Guide to immersive experiences in London

Discover your inner child at immersive multi-sensory experience Dopamine Land. Unlike any museum you've been to before, this place is set over multiple rooms and is designed to boost your mood. There are mirror mazes, digital forests, evocative aromas, and a space for pillow fights. It's suitable for all ages.

Based at Canada Water, Phantom Peak is a unique immersive experience. Visit an Old West-style town with indoor and outdoor spaces, meet the local characters, play games, uncover mysteries, and enjoy a variety of shops, entertainment, and food and drink options. You're welcome to dress up with a steampunk theme and the experience is suitable for all ages.

Take board games to the next level at Monopoly Lifesized. Get competitive as you play on a life-sized game board, moving around and tackling challenges to win big cash prizes. It's great for all types of players, including team-building exercises. There's a bar and restaurant on-site to relax in after your game.

Transport yourself to 1945 and the end of the war at Cahoots. Housed in a disused tube station that was once an emergency air raid shelter, you'll find 40s-themed cocktails, staff in costume, a playlist of music from the time, and relics from wartime that were found in the space.

Enjoy a four course Greek meal and a spectacular show in a taverna setting at Mamma Mia! The Party. A must for the city's Abba fans, there's live music, a dazzling finale, and an Abba disco after the show. The action isn't confined to the stage here, making the crowd part of the show and really bringing it all to life.

Uncover the more gruesome parts of London's history with a visit to The London Bridge Experience. Actors in costume, creepy decor, and multi-sensory special effects bring these terrifying tales to life. You'll take an interactive journey through the past here and can visit the bar on-site afterwards if you need to calm down.

Visit Dans Le Noir? for a dining experience cloaked in darkness. Considered one of the most unusual restaurants in the world, at this place the servers are blind and you'll eat a mystery menu in the pitch black dining room. The idea is to enhance your experience of the food and afterwards you'll find out exactly what you ate.

Lose yourself in another world at Immersive Gamebox. With touch screens, surround sound, motion tracking, and projection mapping, you're fully immersed as soon as you step into your private gaming box. There are family-friendly games as well as some more suited to adults and you can play in groups of up to six people.

Avora gives you a completely unique cocktail-drinking experience. At this theatrical experience you'll don a jumpsuit and enter a new utopian world. You'll forage for ingredients and try three inventive botanical cocktails as you make your way through this immersive world and uncover the story of Avora.

Bubble Planet, an international immersive experience now open in London, offers a whimsical escape into a bubble-filled world, encouraging visitors to rediscover their inner child through play. This engaging attraction, aligning with the “Kidulting” trend in Europe, features 11 uniquely themed rooms, each designed with optical illusions, fantastical landscapes, and interactive opportunities.

Head to Hawkins at Stranger Things: The Experience. This immersive experience puts you in the centre of the Stranger Things world. You'll see locations you recognise, get loads of photo opportunities, enjoy an 80s playlist, and get plenty of surprises thanks to actors, special effects, and immersive sets. You can also buy food and drinks and exclusive merchandise.

Prison-themed bar Alcotraz is a novel way to drink cocktails. Here you'll have to smuggle in your own booze – if you can make it past the warden. Put on your orange jumpsuit, go through the metal detector, and give your clandestine booze to the bar staff, who'll mix it up into original cocktails just for you.

Plunge yourself into the storyline at The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience. You'll be part of a martian invasion of London across 24 different scenes that use actors, holograms, virtual reality, and iconic music by Jeff Wayne. Make your way through the story and enjoy a drink in the bar at the end, including the signature Red Weed cocktail.

Near Oxford Circus you can discover mind-boggling multi-sensory illusions at Twist Museum. This place twists up reality and challenges your perceptions, and was developed with artists, philosophers, and neuroscientists. The way you understand colour, heat, shape, perspective, and sound are turned on their head with the small- and large-scale illusions here.

Fans of Fawlty Towers will enjoy Faulty Towers The Dining Experience. This theatrical dinner show is a tribute to the popular sitcom and includes a three course meal and two hours of mayhem and laughter. Around 70% of each show is improvised so it's always a new and unique experience. Let the organisers know if you're celebrating something and you'll get an added surprise chucked in.

Have a family-friendly immersive day out at Shrek's Adventure. You'll become part of Shrek's world, surrounded by fairytale characters and exciting attractions. Hop on the 4D flying bus, meet a fortune teller, visit a mirror maze, and cook up spells in a bubbling cauldron. At the end of the experience you even get to meet Shrek himself.

Secret Cinema offers Londoners an immersive cinema experience, always taking place in a top secret location. Favourite films are brought to life with immersive sets, live characters, and new storylines. You're welcome to dress up for the occasion too. New shows are put on regularly but past films include Dirty Dancing and Blade Runner.

The London Dungeon brings the darker side of London's history to life and is a spooky destination for the whole family. With dark humour, gory special effects, immersive rides, and costumed actors, this is a memorable experience in the capital. Ride to the gallows, find yourself at the centre of a witch trial, or uncover the story of Guy Fawkes.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes can head to The Mind Palace in West London. This immersive Sherlock-themed bar serves themed cocktails and afternoon tea. The space is full of mementos of the detective and his cases. Enjoy drinks or tea and treats whilst you solve puzzle games and mysteries.

