70+ Free Things to Do in London

Last updated: 10/13/23 | October 13th, 2023

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. There’s no way to sugar coat it. London destroys budgets.

While there are many ways to visit London on a budget, one of the best ways to save money in the city is to take advantage of the plethora of free things to see and do in the city.

When you’re spending so much on food, drink, or accommodation, every penny saved helps. Thankfully, you can spend weeks here without ever spending a penny on attractions. Here is a list of over 70 free things to do in London:

 

Visit the Free Museums

All public museums in the United Kingdom are free to visit — which is great because London has over twenty free museums in the city that can provide you with endless days of free exploration and learning! 

Many of the museums allow you to pre-book your free ticket in advance. I strongly recommend this so you can save yourself the hassle of waiting in line, otherwise you risk not getting in if they’re sold out for that day).

Here are some of the most popular free museums in London:

• The Museum of London – This incredible museum has a detailed history of the city of London and a detailed exhibit on the great fire of 1666 that destroyed much of the city. Note: closed for relocation until 2026.
• The British History Museum – One of the top museums in the world, you could spend days visiting this place. Opened in the 18th century, this museum is home to over 8 million works, including the famed Rosetta Stone. I have spent hours and hours here. Open daily from 10am-5pm (8:30pm on Fridays).
• The Natural History Museum – There are over 80 million items in this comprehensive museum, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin. It’s a really good museum for kids too. Open daily from 10am-5:30pm.
• The Science Museum – Founded in 1857, you’ll find some neat interactive galleries on aviation, space exploration, and cool sciency stuff in general. It’s a fun museum to geek out in. Open daily from 10am-6pm.
• The National Gallery – This art museum was founded in 1824 and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to around 1900. There are works by Johannes Vermeer, Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo. Open daily from 10am-6pm (Friday until 9pm).
• The Tate Modern – Housed in a former power plant, I think this is one of the best art museums in the city and is home to lots of contemporary and modern art. It’s a beautiful space and is filled with some really interesting pieces. Open daily from 10am to 6pm.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum – Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, this museum is home to over 2,000 works of art covering 3,000+ years of human history. Open daily from 10am-5:45pm (10pm on Fridays).
• The Imperial War Museum – This museum covers British conflicts from WWI to the present. For those really interested, they also have an archive here where you can read real documents from various wars. Open daily from 10am-6pm.
• The National Maritime Museum – This is one of the largest maritime museums in the world, with over 2 million items in its collection, including ancient maps, ship models, and manuscripts. Open daily from 10am-5pm.
• The National Portrait Gallery – This was the very first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856, and to this day is still one of the largest — there are almost 200,000 portraits here! Open daily from 10am-6pm (until 9pm on Friday and Saturday).
• The Tate Britain – Not to be confused with the Tate Modern, the Tate Britain is a gorgeous museum home to an expansive collection of British artwork from the 16th century to the present. It’s not as big as the Modern, but it arguably has more famous works of art, including works by Francis Bacon, Richard Dadd, and William Blake. Open daily from 10am-6pm.
• The British Library – Established in the 1970s, this is generally considered to be the largest national library in the world, with a catalog of over 200 million items. You could spend a lifetime here and not even see every book, let alone read them all! Don’t miss the Treasures Gallery, which displays important original manuscripts, maps, and books. Hours vary by building, gallery, and room.

Here are some of the smaller and lesser known free museums in London:

