Apart from the fact that Sunday reminds us of the impending Monday and a whole week of work, it is actually a day for relaxation and for having fun by indulging in all your favourite leisure activities at home and outside. Many people like to spend the day relaxing on their bed, watching the TV or their favourite movie on Netflix, or doing their weekly shopping. However, if you wish to do other things, here are some suggestions that will guide you to doing the best things in London on a Sunday.
Visit Hampstead Heath
If you wish to get close to nature and experience absolute tranquillity, you just have to go a little way north to Hampstead Heath and discover the 750-acre natural haven with its three outdoor swimming pools. If you are feeling adventurous, you can take a hike through ancient and modern woodland and try to spot a grass snake, slow worm or even a sly fox. You can enjoy fantastic views of the city if you make your way to Parliament Hill where you can even indulge in some sports. You may even be lucky to catch one of the lakeside concerts if you go to Kenwood House to the north of the Heath. Just a little distance away is the Freud Museum where you can see Freud’s fine collection of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Oriental collectables.
Participate in the Sunday Assembly
At 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, you can join a Sunday Assembly, which is a humanist or atheist alternative to Sunday church services in which you can sense the subtle difference between spirituality and sense of community. If you listen to poetry or to powerful orators, you will find that the Sunday Assembly at Conway Hall at 11am is an interesting affair. Taking place every two weeks, these assemblies are set to cover different diverse topics such as “Is Monogamy Dead?” and “The Amazingness of Local Assemblies”. You will truly be amazed and moved by the enthusiasm of the Assembly, the insightful speeches and pop songs. There is no fee for attending the events and tea/coffee is served afterwards so that you can meet new people. The motto of the Sunday Assembly is “Live better, help often, wonder more”.
Visit Maltby Street Market
This is a new Sunday Market, located south of the River Thames that opens 11am – 4pm and offers the perfect mix of buzz and relaxation so that you can spend your Sunday in the best possible way. While visiting the market, you can buy some local produce and enjoy sipping some cocktail, honey beer, mead or any other drink. You can also help yourself to some delicious food at Bad Brownie, Herman Ze German, Finest Favre or Waffles On.
If you wish to stay close to most attractions of the city and enjoy luxurious accommodation with the best of facilities, services, amenities and personalised attention, it would be best to stay at The Montcalm London Marble Arch Hotel as it offers a pleasant mix of all these attributes.
Visit Kew Palace & Gardens
Located to the west of the city, The Royal Botanic Garden, Kew and the 400-year-old Palace, offer a wide range of attractions from huge glasshouses and treetop walkways to temples and peaceful lakes. The Palm House is another attraction that was an early attempt to create a tropical environment. The largest collection of living plants in the world (more than 30,000) can be seen at the Kew Gardens which is also home to over 7 million specimens of herbariums, which is the world’s largest.
Visit a Free Museum or Gallery
London abounds in museums and galleries and some of the best ones of the world are situated in this metropolis. The saving grace is that many of them are free to enter but this also entails long queues for entering, which can sap all your energy even before you enter. The best time to visit these cultural attractions is on a Sunday morning at about 10am because most of London would be sleeping or trying to get over the hangover from a Saturday night fever! You will find that there are very few tourists also and you will be able to explore the exhibits without having to peep through four layers of people. Some of the best ones that you should explore are The British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Britain and the Geffrye Museum.
Enjoy Pub Lunch at King Eddie’s
Located at 47 Broadway, Stratford this pub offers delectable lunches that you can enjoy on any day of the week but Sunday lunch is something special which may be due to the fact that we feel really lazy on a Sunday and welcome good food. You can get one of the best Sunday lunches at King Edward VII (better known as K8ng Eddie’s) in Stratford where you can also get cosy by the open fire and talk to the amiable staff while enjoying their delicious food. But then, Sundays are meant for that!
Open Your Lungs at London’s Amazing Parks
A walk through one of London’s numerous parks would be an ideal thing to do on a Sunday morning to get rid of the excesses of last night! Luckily, London is full of parks and gardens including eight Royal Parks and covering nearly 47% of the total area of the city. There is so much greenery that you can easily mingle with nature in this busy city. Irrespective of where you are staying in London, you will always find a park or open space that would be ideal for a Sunday morning walk. In North London you can find Alexandra Palace Park and Finsbury Park whereas Kelsey Park and Clapham Common are in South London. Richmond Park and Parliament Hill are located in West London whereas east London has Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Victoria Park. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are however among the most popular in London.