Smuggle in your own booze to Moonshine Saloon and immerse yourself in the Wild West. Talented mixologists turn whatever your sneak in into a bespoke cocktail. Pass through the classic swinging doors and you'll find on-theme decor, bandits in costume, games like cards and dice, and loads of action going on.

In West London you can see landscapes and wildlife from every continent on earth at the BBC Earth Experience. Narrated by the legendary David Attenborough, this exhibition uses digital technology and multi-angle screens to immerse you in breathtaking footage from Seven Worlds, One Planet. The experience is also designed to be as sustainable as possible.

The Cauldron immerses you into a world of fantasy and magic. At this mysterious bar you can join a potion-making class, wave your magic wand, and use molecular mixology to craft imaginative drinks. Child-friendly sessions for young wizards and witches are available too. You can also book at this creative bar just for drinks in a unique setting.

Set into a railway arch, Sensas is a unique place to push your senses to the max. There are a number of themed spaces designed to test you in a fun way and make you lose control. Tackle challenges and overcome your fears to be rewarded with tokens that are converted into a donation to a disability charity. You'll be plunged into total darkness and explore an anti-gravity room whilst you're here.

Immerse yourself in an action-packed activity at Tomb Raider: The Live Experience. The adventure begins in Finland before you explore the jungle of Costa Rica and finally the tomb itself. You'll take on puzzles, swing along the zip wire, and collect relics along your journey. There's also an on-site bar. Groups of all sizes are welcome here.

Explore virtual reality gaming at Meetspace VR. This cutting-edge venue is lively and has a variety of VR games to try out. Play in the arcade, tackle an escape room, or try a free-roaming VR challenge for a unique way to have fun. All ages are welcome here but some activities have their own age restrictions. Private hire for events is also possible.

The Gunpowder Plot is one of the most famous stories from London's history, and you can explore it with The Gunpowder Plot: The Immersive Experience. Tom Felton stars as Guy Fawkes. During this experience you travel in time to 1605 with live theatre and digital technology making the story real. You'll find yourself right at the heart of the plot. Bars and restaurants are on-site too.

Step inside your favourite art pieces at Frameless. This immersive experience combines light, sound, animated projections, and mirrors to give you a unique view of paintings by artists like Klimt, Dali, and Bosch. Four different spaces put you right in the centre of the works and there's an on-site café as well.

Step aboard the train at The Murdér Express for an immersive theatre dinner experience. You get a gourmet meal developed by “MasterChef” finalist Louisa Ellis, plus drinks and entertainment as you watch a murder mystery show that's full of surprises. LCD screens and special effects make you feel like the train carriage is in motion.

Immerse yourself in a variety of virtual reality games and challenges at Otherworld VR – think of it as a VR theme park with drinks involved too. The cutting-edge pods at the venue use heat, airflow, and rumbling effects to make the experience real. Enjoy some drinks as you hang out here and redeem the coins you win at the bar.

Try your hand at detective work with Sherlock: The Official Live Game. This themed escape room in West London will see you looking for clues and solving cases over 90 minutes in a purpose-built venue. There are rooms for different group sizes and all types of groups are welcome, including school groups and corporate events.

Discover a number of zones and be part of the classic 90s game show with The Crystal Maze Live Experience. You won't get to hang out with Richard O'Brien but you'll still have fun travelling between different zones and taking on games and challenges. Eventually you'll reach the finale and get your time in the infamous crystal dome.

Van Gogh London Exhibit: The Immersive Experience uses light, sound, and projections to immerse you in the art of Vincent Van Gogh. Here you'll experience some of the artist's best-loved paintings in a brand new way, putting you right in the middle of them. This experience is suitable for all ages and larger group bookings are also welcome. 

Recently opened in King's Cross, Lightroom is an innovative immersive art gallery that boasts a massive open space spanning four stories. It features state-of-the-art digital projection and audio technology in order to host magnificent artist-led shows by renowned individuals such as David Hockney. The cutting-edge technology is utilised to enhance viewers' experiences with the displayed art.

The Lost Estate is a highly skilled theatre group renowned for creating captivating, immersive live experiences that weave together theatre, live music, and fine dining. Their performances encompass diverse themes, eras, and beloved tales ranging from Swan Lake to the Jazz Age. Audience members are fully immersed in the narrative as they assume the roles of protagonists and actively participate in the unfolding of the events. To enhance the overall experience, each show is complemented by a delectable meal that aligns with the show's theme.

Park Chinois is a luxurious Chinese dining experience that promises to be the ultimate in experiential dining. The restaurant's lavish setting, state-of-the-art cabaret dining area, two chic bars, and stunning private dining areas transport guests to the glamour and excitement of 1930s Shanghai, complete with live music, dazzling performances, vibrant cuisine, and opulent decor.

Inspired by sci-fi and fantasy, The Wizard Exploratorium is an immersive cocktail bar and shop for fans of magic. Located in Greek Street, it has a vibrant facade and there are various experiences for adults and kids to enjoy inside. Visit the shop, craft your own magic wand, join a potion-making class and sip on cocktails, or come for the wizard-themed and interactive afternoon tea.

Xydrobe is an innovative physical space in Mayfair, offering ticketed entry to unparalleled immersive experiences, all inspired by renowned luxury brands. Each month, the venue undergoes a transformation, showcasing a series of unique, branded pop-up worlds that provide ephemeral and engaging multi-sensory adventures to its visitors.