• The Horniman Museum and Gardens – This museum has a comprehensive collection of historical musical instruments, cultural artifacts, and impressive natural history displays, including its famous collection of taxidermied animals. It also has a huge garden you can explore as well. Open daily from 10am-5:30pm (Garden is open 7:15am-7:30pm. Opens at 8am on Sundays and Bank Holidays.)
• Young V&A (formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood) – This interactive museum geared towards children is a branch of the Victoria and Albert museum. Newly reopened in 2023 with a new name and design, it has three main galleries (Imagine, Play, and Design) with a focus on art and objects made for (and by) children. Open daily from 10am-5:45pm.
• The Sir John Soane’s Museum – This small museum is located in the former home of Sir John Soane, a neo-classical architect. It’s home to many of his drawings and models making it a noteworthy stop for anyone interested in architecture. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm.
• The Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre – This gallery is home to the art collection of the city of London. It was built in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in the Blitz. There are usually a few hundred pieces on display at any given time. Open daily from 10:30am-4pm.
• The Wallace Collection – This art collection contains pieces from the 15th to 19th centuries, spread out over 30 separate galleries. You’ll find paintings, armor, furniture, decorative art, and everything in between here. Open daily from 10am-5pm.
• The Royal Air Force Museum – Opened in 1972, this museum is spread out over a few different airplane hangars. There are dozens of aircraft here, with displays covering the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force’s role in Britain’s history. Open daily from 10am-5pm.
• The Wellcome Collection – This is a quirky museum and library centered on health and human experience, with all sorts of unusual displays, covering biology, medicine, science, and art. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm (8pm on Thursdays).
• The Whitechapel Gallery – This gallery is home to contemporary works of art, and often displays temporary retrospective exhibits. Opened in 1901, it was also one of the first publicly funded galleries in London. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm (9pm on Thursdays).
• The National Army Museum – This museum focuses on the role of the British army and the experiences of the British soldier, from the English civil war to the present day. Established in the 1960s, it has since undergone a massive renovation, with thousands of books, archives, photographs, maps, uniforms, and other military equipment now presented across five galleries. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5:30pm.
• The Serpentine Galleries – Located in Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park, these two galleries are home to modern and contemporary art. Each summer, a different international architect is invited to build a temporary pavilion on the lawn, which are always interesting works of art in and of themselves. Open Tuesday-Sunday, from 10am-6pm.
• Grant Zoology Museum – This neat collection opened in 1828 and has several extinct animal skeletons including dodos, a Tasmanian tiger, and a quagga. Note: temporarily closed for renovations; expected reopening is January 2024.
• White Cube Gallery – A contemporary art gallery with sister spaces in other major cities around the world, including Hong Kong, Paris, Seoul, and NYC. There are two locations in London, both hosting rotating exhibitions. Check the website to see what’s on display during your visit. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.
• Bank of England Museum – Here you can learn about the role of England’s central bank, examine historic coins and notes, and even hold a real bar of gold! Open Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm (until 8pm the third Thursday of the month).

 

Stroll Through the Markets

Every day is market day in London (though a lot of them happen just on Sunday) and there are countless markets you can wander through, people watch, or window shop in. Here are my favorite London markets to visit:

• Camden Market – This place is home to 1,000+ shops, stalls, cafes, restaurants, bars, buskers, and everything in between. It’s probably one of the most famous markets in the city and great for quirky things. Open daily from 10am until late.
• Portobello Market – This market has a ton of different sections, but is best known for being the world’s largest antique market, with over 1,000 sellers offering every sort of antique imaginable. It’s open Monday-Saturday, but Saturday is the best day to go as it has the busiest market activity and the most streetside vendors.
• Brick Lane Market – This market is home to all sorts of odds and ends from antiques to books to old electronics. Additionally, you’ll find a ton of food vendors lining the street. While the shops that line the street are open every day, Sunday is the main market day when the street fills with sellers and food vendors and people browsing the market.
• The Truman Markets – The Old Truman Brewery complex and its surroundings, also on Brick Lane, is home to six different markets, all with a different theme: Backyard Market, Brick Lane Vintage Market, Ely’s Yard Food Trucks, Rinse Showrooms, Upmarket, and the Tea Rooms.
• Borough Market – This marketplace dates back to the 1100’s, though the current incarnation dates back to 1851. You’ll find all sorts of restaurants, food vendors, and places to buy your groceries. It’s my favorite food market in the city. Open Tues-Friday from 10am-5pm, Saturdays from 9am-5pm, and Sundays from 10am-4pm.
• Columbia Road Flower Market – This market features mostly flowers and other gardening items. Not much for the traveler, but it’s fun to look at and people watch. Open on Sundays from 8am-3pm.
• Covent Garden Market –  Opened in 1845, this is another good market to grab a bite to eat at as well as shop at some of the artisan craft stalls here. Open Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm, Sunday from 11am-4pm.
• Greenwich Market – This indoor market dates back to the 18th century and is home to all sorts of items, from jewelry to antiques to crafts to food. Open daily from 10am-5:30pm.
• Old Spitalfield Market – Open daily (10am-5pm), this market has 70 retail stalls and street food traders. Every Thursday (8am-5pm) there’s an antique market and a vinyl market on the first and third Friday of the month (10am-5pm).
• Maltby Street Market – This market opened in 2010 and is a bustling place where you can find gourmet street food and fresh produce, as well as a few bars where you can grab a refreshing pint. Open Fridays, 5:30-9pm, Saturdays from 10am-5pm and Sundays from 11am-4pm.
• Southbank Centre – This food and drink market has a ton of stalls serving up delicious street food from all over the globe. Open Fridays from 12pm-9pm, Saturdays from 11am-9pm, and Sundays from 12pm-6pm.
• Flea at Flat Iron Square – This weekend vintage and independent makers market features eclectic clothing, plenty of records, books, crafts, and furniture. There are now two locations: the original London Bridge location is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-5pm, while the new location in Hackney Wick is open every Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

