LONDON'S BEST IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

The Capital's Most Exciting Worlds to Leap Inside, as Nominated by YOU in the Time Well Spent Awards

Whether its unravelling mysteries in a steampunk town; experiencing an alien invasion; secret 1930s super-speakesy opulence or helping Paddington prepare for the Marmalade Festival, Londoners can’t get enough of immersive attractions.

But which is your favourite world to leap inside? You have spoken and your nominations for London’s best immersive experiences are below. The ultimate Time Well Spent Awards winner will be crowned in August.

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Phantom Peak

The world's first, fully immersive open-world adventure invites you to explore a fully realised, 30,000 square foot Steampunk town inhabited by quirky characters and brimming with mysteries and stories.

Over four plus hours, you can go on adventure of your choosing, perhaps strolling along the canal getting the gossip from locals, or even launching a career as the town’s resident criminal? Then enjoy food and drink in the Wild-West themed Thirsty Frontier Saloon, interact with immersive sets, technology, and live actors.

Phantom Peak London, Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 7PJ

Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience

Experience a real Martian invasion in London at this immersive blockbuster, with 24 breathtaking scenes, in which you’ll see 300-foot Martian Fighting Machines brought to life.

This is all set to Jeff Wayne's extraordinary score, with live actors, 3D immersive sound, holographic projections, virtual reality and realistic physical sensations to ensure you are at the centre of the action.

The War of the Worlds, 56 Leadenhall St, London EC3A 2BJ

Paddington Bear Experience

Read our review

There is no greater escapism than leaping into the perfect, joyous London of The Paddington Bear Experience, where the biggest life troubles revolve around a lack of oranges for the Marmalade Festival.

The immersive, theatrical experience is forensically faithful to the three much-loved Paddington films, with a series of actors, special effects and magical sets inspired by the franchise’s iconic locations, across 26,000 square feet of Southbank’s County Hall taking you on an adventure from Paddington Station, through the Brown's iconic house, onto Peru and culminating in the big Marmalade Festival.

The Paddington Bear™ Experience, London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB

Mamma Mia! The Party

Have the time of your life dancing and dining in this extraordinary recreation of the island of Skopelos. As the sun sets, you’ll take your seats at Nikos’ family-run taverna for a four-course Greek meal, while the warm and romantic story is performed around you, before donning your Dancing Queen crowns at a glittering ABBA disco.

Mamma Mia! The Party, The O2, Unit 6.05, The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX

The Lost Estate: 58th Street

Step back in time to 1930s New York, to Manhattan’s last, greatest super-speakeasy where the greatest night of the Jazz Age is reborn for a night of unbridled glamour and total immersion.

It features three sets of Wild Harlem jazz, a 6-course Park Avenue feast, and a Pandora’s box of Jazz Age tales and wicked surprises.

Each opulent detail of this outrageous true story about speakeasy pioneer Belle Livingstone at 58th Street has been crafted, re-imagined, brought back to life by the team of artists, visionaries and world-makers behind The Lost Estate.

58th Street, 9 Beaumont Ave, London W14 9LP

Shrek’s Adventure

Read our review

Launch into the clouds from the South Bank on a magical flying bus (with Donkey as tour guide) past dragons, witches and Rumpelstiltskin and then land with a crash in Far, Far Away, the home of Shrek and the start of your adventure.

It’s a wild adventure through the land of children’s favourite ogres and fairytale characters, technology and immaculately created sets.

Shrek’s Adventure tickets. Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1

The London Dungeon

Teens can scream their way through deliciously dark and grisly recreations of historical events, brimming with gallow's humour, at one of London's most loved attractions, with 360 degree sets; 13 interactive shows; 20 live actors and 1000 years of history.

Our readers' highlights include its Drop Dead Ride, a close shave with Fleet Street barber Sweeney Todd, braving the secrets of the torture chamber and investigating who the mysterious Jack the Ripper might have been. Recommended for ages 12 up.

The London Dungeon, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB

Avora Family Experience

Read our review

Up an unassuming, Shoreditch street is a secret portal to another planet. And on school holidays and Sundays, you can take your kids for a well-deserved break from Earth, on planet Avora.

This otherworldly adventure will see you encounter scientists, mocktails, aliens, army villains and closes with a child-pleasing, farty finale.

Avora: Family Immersive Adventure 5C, 127 Hackney Road, London, E2 8GY. Sundays, 12pm – 3:30pm. School Holiday weekdays. £24.50 per child (6-13) £29.50 per adult

The FRIENDS Experience: The One in London

Dance in front of the fountain, peep through the iconic purple door at Rachel and Monica’s apartment, play foosball at Joey and Chandler’s, and take a selfie on the couch in Central Perk.

They have painstakingly recreated sets and details - from Phoebe’s New York cab to the 18 page letter - for fans to dive into the hit TV show, as well as the FRIENDS station for turbo-photo opps.

Could it BE more immersive?

The FRIENDS Experience. Excel London, Immerse LDN, London E16 1XL

Frameless

Situated in Marble Arch, Frameless is the largest, permanent multi-sensory experience in the UK. Boasting four, themed galleries - Beyond Reality, Colour In Motion, The World Around Us and The Art Of Abstraction - with some of the world’s greatest works of art exploding across the walls, floors and ceilings of a 30,000 sq ft space.

You can step inside more than 43 masterpieces by 28 artists, including Kandinsky, Monet, Van Gogh, Klimt, Munch, Monet, Rembrandt, Dali and Cezanne with musical scores accompanying each brushstroke.

Frameless, Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD