25 Unique Things to Do in London

With an endless list of A-list attractions and famous sites, London appeals to all types of travelers. The city is also loaded with offbeat things to do and see that often give you a deeper insight into its history and culture.

Whether you've been to London before or are still waiting to see this fascinating place for the very first time, consider taking part in the following 25 activities next time you visit as they all offer a glimpse into a slightly different side of the city.

In 1997, artist Rick Buckley defiantly placed dozens of plaster noses around the city. Several survive to this day, with a set called the "Seven Noses of Soho" truly taking on a life of their own over the years. Urban myth says that finding the seven schnozzes will lead to great riches and while that's definitely not true, finding them is guaranteed to be fun.

Hint: One of the easiest to find lies outside Quo Vadis restaurant, a quirky site in itself as it was once both a brothel and the former home of Karl Marx.

John Snow was an English doctor who successfully traced a deadly 1854 cholera outbreak to a Soho water pump, thus proving that the disease was spread through dirty water. Visit the pub named after him to check out a replica pump outside and to raise an ale to medical trailblazers.

London is a sprawling metropolis full of hundreds of neighborhoods and dozens of official boroughs, but at its core is the City of London. This district is where the original city was born and today the "Square Mile" is one of the most important financial centers in the world. Guarding the entry point into "The City" is a set of dragons, which have become its symbol, so why not see how many you can find.

Number 10 Downing Street is the Prime Minister's residence and while you can't just walk up and snap a selfie there, its famous door just so happens to have a doppelganger. Through sheer coincidence, Number 10 Adam Street (a short walk away) owns a nearly identical door and decorative window pane and your Instagram followers definitely won't know the difference.

Nope, you aren't in Holland, you're still in the heart of London, but yes, that is a windmill straight ahead. Brixton Hill windmill is the last mill standing in the inner section of the city and it opens for visitors seasonally. Regardless if you go inside or not, it's the perfect quirky sight to mix in with your visit to Brixton, one of London's most vibrant neighborhoods.

Sure, the water might be on the cool side, but nothing will energize you for a day of sightseeing quite like a swim in the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds. The park is one of London's most cherished green spaces and the swimming holes are open all year round-but you might want to pack your wetsuit in winter.

From the outside, the Gala Bingo in Tooting simply looks like any old attractive Art Deco theater from the early 20th century. Once inside, the opulence and grandeur that has lead this theater to become listed as a historic landmark quickly become apparent. Stop by for a game with the locals and you might even leave a few pounds richer.

When the Metropolitan line of the London Underground was built, two homes on Leinster Gardens had to be demolished. Instead of leaving a gaping space in their place, two very convincing faux facades were built, complete with painted-on windows. Have a stroll behind the shells for the ultimate proof.

There are over a dozen views of the London skyline that are legally protected from being blocked by new buildings and the view of St. Paul's Cathedral from King Henry's Mound in Richmond Park (a distance of around 10 miles) is the oldest. And on an interesting side note, it is said that King Henry waited here for a flair to be shot into the air from the Tower of London to tell him that his wife had been beheaded.

After you've taken in the view of St. Paul's, why not try your hand at spotting some deer. Richmond Park is a wonderfully wild & wooded park that is home to hundreds of Red and Fallow deer, which roam freely throughout the park. Make sure to admire them from a distance.

Located at the confluence of the Regent's and Grand Union canals, and a short walk from Paddington Station, Little Venice is home to hundreds of houseboats and distinctively chill waterside vibe. Stroll along the canals before settling in for a glass of Pimm's at a patio bar.

This peculiar piece of public art in Poplar has certainly confused a few motorists in its day, but it still makes for a wonderful photo opp after an early morning visit to the Billingsgate Fish Market or a dinner at nearby Canary Wharf.

You won't have to leave the ZSL London Zoo at closing time if you book a stay at one of their rustic lodges. Guests receive a complimentary drink on arrival, exclusive after-hours tours of the zoo and the chance to see a totally different type of London nightlife.

It may not come as a huge surprise to hear that there weren't any raging rivers to be found in the heart of London and that a certain amount of creativity had to be used to find rafting a home at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The answer can be found just outside of town at the Lee Valley White Water Centre and you are more than welcome to visit for a day of rafting, canoeing or kayaking. Or, just enjoy the view while others take to the water.

No matter what the weather is like outside, it's always shiny and bright at God's Own Junkyard in Walthamstow. This collection of neon signs belonged to the late neon artist Chris Bracey, whose work was featured everywhere from the streets of Soho to the Silver Screen.

Londoners love to give their shiny new skyscrapers silly nicknames based on their appearance so why not go on a scavenger hunt for some of the most famous. You'll find the "Cheese Grater" (pictured above) on Leadenhall Street, the "Gherkin" (pictured above) and the "Can of Ham" on St. Mary Axe and the "Walkie Talkie" on Fenchurch Street.

Every evening at 9:53 PM, the Tower of London is officially locked up during the Ceremony of the Keys. The ritual has been going on every night for over 700 years and you are more than welcome to witness the proceedings-if you book in advance.

They aren't many remains of Roman London left standing, but if you know where to look, you can still see a few scraps of the old Roman Wall that used to surround the city. One of the finest is across the river from the Tower of London, near the Tower Hill Underground Station.

Another riveting Roman sight is an ancient temple dedicated to Mithras, which is regarded as the city's best archeological find of the 20th century. It was unearthed in 1954 and is now free to view under the Bloomberg building, but you should book ahead for this 2000-year trip back in time.

You're going to snap a picture of a bright red doubledecker London bus at some point during your trip, so you might as well take a ride on one too. Scurry up the steps and grab a seat to watch the city come alive before your eyes. While you really can't go wrong on any route, No. 24 and No. 11 are two that consistently impress visitors.

In its heydey, the now-shuttered "Mail Rail" used to deliver correspondence to the city 22 hours a day on its very own network of subterranean tracks. As part of a visit to the Postal Museum, you can take a ride through the very same tunnels and learn all about this fascinating chapter in mail delivery.

London is encircled by a set of cemeteries that were built in response to a booming 19th-century population but then later fell into disrepair. Today, the "Magnificent Seven" are serene spaces full of intriguing architecture and quiet corners and make for one of the more unique ways to spend a few hours in the city.

The seven cemeteries are Brompton, Manor Park, Nunhead, Abney Park, Highgate, West Norwood, Kensal Green and Tower Hamlets, and most all of them are lovingly looked after nowadays.

With an always-evolving public transportation system like the London Underground, it should come as no surprise that some stations have been abandoned over time. They don't go away though, they just get re-purposed. For example, the old Hyde Park Corner Station station is now part of a hotel, and the former Down Street station (pictured), which served as a shelter in World War 2, is now home to a convenience store. Organized tours of abandoned stations are also occasionally run.

What do you get when you spruce up a set of subterranean Victorian "public conveniences" and open up a high-class coffee shop? Well, you do get a few confused people who just needed to use the "loo," but mostly just customers enjoying one of the finest flat whites in the city. Join them at The Attendant in Fitzrovia.

Dating back to the 17th century, The George Inn near Borough Market is London's last remaining pub with a gallery. The atmospheric watering hole was once a haunt of Charles Dickens (and perhaps Shakespeare as he often worked in the neighborhood), so follow in his footsteps by bellying up to the bar before exploring every interesting nook and cranny inside.