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Children are invited to spend the day at this East End museum, which has one of the largest toy collections in the world, including dolls, teddies, puppets, games and children’s costumes. Activities are organized on weekends.

An essential visit for anyone interested in the history of London. The city of the past is evoked through reconstructed streets, shops and domestic interiors and visits are organized to historic London buildings. Don’t miss the Lord Mayor’s coach.

The whole world of animals and minerals is vividly explained.

Earth Galleries, Natural History Museum

Decorative relief, Natural History Museum

This delightful enclave is full of colour, with painted shop fronts, flower-filled window-boxes and oil-drums and cascades of plants tumbling down the walls. This is alternative London, with wholefoods and such alternative therapies as Chinese medicines, walk-in back rubs, acupuncture and self-esteem training. Try the wholesome bread and cakes at Neal’s Yard Bakery and be amazed by the variety of British cheeses on offer in nearby Neal’s Yard Dairy.

The main street in Soho is a lively thoroughfare both day and night. It is also the centre of London’s sex scene, and now the site of popular gay pubs, Compton’s of Soho and the Admiral Duncan. Soho’s vibrant streetlife spills into Frith, Greek and Wardour streets, where pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafés have pavement tables, often warmed by gas heaters in winter. Some, like Bar Italia in Frith Street and Balans Café at 34 Old Compton Street, are open 24 hours. Everywhere fills up when the evening’s performance at the Prince Edward Theatre ends. A delicious breakfast is to be had at Patisserie Valerie, and such long-standing shops as the Italian delicatessen I Camisi, and the Vintage House (700 whiskies in stock), give the area its village feel. Body tattooists are at work here, and fetish shops show that the sex industry still flourishes.

Old Compton Street

Bar Italia, Frith Street