London for Free

There are plenty of things in London for free. It is a huge city with twelve million people living in greater London.

The city is compact with culture, history and fascinating architecture.You can spend a lot of money there and a cup of coffee can cost you the earth. Reasonably priced accommodation is almost impossible unless you find a couchsurfing host or other free accommodation. However London is full of free stuff to do and below is a list of a few things which will give you an idea of what to look for.

All the government owned museums and art galleries are free, but for special and temporary exhibitions there is a charge. To visit all the museums would take an eternity so be selective and plan your visits carefully to get the most of them. Most of the Museums have special activities for children, so there's something for everyone.

The British Museum

Here are a few of the Museums you can visit. I'd recommend obtaining the museum guide (just the map as that is usually free or relatively inexpensive) , having a cup of coffee and working out what you'd like to see the most as these museums are packed full of exhibits and impossible to get around the whole place in a day. If you have the time you could return another day.

The Victorian and Albert Museum is one of my favorites which is the worlds best decorative arts museum.

The Science Museum is packed with interactive and enthralling exhibits with many hands on activities for children (and adults) to keep them entertained for hours.

British Museum - This amazing museum has over eight million objects in the collection - try seeing all that in one day! .

The Natural History Museum is a favorite of many people with its huge collection of things from nature in an amazing Gothic building – there’s something for everyone.

The Royal Courts Of Justice

While visiting the Twining’s Tea Shop on the Strand – where we were offered a free cup of tea to sample, we noticed some extraordinary buildings across the road and were told they were the Royal Courts of Justice.We were compelled to investigate and the security guard beckoned us in and said we were welcome to have a look around – I’m glad we did as it was another one of London’s intriguing buildings soaked in history and character.

Art Galleries

There are two Tate galleries in London which are well worth a visit. Set in the old Bankside Power Station, The Tate Modern houses contemporary work from all over the world and Tate Britain located at Millbank, which exhibits British art from the 1500's to present day.

The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square and houses over 2300 pieces of artwork from the mid 13th century to the 1900's. The building is of huge proportions incorporating dozens of galleries and one of the biggest I've experienced.

The National gallery - Trafalgar Square

Markets

There are too many to mention – all full of life and fascinating to visit. You might have seen Jamie Oliver on his TV shows buying produce from the Borough Market which is open Thursday to Saturday.

Camden Market is one of the largest street markets in the U.K. It specialises in alternative fashion, vintage clothing, emerging designers, one off pieces of art and of course a huge selection of great food.

Portobello Market located in the West End of London is one of the most famous street markets in the world. The market goes through the middle of Notting Hill.

Columbia Road Flower Market On Sunday the street is transformed into an oasis of foliage and flowers.

Brick lane is an interesting road to wander down and look at all the creative street art which includes some artwork by Banksy. It also has a wealth of Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants.

There are numerous African and Caribbean markets in London; all very colourful, selling tasty food and interesting ethnic articles. (Markets include, but are not limited to Brixton Market and Shepherd’s Bush market).

Churches and Places of Worship Churches are always interesting to visit even if you’re not religious. They can be a place to contemplate and rest weary feet.

If you have read the Da Vinci Code, the 12th century Temple Church will no doubt be of interest to you and it’s only round the corner from the Twining's Tea shop and the Law Courts.

Covent Garden is not a garden today but the district is very entertaining with its buskers and interesting shops. We like to purchase take away and sit on a step and be entertained by the performers and people walking by. St Pauls Church (not the Cathedral) is also located in Covent Garden. It's known as the Actors Church and is worth a visit with an attractive churchyard to wander through.

A beautiful Hindu Temple at Meadow Garth Open Space at Neasden is the first traditional Hindu Mandir in Europe. When it was being built 2,820 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of Italian Carrara marble were shipped to India, carved by over 1,500 craftsmen and reshipped to London. It is an ideal place to learn about the culture of India and the Hindu religion.

Walking Tours

Walking Tours are amazing in London because you just step back into the history books. The Monopoly walking tour is very popular and you can also do it as a Monopoly board pub crawl.

There are numerous other walking tours listed in the London Lonely Planet including the East End Walking Tour which includes the Jack the Ripper story.

Once a year, usually around October, there is a scheme in London called, Open House London (and lots of other cities around the world) where many famous and capital buildings are opened to the public for free. It allows you to see inside of some of London's amazing architecture which is not usually accessible to the public.

Parks and Gardens

There are many beautiful parks to meander through. This is something I like to do when I’d been traipsing through the city and need to revive myself. So I look for the nearest park, sit and rest and I feel restored again ready to explore more of the city. The Royal Parks are ideal to start with. There are nine parks to choose from; Regents Park, Hyde Park, Greenwich Park a particular favourite of mine with 183 acres which is a sanctuary for wildlife, Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens, St James Park, Bushy Park, Brompton Cemetery and Green Park.

One of the squirrels in Greenwich Park

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