The top free things to do in London

By Ian Packham
Published: July 18, 2024
A tourist photographs a statue at the British Museum

London’s reputation for being expensive (just check out the house prices), doesn’t mean vacations in the British capital have to break the bank. Many major museums are free to enter, whilst parks, markets and even some concerts will cost you absolutely nothing, leaving you free to spend your cash on other things. The list of free things to do in London is a long one, so here are a select few that will leave you quids in.

Explore London’s museum collections

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Starting out with just 38 paintings in 1834, The National Gallery on the northern side of Trafalgar Square now has close to 2,500 artworks hanging from its cloth-lined walls. Concentrating on a mere 700 years of European art roughly corresponding with the years 1250 to 1900, some of its most famous works include da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks, van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire.

Cross the Thames at Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges and you’ll be perfectly located to continue your tour of free things to do in London at Leake Street Arches, the capital’s foremost space for graffiti and street artists. The freedom to spray means it never looks the same for long, and now also plays host to a Polish kitchen and board game café.

Food sadly isn’t welcome at the British Library’s Sir John Ritblat Gallery, whose free permanent exhibition space includes some of the most important documents in British history. These include Magna Carta, a symbol of liberty and law to this day, and handwritten manuscripts by everyone from author Charlotte Brontë to Beatle Paul McCartney.

Picnic in the park

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Nearly as many trees as residents, 14,000 species of wildlife and 3,000 parks – it’s no wonder London became the world’s first National Park City in 2019. Its public green spaces have acted as shared backyards, in some cases, for centuries.

Its largest is Epping Forest, an area of woodland untouched since the time of William the Conqueror in 1066. Mountain biking and walking are popular pastimes here, with multiple short walks allowing visitors to soak up the spirit of the place and catch sight of its wild deer.

Hampstead Health’s Parliament Hill also has a small population of muntjac deer, although it’s far better known for its panoramic views of central London, spanning from The Shard to Canary Wharf.

For a sense of what you might expect at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew without the entrance cost and tube journey, there’s the Barbican Conservatory. An oasis of greenery, it’s London’s second-largest indoor garden, containing some 2,000 plants erupting from every surface. Pull back the leaves and you’ll also find a hidden pond filled with koi carp and terrapins.

Take part in ancient traditions

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Things to do in London for free aren’t limited to the capital’s static attractions. Head to Buckingham Palace for mid-morning and you’ll be able to admire the pageantry of the marching bands involved in the Changing of the Guard.

The full ceremony lasts 45 minutes, with the changeover between guard battalions taking place at 11AM. The best viewing spots go early, but Hyde Park’s southern boundary offers a crowd-free space to watch the mounted troops arrive and depart from Wellington Barracks.

Whilst it’s not possible to enter the palace during the ceremony, it is usually possible to enter the neogothic splendor of the Houses of Parliament a short distance away. Members of the public are able to see the goings-on of the House of Commons (the green-benched lower house) from the perch of the Strangers Gallery.

Along the way you can grab a glimpse of Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the complex and where royals lie in state. No pre-booking is required to visit Pugin’s pre-Raphaelite artworks or parliament’s central halls, although the Strangers Gallery fills up quickly for Wednesday’s Prime Ministers Questions.

Less confrontational in nature are the free concerts taking place in churches and auditoriums across the capital. Often used as rehearsals to later paid events, classical works can be heard at a number of locations, including the bright interior of St-Martins-in-the-Fields off Trafalgar Square, Morley College’s Waterloo Center and Regent Hall on Oxford Street.

Visit London’s top markets

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All walks of London life buy and sell at its plethora of markets, with voices from all over the world demonstrating why London is known as a city where everyone is welcome. When it comes to color and Instagram posts, make a beeline for Sunday’s Columbia Road Flower Market, which is packed full of blooms.

The shadow of Waterloo Bridge plays host to the Southbank Centre’s daily book market, whose row after row of secondhand tomes are sure to include that out-of-print classic you’ve been searching for, in addition to a select pick of artworks old and new. The nearby space behind Royal Festival Hall also hosts a Friday – Sunday pop-up street food market, with aromas that drift towards the Thames sightseeing cruises mooring up at Westminster Pier.

Back in east London, the stalls of Old Spitalfields Market sit beneath Victorian ironwork dating to 1876, though its history stretches back to the 1600s. Once a fruit and vegetable wholesale market, today’s stalls are a trendy blend of soul food spots, homeware and boutique fashions, with antiques taking over each Thursday.

Take a stroll

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Getting out into fresh air is relatively easy, and as well as its parks and green spaces, London has numerous walks. The obvious place to start is the Jubilee Walkway, unveiled to mark 25 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in 1977. Connecting many of London’s major landmarks, it runs for 15 miles, with the most popular stretch lining the south bank of the Thames from Lambeth Palace to Tower Bridge.

Meanwhile, Regent’s Canal provides a place to wander without the crowds, taking in Paddington Basin, Little Venice, the howls of ZSL London Zoo’s wolf pack and popular Victoria Park along the way to its terminus on the Thames at Limehouse.

