
With the way things have been going, there’s no better time to escape reality by immersing yourself in a completely different one. Luckily, London plays host to so many different immersive experiences that we struggled to narrow down our favourites. Whether you want to step into a magical church, step into a painting, or transport yourself to a whole other planet (where cocktails are key), there’s a world that will work perfectly for you. So here are the immersive experiences in London that we recommend you check out. Be quick, as some aren’t going to be around for much longer!
1. See Van Gogh’s paintings come to life before your eyes
Step into the works of Vincent Van Gogh at this truly breathtaking art experience, which uses state-of-the-art 360-degree video projection to bring the famed artist’s works to life. Ever wondered what it’d be like to look up at a Starry Night, or see the birds fly through Wheatfield with Crows? Well, you’ll be able to do just that at this incredible exhibition, which literally brings every brush stroke to life. Don’t miss out on the VR experience, either, which invites you to wander through Arles and see the inspiration for Van Gogh’s paintings unfold before you. It’s an entirely new way to experience art, and one of London’s finest immersive experiences.
2. Become a bubble at Bubble Planet
Next on this list of the best immersive experiences in London is Bubble Planet – and more specifically, their VR room. Throughout the experience, you’ll encounter bubbles in all shapes, sizes, and materials, from ball pits to bubble waffles; and in the VR room, you’ll become a bubble yourself!
Your perception will be challenged within the 10-minute experience – included in your standard ticket – as you venture through different settings from a bubble’s point of view. You’ll travel through wonders of the world, amphitheatres, and even a champagne party. The seating here is a nice touch too, as not only do they look in theme, but as they are suspended from the ceiling, they give the feeling of being weightless.
3. Enter the world of Shrek at Shrek’s Adventure!
Shrek’s Adventure! London is an immersive walkthrough experience that brings the world of Shrek to life. Visitors embark on a 75-minute journey through 10 fairytale-themed live shows, including a 4D flying bus ride. Participants interact with characters like Princess Fiona and Donkey, solve puzzles, and collect ingredients to find Shrek. The attraction combines live actors, special effects, and DreamWorks animation to create a unique, family-friendly adventure.
4. Don’t just pass Go and immerse yourself in the Monopoly Lifesized experience
Monopoly Lifesized is an interactive, life-sized version of the classic board game located in central London. Players move around a giant 15m x 15m Monopoly board, completing escape room-style challenges to buy properties and win the game. The 80-minute experience offers four different board options: Luxury, Classic, City, and Classic: Own It All. Teams of up to six people compete against each other, guided by a ‘Playing Token’ character.
5. Get ready to have a bear-y good time as you immerse yourself in the Paddington Bear Experience – it’s paws-itively unmissable!
The Paddington Bear Experience at County Hall in London, is a multi-room immersive attraction based on the beloved children’s character. Visitors will help Paddington and the Brown family prepare for the Marmalade Day Festival, engaging in interactive quests across various themed rooms. The experience will feature live performers, stunning visuals, and Paddington-inspired food and drink. It will also include Mr. Gruber’s Shop, where guests can explore trinkets and treasures from the Paddington stories.
6. Throw yourself into a whole new world of cocktails at Avora
Embark on a cocktail (or mocktail) experience in London that will throw you into an interstellar world on the brink of chaos. Avora is a multisensory experience where cocktails are key. From the very moment you enter and don your custom jumpsuit, you’ll be tasked with creating your own colour-changing cocktail that works as an ‘antidote’ to acclimatise you to the new world. Drawing on all the senses – taste, smell, sight, sound and touch – it’s truly a cocktail journey. Whilst the cocktails are important (and you get 3 included with your ticket), there’s a story at play that touches on climate change.
It goes beyond the story with Avora being partnered with Ecologi as well as the Sustainable Restaurant Group to deliver an experience that gives back to our planet. For every ticket sold, they have pledged to plant a tree, and the ingredients used for all the cocktails meet stringent sustainability standards. Are you prepared to accept this mission and explore the ever-changing Avora?
7. Dine aboard a Tube carriage at this quirky supper club
Another great addition to this roundup of immersive experiences here. Enjoy a delicious six-course tasting menu on a decommissioned Victoria line Tube train, making for an evening like no other. It’s consuming over commuting in this unique dining experience, which features dishes inspired by the food heritage of Latin America. And don’t worry, this time, you’re guaranteed a seat! Book your spot here.
8. Journey back in time to 1605 and join Guy Fawkes and co.
The Gunpowder Plot Immersive Experience offers a unique and fascinating insight into history’s most daring conspiracy. You’ll be transported back to 1605 London to witness the daring plot to assassinate King James I by Guy Fawkes, Robert Catesby and co.
