Navigating the best of London takes a bit of research, and that goes double for exploring Gay London.
Check out these recommendations for guide books and more about London, for us LGBTQ’ers.
London Guide Books
Time Out London City Guide (2019)
Time Out is still the best source of information on London – and that includes a nifty section on the LGBTQ scene in their latest guide. Always irreverent and honest, Time Out will see you right.
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Lonely Planet Best of London Travel Guide (2019)
Lonely Planet provides a hugely comprehensive and pretty fascinating look at everything London has to offer, including sections on gay London. A must-have for any trip to the Capital.
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Lonely Planet Great Britain Travel Guide (2021)
On the assumption that you might want to venture further afield than London, Lonely Planet is pretty much the best guide for exploring the UK. A chunky section on London – including Gay London – is included, and then the guide spreads its wings across all of the major hot spots in Britain. Gay Glasgow, Manchester or Birmingham anyone?
BUY NOW > Or view all Lonely Planet London guides >
Spartacus International Guy Guide 2017
There was a time when you couldn’t set foot out of your own country without clutching a Spartacus to guide, to navigate you to the gay mecca of any city. Well it’s still going, and remains a pretty efficient way of getting a run down on where’s gay – especially if you are doing Europe as well as London.
London’s LGBTQ+ History
Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the present day, by Peter Ackroyd
One of the world’s best known and most popular writers about London and its many stories, Peter Ackroyd’s latest book is a fascinating tour through the queer history of London. Often brutal, and breathtakingly researched, this is a book for anyone who wants to understand where we have come from. You will also see London in a whole new way.
Queer London: A Guide to the City’s LGBTQ+ Past and Present
Alim Kheraj’s brilliant new book on London’s queer scene – across the centuries and right up to date. A useful guide as well as a fascinating look at London’s LGBTQ+ past.
For Your Convenience: A Classic 1930’s Guide to London Loos
This classic 1936 guide to London’s public toilets by Paul Pry, is a very thinly veiled cottaging guide for gay men – and so the first queer guide book of London! Reprinted in 2019.
Also check out our Queer History reading list and links for more information on London’s LGBTQ+ history.
Magazines
Gay Times magazine subscription. Britain’s most popular gay magazine – now available as a monthly subscription on your Kindle. MORE INFO >
Attitude magazine subscription. Sexy UK magazine that covers all things gay – from what’s on to lifestyle, trends, men and more. MORE INFO >
