List of everything we can do for FREE in the City of London
London is at the top of the list of most expensive cities in the world. Therefore, when we travel to this city, most of our monies would be spent on accommodation, transportation and food, even when we stayed for a few days in the city. Based on our experiences, we’ve compiled a list of free things to do in London.
Fun fact! London has held its position in the top 5 of the Most Visited Capital City in the world for a long time and it was also the most visited city in Europe, leaving behind cities like Paris and Amsterdam.
As a big city, London offers us a great variety of things to do and for which we don’t have to pay anything. Having a tight budget doesn’t have to mean not being able to travel to expensive cities like this one.
We can visit the main monuments without having to go inside and pay for expensive tickets. Most museums are free so we can enjoy them for hours without spending a Pound. London also has many parks where we can go for a walk, picnic or simply relax for a while, and we will not have to spend anything either.
–> You can find all the places mentioned below in our special post: LONDON IN VIDEO & PHOTOS 😉
Here is the list of the best FREE things to do in London:
ESSENTIALS OF LONDON:
Change of guard at Buckingham Palace
It’s a big tradition in London. It’s the relay of the Royal Guard in charge of the security of Buckingham Palace. Normally they are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays of the year (dates may vary). The parade starts at 10:30am and lasts about 30 minutes each time.
Admire Westminster Palace
Also known by the English locals as The House of Parliament as it houses the two chambers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom: The House of Lords and the House of Commons. The palace is one of the four World Heritage sites of the city of London. It’s located on the north bank of the River Thames.
Watch the Big Ben
The famous clock tower of London, one of the most famous monuments of the British capital. Don’t forget that Red Phone Booth selfie on the street leading to Big Ben!
The London Eye
Another of the icons of London is its great ferris-wheel known as The London Eye. Located in the center of the city, very close to Big Ben and the south bank of the River Thames.
Walks around the River Thames
Walking along the River Thames is a good idea if you have enough time in the city. You could enjoy the walks where you will find many bridges, many typical London buildings, rustic architectures and boats cruising along the river…
Visit The London Bridge
This is another of the most visited and photographed monuments in the city. It’s one of the bridges that crosses the River Thames and is built in Victorian Neo-Gothic style.
Walk around “The City”
There’s a place in London called “The City of London” and its located in the heart of London and also north of the London Bridge. The City of London is like an underworld within the country itself, with its own laws and an ancestral system of government. Here we find all the skyscrapers of the city.
St. Paul Cathedral
All of us probably have seen this building in a movie, in the news or newspapers known as the St. Paul Cathedral. This is the Anglican Cathedral of London and is located on Ludgate Hill, the highest point of the city.
Covent Garden & Apple Market
Covent Garden is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of London where we can find lots going on at any time of the day, including the Apple Market, that houses shops, restaurants, pubs and theatres in the area.
Trafalgar Square
Another of its main squares being the neuralgic and geographical center of the city. Here we find the National Museum and the monument “The Column of Nelson” with its famous lions and several fountains around.
Leicester Square & Piccadilly Circus:
The most famous square, also a meeting place for many tourists and locals in London. The most visited and photographed for their colourful and large screens.
Walk around Soho District
Here we also find China Town and the famous Carnaby Street. Currently this neighbourhood has become one of the most popular neighbourhoods in central London and it houses the most popular theatres, the best shops and hundreds of restaurants and bars with international reputation.
Go Shopping on Oxford & Regent Street
These are two of the shopping streets par excellence where you go crazy shopping in London. Here you will find stores of all the most famous labels and some of the lesser-known brands.
It’s not really necessary to go into every store and shop like crazy if we don’t need anything or if we don’t want to spend more money. But it’s certainly a good experience to walk along of these streets window-shopping and people-watching!
Visit Camden Town
The most ‘alternative’ neighbourhood of London and where we find the fascinating Camden Town Market with hundreds of unique shops, food stalls from all over the world, restaurants and coffee shops. One of our favourite areas of London and we totally recommend you visiting this place.
Visit Notting Hill
Stroll through its streets because their houses and the colours are really beautiful… totally like a movie-set! And when you get here, you must visit the Portobello Road Market. Big market full of clothing stalls, food from all over the world, and many antiques.
Visit the Little Venice of London
It’s called as such for its channels and boats just like in Venice. It’s a very quiet neighbourhood and, although it’s far from the hustle-bustle of tourists in the city center, it’s worth a visit if you have the time.
MUSEUMS:
As we said at the beginning of this post, most of the museums are free in London to promote the culture in the city.
For those who likes arts and travelling on a small budget, you’ll have the upper hand with this one.
Here is a list of the most popular museums with links to their websites for you to check on the updated opening days and hours:
National Gallery
British Museum
The National Portrait Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tate Modern
Tate Britain
Imperial War Museum
London’s Zoology Museum
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
The Wallace Collection
Somerset House
PARKS:
Another good thing about London is that, there are many parks around the city. Some big, some small, but all has their own unique charm. Filled with greens, flowers, lakes, and the cute squirrels scampering around.
On good weather days, you can go for a walk, have a picnic on one of its green esplanades, relax while reading a book sitting on the park-benches or just simply enjoy the ambiance.
Here’s are some of the popular ones:
Hide Park
Regent’s Park
St James Park
Queen Mary Rose Park
Holland Park
Kensington Gardens
Primrose Hill
Snacks Tips:
Here are some places where you can find the Best Views of the City without having to pay for any tickets:
- Tate Modern Museum Terrace: The Top Floor of the museum is an open terrace with a viewpoint. It offers spectacular 360º views of the London skyscrapers. The 3rd. Floor (next to the Cafe) has the best view of St. Paul Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge.
- Sky Garden: Located on the 35th floor of the impressive building known as “walkie-talkie” in the City of London. To enter, you have to book your free-entry tickets in advance. This has been introduced for a few years now to avoid the chaos of tourists on some dates. With this ticket, it’s totally free to go up and enjoy the views from the terrace. There you will find a cafe and a restaurant but it’s your choice to buy something or not. You could show-up and ask to enter the tower without a booking, but that is only when its not a busy season or time. Here’s a link to the website just in case if you want to book tickets: Sky Garden
- Primrose Hill: This park was located next to the Camden Town neighbourhood, we can enjoy one of the most impressive views of the city. If you are lucky with the weather and you are in the area, don’t forget going there because it is definitely worth it.
MAP:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCESS THE MAP WITH THE LIST OF ALL THE FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON?
–> CLICK HERE 🙂
To make life easier for you, we have prepared a location map with all the places we have mentioned before. You can access the map by clicking on the link. The essentials, museums and parks are marked as green-blips with a small white square.
As you can see there are many free things to do in London. For the time spent in the city was never enough because there will always be more things to do. It’s definitely not a city where you have chance to get bored!
Enjoy your stay!
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