17 adventure activities in London

Channel your inner adventurer while climbing through the treetops of Alexandra Palace, Battersea Park or Cockfosters, Trent Park with Go Ape. All venues offer a thrilling mix of high ropes, zip wires and bridges to navigate during your London adventure. 

Take to the river Thames during a tour of London’s waterways with Kayaking London. Adventure seekers can paddle past many of the city’s top sights, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye.  

Climb to the roof of one of London’s most famous landmarks with Up at The O2. As one of Greenwich's most Instagram-worthy spots, you can take snaps during a sunset climb or see the capital twinkle from the top of the iconic venue at night.

Travel through four unique time zones in The Crystal Maze: futuristic, medieval, Aztec and industrial. Based on the hit 1990s TV show, this indoor adventure boasts 32 exhilarating challenges to test your mental and physical skills. 

Prepare yourself for high-speed twist and turns along the river Thames on an thrilling speedboat tour of London. Scream out loud as you race past the capital's riverside landmarks.  

Get your blood pumping as you and your pals turn into spies, time travellers or adventurers, racing against time to reach freedom. From gruesome experiences to classic mysteries with a virtual reality twist, adrenaline junkies are in for a treat at escape rooms in London.

Soak up incredible aerial views of the city with The London Helicopter tour. Offering a FOMO-inducing perspective of the capital, this sky-high experience is not to be missed from your London bucket list.

Ride the rapids during a white-water rafting session at Lee Valley White Water Centre. You can also try out plenty of other exhilarating activities, including kayaking, hydro-speeding and tubing.

Feel the wind in your hair during a thrilling 160ft (47.8m) bungee jump with the UK Bungee Club. You’ll be able to soak up incredible views of the City of London, Canary Wharf and the river Thames, before taking the plunge in adventure-filled Greenwich.

Head to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to face The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit. You can catch a glimpse of London’s iconic skyline while whizzing down the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide. Alternatively, soar to the bottom during a breathtaking abseil with Wire & Sky. 

Explore ZSL London Zoo after hours during a sleepover at Gir Lion Lodge. You’ll have the opportunity to feed the animals, take a sunset tour and sleep in a luxurious cabin located in the Land of the Lions – listen out to hear them roar!

Enjoy an action-packed afternoon of watersports at WakeUp Docklands, where you can join a range of adventurous activities, including stand-up paddleboarding, wakeboarding and paddleboard pilates. Afterwards, grab an ice-cold drink from the beach bar.

Take part in free-running classes at the dedicated indoor gym or in locations around London with Parkour Generations. Get to grips with all the essential parkour skills, from jumping to landing, needed for this thrilling sport.

Bounce at one of Oxygen Freejumping's London parks. Get your blood pumping during fitness sessions or try out a freejump session. Head to Croydon for a Bear Grylls-inspired obstacle course that will challenge even the fittest!

Relive the 2012 Olympic Games with a high-speed cycling session at the Lee Valley VeloPark. Race around the world-famous velodrome, ride mountain bike trails or get the adrenaline pumping on the BMX track during your London adventure.

Learn to ski or snowboard or brush up on your snowplows and turns, whatever the time of the year, at Chel-Ski in Chelsea. Hit the slope with your instructor during a one-hour lesson at London's largest indoor ski centre, which uses the latest technology to change the slope angle to match your expertise.

Fly through the sky on the biggest and fastest city centre zip wire in the world with Zip Now London. A few minutes from the London Eye, in Archbishop's Park, you'll find yourself zooming along at up to 50kph, with up to three friends flying alongside you.