The best things to do in East London in 2026 are Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday, Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane, the candlelit Dennis Severs' House, Young V&A and the Museum of the Home, and the V&A East Storehouse and ArcelorMittal Orbit in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
East London stretches from the Huguenot streets of Spitalfields and the curry houses of Brick Lane to Hackney's parks and the Olympic Park in Stratford. Sunday is the best day, when Columbia Road, Brick Lane and Spitalfields markets are all in full swing. The Overground and Elizabeth line make it quick to reach from central London.
A Victorian street bursting with flowers every Sunday.
Every Sunday, Columbia Road fills with stalls of cut flowers and plants, with traders calling out their prices, while independent shops and cafés line the street.
It is one of East London's most joyful sights.
Good to know: Arrive by 9am for space, or near closing for bargains.
Columbia Road, London E2 7RG
A Victorian market hall of traders, designers and street food.
Old Spitalfields Market's covered hall hosts traders, independent designers and street-food stalls, with themed days such as antiques and vintage.
It sits between the City and Brick Lane, among Georgian Huguenot streets.
Good to know: Thursdays are traditionally antiques and vintage day.
16 Horner Square, London E1 6EW
Street art, vintage shops, bagels and Sunday markets.
Brick Lane is famous for its curry houses, 24-hour bagel bakeries, street art and vintage shops, with the Sunday Upmarket and other markets in the Old Truman Brewery.
It reflects centuries of immigration, from Huguenots to Jewish and Bangladeshi communities.
Good to know: Try a salt beef bagel from one of the 24-hour bakeries at the north end.
Brick Lane, London E1 6QR
A candlelit Georgian house that feels as if its residents just stepped out.
At 18 Folgate Street, the late Dennis Severs created a 'still-life drama': each room recreates a moment in the life of a Huguenot silk-weaving family, lit by candles and firelight, explored in silence at your own pace.
It is unlike any other museum in London.
Good to know: Book ahead; visits are limited and some are by candlelight in the evening.
18 Folgate Street, London E1 6BX
400 years of English living rooms, in almshouses with gardens.
The Museum of the Home, in 18th-century almshouses on Kingsland Road, shows how people have lived at home over 400 years, through a series of period rooms and changing exhibitions.
Its gardens and café are lovely in summer, and entry to the main galleries is free.
Good to know: Visit at Christmas, when the period rooms are decorated for the season.
136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
A free museum of play and design for children.
Young V&A in Bethnal Green is designed for children, with galleries on play, imagination and design full of things to touch and try.
It is free and especially good for under-12s.
Good to know: It is next to Bethnal Green station; pair it with Columbia Road on a Sunday.
Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA
Walk among the V&A's stored treasures in a free, open-access collection store.
The V&A East Storehouse lets visitors explore the stored collection of the V&A, with hundreds of thousands of objects on open shelves, from fashion to architecture, in a vast building at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
It is free and open daily.
Good to know: Book an object-viewing session to see specific items up close.
Parkes Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3AX
A sculpture-tower with views and the world's longest tunnel slide.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit, the red steel sculpture in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has viewing platforms and a giant tunnel slide that spirals around the structure back to the ground.
It suits thrill-seekers and older children.
Good to know: Check the minimum age and height for the slide before booking.
3 Thornton Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2AD
The 2012 Olympic Park, with waterways, playgrounds and sports venues.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has riverside paths, gardens and playgrounds, and you can swim in the London Aquatics Centre or watch football at the London Stadium.
Westfield Stratford City shopping centre is next door.
Good to know: Swim in the Olympic pool at the London Aquatics Centre for a public session price.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST
East London's best-loved park, with lakes and a Pavilion café.
Victoria Park, known locally as Vicky Park, has boating lakes, gardens, playgrounds and the lakeside Pavilion Café, and hosts big summer music events.
It is a short walk from Hackney's Broadway Market and the canal.
Good to know: Walk along the Regent's Canal from Broadway Market to reach it.
Grove Road, London E3 5TB
Sunday, when Columbia Road Flower Market, the Brick Lane markets and Old Spitalfields Market are all trading. See our markets guide.
Yes. The V&A East Storehouse in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is free to visit and opens daily; some tours and events charge.
Walk the park and waterways, ride the slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit, swim in the London Aquatics Centre, and visit the V&A East Storehouse.
Yes, if you enjoy atmosphere: it is a candlelit, silent journey through the imagined lives of a Huguenot silk-weaving family. Book ahead; numbers are small.
See our East London restaurants guide.