London for FREE? A London city break on a budget might sound too good to be true, but it really is possible.
I’m Helen, the budget travel blogger behind Things Helen Loves. I’m a firm believer that you don’t need a huge budget to create memorable travel experiences, and after many visits to London, I’ve discovered the places that let you do just that.
While the capital has a reputation for being expensive, there are plenty of parks, museums and attractions that don’t cost a penny. In this guide, I’m sharing some of my favourite free things to do in London along with some tips to help you manage the cost of the thing you can’t avoid spending money on- a place to stay.
Ready to plan your next trip and discover some of the best free things to do in London? Excellent, lets go!
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London For Free: 7 Things To See & Do
So, what can you do in London without spending any money? Quite a lot actually. Here’s my favourites.
Visit one of London’s Royal Parks.
The Royal Parks are London’s historic green spaces, part of the character of the city. Each one is free to visit and has its own character. My favourite London Royal Parks are:
- St James Park: The most royal of them all, being surrounded by palaces. This park is also home to the cute 17th century Duck Island Cottage and a gang of resident pelicans. If you want to see the pelicans being fed, visit between 14.30-15.00
- Kensington Gardens: The place to see the Victorian Gothic Albert Memorial, flower walks and gardens galore
- Richmond Park: A Royal Park with a wilder feel yet just a short train ride from central London. It has ancient woods, resident deer and views across the Thames.
- Hyde Park: The most central of the Royal Parks. The rose garden is a showstopper in early summer, you can swim here in the Serpentine Lido (additional cost) and visit the iconic Speakers Corner.
If you only have time to visit one, I’d recommend St James’s Park. The central location makes it easy to access and the size makes it easy to explore- this is actually one of the smallest Royal Parks. It’s a beautiful place to wander, you’ll get some iconic London views across to Horse Guards Parade and Buckingham Palace and it’s home to the famous London pelicans.
Head to the Blue Bridge in St James’s Park for the perfect London photo opportunity. To the west you’ll have a tree framed shot of Buckingham Palace and to the east, Horseguards, the London Eye and Whitehall.
Visit the Sky Garden: London’s highest public garden
The Sky Garden is able to declare itself Londonās highest public garden because itās at the top of a flippinā massive building. This means you get a tropical oasis indoors- think lots of greenery & tropical blooms- alongside knock out views across London.
The Sky Garden is a super welcoming, budget-friendly place. There’s even signs on the tables inviting you to use them without needing to buy anything from the cafe or bar (although the coffee is good here) making it a great spot for a picnic.
If you are thinking of having a London picnic, visit an M&S Food to stock up. They sell a great range of ‘food-to-go’ options, an instore bakery and most branches have a hot drinks machine. You’ll also find disposable cutlery at the check outs. Most main rail stations have a branch- we Brits love an M&S picnic, sometimes referred to as, ‘picky bits’.
Totally free to visit, but you MUST book a free access ticket in advance. Read my full Sky Garden guide here.
Visit a free museum
London is a city of world class museums and many of them are absolutely free to visit! Whether your into history, art, science or just looking for a beautiful building to wander, I’m pretty sure London has a free museum that will fit the bill.My favourites include :
The V&A: A beautiful building full of beautiful things, home to a pretty courtyard that is the perfect place to take a break and keeper of one of the most beautiful cafes in London.
The Natural History Museum: Another beautiful Victorian building, filled with a mix of old school galleries and modern, interactive exhibits. Don’t miss the earth quake simulator and the escalator ride into a planet that forms the entrance to the Earth Galleries.
The Imperial War Museum: Six floors of award-winning galleries exploring the impact of conflict on ordinary people. Allow at least 2-3 to visit. Make time to walk the exterior of the museum too, there’s some interesting things around it, including a section of the Berlin Wall.
Although these museums are free to visit, it is advisable in some cases to book ahead. For example, The Natural History Museum gets very busy and walk ins aren’t always available.
Read my full first time visitors guide to the Natural History Museum here.
Find a list of free London museums here.
Explore London’s street art
One of the most fun and colourful free things to do in London is to enjoy the street art.
Just about every neighbourhood has some, just Google ‘ street art’ plus the area of London you’re headed too, there’ll almost always be something to see. Here’s some inspiration from a few of my favourite spots:
Leake Street Arches: Originally a network of railway storage tunnels, the Leake Street Arches underneath Waterloo Station are now home to an ever-evolving street art gallery. It’s always changing, so it’s always worth a visit, and you never quite know what you’ll find.
