Four days off, no alarm clocks and the whole of London at your feet. Easter 2026 falls on Sunday 5 April, which means the bank holiday weekend stretches from Good Friday through to Easter Monday. Whether you're a Londoner looking for things to do on your doorstep or visiting the city for a few days, this is one of the best weekends of the year to make the most of the capital.

London in early April has a particular energy. The clocks have sprung forward, the parks are thick with blossom, and the West End is running full schedules with extra matinees for the school holidays. You've got time for a show, a long riverside walk, a rooftop view, a proper afternoon tea and maybe even a day trip if you're feeling ambitious.

Here's what's worth your time this Easter, from world-class theatre to the experiences and hidden corners that make London brilliant.

Catch a West End Show (or Two)

A bank holiday weekend is the perfect excuse to book a show you've been meaning to see. The West End is at full strength over Easter, with most theatres adding extra performances to the schedule.

If you're after a big, spectacular musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre is pure sensory overload in the best way, with a set design that transforms the entire auditorium into a Parisian nightclub. It runs 2 hours 35 minutes and suits a date night or group outing perfectly. For something with a darker edge, Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre blends jazz, folk and New Orleans swing into a retelling of the Orpheus myth that will stay in your head for weeks. Tickets start from around £32, which is excellent value for a show of this calibre.

Families have brilliant options too. Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre remains one of the smartest family shows on the West End, with Tim Minchin's score getting better with every listen. Disney's Hercules at Theatre Royal Drury Lane is one of the newer arrivals, with gospel-infused numbers and a gorgeous staging in one of London's grandest theatres. And My Neighbour Totoro at the Gillian Lynne Theatre is a beautiful adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film, with extraordinary puppetry that mesmerises children and adults alike. Under 4s not admitted. Tickets from £30.

Comedy lovers should look at The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess Theatre, a slapstick farce that's been making audiences cry with laughter for years. It's one of those shows where everyone in the auditorium is genuinely having a brilliant time. Tickets from £32 over the Easter weekend.

Easter is one of the busiest weekends for West End tickets, so book early. For a deeper dive into what's on stage this Easter, have a look at our full guide to the best West End shows for Easter 2026.

See London from Above

There's something about a sunny spring day that makes you want to get up high and look out across the city. London has some of the best observation points in Europe, and over Easter you'll have time to actually enjoy them rather than rushing through.

The London Eye is the classic choice and for good reason. A 30-minute rotation in a glass capsule gives you 360-degree views from 135 metres above the South Bank, and on a clear April day you can see as far as Windsor Castle. Tickets start from £33 and it's fully accessible for wheelchair users.

For something with a bit more edge, The View from the Shard takes you up to the 72nd floor of London's tallest building, 244 metres above the city. It's a different perspective entirely, looking down rather than across, and the open-air sky deck on level 72 is exhilarating on a spring evening. Entry starts from just £19, making it one of the best value views in London.

A newer addition that's worth knowing about is Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station, where a glass elevator rises through one of the station's iconic chimneys to an open viewing platform 109 metres up. It's less crowded than the big-name viewpoints and gives you a completely different angle on the city, looking east along the Thames towards Westminster. Tickets start from £22.

Explore London's Landmarks and Museums

A four-day weekend gives you time to visit the places you'd normally only walk past. The Tower of London is one of the most rewarding half-days you can spend in the city, especially with Crown Jewels access included in the ticket. The Yeoman Warder tours are genuinely entertaining and packed with stories you won't find in guidebooks. Allow at least three hours.

St Paul's Cathedral is one of London's most breathtaking buildings, and a visit inside rewards the time. Christopher Wren's dome is extraordinary from any angle, but climbing the 528 steps to the Golden Gallery at the top gives you a panoramic view of the city that rivals any observation deck. The Whispering Gallery is famous for its acoustic trick, and the crypt houses memorials to Nelson, Wellington and Wren himself. It sits right in the heart of the City, a short walk from the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern. Tickets from £25.

For something completely different, Frameless near Marble Arch is London's biggest immersive art experience, projecting works by Monet, Kandinsky, Cézanne and more across vast walls and floors. It's the kind of place where you'll spend longer than you planned and take photos you'll actually want to keep. Tickets from £28.

If the weather plays ball (and early April in London can genuinely surprise you), Kew Gardens is at its best in spring. The cherry blossom and magnolias should be in full bloom by Easter, and the glasshouses are spectacular in any weather. It's a full day out in itself. Tickets from £22.