You certainly won’t be disturbed by the residents of Brompton Cemetery, a grade I listed space containing around 35,000 memorials dating back to the 1830s. Among them you’ll find the graves of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and the scientist who discovered the cause of cholera, John Snow.

Other ways to save in London

There are a huge number of free things to do in London. But they’re not the only way to save when visiting the British capital. The Explorer Pass from Go City saves on admission at many of London’s top visitor attractions without you having to make any decisions on what to do beforehand. What’s more, all you need is your phone to get started!

Ian Packham
Go City Travel Expert

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Things to do in King’s Cross London

Don’t let fans of the wizarding world of Harry Potter hear you say it, but there are many more things to do in King’s Cross London than attempt entry to Platform 9 3⁄4 for the Hogwart’s Express... No longer an area to be avoided, a huge amount of effort has gone into making King’s Cross a London neighborhood where people want to live, work and relax. Long before Google and Microsoft, one of the earliest institutions to recognize the potential was the newly formed British Library. But beyond its exhibition space you’ll also find a refreshed canal side and plenty of places to enjoy a cup of tea or pint of ale with new friends. Let’s take a look at London’s King’s Cross in a little more detail. Delight in being bookish Much to the amusement of passing commuters, there’s always a steady stream of people having their photograph taken as they push a trolley through the wall to Platform 9 3⁄4 – which sadly doesn’t lie between platforms 9 and ten but beside a small supermarket. Book fans of all kinds can also delight in the miles of shelving which makes up the British Library – permitted by law to collect one of every book published in the English language. It is also responsible for looking after some of the most important documents in British history. Displayed in its ground floor exhibition hall is a Shakespeare first folio and an original copy of Magna Carta. Agreed by King John in 1215, it prevents unlawful arrest and was the start of trial by a jury of peers. Other important artefacts include the hand painted pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels and Beatles’ lyrics in the writing of Paul McCartney. Check out the King’s Cross museums The temporary exhibitions at the multi-million-dollar biomedical research establishment the Crick Institute are no less insightful, helping to bring to life advances in the understanding of the way our bodies function that are resulting in new and better treatments for the world’s biggest health risks. The nearby Foundling Museum was created to help tell the story of the Foundling Hospital. Set up by a wealthy philanthropist in the 1730s, it became the first home for at risk children in Britain. But its collection has a far broader remit, containing paintings by some of the country’s most important artists of that time, including William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds. The upper floor then describes the hospital’s connection with composer George Frideric Handel, who lived in London for many years. In an interesting twist, the house next door would also be occupied by Jimi Hendrix. Another King’s Cross museum worth consideration is the London Canal Museum, whose collection of stories and artefacts help detail the emergence of the capital’s canal network as well as its relatively rapid decline at the hands of the railways. Enjoy nature in the heart of London Stepping out from beyond the red brick edifice of the British Museum or shining glass and steel of the Crick Institute you’ll be mere paces from Regent’s Canal. Reborn as a place to spend your leisure time after a generation of being ignored, its towpath provides an alternative behind the scenes view of the neighborhood, as well as little gems including the Word on the Water floating bookshop. It may not have the physical grandeur of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew but Camley Street Natural Park is one of several pockets of green space you wouldn’t even know existed without being told. The park’s visitor center is worth stopping by, although nothing can beat a pleasant few minutes beside the pond as wildlife envelops you from all around. It’s an all the more impressive feat given the tracks running to London Saint Pancras International – the capital’s Eurostar terminus – run across the back of it. On the opposite side of these tracks you’ll be able to find a similarly idyllic spot, the churchyard of St Pancras Old Church. In its churchyard is the Grade I registered mausoleum to Sir John Soane, founder of the British Museum, which became the unlikely starting point for another recognizable London sight – its red telephone boxes. Meanwhile, on the other side of the canal is Gasholder Park, a small but ingenious reinvention for old engineering. Take in a show Should you get hungry, Granary Square has become a solid choice when it comes to food, with plenty on offer whatever your tastes. A new public square featuring a thousand bubbling water jets that move and light up in different colors, its food options include national restaurant chains like the monolithic Dishoom and authentic British pubs alongside the canal. In the summer months, there’s often a big screen by the waterside showing tennis from Wimbledon amongst other big sporting events like World Cup soccer matches and the Olympic Games. The live entertainment gets even better than that though, with both the Shaw Theatre and the Bloomsbury Theatre only a short distance away. Between them, they host high-quality drama from the UK regions, which often see their way to Broadway and off-Broadway, alongside providing residencies for orchestras and regular live comedy and music nights. The Gagosian Gallery may not have the same heritage, but it does display some of the best 20th and 21st Century artworks outside of a national collection and has shown the works of everyone from Pablo Picasso to Damien Hirst. And if shopping is your raison d’etre, there’s Coal Drops Yard, whose stores are sure to inspire you to get your wallet out. Visit King’s Cross with Go City King’s Cross has moved on a lot since the statue of George IV at a road crossing was removed to build its station in 1845. Having existed in various guises since then, today it’s a neighborhood that has rediscovered its mojo and has become a choice place to spend time in the capital once more. Make the most of your trip to London by traveling with Go City and you can make incredible savings on top attractions such as the Tower of London and the Cutty Sark, the only remaining tea clipper ship of its kind in the world. Be sure to share the resulting snaps with @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook to show us just what a good time you’re having exploring all the things to do in King’s Cross London!
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Things to do in Westminster London

