100 FREE things to do in London

Visiting London on the cheap? Don’t know where to start when you go? Check out this list of 100 FREE things of what to do in London.

100% Free Attractions

1. Sky Garden – View the skyline of London at the top of the Walkie Talkie building, for free. Reservations in advance needed (click here to book).
2. Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace – 11:00 am everyday, except in winter every other day. Get there early to get a good spot to watch the ceremony!
3. Platform 9 3/4 – Located in Kings Cross, free to take your own photos or you can opt to pay for the additional professional photos and check out the gift shop.
4. Paddington Station – Find the Paddington Bear bench and/or statue and take a photo, completely free!
5. Piccadilly Circus – The “Times Square” of London.
6. Leicester Square – Stroll through the famous square, and glimpse a celebrity on their way to a premiere.
7. Red Phone Booth – Take a photo with an iconic phone booth! There are tons everywhere, if you’re lucky you can get a shot with Big Ben in the background at Parliament Square.
8. Tower of London Ceremony of Keys – every night about 50 visitors are allowed entry to the Tower to watch the locking of the tower. Must book in advance (click here to book).
9. Tower Bridge – Cross over the Thames river, taking in the beauties of the Tower Bridge. *You can climb up into the Tower Bridge for a fee – book online for a discounted fee (click here to book).
10. Prime Meridian Line – Visit Greenwich Park and stand on two parts of the globe at the same time, the eastern and western sides! You can pay to view the “prime meridian line” but technically the line runs through the entire world so you can stand on it for free in the park. If you’d like to see the drawn, memorialized line click here to book.
11. Millennium Bridge – Directly between Tate Modern and St. Paul’s Cathedral, it gives a great view of both attractions. P.S. it’s a Harry Potter film site!
12. London Bridge – Everyone knows the rhyme, London Bridge is falling down. Did you really go to London without visiting London Bridge?
13. The Rolling Bridge – If you stand and wait at noon on a Friday at Paddington Basin, you can view the rolling of the bridge.
14. St. Martin’s in the Fields – Donation is recommended, located in Trafalgar Square.
15. Abbey Road – Re-create the monumental album cover, but be careful of passing cars (P.S. it’s cars actually stop and allow pedestrians to cross – so don’t just hover at the side of the street waiting for cars to go by, they’ll stop and  wait for you and it just causes  mess!) Also don’t forget to sign your name on the wall!
16. Notting Hill – Stroll through the picturesque neighborhood, and find the bookstore from the movie!
17. Little Venice – stroll through the Little Venice of London, getting lost walking by the canals.
18. Marble Arch – Located in the corner of Hyde Park, this arch is a replica to the Arc de Triomphe
19. London Wall – Find ruins of the original London Wall scattered throughout London
20. Trafalgar Square – grab a photo with the lions and look out for Britain’s smallest police station!
21. Find the 7 noses of SOHO
22. And the hidden ears of Covent Garden
23. Find John Snow’s Waterpump and the history of the cholera epidemic – located in SOHO
24. Number 10 Adam Street-  The exact replica of 10 Downing Street, except this one is free to see!
25. Fullham Palace – Visit this lesser known Palace that is definitely worth the time!
26. Sit on a lecture from some of the greatest minds at the London School of Economics for free.
27. Why not check out the famed Monument to Hodge the Cat?
28. The ruins of St. Dunstans in the East are a must see – creepy yet picturesque.
29. Don’t forget the ever interesting Traffic Light Tree.

