Outdoor Activities In London

London

Outdoor Activities in London

Hiking in London

Climbing in London

Watersports in London

• Swimming - starting with the outdoor swimming options, let’s talk Lidos. Although the British weather may not always inspire diving headfirst into an outdoor pool, there is something exhilarating about getting those laps in directly under the sky. The biggest lidos can be found in Tooting Bec (at 91m, the UK’s largest outdoor pool), Parliament Hill (60m), London Fields, Brockwell, Hillingdon and Charlton (all 50m), with plenty of others scattered about the city. Most offer low cost swimming options for ad hoc usage or memberships if you’re more committed. If you want something more open and spacious, there’s the fresh waters of the Serpentine lake, Hampstead Heath’s swimming ponds or the Royal Docks. There is also a large lake at Shepperton open water centre, which can be reached via a direct train from Waterloo to Shepperton or by car in just over an hour and has a free car park.

• Canoeing and Kayaking In London - we can’t promise you won’t still get wet, but if you’d rather be on the water than in it then we also have you covered. London is rife with canoeing and kayaking centres, both on the main river and sprawling waterways. Whether on the Grand Union canal, the River Lea, out on the Thames, Limehouse, Hackney or the Docklands, there are loads of companies all over London offering equipment hire, lessons and guided excursions that can have you out on the water for hours. For something a touch more adrenaline inducing, you can also thank the 2012 Olympics for the Lee Valley white water centre where they offer a wide range of kayaking courses and sessions. See our detailed guide to Kayaking and Canoeing in London for further information.

• Paddleboarding - one of the most peaceful ways to explore an area, paddleboarding is possible on the more gentle sections of the Thames towards Twickenham and Richmond-upon-Thames, whilst the Regents Canal and Docklands offer some good central locations for those unable to travel far. Further afield there are more great opportunities for paddleboarding on the Thames out towards Henley-on-Thames and Windsor, as well as on the River Wey near Guildford in Surrey and north of the Capital in the magnificent Norfolk Broads. See our separate section on Paddleboarding in London for more information.

• Wakeboarding - with the advent of cable-tows for wakeboarding centres, this has meant that Londoners craving a bit of wakeboarding now have it on their doorstep at Royal Victoria Dock in the London Docklands. The centre here has two different cables catering for different levels, with a series of jumps and rails for more experienced riders. There’s also a bar and chillout area for those wanting to make a day of it.

• White Water Rafting - less than an hour from central London (there’s a train from Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross) you can get your adrenaline fix with some white water rafting at the Lea Valley White Water centre. It’s best to book in advance, and you can pay per person and join a raft of others, or if you’ve got a group you can hire your very own raft for the session. If that’s not enough you can also try out tubing, hotdogs, or the somewhat terrifying but incredibly fun hydro speeding (taking on the rapids on a glorified body board)!

• Sailing and Windsurfing - If you’d like to sail or windsurf in the capital the docklands have got you covered there too, courtesy of the Outer Millwall Dock. The centre here has various craft to hire, alongside a range of courses. Of particular note are their popular ‘Twilight Sailing’ sessions in the summer, featuring some evening races and a BBQ afterwards.

Cycling in London

Other Outdoor Activities in London

Outdoor Activities for Kids and Toddlers in London

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