Things to do in London - London has become the most visited city in the world – whether for business or pleasure, London has a lot to offer any traveler, although it’s not always that easy to figure out what things to do in London.
As famous as Buckingham Palace or its iconic black cabs, London is also known for being a little pricey. However for those who would like to visit on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a fair few things to do in London that are completely free.
Staying in London doesn’t have to cost a pretty penny either; there are many London city hotels to choose from that keep prices competitive and wallet friendly.
Things to do in London
Here is a whole list of completely free things to do in London:
Artwork
London has a range of different museums and art galleries, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking that these prime collections of antiques and modern artwork will cost you a few pennies to visit, however in fact almost all of London’s art galleries and museums offer free entry all year round.
There are many available to suit almost every audience, whether you’re interested in modern art, there’s the Tate Modern that displays pieces from 1900 onwards and changes its displays every 1 to 2 years.
For those looking for a little of world history, and more things to do in London, then pay a visit to the British Museum, which is home to over 7 million antiques.
The world famous British Museum has been open to the public since 1753 and to see all the exhibits would take you around a week.
There are many more museums and galleries in London that are free to visit, so it’s worth exploring to see what history this famous city has to offer.
Ceremony Of The Keys
The Tower of London is the resting place of the Crown Jewels, and is usually open to the public during the day (£17 for adults and £9.50 per child) however in the evening; the Tower of London’s gates must be secured.
This ceremony has been tradition for over 700 years, free to the public, and is performed by the chief yeoman in his red tunic.
If you apply in advance you are able to escort the warden to the gates.
The Open House Weekend
In London there are around 700 different sites that aren’t usually open to the public, including sites such as the City Hall, the BT Tower and the Bank of England.
Every September, Open House London gives you the great opportunity to explore these sites completely free of charge.
There are a few places that require pre-booking, so be sure to check which sites these are before you go. With all the available sites and great things to do in London, there will be a professional or amateur enthusiast willing to guide you around the premises.
Each volunteer will have a recognition badge to determine which sites they can gain access to. Some of the available buildings may also have their architect on site, ready and willing to give you information about the building itself.
The Simple Outdoors
If you happen to visit London while the weather is nice, then a pleasant and cheap alternative is to visit one of London’s many parks.
The available parks are of course free top explore and offer a great place to enjoy a walk, a picnic or some family sports.
Many have their own lakes and wildlife, Greenwich Park is the oldest royal park, and is used as the starting point for the London marathon.
This park is also home to the royal observatory and was formerly used by the royals for hunting. There are many parks in and around London that are guaranteed to offer their own unique experience.
If you’re one for bargain hunting, then London is the perfect place to be, with a collection of markets selling everything from second hand clothes to antiques, London’s markets are great for exploring and are free to roam.
The markets will give you first hand experience into such a vibrant culture.
To visit many of London’s attraction would cost you on entrance fees, however why not see London on foot, and see the city while enjoying a leisurely walk.
The majority of London’s major attractions are within walking distance of each other, and with many free self guided tour guides available, you can sight see around the city without reducing the weight of you wallet.
Also if you take a walk along Regent’s Canal, you’ll also be able to see some of London’s zoo animals for free, including giraffes, okapis and red river hogs.
Big Ben
Known to be the most accurate clock in the world, Big Ben or the Great Bell as it’s officially known by is London’s most iconic landmark.
If you’re a UK resident you know what to do: book in advance you can take advantage of a free tour around the clock tower.
Tours take place Monday to Friday at 9:15, 11.15 and 14.15 with a maximum of 16 per tour.
To get a place on the tour you must request to visit through your local MP 3 to 6 months in advance and you must be over the age of 11.
So, now you know a little more about the city and what to do in London once you’re there.
Hope you have a great time in London, and if you know of any other fun free things to do in London – leave them as a comment below.
Yes London is great to exolore for free and on foot – a walk along the southbank has some great sights and also there are a few free markets worth checking out – eg Camden market, Borough market.
I love the Camden market, it’s such a fun market to visit. Thanks for sharing your great tips!
It’s not completely free but you can get great views of London from the top of The Monument in Pudding Lane for £3 (and a bit of exercise!)
Also if you are staying outside London and get the train in, you can get 2 for 1 entry to a lot of attractions (see http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ for more info)
Loved reading the post even though it’s my local city!
Hey Anne! I’ve never been at the top of The Monument in Pudding Lane, but will definitely check it out next time! Thanks for sharing your advice
In just 7 days I’ll be in London. I can’t wait and this guide for free sight-seeing is perfect for me! Thanks guys!
You’re welcome! London is such a great city, you’ll have so much fun there!
Thanks from me too. I’m trying to organize a trip to London right now. There are so many things to do. I’m checking the London hotels now. They seem quite expensive to me.
I love how London has so many free museums. Make visiting so great…and cheap.
hey Matt! Yeah it’s great, usually museums in Europe cost a fortune to visit. The best things in life are free, so to speak
Great post and one that will be handy for us! Hearing so much about how expensive London is, it’s nice to see that there are an alternative to that.
There are definitely cheaper alternatives, and the pound is very low at the time, so if you want to visit London you should do it now, it’s cheaper than ever before!
Great tips – especially the walk along the Canal in Regents Park and see the zoo animals for free (one of our favorites!) and the Ceremony of the keys – not a lot of people know about it. We did it a couple of years ago and it was awesome – cold September night air, the guard proudly coming up from the gate with firm steps to hand over the key… a London classic! We miss the free museums & galleries and all the cool exhibitions that are on at all times.
We agree with ExplorerDad – the markets are definitely worth being checked out, especially Camden (avoid weekends though, too crowded), Brixton Market for its multi-cultural vibe and cool performances on Saturdays, Petty Coat Lane Market for CHEAP clothes on Sundays, and Borough Market always has free food samples
If you buy a day ticket / week ticket that includes tubes and buses you can take a free bus on the RV1 – it’s a ‘local’ bus but it covers all major sites between Covent Garden and the Tower and you can use it as a ‘hop-on hop-off’.
And speaking of Covent Garden – the street performers there are always worth watching (tips are appreciated, of course).
Awesome list! London has pricey accommodations and food, but there really are so many things to do for free. When I was there earlier this year, we spent some time in the Saatchi Gallery, another free museum. It was a little bizarre, but a fun place to explore without spending money!
Great tips there! Will look forward to visit those places when I go to London, especially the museums.
really nice post and most of all usefull for someone you never visited London. nice job
Can’t wait for visiting museum in London.
putu
http://www.balisignaturevillas.com
Just want to say your article is striking. The clearness in your post is simply spectacular and i can take for granted you are an expert on this field. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work.