Sky Garden

Millenium Bridge

Abbey Road

Red Phone Booth

St Martin in the Fields

Platfrom 9 3/4

Attractions that are free to look at but a fee to enter

1. London Eye – Book online in advance to get the cheapest fares, typically weekdays are cheaper than weekends (click here to book).
2. Palace of Westminster/Big Ben – free to see, U.K. residents can climb the Elizabeth Tower and visit the Palace for free by contacting local MP’s. Book in advance, all slots for 2016 are already booked and the tower is set to undergo reparations in 2017.
3. Westminster Abbey – Free to enter if you participate in a service/evensong
4. The Shard
5. Monument of Fire – A small fee to climb the tower commemorating the Great Fire of London.
6. Tower of London – Free to enter with Ceremony of Keys (see above list)
7. St. Paul’s Cathedral – Free to enter if you participate in a service/evensong
8. The Mall – Head to Trafalgar Square from Buckingham Palace by strolling down the famous Mall Road.
9. Buckingham Palace – Take in the site from the outside after viewing the Changing of the Guards.
10. Aldwych / Strand tube station – Looking for an eerie side of London? Check out this abandoned station.
11. Churchill War Rooms
12. Shakespeare’s Globe
13. HMS Belfast – View this historic ship turned museum from the South Bank near London Bridge.
14. The Royal Albert Hall
15. Royal Opera House.
16. 221B Baker Street – The location of the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Kensington Palace

London Eye

Palace of Westminster

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey

Free Museums/Galleries/Historical Homes

*Most museums in London are free, with a recommended donation. It’s up to you to decide how much you’d like to donate, or not donate.

1. Bank of England Museum
2. Imperial War Museum
3. Victoria and Albert Museum
4. Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood
5. British Museum
6. Science Museum
7. Royal Air Force Museum London
8. Bank of England Museum
9. Museum of London
10. Natural History Museum
11. National Maritime Museum
12. Tate Britain
13. Tate Modern
14. Tate Liverpool
15. National Gallery
16. National Portrait Gallery
17. Saatchi Gallery
18. Serpentine Galleries
19. Wallace Collection
20. Welcome Collection
21. Guildhall Art Gallery & Roman Amphitheater
22. Kenwood House
23. Queen’s House Greenwich
24. Goldsmiths Hall – only open to tours certain days a year.
25. Old Royal Naval College

Markets/*Shopping

*Free to walk around and window shop, opt to shop at your discretion

1. Covent Garden
2. Neal’s Yard – With the brightly colored shops, and the free samples what’s not to love?
3. Borough Market – All foodies rejoice, the Borough Market has any and everything.
4. Brick Lane Market – This Sunday Market is filled with vintage secondhand goods.
5. LeadenHall Market – This Victorian market is the film site for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films.
6. Portobello Street Market – Head to Alice’s at this market for a unique souvenir!
7. Camden Market
8. Stables Market
9. Maltby Street Market – Want a more local scene? Check out this market on Saturdays.
10. Window Shop on Oxford Street
11. Window shopping at Harrods is a must when in London!

Harrods

Leadenhall Market

Neal’s Yard

Portobello Market

Free Walks and Parks

1. South Bank Walk
2. Walk along the Thames
3. *Free Walking Tours – money is made by tipping tour guides and always at your discretion, you can choose to tip, or not.
4. Hyde Park – Stroll through the park, feed the birds and pets the dogs.
5. St James Park – Keep an eye out for the massive pelicans in this Royal Park!
6. Greenwich Park – Stand on the Meridian Line
7. Bushy Park – Keep an eye out for the deer!
8. Kensington Gardens – Get lost in the maze of gardens
9. Regents Park – A must visit for the lovely rose garden in the Royal Park.
10. Primrose Hill – Enjoy a picnic overlooking London
11. Richmond Park – London’s largest park, home to various wildlife.

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens

Entertainment

1. Angel Comedy Club – a free comedy night is run every week, be sure to get there early.
2. The Scoop – free open air theatre, get there early as seats are first come first serve.
3. Cellardoor – adults only for this burlesque themed cocktail bar, free entry but fills up quickly.
4. Brick Lane – keep an eye out for the street art.
5. St Martin in the Fields – lunchtime concerts available.
6. Hunt for Banksy pieces across London.
7. Speakers Corner – Hyde Park, get political and voice your opinions.
8. Do a Monopoly Pub Crawl, with all the real life monopoly locations. Map pictured below.

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