 

Lounge in the Parks

London has some beautiful parks, and when the sun comes out (which isn’t too often), Londoners flock outside. With wide spacious parks filled with flowers, walkways, ponds, ducks, geese, and beautifully manicured lawns, the parks in the city are the place to be! Some of the best parks are:

• St. James’s Park – Covering over 23 hectares (57-acre), this is the oldest royal park in the city. It’s bordered by three royal palaces and is home to a variety of paths and trails, a lake, and plenty of birds (including pelicans!).
• Green Park – Green Park was first established in the 1500s, though unlike almost every other park in the city it doesn’t have any buildings or lakes in it.
• Regent’s Park – This massive park is one of the Royal Parks of London. Established in 1811, it’s also home to the London Zoo and Regent’s University.
• Kensington Gardens – Another Royal Garden of London, this once-private garden is home to the Serpentine Galleries as well as Kensington Palace.
• Hyde Park – This is perhaps the most famous park in London. Originally the private hunting grounds of Henry VII, it opened to the public is 1637 is is a great place to stroll, picnic, or catch one of the many events that are hosted here throughout the year.
• Holland Park – This park has an eclectic mix of attractions, from Japanese gardens to a giant chess set to the ruins of the Holland House that was bombed in WWII.
• Battersea Park – Battersea used to be a very popular area for dueling. Nowadays it’s used for running, playing sports, having picnics, and music performances.

 

Take a Free Walking Tour

London is a megacity filled with a mega amount of walking tours. From free tours to specialty tours to paid tours to literary tours to quirky tea tours, London has it all — including lots of free tours.

Here is a list of my favorite free walking tour companies:

• Free Tours by Foot – I’ve taken this company’s NYC tours so when I found out they had a London version I was thrilled to take a couple more. The tours are just as good as they are in NYC, covering the major highlights, well written, presented, and very insightful. Some of their really good tours are: Royal Westminster tour, Harry Potter Walking Tour, Dark Side of London Ghost Tour, and Graffiti & Street Art tour. Most walks last 2-3 hours.
• Free London Walking Tours – This tiny company offers free walks from a few older British chaps that have the air of university professor. They tell silly jokes but are super knowledgeable about the most arcane facts of London history. They tend to cover a lot of ground — physically and factually — so it’s a whirlwind! Be sure to check out their Fire, Pestilence and Plague and Debauched London tours. Tours last two hours.
• Strawberry Tours – This tour company is a more “hip” tour company for young travelers. The guides and the attendees are younger. They run a number of free tours, specialty tours, and paid pub crawls (that might explain the young audience). You’ll see them advertised a lot. While I didn’t love their pub crawl, their Harry Potter tour, Jack the Ripper tour, and London Landmarks tours are fun and informative.
• New Europe Walking Tours – This free walking tour company has walking tours all over Europe. They are sort of the “backpacker” tour as most hostels always promote them and you see mostly young travelers on their tours. They are good for a large historic overview of the city.

For other recommended walking tours in London, check out this post.

If you’re willing to spend some money for exclusive experiences, my absolute favorite (paid) walking tour company is Take Walks. They have expert guides and can get you behind the scenes at the city’s best attractions (like the Tower of London).

For more in-depth paid tours, check out Get Your Guide. They have a ton of different paid tours for all interests and budgets!
 

Visit a Church

London is full of free churches that you can visit. Most aren’t terribly old (the majority of the city’s churches were bombed out during World War II) but many do date back to the 1600s! Here are some of the best:

• Westminster Abbey – See below!
• Southwark Cathedral – Another Anglican cathedral, Southwark Cathedral was built in the 19th century from an existing church, though that particular site has been used by Christians for worship for over 1,000 years.
• St Mary-le-Bow – This church was rebuilt after WWII, having also previously been rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. Tradition says that the only true Cockneys are those who are born within earshot of St Mary’s bells.
• St Olave Hart Street – This is one of the smaller churches in the city, and one of the few that survived the Great Fire of 1666. The present building dates from around the 15th century, though it too was heavily damaged in WWII. They also offer free classical lunchtime recitals on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 1pm.
• St Magnus the Martyr – This Baroque church was one of the first to go up in flames during the Great Fire, eventually being rebuilt by architect Christoper Wren (who also designed St Paul’s). Like most of London, it was heavily damaged during the Blitz and has since been restored.
• St Bride’s – This is another church designed by Christopher Wren, who spent 7 years building it. It too was destroyed during the Blitz and has since been rebuilt.

