When it comes to free things to do in London, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re limited to going to parks. Considering it feels like 50 quid evaporates from your bank account the minute you step outside, it’s no surprise that leaving your purse at home seems like an impossibility in London.
Thankfully though, there’s plenty of free things to do in London this year, and we’ve got a jolly good list of them if we do say so ourselves. So, give the debit/credit card a break and dive into this roundup of 140 of the best free things to do in London:
Table Of Contents
- Free museums in London
- Free gigs in London
- Free performances in London
- Free markets in London
- Free art galleries in London
- Free attractions in London
- Free walks to go on in London
- Free views over London
- Free parks and gardens in London
- Even more free things to do in London
- Free seasonal events in London
Free museums in London
Yep, there are lots of free museums in London to visit for a cultural fix. Ancient art, fascinating objects, and even an 82-foot blue whale skeleton and a giant dinosaur can be found in the capital’s array of museums, with hours and hours of fun to be had.
1. Another of the best free things to do in London here, you’ll be able to delve into two million years’ worth of human history and culture at this legendary at the British Museum.
2. Known to most simply as the V&A, head here for amazing outfits, glittering jewellery, intricate mosaics and ancient sculptures in their constantly-changing collection.
3. A free museum in South Kensington dedicated to the miracle of technological progress… and all the neat things we’ve discovered along the way. Visit the Science Museum.
4. A cavernous space right by Holland Park the Design Museum celebrates all things in contemporary design. Keep an eye out for their paid exhibitions, too.
5. Dedicated entirely to the flora, fauna and geology of the planet we call home, with exhibits on dinosaurs, earthquakes, venomous insects and other bad-ass features of the natural world at the Natural History Museum.
6. A museum-come- library right in the heart of Central London connecting science, medicine, life and art in a series of eclectic exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection.
7. Based upon the eclectic collections of Frederick John Horniman, you’ll find a gallery of taxidermy (including a famously overstuffed walrus), a butterfly house, art and even llamas at the Horniman Museum & Gardens.
8. Holds over 45,000 fascinating items amassed by the 19th-century architect Sir John Soane – a true smorgasbord of art and culture at the Sir John Soane’s Museum.
9. The UK’s first LGBTQ+ Museum run by the charity Queer Britain celebrates Britain’s rich and varied queer history.
10. This fantastic museum is the world’s only museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas, and gynaecological anatomy. The Vagina Museum opened a new permanent site in none other than Bethnal Green.
Free gigs in London
Hearing about free stuff is just music to our ears. While we do also have a hell of a lot of paid-for gigs, there’s ample of free stuff too. From the buskers of Oxford Circus, to the halls of the Royal Opera House, music flows freely across the whole of London, and here’s where to find it.
20. See at classical concert at this Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square, visit St Martin-in-the-Fields.
21. Catch a hot gig at this Shoreditch-based boozer – The Old Blue Last is the favourite hangout of staff from the acclaimed Vice magazine.
22. Visit ‘London’s very own home of Blues and Rock’n’Roll music,’ The Blues Kitchen have got some great live music throughout the week and DJs spin the decks until the wee hours during the weekends.
23. This prestigious spot holds weekly lunchtime concerts, which are well worth a visit when you’re in town. This is the The Royal Academy of Music.
24. Discover the next big thing at a free event or signing at Rough Trade on Brick Lane in East London.
25. Watch one of the free ‘Live at Lunch’ performances at the magnificent Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
Free performances in London
Don’t expect free theatre tickets, but we’ve got some pretty nifty things for you to do when it comes to the performing arts. Comedy, films, and a healthy amount of drama await you!
26. Watch the National Theatre’s sets and props being made at this intriguing spot in the National Theatre, which is open an hour before performances. This is the The Sherling High Level Walkway.
27. Take a free acting masterclass at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End.
28. Check out when the next big film premiere is on and see if you can spot some A-Listers (or maybe some reality show D-Listers let’s face it) at the Leicester Square film premieres.
29. Go to a show at Top Secret Comedy Club where regulars include Jack Whitehall, Joanne McNally, Omid Djalili, and Simon Amstell.
30. Here you can view over 95,000 titles from the BFI National Archbive – one of the world’s most important and diverse collections of film and television.
Free markets in London
They’re only free markets if you don’t buy anything, but there’s always free samples to be had… Meander around these gorgeous spots for the perfect weekend day out! (P.S- there are a lot of markets in London…)
31. Broadway Market
32. Camden Market
33. Borough Market
34. Columbia Road Flower Market
37. Greenwich Market
39. Brixton Village and Market
42. Pop Brixton
43. Vinegar Yard
Free art galleries in London
“There is no must in art because art is free.” It certainly is when you visit these free art exhibitions and galleries, perfect for an eyeful of though-provoking paintings, sculptures, and installations. Just remember to pose thoughtfully, and you’ll fool anyone into thinking you’re a genius art critic.
