Off-The-Radar Experiences In London

London is a city with a million things to do. There are classic experiences everyone will want to try on their first visit such as Buckingham Palace or the London Eye, but there are also plenty of ways to have adventures that are unique and help travelers take in the many different faces of this amazing city. London is famous for its Underground subway system, and you can try these four under-the-radar experiences to have your own unique "London Underground" experience.

Ceremony of the Keys

While a visit to the Tower of London during the day is a popular pastime that draws millions of people every year, there is also a nighttime experience played out in front of a very small audience. Since the Tower is still a national military installation staffed by the Beefeater guards, it must be closed up every night. Visitors can watch as the Beefeaters go through a process that has taken place nightly in the same way for hundreds of years. You'll get chills as you stand below Bloody Tower and listen as the guards call out the same phrases that were in use when the Bloody Tower was also in use. Tickets are free, but the audience for the ceremony is generally limited to about 20 people per night, and tickets typically need to be ordered months in advance.

Voltaire 

The Crowne Plaza London the City is a hotel sitting atop what used to be dungeons for Bridewell Palace. Stone vaults where prisoners were once held still have a lock and key on the gated fronts, but have now been turned into private luxury areas where a couple or a small group of friends can retreat to enjoy champagne, cigars or a unique martini menu. Each vault has its own name relating to the author/philosopher Voltaire - The Talker, The Contradiction, The Aphorist, etc. - to go along with each room's very own style and decor. While there, how can you resist not trying a martini called the Bloody Cell?

Classic City Tours

Feel like you're a character in a James Bond movie as you ride through the city in a classic Morris Minor, the 1948 precursor to the Mini Cooper. You'll not only get to see the city, you'll find you're the one being seen as heads turn and necks crane to look at who is in that oh-so-cool car. What's even better is that the Minor, as well as other car choices that are offered, is small enough and quick enough to get you into lots of tight spaces where a tour bus just won't fit. Best of all, you can have somebody drive you so you don't have to worry about the roundabouts or driving on the left side of the road. Cars can be booked for a variety of different times ranging from a quick couple of hours to a full day.You set your own itinerary or take their expert recommendations.

Trip Shooter

Why trust the memories of your trip to a bunch of cell-phone selfies? Book a session with Trip Shooter, and a professional photographer will show up to take photos of you and your family in classic London places ranging from Big Ben to the local tube station. When your trip is over, you get emailed a range of photos to choose from that will make your trip to London your own unique experience.

While London has its famous sights, it's also a place where you can go underground to find new ways to see the city.

What is your favorite underground or lesser-known travel experience in London?

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.