 

Enjoy Some Free Entertainment

There’s never any shortage of events, performances, and shows to attend in London — and the best part is that a great deal of them are free! Some resources for finding free events during your visit include TimeOut London, Events for London, and Eventbrite. If you use Facebook, the events section can be very helpful too.

Here are some places to start:

Learn Some Stuff – Want to learn some stuff? Attend a free lecture at some of the best universities in the world! The following schools offer free lectures:

• London School of Economics – Upcoming lectures are posted on the website (including dates, times, and locations.) You can also download previous lectures to watch or listen to.
• Gresham College – Lectures are usually held in the evening and cover a wide variety of topics including history, business, music, economics, science, and more. Seats are first come, first served.
• UCL Lunch Hour Lectures – This lecture series is usually held from 1-2pm with seating on a first come, first served basis. Check the website for topics and locations. Other free lectures at UCL can be found here.

See a Free Comedy Show – Laugh your butt off at one of these spots that offer free comedy shows:

• Angel Comedy Club – Stand-up, sketch comedy, and improv with two different locations in the city, offering free shows every night of the week.
• Comedy Bandits – Free shows on Wednesdays and Thursdays at The Railway Tavern in Clapham. You must reserve in advance.
• Poster Comedy Club – Your classic basement bar/comedy cellar with stand-up that you can get with a side of pizza from the restaurant upstairs. Plus, happy hour is every night from 5-8pm.

Get your Groove On – Listen to free music at some of these places:

• Royal Academy of Music – The RAM has regular free student performances as well as occasional free ticketed events. Check their calendar for dates and locations.
• Southbank Centre – Free lectures, poetry readings, musical events, and more! Check their calendar for up-to-date information and locations.
• “Ain’t Nothing But…” Blues Bar – They host regular free blues jams as well as ticketed blues concerts.

 

Other Free Activities

See the Changing of the Guard – Watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace at 11am daily in June and July and then Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The horse guards at Whitehall change at 11:00am from Monday-Saturday and 10am on Sundays.

Wander Epping Forest – Just one hour from the city is Epping Forest, an ancient woodland that spans almost 6,000 acres. There are hiking and biking trails, sports fields, and over 100 lakes and ponds. It makes for a nice half-day or full-day escape from the city if you want to stretch your legs.

Stroll Around the City – London is a huge city and has many unique and interesting neighborhoods. For a more organized self-guided tour, Visit London has a free app that lets you create personalized maps and itineraries.

Visit Westminster Abbey – Consecrated in 1269, this iconic church is one of the city’s most famous buildings. Construction began under order from King Henry III and, since 1066, every coronation of the British monarchy has been held here. Sixteen royal weddings have been held here as well.

Admission is 27 GBP but you can get into Westminster for free during hours of worship. If you want to visit and not pay the entrance fee, go for one of the services and you’ll get in for free.

Attend a Couchsurfing Meet-up & Meet Some Locals – Couchsurfing is a platform that connects locals and travelers. You can stay with local hosts for free but what I love about the platform is the number of meet-ups and events you can attend. This is a great way to meet people, find quirky stuff, and get to really know the city. If you download the app, you can even see who is nearby in the city and free to hang out!

For tips and tricks on how to succeed on Couchsurfing, you can check out this blog post.

See Some East London Street Art – Shoreditch, side streets around Brick Lane, Middlesex, and Sclater streets always tend to have some really interesting street art worth exploring.

Take the London Wall Walk – This walk takes you from the Tower of London around what is left of the ancient Roman wall that surrounded Roman London. You can walk along the wall, read some historical panels, and even download a booklet about the route.

Visit the Harry Potter Platform – Harry Potter took his train to Hogwarts from platform 9 3/4 at London’s King’s Cross Station. Head here, get your picture taken with a luggage cart looking like it’s going through the wall, and live out your Harry Potter dreams.

Crossbones Cemetery – This unconsecrated cemetery is dedicated to sex workers of London and is a hauntingly beautiful cemetery with plaques, music, and information about its history and that of the neighborhood. It closed in 1853 with the remains of an estimated 15,000 paupers, more than half of them children, who lived, worked in the area.

Interesting fact: a law was proposed by a virulent anti-prostitution member of Parliament dictating that nothing should ever be built on the area. A few years back, they tried to put a railway on the land and the neighborhood used the law to prevent it from being built.

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With so many free things to see and do in London, you’ll be able to fill your days and nights of your visit without ever having to spend a pence! The city may be expensive but with so many free things to do, you’ll be able to make up for all those pints by not spending any money during your day.

There’s no reason to spend a lot of money when there’s so much to do here for free.