Try this: London

Unearth the secrets of the ‘Big Smoke’ on these top adventures

It’s one of the West End’s best-kept secrets: while a ticket to the Royal Opera House can run to hundreds of pounds, as little as £11 can buy you a stage-side seat for the very same performance. But if you want a centre-stage view book to see the dancers in rehearsal: at venues throughout the ROH you can see the principles put through their paces for upcoming productions.

1 hour 15 minutes, £11-22, various dates; roh.org.uk

Unearth treasures on the Thames

A stroll along the Thames is always a joy, but cast your eyes downwards – to the water’s edge – and who knows what you’ll spy? On a private Thames Beachcombing tour, you’ll head out with a tidal archaeologist to unearth treasures on the shores of the Square Mile revealing fragments of its history: Tudor beer tankards, Victorian cutlery… even roof tiles charred by the

Great Fire. Private tours on request, walks.com

Discover subterranean secrets

The Tube is so much more than a public transport system: it sheltered thousands of Londoners throughout the Blitz, has provided top-secret storage for British Museum treasures, and the Central Line even doubled as an aircraft factory during the Second World War. On a tour with the London Transport Museum you’ll explore the time-capsule tunnels below Piccadilly Circus, and the ‘lost’ labyrinth inside Euston Station. Approx 75 minutes, various dates; ltmuseum.co.uk

Catch the Royal Ballet in rehearsal