Shoreditch: This cool London neighbourhood is a hub for the capital’s street art scene. From giant murals that use whole buildings as a canvas to quirkier pieces by up-and-coming street artists, this is the neighbourhood for a street art stroll.
The Paddington Bear Mural: If you’re a fan of Paddington (aren’t we all?), then head to Waterloo and find the mural celebrating him and all things London. It really is lovely, find Paddington at Sutton Walk, SE1 7PE. Don’t delay though, this mural is currently only forecast to remain until January 2027.
Visit St Dunstan-in-the-East Church Garden
A garden in a church ruin where the light falls through the old arches and greenery drapes the historic walls. Sounds like a dream, right? It’s actually a real place in the heart of old London.
St Dunstan-in-the-East is a Wren church that was bomb damaged in World War Two. When a decision was made not to restore the remains, the site was turned into a unique and beautiful city garden.
As well as being a beautiful place to explore and photograph, the church garden is home to some very bold grey squirrels who will take a nut from your hand if you happen to have any.
Explore Roupell St: London’s historic TV & Film location
Just a stones throw from the hustle and bustle of Waterloo Station lies a real London gem: The Roupell Street Conservation Area. Four streets beautifully preserved to give you a glimpse back into 19th century London.
The rows of Georgian terraces with the distinctive London ābutterflyā roofs feature original historic details including boot scrapers, ghost signs and old fire insurance plaques.
To add to the time capsule feel, this area is known for being the place to spot vintage cars. There always seems to be a few parked up and they look the part in front of the old homes.
If the streets look familiar, you’ve probably seen them on screen. This area is regularly used for filming and photo shoots . Features include Call the Midwife, Legend and Mrs Harris goes to Paris
Where to Stay in London on a Budget
The streets of London are full of iconic, and often very expensive hotels. Don’t worry if you’re not looking to drop hundreds per night on a place to stay. London also has some really fun, friendly and comfortable options. You might consider one of these.
Travelodge Budget Hotels
Cheap and cheerful, a comfortable and budget friendly base for a few nights in the capital. They are located across London and rooms always include en-suite facilities and a hospitality tray.
I’ve stayed several time at Travelodge London Central Tower Bridge and Travelodge London Central Marylebone and can personally recommend both. Book as far in advance as possible for the best rates.
YHA Youth Hostels
A great budget often, particularly for a longer stay as some YHA hostels offer self catering and laundry facilities.
If you plan to stay in YHA hostels regularly, it may be worth taking out membership. This allows you a small saving on each booking, plus access to other benefits.
Find details of YHA youth hostel options in central London here.
The Union Jack Club
If you’re eligible to stay there, the Union Jack Club offers one of the best-value accommodation options in central London. Located just a short walk from Waterloo Station, this members club and hotel provides comfortable rooms and a range of facilities in a prime location at a considerably lower price than nearby hotels.
Membership is available to serving members of the UK Armed Forces and veterans. However, some visitors may qualify through the Temporary Honorary Membership (THM) rules, making it worth checking the eligibility criteria
Find my full guide to staying at the Union Jack Club here.
Travelling In London
London is vast, a series of neighbourhoods spawling out on either side of the famous River Thames. The obvious way to explore London for free is on foot, but unless your really into walking, this isn’t a practical option.
There’s lots of tour buses and boats on offer but if you want your money to go as far as possible, get to grips with public transport. The underground and overground train services aren’t as confusing as they first seem and will get you further than the tour buses at a fraction of the cost.
Plus some of the historic tube stations are beautiful and interesting. A station crawl- there’s a bonus way to explore London for free!
There’s a variety of ticket options available but the two main ways of having unlimited travel: by tapping in/out with contactless payment and using the fare cap or by purchasing a travel card.
The best option for you depends on how widely you plan to travel, how long you’re in the city for and whether or not you’re a rail card holder. Find full fare and travel details from Transport for London here.
