With just one week to go until the Olympic Games kicks off in London, thousands of tourists are beginning to flock to the capital. To celebrate all things 2012-related, London is showcasing its best restaurants, cafes, bars and museums, with Olympic-themed activities at every turn. Take a look at a few must-do activities in the capital.
Stapleford Flight Centre
See the Olympics from a whole new angle with sightseeing flights over London and the Olympic Village. Stapleford Flight Centre in Essex offers sightseeing tours in a twin-engine aircraft, taking in all the sights of London and a bird’s eye view of the Olympic Stadium. Prices start from £89 per person. (Photo Credit Stapleford Flight Centre)
Sir John Soane's Museum
At Sir John Soane's Museum in London, the stadium is the main focus of the upcoming exhibition Stadia: Sport and Vision in Architecture, which is open until 22 September 2012. The exhibition traces the evolution of stadia structures from ancient amphitheatres to the state-of-the-art London 2012 stadium in Stratford. The exhibition will be the first to be held in the museum’s newly restored gallery spaces. (Photo Credit Sir John Soane's Museum)
Island Grill Restaurant
London’s Island Grill restaurant is celebrating the Olympics with their Cockney Menu, available throughout July and August. Offering fantastic views over Hyde Park, Island Grill invites visitors to ‘Av a butchers’ at their English menu with cockney rhyming names such as Fresh Poppy Red (bread), Loop de Loop (soup) of the day and Lilian Gish and Jockey's Whips (fish and chips). (Photo Credit Island Grill Restaurant)
Cinnamon Kitchen
Visit Cinnamon Kitchen and Anise bar for an Olympic experience that really engages the senses. Anise will pay flaming tribute with its marathon menu of five multi-colored dishes accompanied by five flaming, torch cocktails. If you like your modern Indian cuisine with some culture on the side, visit the adjoining Cinnamon Kitchen for a Paralympics photographic exhibition by Marcus Lyon. (Photo Credit Cinnamon Kitchen)
The British Museum
To celebrate the Olympics, the British Museum is highlighting objects connected by the theme of “winning.” The Ancient Games exhibition’s main attraction is the Townley Discobolus—the statue was excavated at Hadrian’s Villa in 1790. (Photo Credit British Museum)
Churchill War Rooms
Churchill War Rooms still has day time availability for lunches and private tours and is ideally located close to the London Media Centre, which will be based at One Great George Street, the Beach Volleyball on Horse Guards Parade. It is also situated close to The Mall, the finish point for the Cycling Road Race and Marathon. (Photo Credit Churchill War Rooms)
HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast is available for event hire and offers spectacular views of the River Thames and key landmarks such as Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. HMS Belfast has her own landing stage for river boats enabling guests to be transported by river and avoid the roads and public transport. (Photo HMS Belfast)
The Royal Air Force Museum
The Royal Air Force Museum recently opened an exhibition called Athletes & Olympians: Sport in the RAF, which is on display to the public in the Museum's Temporary Exhibition Gallery. The Museum will examine the careers of various RAF Sportsmen and Women who have represented the UK during past Olympics and will also look at those current and ex-members of the RAF who will be participating in the Olympics and Paralympic Games of London 2012 both as competitors and behind the scenes. (Photo Credit The Royal Air Force Museum)
The Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House, along with BP, is collaborating with the Olympic Museum to create special exhibition telling the Olympic story through the endeavors of ancient and modern Olympians. The exhibition is called The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games, and will be staged at the Royal Opera House for the duration of the event. The exhibition will include artifacts, graphics, film and audio. It is also completely free to enter. (Photo Credit The Royal Opera House)
