15 Unique Bookish Things To Do In London That Will Make a Readers Day
This post is all about Bookish things to do in London.
London was the home to some of the greatest literary figures, from Shakespeare to Dickens to Woolf. It is also a world renowned hub of culture, art, business and, of course, bookish places to go.
If you can think it, chances are London can cater to it. It really is a magical place… if you know where to look.
I grew up in London and my childhood was spent visiting a plethora of museums, book shops and parks.
There is so much to the city besides hustle and bustle. When people visit London they tend to go to the main landmarks and so much of London therefore remains unexplored. As someone who grew up there I know all of London’s best bookish secrets.
London can be a beautiful place and I feel very lucky to have grown up there. Although I consider myself a small town, countryside wanna-be-dweller now, I used to LOVE the big cities. The great thing about London is how easy and accessible transport is, and although I have grown to DESPISE the underground it really is a convenient and cost effective way to travel around.
The best thing about London is nothing is really off limits. So, if you don’t hate the train, tube or the bus, catch the next one- you’ll only have to wait a few minutes- and experience the bookish joys of London. Did you know you can even travel by water taxi!
So if you are planning a trip and want to lean fully into your main-character, carrying-a-book-everywhere energy, here are some of the best bookish things to do in London.
Bookish Places in London
1. Waterstones Piccadilly
No bookish trip to London is complete without visiting the largest bookshop in Europe. Waterstones Piccadilly is genuinely every reader’s dream. Six entire floors of books, cosy corners, gorgeous special editions, and a café where you can sit with your latest purchase while pretending you are the protagonist in a quiet literary film.
You could easily spend an entire afternoon here and still not see everything. It is one of those places that feels almost impossible to leave empty-handed.
2. Sherlock Holmes Museum
Potentially my absolute favourite item on this list.
What many people do not realise is that you can actually visit 221B Baker Street, and it has been turned into a Sherlock Holmes museum. Stepping inside genuinely feels like time travel to Victorian London — gas-lit streets, handwritten letters, dark wooden furniture, and the sort of atmosphere that makes you half expect Sherlock himself to walk into the room.
When London feels chaotic and overcrowded, this place somehow manages to feel quiet and removed from everything outside.
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, this is absolutely worth visiting.
3. King’s Cross Station- Platform 9 3/4
King’s Cross is famously the station where Harry Potter catches the Hogwarts Express, and the station has very successfully embraced that fact.
Inside, there is a trolley disappearing into the wall at Platform 9¾ where you can have your picture taken, alongside a Harry Potter shop filled with robes, wands, and enough merchandise to destroy your bank account in minutes.
On the 1st of September every year, the station fills with people from all over the world gathering to “watch” the Hogwarts Express leave. The atmosphere is honestly magical, and even if you are not the biggest Harry Potter fan, it is difficult not to get caught up in the excitement.
4. Cecil Court
Often nicknamed Bookseller’s Row, Cecil Court is one of the prettiest little streets in London. Tiny independent bookshops line the road, selling everything from antique books to rare editions and vintage maps.
Walking down this street feels like stepping into another era. If you love old bookshops with creaking floors and shelves stacked dangerously high, you will probably never want to leave.
5. London Library
Hidden away near St James’s Square, the London Library feels almost secretive. The endless shelves, winding corridors, and towering stacks make it look exactly how you imagine an old literary library should look.
Writers like Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, and T.S. Eliot were all members here, and honestly, you can feel that history the second you walk in.
Even if you are just visiting, it is one of the most atmospheric literary spaces in the city.
6. Shakespeare’s Globe
Have you ever visited the Globe? That Globe. The very theatre built to house Shakespeare’s plays.
You can still attend performances there today, often standing in the open-air yard exactly how audiences would have done hundreds of years ago. It really is as cool as it sounds.
There is something surreal about watching Shakespeare performed in a place so connected to literary history. Even if you are not usually someone who enjoys theatre, the atmosphere alone makes it worth experiencing at least once.
P.S. Bring a raincoat and wear comfortable shoes. You may get rained on, and your feet will start to hurt.
7. The British Library
For book lovers, the British Library feels almost sacred.
Inside, you can see handwritten manuscripts, original drafts, ancient texts, and literary treasures that genuinely make you stop and stare for a while. Seeing authors’ handwriting in person is strangely emotional. It reminds you that the stories we treat as immortal all started as ink on paper.
The reading rooms are also beautiful, and the entire building somehow manages to feel both academic and calming at the same time.
8. The London Dungeon
Slightly less traditionally “bookish,” but still perfect if you love dark historical stories.
The London Dungeon brings some of London’s most infamous tales to life, from Jack the Ripper to Sweeney Todd. It is theatrical, creepy, dramatic, and honestly a lot of fun.
If you love gothic fiction or Victorian crime stories, this feels like stepping directly into one.
9. The Cartoon Museum
The Cartoon Museum is such an underrated gem.
Filled with comics, graphic novels, political cartoons, and illustrations, it celebrates storytelling in a completely different way. It is smaller than some of the other museums on this list, but it has so much personality.
If you are someone who grew up loving comics or illustrated books, you will probably adore this place.
10. The Notting Hill Bookshop
If you grew up loving the film Notting Hill, visiting this bookshop honestly feels a bit surreal.
The whole area already feels weirdly cinematic with all the colourful houses and little independent cafés, so walking into the shop feels like stepping into a rom-com. It is tiny, cosy, and very easy to romanticise your entire life in for twenty minutes.
Even if you are not massively into the film itself, it is still one of those lovely little London places that just feels comforting.
11. Charles Dickens Private Walking Tour
I genuinely think one of the best ways to experience London is by walking around it, especially if you love literature.
The Charles Dickens walking tours take you through little hidden streets and alleyways that somehow still feel Victorian despite being surrounded by modern London. You start noticing details you would usually walk straight past, and suddenly the city feels completely different.
It is also impossible not to feel at least slightly like the main character while dramatically wandering through London talking about classic literature.
12. Charles Dickens Museum
There is something about visiting an author’s actual house that makes them feel real in a way books sometimes do not.
The Charles Dickens Museum is set inside the home he actually lived in, and walking through the rooms where he wrote and existed feels strangely intimate. It is not huge or overly polished either, which honestly makes it feel more personal.
If you like Victorian literature or just love slightly atmospheric old houses, this is definitely worth visiting.
13. Daunt Books Marylebone
This might be one of the prettiest bookshops in London. The Edwardian oak galleries and skylights make it feel like something out of a film. Even people who do not read much tend to walk in and immediately go quiet.
It is especially famous for its travel writing section, where books are organised by country rather than genre, which somehow makes browsing feel far more romantic.
14. Leadenhall Market
Not technically literary, but Harry Potter fans will absolutely recognise it.
Leadenhall Market was used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the films, and honestly the entire place already looks like it belongs in a fantasy world anyway. The painted ceilings, old architecture, and hidden alleyways make it feel magical even without the Harry Potter connection.
It is also one of the prettiest places in London to just wander around.
15. Poets’ Corner
Hidden inside Westminster Abbey is Poets’ Corner, where some of the most important writers in British history are buried or memorialised.
Walking through it feels strangely emotional when you realise just how many stories began with the people remembered there. Dickens, Chaucer, Thomas Hardy, and countless others all connected in one single place.
Even if you are not usually interested in history, there is something incredibly moving about it.