For a fun, inexpensive experience and a different view of London, the TfL network also includes a cable car. The Cloud cable car links the Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks and a one way fare will set you back just Ā£7.00
Looking for more London travel inspiration? You might enjoy reading one of these posts next:
Discovering London’s Old Operating Theatre Museum: Where Surgery Was Once A Spectator Sport
The Cafe at the V&A: London’s Original Museum Cafe
Helen x
I’m not good at high end either, though I did do tea at the Savoy with a few ladies for our joint 60ths. Ooh, a few years ago now! I love the city. Quite happy to have squirrels frolic around my feet in St. James Park, walk the Thames Trail, ferry to Greenwich… Happy days!
See I love the idea of high end and can while away time looking at fancy hotels and high end fashion and things in that vein… but then I’m just happiest with simpler things. It’s a nice way to be though, isn’t it?
It is! Spending money doesn’t make you happy. Just poorer! But it’s nice to look, just in case…
Well, I still think London – especially the entrance fees – WAS expensive . But worth it.
It can be very expensive if you want to do all the things. Especially compared to other European cities. But like you say, worth it!
Being on a budget forces you to be more creative
It does and it’s not a bad thing. I’ve definitely seen a different side of places than I would have if I could just throw money at the plan.
I agree
Really good budget tips here. Back in the day when the Virtual Tourist site was alive and well, one of the most often asked questions in the forum was about affordable visits to London and I always tried to help out with ideas. You have some of my favourites here – free museums, Greenwich Market, the pleasures of simply walking. My own favourite museums are the Museum of London and the V&A, btw.
I would add considering a picnic in the park when the weather is good enough, instead of a restaurant or cafe. Buy from a supermarket, M&S if you’re not on a tight budget or one of the cheaper ones – they all have lots of choice, aimed at all the office workers, and cheaper than, say, a Pret a Manger.
Also, if you’re into modern art or simply curious about it, the private galleries are all free. We often spend an hour or so on Mayfair’s Cork Street, popping into the galleries and admiring or criticising what’s on display!
You could also have mentioned the half-price theatre ticket booth in Leicester Square perhaps, although the tickets still aren’t exactly cheap!
Thanks Sarah, I ‘ve not heard about the half price tickets. I ‘ll definitely have to look at that. I don’t think London is ever a cheap date, but you don’t have to throw money round like confetti to have a great time either.
Do check them out but avoid the unofficial ones elsewhere in the area – people have occasionally been caught out when the tickets sold aren’t actually valid!
That’s awful. I guess anywhere there’s potential for a scam, there’s someone willing to do it. Is it TKTS London that is the official outlet?
Whenever we’re in London we hardly spend any time in hotel rooms so I’m with you on where to stay.
That’s it exactly! On other breaks where time spent in the accommodation is part of the experience, I’d be willing to spend a bit more. But for London something clean, welcoming and well located is perfect.
Great read!
I really liked walking in the parks when I visited London ( it was a few years ago) and seeing the pelicans and parakeet. Did go up the Walkie Talkie Tower ( sky garden) which was free to go up, hopefully still is. Great views of The Shard, Gherkin etc. And stopped at The Civil Service Club, I suppose it’s like your Union Jack club, but for civil servants and their families. Did spend money too though. Difficult not to. Went for afternoon tea at Claridges and watched The Lion King. š
That sounds like a lovely way to spend some money though! I don’t think London will ever be a place where you can really do it ‘on the cheap’, but it’s good to mix things up to stretch the budget a bit. I’m yet to go to the Sky Garden, but it’s on the (ever growing) list.
What a lovely and comprehensive post. I myself wonder when I’ll ever be able to afford visiting the Western continent, and it’s posts like this that would help. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to creating such an informative post!
Thank you for your lovely feed back , that means a lot to me. I hope you make it to London one day, it’s a city everyone should experience at least once!
yes, London has a lot of free options for the traveller. Sky garden was my latest free find in London. but I’d love to do luxury London once too:)))
Yup, went there on a budget and it is quite doable. So many sights to enjoy!
This is a great post. I keep meaning to try the Sky Gardens. When it comes to free museums, I’d definitely include the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, also because of the chance to have a bit of a chance of fresh air and space in the parks, and by the Thames. Not free, but the best way to get there from central London is by Thames Clipper – a river trip that is a holiday in itself with lots to see. Another good freebie is the London Mithraeum, or Temple of Mithras: https://margaret21.com/2018/07/21/the-temple-of-mithras/
The Sky Garden is great, but getting the tickets can be tricky! I’d love to explore Greenwich more, I have only ever passed through.