Often used as a descriptor for all the goings on in the British parliament, the Westminster neighborhood of London is actually a city within a city. One of the richest areas of the capital financially, historically and culturally, it’s an area jampacked with sights, from the grandeur of Buckingham Palace to bronze and stone statues of giants from the country’s past. As a tourist, you’re probably going to spend at least a day here, so don’t forget to check out all the great things to do in Westminster London before hitting the thoroughfares of The Mall or Petty France. Meet with Big Ben Occupying one of few areas of the Thames riverbank in central London not directly accessible to the public, the Houses of Parliament are a symbol of democracy throughout the world. Showing off the pomp and financial power of the Victorian era – when the complex was rebuilt after a massive fire – Big Ben has to be one of the most snapped structures in the world. In fact, to be strictly accurate the name doesn’t refer to the tower but to its largest bell. Its structure was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee – that’s 60 years on the throne. The parliamentary chambers have witnessed many historic moments, including several important speeches by Sir Winston Churchill, the country’s wartime leader. The underground lair protected by secrecy and thick steel girders where the government sought sheltered office space during the London Blitz can be explored at the Cabinet War Rooms a few hundred meters away. But if it’s hundreds of years of history you’re keen to discover, Westminster Abbey should be the next on your list of things to do in Westminster London. Forming a loose triangle alongside the Houses of Parliament and Cabinet War Rooms, its origins predate the Norman Conquest of 1066. Since then it has seen the coronation of every British monarch except two. The simple wood coronation chair is almost lost in this celebration of monarchy and nationhood. Walk amid royalty Cross into St James’ Park and you’ll be treading the same path that royalty has since at least the sixteen hundreds. At the park’s southern end is Birdcage Walk, once the location of a long-disappeared royal aviary. However, some of the park’s most popular residents remain its pelicans, whose generations have waddled their way around the lake for almost 400 years since first being gifted by one of the Tsars of Russia. At its western end St James’ links up with Green Park on the opposite side of The Mall, and Buckingham Palace – official residence of the British monarch. A short route through the palace gardens is open to the public over the summer as part of tours to the state rooms. Two further royal residences just around the corner can be admired from afar. Clarence House has provided homes for the late Queen Mother as well as the Prince of Wales. Next door’s Saint James’ Palace is the oldest of central London’s remaining palaces, although you’ll need ambassadorial credentials to take a look inside. Make time for the museums in Westminster No such career choice is necessary to enjoy the spectacle of the red frock coats and bear-skin hats of the Household Cavalry and their allied foot troops at the Changing of the Guard outside of Buckingham Palace. About as dramatic a way to switch shifts as it’s possible to get, it takes place every day in the summer and several times a week over the winter with music, marching and plenty of horsemanship on show. To learn more about the division responsible for the protection of the head of state – Queen Victoria endured numerous assassination attempts – there’s the Household Cavalry Museum. Situated between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade, visits not only allow a peek into 350 years of history but also the chance to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony from a very special vantage point. Attached to Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery is open throughout the year, displaying important artefacts from the Royal Collection. These include gilded silverware purchased by George III and paintings by Van Dyke, official artist to King Charles II. The works of more modern artists can be seen at Mall Galleries just off Trafalgar Square. Home to the Federation of British Artists, it’s also a major player in the contemporary figurative arts scene. Spend some time by the Thames Although it’s partially blocked off by the Houses of Parliament, the River Thames shouldn’t be forgotten about. For one thing, almost diagonally opposite Big Ben is Westminster Millennium Pier, where Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing cruises arrive and depart on their way to the Royal Museums Greenwich further east. The Thames path is a pleasant place to explore at any time of year, with each season giving something different to an area of riverside as stuffed with monuments and landmarks as any part of London. They include memorials to the Battle of Britain pilots of World War Two and, within Whitehall Gardens, William Tyndale – a leading figure in the protestant reformation. The Thames path also provides an ideal spot to capture shots of the London Eye or eat and drink in barges converted into restaurants and bars. But wherever you end up in Westminster you’ll never be far from the government ministries you’ll recognize from the movies. Many stretch along Whitehall, a major thoroughfare connecting up Parliament Square with Trafalgar Square, where there’s the National Gallery and Nelson’s Column. On Whitehall itself, the war dead are honored at the Cenotaph, and the prime minister’s office at 10 Downing Street can be peered towards through the security gates. Uncover all the things to do in Westminster London A neighborhood which basks in the historic, cultural and political, Westminster is a part of London no visitor is going to want to miss out on. It’s home to the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, but beside the buildings of state are side streets with churches and verdant squares leading to yet more opportunities to understand the British capital in greater detail. Is it possible to get too much of a good thing? Not in Westminster. And not when traveling with Go City. Our passes provide visitors of all ages with incredible savings on admission to many of the top attractions in London and beyond. So, when you’re thinking about the things to do in Westminster London, make sure Go City becomes a part of your plan!
Ian Packham

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