With live actors and incredible digital technology, this is the ultimate historical journey. Plus with none other than Tom Felton (AKA Draco Malfoy) as Guy Fawkes, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action! This experience will awaken all of your senses and leave you with a crucial decision to make. Join the conspiracy here.
9. Sharpen your wits for this fiendishly fun Sherlock game
When it comes to immersive experiences, there’s almost no better source of inspiration than Sherlock. Facing a crime wave, London needs the help of a certain ‘high-functioning sociopath.’ The only problem is, he’s gone missing, and the task of finding him has fallen to the heroes no one expected: you lot. Across the course of a 90-minute game that’s been brought to life by the creators of the hit BBC show, you’ll hunt high and low for clues, and get help from some useful video snippets featuring the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, and Andrew Scott. You’ll also probably end up shouting ‘Elementary!’ a lot… Find your tickets here.
10. Drink and deduce at this Sherlock-inspired cocktail experience
Once you’ve tackled the Sherlock live game, pop your feet up for a drink at The Mind Palace! This Sherlock-inspired speakeasy is the perfect place for all drinking detectives. In The Case of the Poisoned Chalice, Sebastian Moran (Moriarty’s right-hand man) has brought you to The Mind Palace to test you… Can you defeat this maniac’s mind and make the perfect cocktail, or will you submit to his wiles and make a deadly drink? From the makers of Sherlock: The Game Is Now comes a new immersive gaming experience for those who like tricks and tipples. Book tickets here.
11. Leave reality behind as you explore the mind-bending Paradox Museum
Loosen your grip on reality and embrace the madness of perception-challenging paradoxes at this immersive experience. Nothing makes sense at The Paradox Museum, which makes it so fun!
People of all ages will love the extraordinary delights of this reality-warping adventure. Expect optical illusions, gravity-defying rooms, interactive elements and plenty of otherworldly scenarios that will have you thinking there’s a glitch in the matrix. Grab your tickets for the Paradox Museum here.
12. Be sentenced to Alcotraz with delicious cocktails behind bars
London’s infamous prison-themed cocktail experience Alcotraz is the perfect day out for daredevils. Hidden away in Hackney, you’ll find ‘Alcotraz Penitentiary: Cell Block Two One Two’, a secret speakeasy-prison cell hosting some of Alcotraz’s longest-serving inmates. You and your fellow criminals will need to smuggle in liquor past the warden, to be used to make bespoke cocktails in your cell. Sipping cocktails has never felt so forbidden! Find your tickets here!
13. Delve into the world of espionage at the ‘City of Spies: Immersive Experience’
London, known as the true ‘city of spies’ has over 10,000 agents working in the capital. Have you ever wondered how it all started? Come along to this secret immersive experience, where all your questions can be answered! Hear tales of Elizabethan intrigue, the Cold War and more! You’ll learn about all the different spies, not forgetting Britain’s favourite of all – James Bond! This is a spy journey you do not want to miss out on. Created by an expert from the world of espionage and the British secret service, you will discover new facts that you will never forget! Get a hold of your tickets here.
14. Giddy on up and head to the Wild West at Moonshine Saloon
Giddy on up cowboys and cowgirls! Moonshine Saloon is for those who like their cocktail experiences with a side of adventure. Saunter down the streets of Aldgate, smuggle in your illicit moonshine (i.e. BYOB), and step behind the swinging doors for an hour and 45 minutes of a theatrical drinking experience like no other.
Throughout this fantastic immersive experience, you’ll be side by side with live actors who’ll welcome you into the illicit Moonshine empire. Roll the dice – quite literally – as you try your hand at a selection of dice and card games, or simply chat with the local cowboys and cowgirls who frequent this here spot. The bartenders will transform your booze into four personalised Old West cocktails; and as you’ve brought your own liquor, you’re now officially part of the covert liquor operation led by the self-styled King of the Moonshiners, Clyde Cassidy! Your evening will come to a climax as the Sheriff tries to foil the operation – will he succeed? Knab your tickets here.
15. Scare yourself silly at the London Bridge Experience
Ok, so this one is for the brave amongst you! Perfect for Halloween (or any time of year that you want to scare yourself silly), the London Bridge Experience is often billed as ‘the scariest attraction in London’ – and we can certainly see why! Set within the deep historical vaults of the world-famous London Bridge, you’ll get to experience the dark history of London Bridge first-hand as it is brought to life right in front of your eyes, with appearances by actors portraying William Wallace, Henry VIII and *gulp* Jack the Ripper along the way.
