NOWHERE is the collision of past and present more exciting and daunting than in London.

Behind the ever growing skyline and hustle and bustle of modern city streets lies a mysterious underbelly where history’s darkest secrets are waiting to be unearthed.

It’s a place like no other - and for those with children and a sense of adventure it remains the perfect city break location for families looking for a holiday getaway.

From dungeons to sky-high adventures, there is plenty to explore once you have negotiated the underground at rush hour with little legs and luggage in tow.

Our half term trip began with a quest to escape the October drizzle and seek a warm welcome in the home of everyone’s favourite friendly ogre.

The Shrek Adventure London is a relatively new indoor attraction located near the London Eye on the South Bank.

Combining story telling, character performance and audience interaction - with a few spooky surprises along the way - the journey through Shrek’s strange and 'scary' world has a humorous and engaging feel that is suitable for both adults and children.

Plenty of ogre-sized belly laughs are to be had here and visitors also get to enjoy a fun 4D simulator ride which far surpasses the somewhat dated Shrek attraction at Universal Studios in Florida.

At the end of the tour children can get their fix of Dreamworks characters with plenty of photo opportunities with Shrek himself, as well as Trolls favourite Branch.

From there we headed to one of London's most tourist attractions, Madame Tussaud’s, and after passing the impressive Sherlock Holmes statue on Baker Street it was time to go inside to check out some more sculptured legends.

This near 200-year-old wax museum still retains its familiar traditions - actors, TV celebrities, sports legends and world leaders (and Boris Johnson), combined with the latest Bollywood and YouTube stars - all dutifully stood still waiting for the selfie onslaught, while there are some extra attractions to enjoy too.

We swerved the Alien Escape section but for those with older children it's an additional attraction to enjoy in your admission fee. There is also a small additional charge for those wanting to enjoy the extra Sherlock Holmes experience which we sidestepped on this occasion.

We were happy to settle for the gentle Spirit of London ride and a 4D interactive Marvel Superheroes cinema experience, getting fully immersed in the adventures of Spider-Man, Hulk and friends. However it was the final Star Wars section that was the real highlight for our mini Jedi fanatics.

With our hotel location close to the iconic Tower Bridge, we had time over the course of two days for a stroll over the famous landmark along with a fascinating wander through history at the Tower Of London. Well worth a visit but make sure you time your trip to see the Crown Jewels carefully to avoid the biggest queues.

Our seven and nine-year-olds were also excited to look around Europe’s biggest Lego Shop at Leicester Square. Long queues just to get into the store arguably makes it a less essential sightseeing spot - but try telling that to two Lego obsessives.

A city break in London can be pricey, but if you're planning to visit several attractions it's worth exploring combination tickets or Merlin annual passes which will get you into multiple attractions with a significant discount.

All in all, a non-stop two-day adventure in one of the world’s greatest cities and all within a two-hour train ride from Warrington.

See shreksadventure.com/london, madametussauds.com or hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london for admission prices and opening times.