Let’s admit it, when someone asks which city is the most affordable one to visit, London does not come to mind. It is famous for being extremely expensive, starting with food and ending with transportation. But what if I say that you can do London for free? I don’t mean that you will get free rides in the tube or you will not have to pay for your meals. I mean that there are lots of amazing places in London that you can visit for free, and the list of those places is quite long and enough to keep you busy for some days.
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Let’s start!
London for free: places to see
1. Museums
It might come as a surprise to you, but almost all museums are free in London. Considering their diversity, everyone can find something to suit their taste.
British Museum
It is not a coincidence that the British Museum is the first one in this list: it is my absolutely most favorite place in London! I love it for its huge collection of artifacts from the Ancient world: if you want to see the enormous monuments and sarcophagi from the Ancient Egypt, the winged bulls from Assyria, the Moai statue from Easter island, the famous Rosetta stone, relics from the Ancient Greece, that’s the place you need. I spend hours in the museum!
It is huge, so depending on what you want to see, you may need to come here on another day. I will reiterate that the entrance is free, but they ask for a donation, and in some cases it is unavoidable: when I was there last time, they had metal detectors at the entrance, and after visitors passed those detectors, they were basically guided to the staff that collected donations. And you can’t really refuse it when you stand in front of them.
Science Museum
Well, the name has it all: this is a museum for all things scientific, including cars, planes, robots, and space exploration exhibits. If you have kids, they will love the place!
Natural History Museum
I guess this museum became an iconic sight thanks to its huge dinosaur skeleton just in the center of the building, but it is much more than its dinosaur gallery. Mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, human biology exhibits will definitely interest adults and kids alike. My favorites are the hanging skeletons of monkeys :). This is what they had when I visited the museum for the first time.
When I visited it last time, the dinosaur was replaced by a whale skeleton: you can see it in the pic. And I didn’t see the hanging monkeys: maybe, I missed them. But they had a dinosaur exhibition, so it was a lot of fun!
Victoria and Albert Museum
I used to visit London quite often, but somehow always avoided this museum. And I was so wrong: the place is spectacular! It holds a huge collection of objects from the Middle East, fashion, wedding dresses, European Renaissance masterpieces: it is definitely a place for art lovers.
National Gallery
The National Gallery is all about paintings, so if these names – Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Bruegel, Goya, Degas – sound like music to your ears, then be sure to visit the museum on your trip to London.
Tate Modern and Tate Britain
These are two other museums with huge painting collections. Tate Modern houses the international contemporary art exhibits starting with the early 20th century, while Tate Britain concentrates on the British art. What can I say, London is a paradise for art lovers 🙂
Planetarium Museum
When you are in Greenwich, don’t skip the Peter Harrison Planetarium. While the shows in the planetarium require entrance fee, the museum is free, and I thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂
And here you can touch the oldest (probably) object on the planet: a meteorite that is 4,5 billion years old!
National Maritime Museum
Another museum in the Greenwich Park telling the story of the British fleet, and it is free to attend.
2. Churches
Unfortunately, the most interesting and important from the historical point of view churches charge entrance fees, but there is a way to see them for free.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Undoubtedly, St Paul’s Cathedral is the most majestic church in London, and it is not entirely free. Actually, visitors have to shell out 20,50 pounds to enter, but there is a way to get in for free. According to the official website, people attending the religious ceremonies do not pay to enter the church, so if you are really out of money, going to a service is a way to get inside. Of course, in this case you can’t keep wandering around the cathedral or take pictures.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, the coronation place of English monarchs since 1066, is one of the iconic sites of London, and it costs 27 pounds to get in, but, as in the case of the St Paul’s Cathedral, services are free to attend: just be discreet and don’t wander around taking pictures.
Temple Church
You will have to pay 5 pounds to follow the steps of Robert Langdon in the famous Temple Church, but you can visit it for free if you want to pray. According to the website, you will be directed to the east end of the church, but, as I have never been particularly good at defining east and west, I don’t know how much you will see from there, but I suppose it will be the part in the picture above. The effigies are on the other side of the church, so I am not sure you will be able to get a peek.
4. Parks
Yes, London is famous for its parks, and each one of them is worth a visit. My favorite is the St James’s Park with its tame pigeons 🙂
St James’s Park
You can’t miss the St James’s: walking through the park is the most picturesque way to get from the Westminster Abbey to the Buckingham Palace. There is a nice lake in the park with pigeons and water fowl. And the pigeons are tame and not afraid to fly really close, sometimes they just sit on the visitors’ hands. Make sure to bring some food for them, and that’s going to be an experience to remember.
Greenwich Park
The Greenwich Park is quite far from the city center, but is definitely worth a visit. It is mainly famous for the Royal Observatory, which holds the only planetarium in London (I mentioned it above), but, unfortunately, it is not free of charge. Anyway, the observatory is not the only interesting thing in the park: here you can see the Queen Elizabeth’s Oak, the Flower Garden, and the deer park among others.
Hyde Park
I guess Hyde Park is by far the most famous and biggest in London, and, consequently, the most visited one. Initially it was used as a hunting ground by Henry VIII. The park had been private for about a hundred years until Charles I opened it to the public in 1637. Now it is a nice place to sunbathe with chairs available along the lake.
