Adventure and Adrenaline Activities in London 

Thames Rockets

Ever wanted to see the sights but from a different perspective? Thames Rockets ranks as London's number one outdoor activity. Taking in no less than 20 landmarks along a stretch of water from the London Eye to the Thames Barrier, they offer various experiences, including Thames Lates and an all speed pursuit known as Break the Barrier. Even if you've lived in London all your life, witnessing Tower Bridge in all its glory as you whiz beneath it in a boat is guaranteed to have you grinning from ear to ear. As their website suggests, this is an experience licenced to thrill! Make like Daniel Craig and book yourself a seat on the Thames Rocket. Dinner jackets aren't obligatory.

Where? London Bridge, The London Eye.

Book via the website: Thames Rockets.

Hours: Monday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

From: Experiences from £41.95. Gift vouchers are available.

Bouldering

Climbing is not only great for overcoming mental obstacles, but it's also one of the fastest ways to improve your fitness. As one of the growing sports activities in London, practising bouldering on indoor climbing walls is the gateway to eventually tackling the real thing for many people. For others, the convenience of training at a centre offers endless opportunities to develop technique and speed without the need to venture into the open. With wellness centres like Substation in Brixton and one of the original climbing studios, The Castle in North London, the capital has no shortage of places available for you to experiment. Sign up for an intro offer and earn the analytical and physical tactics needed to defeat any wall or overhang.

Where? Substation, Brixton, SW2 5DZ.

Book via the website: Substation Brixton.

Hours: Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

From: £14 per session (£11 student concessions).

Where? The Castle Climbing Centre, Green Lanes, N16.

Book via the website: Castle Climbing.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

From: £13 per session (£8 off-peak).

Go Ape

Have you got a head for heights? If so, then seeing London from high above the ground might be your next adrenaline adventure. Few outdoor activities can claim to take you on a treetop adventure high above the ground. With locations across London, Go Ape offers fun and thrills enough to test your bravery limits on its canopy structures overlooking Battersea Park and Alexandra Palace. Choose your intensity level, then challenge yourself to conquer the wobbly bridges, crossings, and the fisherman’s net, before jumping on the zip-wire to swing through the trees.

Where? Go Ape - Battersea Park in South London, or Alexandra Park North London.

Book via the Go Ape website.

Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. 

Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Activities start from £10 per adult (speed climbing).

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding is a 30-year-old sport with roots in surfing, skiing, and snowboarding. Traditionally, the rider balances on their board while towing behind a motorboat. Thankfully, the urban-friendly version of cable wakeboarding is available to try in London's Docklands. The WakeUp watersports centre offers sessions for both complete beginners and experienced wakeboarders. By all accounts, it's one of the most fun things you can do in a pair of boots. Stand up paddleboarding and hydrofoil experiences are also available at the centre.

Where? London Docklands, Royal Victoria Beach, Dock Road, London. E16.

Book via the Wakeup Docklands website.

Hours: Tuesday to Friday from midday to sundown.

White Water Rafting

Did you know that you can go white water rafting on the same course used by athletes in the 2012 Olympics? Built to host the canoe slalom events, the course is set in the Lee Valley Nature Park. The watersports centre hosts a variety of water-related sports activities, including rodeo rafting, canoeing, and hydrospeeding. Each white water raft can host up to nine people, so there's enough room to accommodate whole groups of friends at a time. The Olympic standard drops of the rapids are all about speed. After the safety briefing, you'll get to harness the power of the water as you overcome the rollercoaster ride to navigate the twists and turns of the course. Expect to get very, very wet! Book a session and get there with Zipcar.

Where? The Lee Valley Centre, Waltham Cross, E9 1AB.

Book via the Lee Valley website.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 8:00 am.

From: Activities start from £50 per session. Gift vouchers are available.

What else?

If none of the above has got your pulse racing, why not check out these inspirational ideas for adrenaline and adventure activities in London?*

• Ice Climbing - not just reserved for holidays to Iceland. Check out Ice Factor’s ice wall featuring 500 tonnes of real snow and ice!
• Kayaking, canoeing and SUP - venues across London. Try MooCanoes in East London, or Edge Canoeing, Kew.
• Epping Forest Trail - has over 284km of trails across its 8,000 acres.
• The Dare Skywalk - scale the height of Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium on a glass walkway almost 50m above the pitch.
• London Helicopter Tours - a selection of five-star rated sightseeing experiences around the capital.

_{* Check individual websites for details}