Get Out on the Thames

The river is one of London's greatest assets and the Easter weekend is a great time to make the most of it. A Thames afternoon tea cruise combines sightseeing with scones, sandwiches and a pot of tea while you drift past the Houses of Parliament, the South Bank and Tower Bridge. It's a properly relaxing way to spend a couple of hours and suits everyone from couples to grandparents. Over the Easter weekend the tea cruise runs on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Tickets from £52.

For families or anyone who wants a bit more adrenaline, Thames Rockets runs a speedboat adventure tour that tears down the river at serious speed. It's loud, wet and absolutely thrilling. Not one for the faint-hearted, but kids over a certain age love it. Tickets from £65.

If you'd rather set your own pace, a Westminster to Greenwich cruise takes about an hour each way and drops you in one of London's most interesting neighbourhoods, right by the Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Market. You can easily make a full afternoon of it. Tickets from £14.

Food, Markets and Walking Tours

Easter weekend is prime time for London's food scene. Borough Market is open on Good Friday and Saturday (closed Easter Sunday and Monday), so plan your visit for earlier in the weekend if you want to graze through some of the best street food in the city. For a more structured experience, the Borough Market and Bankside guided food tour takes you through the market and surrounding streets with a local guide and plenty of tastings along the way. Tickets from £89.

Camden Market is open throughout the Easter weekend and is brilliant for street food, vintage finds and people-watching. If you want to explore it properly, Camden Market Secret Food Tours runs guided sessions through the market's best stalls. For a more atmospheric evening out, the Soho Twilight food and drinks walking tour takes you through the backstreets of one of London's most storied neighbourhoods.

Family Days Out Beyond the Theatre

If you're spending the full four days in London with children, you'll want to mix theatre with daytime adventures. ZSL London Zoo in Regent's Park is an obvious choice and a good one, with enough to fill an entire morning and afternoon. Tickets from £31.

SEA LIFE London Aquarium on the South Bank works brilliantly paired with a London Eye ride, since they're right next to each other. Book both and you've got a solid half-day on the South Bank with lunch along the riverside walk in between. SEA LIFE tickets from £28.

The Paddington Bear Experience is a newer immersive attraction that's aimed at families with kids roughly aged 3 to 10. It's theatrical, interactive and built around the world of the beloved bear. At £34 per ticket it's not the cheapest family outing, but the production quality is high and younger children particularly love it.

For something that gets everyone moving, Up at the O2 lets you climb over the roof of the O2 Arena on a guided walkway, 52 metres above the ground. The views across the Thames, Canary Wharf and the Docklands are brilliant, and there's a real sense of achievement at the top. It's suitable for ages 8 and up. Tickets from £37.

Insider Tips for Your Easter Long Weekend

Book your West End tickets as early as you can. Easter is peak season and popular shows sell out weeks in advance, especially matinee performances that suit families. Midweek school holiday performances (before and after the bank holiday itself) tend to have better availability if your dates are flexible.

Check opening times carefully over the bank holiday. Major attractions like the Tower of London and the London Eye operate on adjusted hours over Easter, and some museums close on Good Friday. The West End runs a full schedule on all four days, but individual show times may shift, so double-check your performance time when you book.

Plan around the weather but don't fear it. Early April averages around 12-14°C in London, with roughly equal chances of sunshine and showers. Layer up and carry a compact umbrella. If it rains, that's your cue to duck into a matinee or museum.

Get your transport sorted in advance. The Tube runs a modified service on bank holidays with some lines operating reduced frequencies. Check TfL's website closer to the date for any planned closures. If you're visiting central London, the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow or the Stansted Express are the fastest airport links.

Arrive at shows 20 to 25 minutes before curtain, especially at older West End theatres where the foyers fill up quickly. This gives you time to find your seats, grab a programme and settle in without stress.

If you're doing multiple shows and experiences, book through tickadoo to keep everything in one place with instant e-tickets on your phone. Join the free tickadoo+ membership and you'll earn rewards on every booking, whether it's theatre tickets, an afternoon tea cruise or a Tower of London visit. Those rewards stack up quickly over a weekend like this.

Make the Most of Your Easter in London

A four-day weekend in London is a rare luxury. You've got time to see a show on Friday night, explore a market on Saturday morning, take the kids to the zoo on Sunday and still fit in a riverside walk or a rooftop view on Monday. The key is mixing the big-ticket attractions with quieter moments: a wander through Kew Gardens, a late-afternoon cruise on the Thames, an hour in a gallery you've never visited.

Easter 2026 is shaping up brilliantly for London, with one of the strongest West End line-ups in years and enough to keep you busy whether the sun shines or the April showers roll in. Start planning now, book your tickets early and make the most of every day.

Browse all West End shows and London experiences on tickadoo, and join the free tickadoo+ membership to earn rewards on every booking, for theatre and beyond.