46. Tate Britain
49. Somerset House
50. Saatchi Gallery
55. Tate Modern
Free attractions in London
We’ll level with you: most of the big tourist draws around town charge for entry, but we’ve found some sneaky ways around that (it is our job, after all). You wanted attractions to visit for free in London? You got ’em, kid.
59. This lovely night of choral singing at Choral Evensong is the only way you’ll get yourself into the mighty St. Paul’s Cathedral for free – so go for it we say!
60. Join one of the day-long celebrations or other free events at London’s most famous square – Trafalgar Square.
61. Go for a wander along this lovely stretch right by the Thames and soak up some of the city’s best views at South Bank.
62. Wellington Arch – Although they’ll charge you if you want to go inside it.
63. Built especially for the 2012 Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a 520-acre spot and has something for everyone, including sporting venues, cafés and even the world’s longest tunnel slide! However, this costs extra…
64. Though you’ll definitely have to pay to watch a gig here – or climb over it – The O2 has a whole host of bars, restaurants and more here for you to get fed and watered. Alternatively, just amble around it and take in the views!
65. Houses of Parliament are free to visit, but only if you’re a UK resident and arrange it through your local MP or a member of the House of Lords.
66. Arguably one of London’s most famous and photogenic landmarks, Tower Bridge is well worth a visit – whether that be by walking across it or motoring under it on board an Uber boat. The dizzying walkway above costs extra mind.
67. Mosey through Chinatown right by Leicester Square and gorge yourself on all the saucy dumplings and Peking duck you could want.
68. Watch the Changing of the Guard based at Buckingham Palace. This won’t cost you a penny, but Summer tours are pricey.
69. Take a wander around this secure fortress, royal palace and infamous prison – Tower of London holds over 1,000 years’ worth of history within its walls.
70. Full disclosure: tours cost £30 which is very much not free. But all anyone really wants is a photo of it anyway, right? The Big Ben is on top of our list of Instagrammable places, with a little hack for getting the best shot.
71. Westminster Cathedral – which is different to Westminster Abbey, just FYI.
72. Tourists have to pay to enter Westminster Abbey and their previously hidden gallery too. However, worshippers get in for free.
Free walks to go on in London
From free walking tours of London, to self-guided ambles, we’re here to get you up and wandering the streets of the capital. Stretch your legs, up your step count, and get a proper eyeful of nature with any of these lovely London walks.
73. Regent’s Canal
74. Thames Path
77. Epping Forest
78. The Great Fire of London Route
80. LOOP Route
82. Pub Crawl Walk
Free views over London
It’s time to get high for free (not like that). See stunning, panoramic views of London from high-level platforms or by climbing really big hills, and find a new appreciation for this beautiful city.
83. The Sky Garden
85. Primrose Hill
86. Parliament Hill
87. Greenwich Park
88. Alexandra Palace
Free parks and gardens in London
Park yourself at one of these spots for a fabulously free afternoon, or wander beneath the trees and reconnect with nature. Oh, and if you’re enjoying this massive list, we’ve got another one dedicated entirely to parks and gardens!
89. One of London’s eight Royal Parks, Hyde Park is a Grade I-listed spot which has the Serpentine, gardens, galleries and more.
90. Walthamstow Wetlands – offering over 13 miles of paths to explore across an untamed, wildlife-friendly site, these wetlands are one of the best things you can do when in E17.
91. As the name suggests, Kyoto Garden in Holland Park offers a unique, Japanese-style landscape ‘that’s perfect for quiet reflection and relaxation’.
92. Just north of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Postman’s Park is more than just a pretty place to grab a bench and scoff a Pret during your lunch break. It’s also home to a truly affecting memorial, commemorating ‘ordinary’ people who acted heroically.
93. Another of London’s Royal parks, Regent’s Park is home to the largest grass area for sports in Central London and offers a wide variety of activities, an Open Air Theatre, the ZSL London Zoo and much more besides.
94. Barbican Conservatory is the second biggest conservatory in London, after Kew Gardens’ Princess of Wales Conservatory. It’s packed full of plants and colourful lights too.
95. Paddington’s Floating Pocket Park is rather aptly named. First off, it is indeed a park. Second, it’s cute and pocket-sized. And thirdly, this buoyant little beauty bobs up and down on the waters of the Paddington Basin.
96. Hampstead Hill Gardens and Pergola offers lovely views over the Heath and Hampstead Hill Gardens, Hampstead Pergola – which is overflowing with vines – also happens to be a splendiferous spot for a wander.