You can also have the option of entering the London Tombs – an immersive scare maze playing home to a multitude of crazy characters, including spooky clowns and even butchers and murderers. Yikes! Spook yourself silly here.
16. Hop aboard the Murder Express for an unforgettable meal
Combining fine dining, knee-slapping comedy, and a marvellous mystery to solve, this fabulous dining experience is an absolute must if you’re one of London’s many foodies looking for something a bit different.
Treat yourself to a trip back in time, with a bespoke three-course menu and 1920s-inspired cocktails, guaranteed to take you back to the roaring era that’s steeping in glamour and intrigue. Jump aboard and become a passenger on the Murder Express, to immerse yourself in a gripping story that’s unfolding around you. To book your spot on this haunting joyride, click here.
17. Test your mettle with some mates at the Crystal Maze LIVE Experience
Based on the incredibly-popular 90’s TV show of the same name, this immersive experience will give you the opportunity to indulge in 75 minutes’ worth of fun as you try and score as many points as you can in The Crystal Dome.
You and your group will need to run around four different zones – Industrial, Futuristic, Medieval and Aztec. In each zone, you’ll have to test your skills, solve mysteries and face mental and physical challenges throughout. Plus, all of these are against the clock. Naturally. They’ve also got a Tomb Raider-themed maze, and if you’re up in Manchester, you can get involved too. Book your tickets here.
18. Go head to head with the devious criminal mastermind Moriarty
From the makers of the aforementioned Sherlock: The Official Live Game, comes a brand-new immersive escape experience for 2023. After completing a mission for the British Intelligence agency, you may think it’s time to celebrate and raise a glass. But the world’s most devious man has one last trick up his sleeve.
It’s up to you and your team to enter into the diabolical mind and memories of Moriarty as you take him down from the inside with some added help from the cast. Work together to crack the codes to defeat the man himself and enjoy many moments from the classic namesake TV series. Get hold of your tickets here.
19. Leap into a world filled with butterflies at Outernet
Get ready to embark on an immersive journey like never before, as Outernet’s most innovative piece yet fluttered in to Central London. Designed by Pixel Artworks, The Butterfly Trail is the world’s first mixed reality experience and will be playing every day (for free, by the way) at Outernet’s flagship space, The Now Building, along with some other fantastic immersive art on display, and experiences to discover.
The groundbreaking technology pushes the boundaries of immersive design and gives visitors the opportunity to hold their very own butterfly on the tip of their finger. This breathtaking display is being played across the giant floor to ceiling, four-storey high, 16K wrap around screens; the most advanced screens in the world (in case you were wondering), so it really is a deeply immersive experience that has never been possible before. Sounds pretty darn exciting to us that’s for sure! Find out more here.
20. Fight aliens and martians with The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience
Part immersive theatre, part virtual reality, our penultimate addition to this immersive experiences roundup, The War of The Worlds: Immersive Experience, has been a thrilling hit since opening in London. Based on Jeff Wayne’s musical interpretation of H.G. Wells’ landmark novel, this epic adventure imagines the 1898 Martian invasion for the digital age.
You’ll be blown away by the 300-foot Martian Fighting Machines, explore abandoned Victorian houses, witness epic battles, and even take a hot air balloon to Mars! With 24 interactive scenes, 12 live actors, and stunning VR, you’ll experience it all! Brace yourself for thrilling effects, like sudden loud noises, total darkness, and pyrotechnics too. There’s even music too! Tickets available here.
21. Play detective at The London Dungeon
The dark halls of The London Dungeon hold a very dark secret. In this creepy murder mystery experience, you’ll have to navigate the dark corners of the building and interrogate suspects. Beware of spooky figures like the Plague Doctor, the Witch, and Mrs. Lovett that lurk in the corners of this haunted place. Can you uncover the truth before it’s too late? Get your tickets here.
22. Embrace your inner child at soft-play safe-haven Wonderland
If you miss the days of ball pits, slides and climbing frames, then we have some excellent news for you. You can enjoy three storeys of soft play, retro arcade games and a photo booth at this Alice in Wonderland event for adults. This unmissable event for the young-at-heart brings the nightclub to the play area, great for perfecting that Chesire Cat grin.
So, take a deep dive down the rabbit hole for this hilarious evening of nostalgic play and whimsical immersion. Don’t worry, they’re all mad there! For more information and tickets, click here.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best immersive experiences in London. Whether you’re after a day out with mates or something for your work lot, this extensive list should have you more than covered!
All our events are recommended by editors. Tickets purchased through Fever may earn Secret London commission.