Regent’s Park
Regent’s Park is home to the London Zoo (entrance is not free, unfortunately) and the notable Queen Mary’s Garden with about 12.000 roses planted there. There are some amazing statues and fountains there, but the park is more notorious for its wildlife. If you are lucky, you can see hedgehogs, squirrels, and lots of birds that I have never heard about like willow warbler and more familiar ones like swans, ducks, martins, and geese.
Kensington Gardens
Many people – including myself – consider Kensington Gardens a part of the Hyde Park, and it was till Queen Caroline ordered their separation in 1728. The Kensington Palace faces the gardens, and as it is open to everyone, lots of locals do their morning jogging here. And if you are a fan of Peter Pan, you can look for his statue in the midst of trees.
Battersea Park
With lots of gardens, Battersea is another park famous for its wildlife: you can spot here terrapins, hedgehogs, squirrels, bats, and even foxes if they are in the mood to meet with humans. But it is not only the fauna that makes this place special: the Peace Pagoda, a gift from the Japanese Buddhists, was erected there to show that we should seek peace not war. By the way, as the park is right at the waterfront, visitors get amazing views of the city from there.
5. Famous Streets
We all have heard about the famous shopping streets of London: there are shops here for all budgets starting with the really expensive ones and ending with cheaper brands.
- Piccadilly
- Regent Street
- Oxford Street
- Pall Mall
Naturally, the streets are free to walk along, so you may spend some pounds in the stores 🙂
You just can’t miss Piccadilly! And when you are there, go to Waterstones: it is an amazing bookshop that I always visit when I am in London.
Pall Mall is a nice street with lovely buildings and a memorial to the winners of the Crimean War of 1853-1856.
Both Regent Street and Oxford Street are famous for their shops: here you can find some cheaper brands like Zara, Primark and H&M.
6. Bridges
What would London do without its famous bridges?
Tower Bridge
Probably, the most famous bridge in London, where hundreds of tourists flock to every day. You can get amazing pictures of the bridge from the London City Hall area.
Westminster Bridge
This bridge with Big Ben at one side leads across the Thames River to London Eye.
Millennium Bridge
Thanks to the Millennium Bridge getting to St Paul’s Cathedral from Tate Modern is a breeze.
7. Rest and shop
Well, shopping isn’t entirely free, but you can visit the famous Harrods and Selfridges for free.
Trafalgar Square
This is the most popular square in London, with Nelson’s column and the lions being its highlights. It is a really nice place to spend an evening there, but, as there are no benches, you will have to find a place to sit on the edge of fountains.
Little Venice
Little Venice is a district of London with picturesque canals not far from Paddington Station. I am not sure why it’s called Venice: it looks much more like Amsterdam than the famous Italian city, especially when you see the boats.
It’s a lovely place for slow walks, but there are no benches, so not so many ways to sit down and contemplate the beauty.
There are vibrant flowers at the waterfront, but the water itself is quite dirty, green with duckweed, with garbage here and there (at least it was like this when I saw it a couple of years ago). I didn’t see lots of people there, though it was warm and sunny, maybe, it’s because the place isn’t very popular.
St Dunstan in the East Church Garden
St Dunstan in the East Church Garden is the absolutely coolest place in London! The church, or rather what is left of it, is located in the very center of London, not far from the Tower. It is extremely surprising that there are still no crowds of tourists. The ruins attract those who like taking pictures, and, believe me, the pictures are spectacular. Imagine huge glassless lancet windows and ivy-covered walls, magnificent flowers and lush vegetation within the ruins themselves. St Dunstan in the East Church looks much more mysterious in gloomy weather, it feels like you are in the Middle Ages. And, which is very important, there are benches where you can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Harrods and Selfridges
When it comes to Harrods, I went there once. After all, it is an iconic landmark of London, and even if you are not going to buy anything, it is nice to walk around. The interior is spectacular, and the goods are as expensive as you imagine 🙂 By the way, did you know that Harrods is owned by Qatar?
Selfridges is another department store with designer clothes, shoes, jewellery, bags, beauty products, and food. You won’t miss it if you stroll along the Oxford Street.
7. London for free: markets
I think markets are the very place where one can really feel the vibe of the city and its residents. Shame on me here, but despite visiting London several times, I have never been at any of them. Well, at least I know what I will do when I am there 🙂 London is a huge city, and, naturally, it has a lot of markets, but the most famous are Borough, Camden, Portobello Road Markets. You can see a fuller list here.
8. Bonus: Sky Garden
I found out about this place by accident: I was scrolling my Pinterest feed when an article with a list of places that allowed to see London from above caught my attention. Sky Garden is one of those places, and the most important thing about it is that it is free! If you fancy a view of London from the height of 155 meters, give this place a try. Just remember: you have to book a free online ticket on their website.
I hope you are convinced that one can do a lot of things in London for free.
And with all this exploring you must be hungry, so grab my list of the best breakfast and brunch places near Kensington Palace and Hyde Park.
NB: Salisbury is relatively close to London, so if you have more time, why not to visit the Stonehenge?
