10 things to do in London in April

April is a month full of colour, festivals and lots of things to see and do in London. After the harsh winters in the UK, people welcome the spring weather and the parks and streets of the English capital are bursting with life.

The arrival of the good weather also opens up the possibility of doing activities that would be unviable in the cold and rain of winter. For example, enjoying the traditional five o'clock tea on a terrace or sailing along the Thames on a cruise. If you want to know what to do and what to see in London in April, here are the best options.

You can see London in a thousand ways but one of the most relaxing and interesting is to book a cruise on the Thames. April's warm weather makes it an ideal month to see some of London's sights as you cruise the waters.

Basic Thames river cruises with nothing included range in price from 8 euros to around 20 euros

And they all have open air lounges to take advantage of clear days and air-conditioned rooms for colder days, plus toilets and some even have an on board cafe to enjoy the views with your favourite drink.

Another plan to welcome the good weather in London is to book a climb to the top of the O2, a stadium that hosts shows and sporting events.

With the help of a guide-assistant and a full safety team you can climb up to the dome of this legendary building.

After an hour and a half of climbing up the facade, you'll reach a height of 52 metres and, at the top of the O2, you'll be able to enjoy some of the most impressive views of the British capital. The panoramic views of Greenwich Park or the Olympic Park will make for some spectacular photos.

Even in April, rain tends to show up in London more often than we'd like. For those days when you don't feel like being outdoors, visiting London's museums is always a good idea. Among the best in the world are:

• The British Museum
• The Natural History Museum
• The Science Museum
• The National Gallery
• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

If you have to choose, my recommendation is to prioritise the British Museum or the Natural History Museum if you go with children.

Is there anything more British than:drinking five o'clock tea? Probably not. If you want to become a Londoner, a trip to London is a must if you want to enjoy tea, cakes and pastries.

April is a special month for this. With the arrival of spring, the typical tea rooms move to the terraces and it is a luxury to savour the tradition with the good weather. In London there are endless places to have tea, but I share with you some of the most emblematic ones.

The Ritz Hotel

One of the institutions par excellence when it comes to five o'clocktea. Such is its fame that you have to book weeks in advance and there are daily shifts. Be warned, however, that the Ritz Hotel in London is not exactly cheap.

Fortnum and Mason

A mid-priced option is the Fortnum and Mason department store. Inside, there are several cafés for tea. The most recommended is Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. It is said that these warehouses are the ones that supplied tea to the Queen of England.

Bea's of Bloomsbury

If you want to go cheap, the Bea's of Bloomsbury chain has shops all over London. Nicely decorated and with a wide variety of teas and accompaniments.

And if you fancy something different, you can book a tea bus tour in London where you can enjoy tea and pastries on board a tourist bus while you see the city from the comfort of your seat.

Easter is one of the biggest festive periods of the year in London and although it is essentially the same as in Spain there are some differences.

There are endless activities during this week and the most outstanding one is the re-enactment of the Passion of Christ in Trafalgar Square. Every Good Friday there is an open-air performance in which actors and volunteers represent the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Another attraction are the traditional dances typical of Holy Week. Morris dancing, a traditional medieval dance typical of the week's festivities, is performed at several venues in London and involves the use of swords, bells and sticks in the choreography.

Although part of Easter week, the traditional Easter egg hunt deserves a separate mention. It's an activity that will be especially enjoyed by those travelling to London with children.

According to tradition, Easter eggs are prepared and decorated on Easter Sunday and then hidden away for children to find on Easter Monday.

It is very common in London to give chocolate eggs as gifts during Easter week, so London bakeries sell chocolate eggs in a thousand different shapes and decorations. We don't have this tradition in Spain, so discovering it in London is a highly recommended experience.

On 23 April England celebrates the feast in honour of its patron saint, St George. A figure with more legend than history but of great importance to the English. According to myth, St George was a knight whose fame was achieved by freeing a princess from a dragon.

Legend or myth, but the truth is that St George did exist and somehow inspired the English to such an extent that they made him their patron saint.

Every 23 April Trafalgar Square is decked out in red and white, for the English flag, and hosts numerous free activities, food stalls and music. All with a medieval theme.

23 April is also Book Day and is celebrated in part because it is the date of the death of one of the most important English authors in history, William Shakespeare.

Literature-related activities are organised in Trafalgar Square and in bookshops all over London. I recommend Daunt Books, an old bookshop dating back to 1912, which, in addition to its valuable collection, is notable for its architecture and decoration.

It is less than 10 minutes walk from Baker Street station. Here's an article on the London Underground to help you get around the city's main transport system.

The London Mar athon has been held since 1981 and is part of the World Marathon Majors, the competition that brings together the six major marathons in the world along with New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin and Tokyo.

Each year around 40,000 runners take part in an attempt to complete the 42 kilometres of the marathon. The race passes some of London's most iconic landmarks such as the Tower of London, the London Eye, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

If you are a trained athlete, you can't miss the event, and if not, you can always come along to cheer on the participants and enjoy the joint activities organised by the sponsors. It's worth remembering that all proceeds from the London Marathon go to charity.

The historic Oxford versus Cambridge Boat Race is one of the oldest sporting events in the world, the most important rowing competition and one of the most historic rivalries in the history of the sport.

The race pits the rowing teams of Oxford and Cambridge universities against each other on the waters of the Thames. And more than 250,000 people throng the banks of the river to watch the race. It's usually held in early April and these are the best spots near the river:

• Putney Bridge
• Putney Wharf
• Bishop's Park (to watch the start of the race)
• Craven Cottage
• Fulham FC Stadium
• Hammersmith Bridge (in the middle sections)
• Chiswick Bridge (to see the finish)

Spring in London and temperatures are much more pleasant than in the winter months. However, London is still a city where the cold and the rain never really go away.

Temperatures are usually between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius on average and rain is always present, as it should be in London, but less frequent. It rains more or less 50% of the days in April.

But you have to see the glass half full and the days get longer and the sunset doesn't arrive until 19:30 in the evening or 20:30 at the end of the month.

Although the peak season doesn't arrive until summer, April is one of the busiest months for tourists in London. This is due to Easter.

Hotel prices go up, as do entrance fees to some of London's major sights. However, the good weather and the number of activities in April make up for it.

If you want to visit London in April, you'll be on the right track, but I recommend planning well in advance to get the best deals and avoid running out of hotel rooms.