The castle is located two hours drive from London. Open 10am - 6pm April to early October, 10am - 5pm October to March

8 Riding on "cars"-there is an excellent offer for children - a trip with an instructor, 1 passenger in the back seat. The organizers do not care about age, they have their own parameters: height must be from 148 cm to 191 cm, weight - no more than 100 kg. If children meet these parameters, they can ride in a real racing car with a driver. The entertainment lasts 20 minutes, including instructions. The racing venue is located in 1.5 hours from London.

9 Cadbury Chocolate Factory– for young chocolate lovers it will be a real gift to visit the famous Cadbury factory, where you can learn all the secrets of chocolate production, as well as take part in this fascinating process yourself. The factory is open all year round, located near Birmingham, 2.5 hours from London.

10 Leeds Castle. On the territory of the ancient romantic Leeds Castle, surrounded by a moat, there is an interesting bird house, the opportunity to fly high into the sky in a hot air balloon to admire the picturesque surroundings, and also wander through the green labyrinth.

11 Willows Farm Village– for animal lovers and those who want to spend a day full of other entertainment for small children, you can go north of London, where this wonderful complex and park is a 40-minute drive away.
Open daily.

Attractions in London and viewing places. Fun for kids in and around London London's newest attraction

Amusement parks in London

What are the things to do in London?

Entertainment for children in London

Alton Towers

How to get there

Thorpe Park

How to get there

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

How to get there

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