Date ideas in London
Sunset from Primrose Hill or the Sky Garden, a Friday late at the V&A, a walk along the South Bank as the lights come on: London does dates well in any weather.
21 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Sky Garden
City of London
A free indoor garden and viewing gallery at the top of the Walkie Talkie.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Free, but book a slot
South Bank walk
South Bank
The riverside from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, with the skyline the whole way.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill
Hampstead
Wild heathland, swimming ponds and the classic skyline view from Parliament Hill.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Tate Modern
Bankside
Modern art in a former power station, with a free viewing level over the river.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
Free; special exhibitions are ticketed
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
Van Gogh, Turner and Vermeer on Trafalgar Square, free, open late on Fridays.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Primrose Hill and Regent's Park
Primrose Hill
A short climb to the classic skyline view, with the rose gardens and canal below.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Shoreditch and Brick Lane
Shoreditch
Street art, vintage shops, curry houses and the bars that keep going until late.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
V&A
South Kensington
Art, design and fashion across seven miles of galleries, with Friday lates.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
God's Own Junkyard
Walthamstow
A warehouse of neon signs from films and Soho clubs, with a café in the middle.
Good in the evening. On today. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Soho and Chinatown
Soho
Dinner, dim sum, cocktails and the theatres, all within five minutes of each other.
Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Tower Bridge
Tower Hill
Walk the glass floor forty metres above the river, then see the Victorian engine rooms.
Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Free to cross; exhibition ticketed
West End theatre
Theatreland
Forty theatres within a few streets; same-day tickets are easier than people think.
Good in the evening.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Brixton Village and Market Row
Brixton
Covered arcades of small restaurants that turn into one big dinner party by evening.
Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
London Eye
South Bank
A slow half-hour loop over Westminster in a glass capsule.
Good in the evening.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
British Museum
Bloomsbury
Two million years of human history under one glass roof, free to enter.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Borough Market
Southwark
London's great food market, mostly under cover beside London Bridge.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Free to wander; budget for lunch
Greenwich Park and the Meridian
Greenwich
A royal park with the best view in south London, the Observatory and the Cutty Sark below.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Park free; Observatory and Cutty Sark ticketed
Kew Gardens
Richmond
Three hundred acres of botanic garden with Victorian glasshouses and a treetop walkway.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
Barbican Conservatory
Barbican
A tropical glasshouse hidden inside a Brutalist arts centre.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Free; book a slot, opening days vary
Columbia Road Flower Market
Bethnal Green
A Sunday-only street of flower stalls, traders shouting prices and tiny shops.
Runs on Sundays.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Maltby Street Market
Bermondsey
A weekend street-food lane under the railway arches, smaller and calmer than Borough.
Runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Under £10
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Good to know
What is a good date idea in London?
Sunset from Primrose Hill or the Sky Garden, a Friday late at the V&A, a walk along the South Bank as the lights come on: London does dates well in any weather. There are 21 ideas here, ranked for the conditions right now, with viewpoints pushed up around sunset and indoor picks pushed up when it rains.
Are there cheap date ideas in London?
Plenty. Look for the "Free" and "Cheap" labels: galleries, viewpoints and walks make good first dates and cost little or nothing.