SEA LIFE London Aquarium

The Thames waterfront has a rather grand aquarium tucked beneath the London Eye, and it's genuinely worth an afternoon if you're in the capital with kids. You'll wind through dark corridors past glowing tanks - stingrays, seahorses, proper toothy sharks - each one more distracting than the last. The interactive touch pools are what hold children's attention longest; letting them feel a starfish or ray beats watching from behind glass every time.

It's fairly standard aquarium fare, truth be told. Nothing here will revolutionise how you think about marine life, but the setup is slick and the tanks are well-maintained. The underwater tunnel is the showstopper - you're surrounded by fish and the occasional shark gliding overhead, which does feel a bit special even if you know it's choreographed for effect.

Allow two to three hours, longer if your kids are the type to read every label. Entry isn't cheap and it's busier than it needs to be on weekends. Weekday visits are far more bearable. During school holidays you'll be fighting crowds.

If you're basing yourself at Lovat Parks nearby, this makes sense as a rainy-day backup plan rather than a main event. Combine it with a walk along the South Bank and you've got a solid half-day sorted. It's convenient, it's dry, and kids will enjoy it - just don't expect to leave wanting to book a marine biology degree.