Whether you’re in London for business or pleasure, there’s a vibe in the bustling capital city that can’t be ignored. I’m lucky enough to live not far away and I travel to London fairly frequently for blog events, meetings and press trips. I spent three years living in the centre of London when I was a student nurse, and I had to be creative as we had a very small bursary that just about covered our food costs let alone anything else! My Granny lived in London and would always take us to many places that I have since taken my children too and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet! Here are my top free attractions and things to do in London.
Free Museums in London:
1. The Science Museum
2. The Natural History Museum
3. The V & A (Victoria and Albert) Museum – art and cultural history
4. The British Museum
5. Museum of London
6. National Gallery
7. National Maritime Museum
8. Tate Modern
9. The Imperial War Museum
10. The Horniman Museum and Gardens
11. The Anaesthesia Museum
12. London Sewing Machine Museum
Parks in London:
13. Regent’s Park
14. Hyde Park
15. Clapham Common
16. Primrose Hill
17. Greenwich Park including GMT
18. Crystal Palace Park
19. Kensington Gardens
20. Battersea Park
21. Hampstead Heath
22. St James’ Park (Opposite Buckingham Palace)
23. Victoria Park
24. Holland Park
25. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
26. Brockwell Park
27. Wimbledon Common
28. Green Park
29. Finsbury Park
30. Walpole Park
Free Exhibitions in London
31. The Photographer’s Gallery
32. Whitechapel Gallery
33. Wellcome Collection
34. The Saatchi Gallery
35. National Portrait Gallery
36. The Barbican Centre
37. Museum of London Dockyards
38. Royal Academy of Arts
39. The Wallace Collection
Famous Department Stores to Visit in London
Free to browse but I can’t guarantee you won’t spend money!
40. Harrods
41. Hamleys
42. Selfridges
43. Libertys
44. Harvey Nicholls
45. Fortnum & Mason
46. M & Ms World
Free City Farms in London
47. Vauxhall City Farm
48. Mudchute Farm and Park
Pin this list for later:
Free London Attractions
49. Covent Garden has street performers and interactive performances
50. Buckingham Palace can be viewed and the changing of the guards
51. The Angel Comedy Club has free gigs if you can get a babysitter!
52. Speakers corner in Hyde Park
53. St Paul’s Cathedral
54. Westminster Abbey
55. The Royal Courts of Justice
56. Big Ben/ Tower of London
Free Festivals in London
Check the individual dates but if your trip coincides, join in the free fun!
57. Notting Hill Carnival
58. Chinese New Year in China Town
59. London Pride
60. Totally Thames Festival
So that’s it! You could have a trip to London and not pay a penny for things to do. What’s your favourite? Have you ticked any off the list?
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own and this list is accurate at the time of publishing (October 2017).
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