Walk, or jog, or prance, or run. Kensington Gardens is the perfect piece of green to ground yourself in the city. 

Opened as a memorial to Prince Albert in 1871, this beautifully round concert hall doesn’t focus on one thing. Look at the roster in any given year – there is a phenomenal mix of everything from ballet to rock. Its circular nature means the stage could end up anywhere and there’s no such thing as a bad seat. The Films in Concert series – watch Gladiator or The Lion King with a full orchestral ensemble – are brilliant, but it’s the Letters Live and Cirque du Soleil tickets that are the hardest to nab.

Entering Hyde Park from Kensington High Street is far more peaceful and scenic than the Park Lane corners (though you might spot the Household Cavalry trot past). In the summer children happily splash in the Diana Memorial Fountain and families seek out the best picnic spot in the wildflower meadows. The members of Britain’s oldest swimming club have the Serpentine lido to themselves in the early morning year-round, but from mid May regular punters can dive in after 10am, and then warm up with a bacon buttie and a cup of tea at the café.

It’s worth taking a day to explore Exhibition Road: there’s the V&A, the Natural History Museum (its unique collection of dinosaur skeletons is a must with kids), and next door, the Science Museum. It may be completely insane during school holidays but it’s a wonderful space, with a focus on interactivity that means there are things to push and play at every turn. The flight simulator and live exploding science shows are as much fun for adults as children. Teenagers will get lost in the gaming gallery.