Green guide: the best eco-friendly activities in London
Urban living and sustainability don’t always go hand-in-hand. So, when we’re exploring the concrete jungle we want to do it in the most environmentally conscious way possible. That’s why, be it on land or by water, we’re sharing our guide to the best environmentally-friendly activities in London so that you can discover the city with a clear conscience.
Explore on foot
Locations across London
What could be more environmentally friendly than exploring the city on foot? Whatever your niche, London Walks has the tour for you. From Dickens’ London to the Beatles’ London—see the city through a new perspective. And up your step count whilst you’re at it.
Discover the city’s canals
Locations across London
Go electric with Go Boat and explore London’s waterways without contributing to their pollution. London’s first self-drive (yup, you read that right), electric boating company, you can be the captain of your own ship as you get behind the wheel and discover the city’s canals at your own pace. From the Docklands, Little Venice to Hampton Court embarkations run from East to West of the Thames.
Catch a carbon-neutral theatre show
24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL
Less West End, more East End, Dalston’s Arcola Theatre is committed to being the world’s first carbon-neutral theatre: solar panels, LED lights, and a heating system fuelled by scrap wood all contribute to this. Mixing the local, the national, and the international its roster of events champions inclusive and sustainably-minded events. Acknowledging that the cost of theatre can be prohibitive, they operate a ‘pay what you can’ scheme on Tuesday evenings.
Try your hand at being a farmhand
Location: 1a Goldsmiths Row, London E2 8QA
A city farm just around the corner from Columbia Road Flower Market, Hackney City Farm is a bucolic oasis in an urban setting. Home to ponies, donkeys, sheep, pigs, and lots more their modus operandi is to help city dwellers learn about food, nature, and the environment. It also boasts a long list of activities and workshops, from pottery and painting to woodwork and bike maintenance.
Learn how to cook the zero-waste way
Location: 15b Little Portland Street London W1W 8BW
Touted as London’s ‘most sustainable’ cookery school, Cookery School offers classes in more than the art of cooking, but how to do so without wasting. According to statistics, we each throw away almost 50kg worth of food annually. Cookery School teaches you how to make delicious food out of these ingredients that would otherwise be scrapped. What’s more, 100% of the energy used in the kitchens is renewable, and single-use plastics are banned—naturally.
Visit London’s parks
Locations across London
Be they Royal Parks or public gardens, London is home to 35,000 acres of parkland (equating to 40% of its total area) making it the greenest capital city in the world. From boating along Hyde Park’s Serpentine, catching a play at Regent Park’s open-air theatre (May to September), Hampstead Heath’s swimming ponds to urban gardening at Edible Landscapes in Finsbury Park—there is an abundance of enjoyable and eco-friendly activities to be found in the capital’s parks.
Visit a cinema that makes a difference
Location: 194b Chamberlayne Road, NW10 3JU
Not only does The Lexi Cinema have an impressive list of showings from indie films to box office smashes, but 100% of the profits go directly to The Sustainability Institute. Supporting training in ecological methods for local farmers, replanting of indigenous trees, as well as youth programmes, it uses the natural world to help teach. Oh, and on Mondays at 11 am you’ll find baby-friendly screenings for carers and parents.
Get across town on two wheels
Meeting point: platforms 1 & 2, Waterloo train station.
Whether you’re jumping on a Boris bike or nipping across town with Brakeaway Bike Tours, on two wheels is by far one of the most eco-friendly ways to explore the city. More often than not it’s quicker than driving and much more fun than the tube, choose from the Grand London or Secret London bike tours, or book your own bespoke private guided tour.
If you liked our green guide to London’s best eco-friendly activities, then why not take a look at our picks of London's best eco-friendly homeware shops, eco-friendly bars and restaurants, zero-waste supermarkets, and eco-friendly hotels.