Easter Weekend: Eggcellent Things to do in London
There tends to be a handful of things Brits look forward to every year. Birthdays, when you have to buy the whole office sweets. Christmas, because you can never have too many socks. And bank holidays, the first of which – four days of pure, unadulterated, chocolate-filled fun – lands on Easter weekend every year. Planning a visit to London this Easter holiday weekend? We looked out our magnifying glasses and donned our Sherlock Holmes deerstalkers to investigate all the best things to do over Easter in London. Read on to discover the eggstraordinary selection of activities we discovered, including:
- Easter egg hunts
- Easter at Kew Gardens
- St Paul’s Cathedral’s Easter roster
- Cracking science experiments
- Regent’s Park running
- And… ice skating
Easter Fun for Families
With spring in full bloom, it's a great time to visit London's gardens. Kew needs little introduction, a floral fiesta that’s known worldwide for its serene landscapes, kaleidoscopic collection of over 50,000 plants, and beautifully ornate glasshouses. And with the glorious sun (hopefully) shining down from above, it's the perfect place to relax with a family picnic after months of interminable five-day weeks. The kids can let off some steam too, with over 300 acres to run around in.
Kew always turns up the volume over Easter, with gardens that overflow with spring favorites: buttery daffodils, carpets of glorious bluebells, and a rainbow of tulips, crocuses and more. You can also expect seasonal storytelling sessions for kids, plus adventure trails to explore, as well as the usual hardy perennials such as the Kew Explorer land train and dizzying Treetop Walkway.
Perfect for kids of all ages, The Science Museum's Wonderlab contains around 50 interactive exhibits, shows and demonstrations, designed to entertain everyone from toddlers to grandparents. It’s spread over multiple zones, each with a different scientific focus, and enough challenges and experiments to while away several hours. Caught the science bug? The Science Museum also has its very own IMAX on-site, with fascinating 3D shows sure to keep the kids talking long after the Easter holidays are over. While you're in the area, why not go check out the V&A and Natural History Museum, both just a short stroll away.
Many of these attractions (and then some) are available with a London Pass, which gets you access to tours, activities and attractions across London for one money-saving price.
Easter Egg Hunts
When we were kids, Easter egg hunts tended to consist of a couple of Creme Eggs and chocolate Easter chicks shoved hastily into a hedge for questing kids to find and hurriedly scoff. But things have moved on somewhat since the Dark Ages, with 21st-century egg hunts that involve elaborate clue-led searches for elusive golden bunnies, and other eggstravagant events of the kind. London, of course, has some absolute crackers.
If there’s a grander location for an Easter egg hunt than Hampton Court Palace, we’ve yet to discover it. Gouty serial monogamist and keen hunter Henry VIII would surely approve of the event at his former pile, though thankfully the quarry here is a Lindt golden bunny, not a freshly shot deer. Simply tick off the golden statues hiding among the tulips and daffs to claim your sweet prize. Find out more about Hampton Court Palace’s Easter events here.
There are similar events being held at Windsor Castle, which adds a bit of crafting fun into the mix, as well as the Herne Hill Velodrome, where the scavenger hunt is complemented by face painting and bike riding activities. Easter-week entry to London Zoo also includes a frankly roarsome chocolate hunt. Just find the colorful eggs and crack the code to find the golden egg and claim your chocolate treat.
More Eggcellent Easter Weekend Activities in London
As you might expect, the mighty St Paul's Cathedral has a pretty packed Easter calendar. Every year, they have a whole host of holy offerings over the holidays, culminating in a series of special services on Easter Sunday. And thankfully, it's open to the public too. There are a number of services throughout the day, commencing with the Dawn Eucharist at, well, the crack of dawn, and moving through Holy Communion, Morning Prayer and the Sung Eucharist before lunch. The afternoon brings Evening Prayer followed by a final celebration at around 6pm. So, if you're looking for something wholesome to do this Easter Sunday, go check it out.
If you've had a particularly choc-fueled Easter weekend, and want to burn off some of those added calories and all that shame, go for a run. And not just any run, but a 10k around Regent's Park kind of run. The annual Regent's Park's London Easter 10k has become a mainstay of the city's racing calendar. So, if you're feeling brave, why not enter? You don't often get to take the scenic route by default, and Regent's Park is positively brimming with lush vegetation that'll make it that much sweeter. And hey, if the 10k isn't for you, there are other ways to get involved: children can take part in a mini race, and there's also a shorter fun run for adults.
Or, you could do something completely unrelated to Easter and go ice skating in London. QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl is the capital's only all-year ice rink, so no matter the weather you're free to glide, skate and pirouette to your heart’s content. And, once you're done showing off, relax with a few games of bowling, or play the arcade machines. To top it all off, grab a sweet burger at the MEATliquor restaurant on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days are public holidays over Easter in the UK? The four-day bank holiday constitutes Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday. Four days of blissful freedom.
Are museums and other attractions open on Easter Sunday? Generally, you can expect most attractions to be open on Easter Sunday. Certainly the ones on this list. However, if you're planning on going somewhere, it's best to check online before you set out.
What season does Easter land on in London, and how should I dress? Easter lands in glorious spring, so hopefully, you'll get sunshine, temperatures around the mid-teens, and sundown will be after 6PM. However, glorious Britain is known for its… surprising changes in seasonal weather. April is often plagued by heavy showers, though in recent years they haven't hit as predictably. Best to check the weather ahead of time, and maybe pack an umbrella and scarf just in case.
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