97. Peace and quiet in the heart of London’s financial hub? It’s not impossible, particularly if you make a beeline for Crossrail Place. There, away from the hordes of stressed-out workers, you find the oasis of calm known as Crossrail Place Roof Garden – a rooftop garden with its own street food market.
98. A ruined church and park close to Monument, St. Dunstan In The East is now a serene place to get away from the hustle and bustle of London Town.
99. A 200-acre park right by the Thames, Battersea Park has a lovely lake, a zoo, tennis courts, funfairs and more. They’ve also got the London Peace Pagoda.
100. You might know Richmond Park for its grassy expanses, woodland bits and wild deer. But it’s also got a park within a park, The Isabella Plantation, which turns pink when the azaleas bloom.
101. St James’s Park is famous for its annual carpet of daffodils and cherry blossoms.
102. Entirely free to wander around, the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden boasts shaded pathways, lightbulb-festooned seating areas, and various murals scattered across the place.
103. Down in London Bridge, you’ll find the Cross Bones Graveyard, which honours the city’s ‘outcast dead’. A tranquil shrine to paupers and prostitutes, it’s a fascinating spot to check out.
104. The Garden at 120, which was landscaped by German firm Latz + Partners, is sandwiched between the Walkie Talkie and The Gherkin, both only a couple of streets away, giving you pretty impressive close-ups.
105. A beautifully-designed linear park, The Tide furnishes the Greenwich Peninsula with a prime spot for riverside sunset viewing.
Even more free things to do in London
You weren’t tired of free stuff in London, were you? Good, cause we aren’t close to being done yet – here’s the best of the rest, with an incredible smorgasbord of experiences and places to check out across the city.
106. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – this beautiful, traditional Hindu temple, standing some 70 feet high and carved entirely out of stone, is well worth the trek out to Neasden for.
107. Speaker’s Corner – why not argue your case at this corner of Hyde Park near Marble Arch – a traditional site for public speeches and debates since the mid 1800’s.
108. Learn something new at the British Library is one of the largest libraries in the world, this gargantuan spot contains the Magna Carta and handwritten Beatles lyrics among countless other works on some 400 miles of shelves.
109. Highgate Cemetery is the resting place of 170,000 people – including Karl Marx and George Eliot – and it makes for a really serene place for a wander.
110. You can spot Yayoi Kusama’s first permanent public work in the UK outside Liverpool Street Station.
111. As many of you will know, Battersea Power Station has undergone the make-over to end all makeovers. Having once supplied electricity to the likes of Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, the disused Power Station has now transformed into one of London’s hottest shopping, dining and leisure destinations.
112. Barbican Estate has to be seen to be believed and has exhibitions, a cinema, shops and more.
113. See the Churchill Arms which is adorned with flowers and is found close to Notting Hill.
114. Deep beneath the headquarters of media giant Bloomberg lies the London Mithraeum, a painstaking restoration of an ancient Roman temple, once a site of worship by a cult dedicated to the god Mithras.
115. Abbey Road – why not recreate that iconic poster of The Beatles here? Keep an eye out for traffic mind!
116. Visit various city farms
117. The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey, is a great place to watch the swift hand of justice.
118. Magic up a photo op at Platform 9 and 3/4
119. Princess Diana Memorial Fountain opened on 6th July 2004, and it’s a peaceful spot to spend some time.
120. Guildhall Great Hall is a vast, mediaeval hall associated with a soaring, high-arched ceiling and two huge, Gothic stained-glass windows – it’s a magnificent place to be and is well worth a visit!
121. Camden’s Walk of Fame opened in Camden back in November 2019, London’s official Music Walk of Fame has been set up to commemorate the world’s most extraordinary musicians. When completed, the walk is set to feature over 400 artists, spanning the entire length of pavement from Chalk Farm, all the way to Mornington Crescent.
122. Skip London altogether and explore these breathtaking nearby villages or go on some of these country walks.
Free seasonal events in London
Ok, so they’re free, but they won’t be around all year. These seasonal delights are often short and sweet – but they’ll certainly keep you coming back to London all year long!
124. Winter Lights
125. Lunar New Year
126. International Women’s Day
127. London Marathon
128. London in bloom
129. Open Garden Squares Weekend
131. Pride in London
132. Wimbledon
135. Ruislip Lido
136. Granary Square Steps
137. Wild swimming
138. Open House London
139. Fireworks displays
140. London Eid Festival
So there you have it – Secret London’s roundup of 140 of the best free things to do in London. So we hope this provides you with enough things to do if the funds are feeling tight.