So when the lights go down and the chanting starts, don’t be surprised if you get just the tiniest shiver down your spine. It is weiiiiiiiiiird but in a good way. Bonus points if you see the tree stump around which Queen Elizabeth I is said to have danced when it formed a part of the garden of one of her favourite subjects, Christopher Hatton. Oriole

Nestled at the top of a (rather steep) woodland-covered hill, once you puff your way up to the top of One Tree Hill, you are treated to some rather striking views of the city skyline framed by the treeline. It’s too perfect and we love it. Clear your mind’s eye and think of an old London pub – we’re talking really old. What does it look like? Which part of town is it in? Got it? In the West Cemetery, Victorian fascination with the Egyptians resulted in the stunning Egyptian Avenue, as well as numerous impressive tombs. Meanwhile, the equally impressive Lebanon Circle has appeared in many a ‘gram over the years. Plus, don’t miss a visit to the celeb graves of literary heroes George Eliot and Douglas Adams as well as Karl Marx too. 11. Class it up with a spot of afternoon tea Eltham Palace was bought in 1931 by the wealthy Stephen Courtauld who started a period of transformation and extension that led to some of the best-preserved Art Deco interiors you can find today. In a city as full to the brim of excitement and activities as ours, it’s not exactly easy to choose the best things to do. After all, we’ve got a population of around nine million people, and you could probably do something different every day of your life and still not cover everything there is to do here. Still, we’re nothing if not ambitious here at Secret London, so we rallied up the team’s suggestions and have put them all here in this article for you to peruse at your leisure. So, without further ado, here’s a roundup of 53 of the best things to do in London you’ve got to try at least once in your life.St Dunstan in the East Gardens - Often referred to as the most beautiful gardens in the City of London. Serving decadent drinks with live jazz in a fin-de-siecle interior, Oriole is everything you want from a secret bar in London– hush hush, fancy and not afraid to shake up some adventurous tipples. All this stuff is on sale, so if you find something you like and you’ve got a few quid to spare you can even treat this as a shopping trip. Perhaps there’s a special someone who would really like a piece of some of this precious metal…

Still, the Temple of Mithras is without a doubt the best – thanks to the fact that when you visit you experience a full-on recreation of temple worship complete with dimmed lights, chanting and atmospheric smoke. Tres bizarre. Mendelssohn's Tree - Standing proudly on the Barbican's concrete walkway is the remains of a 500 year old tree, once thought to have provided shade for Mendelssohn whilst he wrote the music to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Underneath the behemoth that is Waterloo Station, in the bowels of the maze of arches that crisscross below the ground, you’ll find another of London’s cool spots – Leake Street Tunnel. Once you’ve got your reader’s card you can access all the previously inaccessible rooms. In them you’ll find plenty of empty desks and supreme quiet – something that’s missing from the BL’s main public areas. You may have been to Hatton Gardens – London’s diamond district – but have you ever heard of The Silver Vaults?How would you like to have drinks amidst a jungle of palm fronds, flowers and rather delicious baroque decor in a light-filled conservatory? Thought so. Greenwich, Bermondsey, Walthamstow, Brixton, Clapton – almost every corner of the city has its own version, so get out and discover them! 33. Take to two wheels and see where you end up

London is famous around the world for being one of the best places to see plays, musicals and West End shows. With a constantly evolving lineup of performances of all different kinds, you’re always in for a good time here, so see what takes your fancy and settle in! Current standouts include Disney’s The Lion King, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Stranger Things: The First Shadow but there’s a whole host of exciting productions in the pipeline too. Britain's Smallest Police Station- Sitting quietly on the edge of Trafalgar Square lies an often overlooked record holder; Britain's smallest police station.Greenwich ain’t exactly short of beautiful buildings it has to be said, though the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is arguably the jewel in the borough’s crown. Billed as the ‘Sistine Chapel of England’, this extraordinary hall is an artistic masterpiece which is an ode to Baroque design. Designed in the early 18th century by Sir James Thornhill, it features 40,000 square feet of walls and ceilings – all of which are covered in striking images depicting 200 figures including kings, queens and mythological creatures too.