Things to do in Piccadilly Circus

Most visitors to London will emerge from Piccadilly Circus Tube station at one time or another. And few will fail to be dazzled by the sensory spectacle that awaits them there. Double-decker buses and black hackney cabs roar past the iconic digital billboard signs at the corner of Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue while lovestruck couples pose for selfies beneath the winged statue known as Eros, Greek god of love and sex (in fact the statue depicts Eros's bro Anteros, but that’s another story).

Piccadilly Circus Instagram itch dutifully scratched, it’s time to tick off some of London’s biggest attractions. You can do so very easily on foot – there are stacks of bucket listers within stumbling distance – or join the hop-on hop-off bus tour that's included with The London Pass® and stops at St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, to name just a few.

Don’t miss at Piccadilly Circus:

• Whiskey sours at the Hard Rock Café.
• World-class productions at opulent Victorian icon the Criterion Theatre.
• Landmark pieces by Turner, Hockney, Michelangelo and more at the Royal Academy of Arts.

You don’t have to stray far from Picadilly Circus to experience some of the finest theatre on the planet. Along Shaftesbury Avenue alone, you’ll find household names including the Apollo, the Lyric and the Gielgud, and it ain’t a whole lot further to the likes of the legendary Theatre Royal Drury Lane or Agatha Christie whodunit The Mousetrap, which has been putting bums on St Martin’s Lane Theatre seats since 1974. West End shows needn’t break the bank either – check out our hacks for bagging cheap theatre tickets and more here.

Further Instagrammable eye candy (as well as sweet and savoury treats of the edible variety) awaits in Chinatown, just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus. Here’s where to nab a snap with the fearsome Gerrard Street lions, stock up on delectable egg custard tarts and stuff your face with more dumplings and noodle dishes than your gut should reasonably be expected to accommodate. Walk it all off with a stroll around this atmospheric enclave, and don’t forget to strike a pose beneath the Wardour Street entrance gate, a soaring slice of colour-poppin’ Qing dynasty-style architecture.

Read our ultimate guide to London’s Chinatown here.

Regent Street is the kind of thoroughfare for which the phrase ‘flagship store’ was coined. For here’s where you can give your credit card a workout at cavernous emporia from some of the planet’s biggest brands. We’re talking Apple, Jaeger, Burberry and Barbour to name just a few. Come over all Tom Hanks in ‘Big’ across seven fun-filled floors at Hamleys, only the oldest toy shop in the world, or shell out for high-end stationery, scents and silk scarves in the department-store mecca that is Liberty (pictured).

Don’t miss the chocolate-box world of Fortnum & Mason, just around the corner on Picadilly, for all your luxury hamper and Instagrammable afternoon tea needs. 

Stroll along Piccadilly (pausing outside Fortnum’s and The Ritz for those essential London selfies along the way) to reach the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. Something of a royal folly back in the day (George IV’s day, that is), the arch is now open to the public, with three floors of exhibitions and a chance to take in views including Buckingham Palace’s back yard(!) from the balconies up top. You’ll also get right up close to the absolutely massive bronze sculpture – depicting Nike and her horse-drawn chariot – that tops the arch, as well as spotting St James’s Park, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.

Pro-tip: the Wellington Arch is just one of dozens of top London attractions included with The London Pass®. Hit the buttons below to find out how you can save up to 47%, and to choose your pass.

A short walk from Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden rivals London’s South Bank for sheer volume and variety of street performers. Stroll the storied cobbles of its central square to catch jugglers, acrobats, budding Mariahs and, inevitably, silver-painted human statues plying their various trades. But that’s not all: there are also covered markets crammed with unique gifts, souvenirs and antiques, and many more attractions in the surrounding streets, of which Rules (London’s oldest restaurant) and the opulent Royal Opera House are highlights.

Stay on the square though for one of London’s best museums. An absolute joy for visitors young and old, the London Transport Museum is packed with heritage vehicles, vintage posters and all manner of hands-on fun, and entry is also included with The London Pass®.

Providing suitably glitzy settings for many hundreds of major movie premieres down the years, the Odeon and Empire cinemas are just two of the big-ticket attractions you’ll find on Leicester Square.This legendary London landmark is also home to the world’s largest Lego store and – in M&Ms London – the planet’s biggest sweet shop. Fill your boots (and shopping bags) with bricks and candies then retreat with your quarry to the square’s (relatively) tranquil garden, where you can spot film-related statues including Mary Poppins, Paddington Bear, Bugs Bunny and Mr Bean!

Check out our guide to all the best things to do in Leicester Square here.

Last but no means least in our guide to all the best things to do in and around Piccadilly Circus is Trafalgar Square. This Monopoly-board favourite requires little introduction. It’s where you’ll find, among other things, Nelson atop his column, flanked at the base by four enormous stone lions. Take a break from all that London sightseeing in the atmospheric subterranean crypt café at St Martin-in-the-Fields, one of the city’s finest churches. And ogle masterpieces by Botticelli, Constable, Velázquez, Van Gogh and more in the magical (and free!) National Gallery.

Top tip: Trafalgar Square also acts as something of a gateway to Buckingham Palace. Look out for the grand Admiralty Arch that takes you onto the Mall, with St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace beyond.

Looking for more things to do in Piccadilly Circus and elsewhere around London? The London Pass® includes nearly 100 top attractions, tours and activities, and can save you up to 47% on your London sightseeing. Click to find out more and bag your pass.