Things to do in London when you're not at the Games - a personal selection

There’s more to see in East London than the Olympic Park! Here are my recommendations.

• An Olympiad is the four-year period between Olympic Games. And London has been partying through this one. The grand finale of their Cultural Olympiad will see a huge number of art, cultural and music festivals extending into September. See the official festival site for full details.

My top recommendation? On the July 21-22 weekend, the River of Music (also here) features free music performances representing all 205 Olympic nations at iconic landmarks along the Thames. Asia will be represented at Battersea Park, the Americas at the Tower of London, Africa at the London Pleasure Gardens, Europe at Somerset House and Trafalgar Square, and Oceania at the Old Royal Naval College.

• There are also free lunchtime concerts on a weekly basis; try St. Martin-in-the-Fields, next to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.

• Street Parties, which began in June, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, will continue into the Olympics. Join in!

• For architecture buffs and the devout (not necessarily in that order) the city's two best-known churches—St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey—welcome visitors to their evensong services. It’s free to visit, but donations are appreciated. This is an economical way to admire the architecture inside these majestic buildings, but walking around and taking pictures while the services are on is inadvisable.

Bonus tip: The Royal Opera House and some theatres have standing tickets in the gallery that cost as little as £5. There are also last-minute tickets options, where you can snap up tickets, which have been returned.

• The World Shakespeare Festival began on April 23, the Bard’s birthday, and runs through to September.  It includes a major exhibition at the British Museum and productions by companies from Brazil to Russia. Productions will be shown across the U.K. and tickets begin as low as £3.

• Take a London Walk on the south bank of the Thames, which is always bustling with activity in the summer. One of the best ways to enjoy it is to start at the riverside Tate Modern, an art museum housed in a power station. From there, walk east along the river towards Tower Bridge. On the west is the National Theatre, which hosts free circus, music and other arts events on its grounds. These walks take under 30 minutes and are very enjoyable.

• Pick up a lunch packet at Borough Market, the city’s biggest food market, and head to one of London's parks. Amidst the rose gardens, serene ponds and manicured gardens, munch your sandwich in peace.

• Do see The White Chapel Art Gallery, Christ Church Spitalfields and Hackney Empire.

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.