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10 Free London Activities You Won’t Want To Miss
London is one of those cities that you could spend weeks in and never see everything. I suppose this is just an excuse to book another trip! It’s also great for budget travellers if you know the best free things to do. Luckily, I’ve put those together for ya! I mean, who doesn’t love “free”? Here are the top free activities to do in London that you won’t want to miss!
1. Walk across the Tower Bridge
Voted the best free thing to do in London, waking across the Tower Bridge is an absolute must! It’s a London icon and is a great spot for some epic photos of the bridge and the city! Walking across the bridge is free, but you can book a ticket to walk the glass platform of the bridge. Tickets will run you about 10-20 GBP.
2. Have a picnic and walk through Hyde Park
Hyde Park is enormous. Make sure you walk through to Round Pond where you can see swans and many ducks, and visit Kensington Gardens. These are all located within the park! It’s such a beautiful place to walk in the afternoon. I’d also recommend having a picnic and people/dog watch (there are SO many dogs!).
See also: The Ultimate London Travel Guide for Budget Travellers
3. Get great views of London at the Sky Garden
Tickets to the Sky Garden are completely free, but you need to book your time slot in advance! The tickets become available 3 weeks prior to the date and they go fast, so make sure you book in advance.
4. Visit one of the city’s many free museums
Though many of the city’s museums are entirely free, you’ll still need to book your tickets in advance with a time slot. Make sure you factor that into your trip plan! Book your tickets online for London’s Museum of Natural History, and spend your morning immersed in the many natural and historical exhibitions.
5. Pay a visit to Buckingham Palace
Though you cannot go into the Palace for free, you can visit the front of the building and the beautiful surroundings just outside of the south-east corner of Hyde Park. Tip: If you want to get nice photos in front of the Palace, head to the Queen Victoria Memorial. You can climb up to the top platform of the fountain and snap away! It’s less crowded here and you won’t have to worry about people’s heads being in your way. You can book entry to the Palace for a fee with Golden Tours or Get Your Guide in advance if you’d like to visit the interior of part of the palace.
6. Walk the Queen’s Walk promenade
My favourite place to walk in London! The best bit of the Queen’s Walk and waterfront path stretches from the London Eye to the Tower Bridge, and is such a lovely walk. Stop at the small shops and restaurants along the way, and bonus points if you stop to take pictures of the River’s many bridges.
7. Stroll through Piccadilly Circus for window shopping
Piccadilly is somewhat of an institution in London, and it’s definitely a fun area to explore. This is a VERY busy area, though, so be prepared for crowds! There are a ton of shops here if you’re looking to get your shop on, though if you’re looking for dinner options, just know that it will be more expensive than other areas of the city – we opted to eat in Notting Hill instead, but enjoyed the vibe of Piccadilly for window shopping and Theatre sightseeing.
8. Spot the colourful houses in Notting Hill
If you’re exploring the Notting Hill area (I recommend you do!) make sure to check out the Colourful Houses on Lancaster Road. Enter “Colorful Notting Hill Houses” in Google and it’ll lead you right to the block of houses made famous for their bright colours.
9. Do a self-guided or free walking tour
Taking a walking tour around a city is my favourite way to get the lay of the land when I visit a new place, and you have lots of free options in London! I’d recommend starting with Free Tours By Foot, which give you a ton of options of pay-what-you-like walking tours with a guide. If you’d prefer a self-guided audio tour, you can find free (or very cheap) options with Rick Steve’s Europe tours and Geotourist!
10. Stroll through the South Kensington area
Bonus: If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll want to stop at King’s Cross train station (King’s Cross St. Pancras tube station connects here) where you can see sections of the station that were featured in the Harry Potter films, but also snap a picture of yourself at the Platform 9 3/4 installation they have set up next to the Harry Potter shop. It includes a trolley partway through the platform 9 3/4, stacked with trunk and a wand you can brandish for the magical photo of your dreams!
Being a big city, London can get pretty pricey. Make sure you make note of these free activities so you can get the best value out of your trip! Have any great free London activities to add to the list? Let me know in the comments, and happy travels!
– Amanda