Tate Modern
The huge Turbine Hall entrance, which once housed Ai Weiwei’s porcelain sunflower seeds and Carsten Hèller’s helter-skelter slide, never ceases to inspire—and that’s before you’ve even seen Picasso’s 1937 Weeping Woman upstairs. Herzog & de Meuron, the architects that turned this whopping Thames-side power station into a groundbreaking contemporary art museum, have done it again with the recently-opened Switch House, a ten-story ziggurat-shaped extension opened in June 2016. The institution is one of four under the Tate group, which also includes the Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives.
More Things To Do in London
Broadway Market
The borough of Hackney has become synonymous with a foodie scene, homegrown brands, and the hipster set.
Shakespeare’s Globe
See open-air productions, candle-lit performances, and private tours at this authentic oak-and-thatch replica of an Elizabethan theater.
Side Story
These bespoke tours and experiences led by expert London insiders avoid clichéd tourist traps.
Tower of London, Crown Jewels
Gain access to the regal Crown Jewels—without the crowds.
Sir John Soane’s Museum
This extensive Georgian house, choke full of gorgeous furniture, architecture, and design, pays homage to the legendary Grand Tour.
Chelsea Physic Garden
Dating back to 1673, this world-renowned home to botany offers intriguing walks, talks, and workshops led by local and visiting experts.
Victoria & Albert Museum
The world’s greatest collection of decorative arts spans the globe and cuts across millennia.
Newport Street Gallery
Situated in a cultural backwater parallel to a raised train track, this two-story private gallery is an architectural feat in itself.
Royal Opera House
Home to the Royal Ballet, culture here is of the highest caliber.