Cheap things to do in London

The permanent exhibitions at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Tate Modern are free to enter year-round, which already catapults them to the top of our suggestions. Many smaller museums and galleries can’t quite match this price point, but still include amazing artefacts within their collections.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich allows visitors to get up close and personal with the original prime meridian line, denoting the eastern and western hemispheres, before going on to learn how the site changed the way we see the world with regard to both time and space. Connected to it is the Maritime Museum, which will easily fulfill all your sea-faring needs. And don’t forget the Planetarium, with its dazzling space show about the origins of the universe.

Within a fine example of Georgian architecture is the Benjamin Franklin House museum. The only remaining residence of the American Founding Father, its collection helps to detail Franklin’s life in London over 15 years through a mix of period furnishings and audiovisual displays. And just like that, you found out he lived in London at some point. The more you know.

If there’s one thing most people worry about when visiting London on a tight budget, it’s staying well fed and watered. While the Salt Bae’s $1000 steak craze seems to have died down, you can easily stumble into an establishment that will charge eye-watering amounts for cocktails and bar snacks, let alone full-blown meals. But we don’t need to worry about any of that.  

Just behind Euston train station, North West London’s Drummond Street rivals Brick Lane when it comes to cheap eats from the Indian subcontinent. Further north still, there are plenty of options amidst the fashion stalls of Camden Market, with traditional fish and chips competing for attention against hot dogs and burritos.

The converted shipping containers of Boxpark are another great option. Providing shared seating and a plethora of independent places to eat, there are three sites to look out for in Wembley, Shoreditch, and Croydon. Some things are cheaper than others here, so shop around, and you’re sure to find something equally valuable and delicious. 

For a bird’s-eye view of the capital without the sky-high costs, there are several attractions to consider. The best-known is the covered Sky Garden topping out 20 Fenchurch Street – the “Walkie Talkie” building. Promising 360° views from London’s highest public garden, it’s free to visit, although you’ll need to pre-book a time slot.

Less well known is the external balcony that sits beneath the bronze horse-drawn chariot carrying the goddess Victory on Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. Its views extend across several Royal Parks.

Tucked behind more recent buildings at the northern end of London Bridge lies The Monument. Built by Sir Christopher Wren of St Paul’s Cathedral fame to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666, its vertigo-inducing viewing platform puts you roughly 60 meters above ground level. The height marks its distance from the fire’s starting point on Pudding Lane.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to a show in the West End, fear not, you can still see the bright lights of a stage show if you know where to look. The brutalist architecture of the Southbank Centre has long been the haunt of skaters and street artists, who together create a heady mix of spontaneity and art for passersby.

The highest form of art has to go to the plays of The Bard. To experience the playwright’s greatest works as they were intended to be seen, head for the standing-only Groundling Yard of Shakespeare’s Globe. For the cost of a pint, you get closer to the stage than you probably thought possible.

Also be sure to check out the listings sections of the weekend papers for details of London’s public events. June’s Trooping the Colour, August’s Notting Hill Carnival, and December’s Christmas markets lead a long list of events.

The London Underground has been getting Londoners where they need to be for over 150 years. Ride the right double-decker buses instead, and you’ll get a tour of some of London’s top attractions thrown in at no extra cost.

Jump aboard the number 24 from Victoria Station to whiz past Westminster Abbey, Downing Street and Trafalgar Square, or flag down the number 11 to travel along Piccadilly to the Royal Albert Hall.

Another alternative to the tube is London’s Lime Bikes. The bane of many a driver/pedestrian, they’re still an affordable way to get around the city and burn some calories while you’re at it.

Ride as far as you want (a few have made it all the way to Paris and back) for a set price that can see you recreating The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover and free-wheeling across Tower Bridge.

Whichever part of London you find yourself in, it’s very likely there’s a public park nearby. The Westminster area boasts the triple alliance of Hyde Park, St James’ Park, and Green Park, with Regent’s Park to the north and Battersea Park lining the Thames’ south bank.

Elsewhere, Highgate Cemetery is a historic burial place with grand tombs and the unofficial status of a nature reserve. One of London’s ‘magnificent seven’ graveyards, it has around 170,000 interments.

Amongst them are famous faces including poet Christina Rossetti, singer George Michael, novelist George Eliot, socialist hero Karl Marx, and, if legend is to be believed, the Highgate Vampire too. But don’t worry. Vampires aren’t real, so your chances of running into one are slim.