Our guide to the best things to do in London for every budget can help you organise your sightseeing and make sure you don’t miss any of the good stuff!
From museums and cultural events to great foodie spots and quintessential ‘London’ activities, we’ve got some top picks to help you make the most of the capital.
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The Best Free Things To Do in London
On a super tight budget? London might have a reputation for being expensive, but the great news is there are loads of cool things you can do in London for free. Here’s a few of our favourites!
The Science Museum is an amazing celebration of the scientific world and the brains behind it. If you were never one for science at school… then you should definitely go! They’ve made the subject really interactive and fun.
The Science Museum is free, although you’ll need to pre-book your ticket. There are exhibitions and installations on everything from engines and energy to solar power, medicine and space. If you’re visiting London with young children it’s the perfect way to keep them entertained for an afternoon. And if you don’t have kids in tow, you’ll still have a blast!
Some exhibitions will charge a fee to enter, so be prepared to spend a bit more on a ticket if there’s something you want to see. Otherwise explore the main collection for free – there’s loads to keep you occupied from clocks and planes to space suits and even a piece of the moon.
Don't miss the other free London museums!
If you didn’t know, many of the world-class museums in London are free to enter, so make sure you’ve got a few on your list. There’s the Victoria & Albert museum, dedicated to decorative arts and design – their garden is fab in summer, great for catching some sun and people watching. Then there’s the Natural History Museum, focused on the natural world, and the British Museum, which houses priceless artefacts from across the world.
Take your sketch pad to the Tate
Both the Tate Britain and Tate Modern galleries hold incredible collections of art and are free to enter. So why not take along a sketch pad and do a few hours’ drawing?!
These are definitely places to be inspired, with art from celebrated artists like JW Turner, Claude Monet, Mark Rothko and David Hockney. If your attention span tends to wander in a place like this, then sketching is a great way to give your mind some focus and still enjoy the creativity around you.
And you don’t even have to be good at art! Just take along a pencil or pen and see what catches your eye. Even just doodling can relax your mind and help you unleash your inner artist!
Admire the plants at the Barbican conservatory
The Barbican in the City of London is an epic city-within-a-city that has a world-class arts venue – the Barbican Centre – as well as a cinema, gardens, a library, schools, shops and housing.
If you’re an architecture buff then it’s a great spot to explore for an hour or two, but did you know there’s a conservatory up on the roof?
It’s free to go to, you just need to book your ticket in advance. They go online a month in advance, or you can try your luck getting one of the day tickets that get released each morning.
It’s really beautiful with lots of different species to see – including tropical and endangered ones – and paths covered with plants to get lost in. It’s hard to remember you’re still in London!
If you want you can even do a tour of the whole estate – it lasts 90 minutes and costs £18.
Vibe at Gods Own Junkyard
This quirky spot in North London will lift your spirits with its bright and colourful neon signs.
Visit on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday to see cool, kaleidoscopic signs in every colour of the rainbow. It’s basically a prop house and makes new made-to-order signs too, but the public gets a look-in at weekends.
You can also get a hot drink, or even beers and cocktails here. It’s a bit out of the way on an industrial estate, but we think it’s worth the trip! Just hop on the Victoria line to Walthamstow Central and it’s a 15 minute walk from there – or jump on the Superloop – a new express bus service.
Looking for hotels in London?
Check out our list of the best cheap but chic London hotels.
Follow the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk
London is full of gorgeous parks – Hyde Park, Regents Park and St James’ Park are some of our favourites.
If you’re looking for a route to follow, then the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a great one. You’ll want to dip in and out, as the whole route crosses four parks – St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. You can take it by following the plaques set into the ground.
Along the way you’ll find The Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park which is a great spot to hang out at in summer.
Other parks you might want to visit include the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park – where you can see peacocks – and Regents Park, which has a gorgeous rose garden if you’re there at the right time.
Plus if you head over to the northern side of Regents Park and walk the network of paths up near ZSL London Zoo, you can sometimes spot the animals over the wall.
Get a load of London’s iconic skyline from up high with a trip to Sky Garden or Horizon 22.
You can do both for free. Sky Garden is at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, also known as the Walkie Talkie building, and you’ll need to book advance tickets online. Horizon 22 is on top of 22 Bishopsgate, also known as the Gherkin, and you book advance tickets online for this one too.
You can sometimes get tickets on the day, but we advise you book well in advance to avoid disappointment!
Other free London viewpoints
Other spots you can go to are The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate (temporarily closed but one to make a note of for when it reopens), the roof of the Post Building at 29-31 New Oxford St and The Garden at 120, which is at 120 Fenchurch St, where you don’t even have to book a ticket!
Listen to the choir at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is on the hitlist for a lot of visitors to London, which makes sense as it has so many famous connections. However, it costs £30 to visit, but if you go along to an Evensong service, then it’s free! James and I went along for our first podcast, Tipsy Tourism, and the choirs were amaaaaazing!
If do you want to do the proper tour of the Abbey, our top tip is to make the most of National Rail’s 2-for-1 deal.
Not planning to travel by train? Why not just book a short journey between London stations as you could end up saving loads!
There’s nothing like the feeling that you’ve stepped into an actual postcard of London, which you get from a stroll along London’s iconic South Bank.
Skip the crowds by the London Eye and start by the Royal Festival Hall – a concert and arts venue which often has free photo exhibitions inside and cool installations outside.
Walk east past the National Theatre and the Oxo Tower and continue on to Bankside, passing Tate Modern and the Globe theatre. From here, you can get a good view across the river of St Paul’s cathedral and the skyscrapers of the city.
Continue on a little further and you’ll come to Borough Market, probably the best known produce and street food market in London.
The market is open six days a week (every day apart from Mondays) and the area is also home to a whole load of delicious restaurants from all over the world – from Italian, Mexican and Persian to Modern British, Greek, Indian and more!
The Best Cheap Things To Do in London
Here’s a list of activities if you’ve got a few quid to spend on some little treats and experiences in London, but you don’t want to be giving your bank balance anything to worry about!
Fill up at a Chinese bakery
As in so many cities, Chinatown is a great spot for some delicious cheap eats. Grab a sweet treat to go like the custard buns from Bun House or taiyaki (custard-filled fish-shaped cakes) or pandan cake from Chinatown Bakery.
- From £2.50
Visit a proper British pub
Whether it’s a chilly evening or a bright sunny day (yes, those do happen in London!) a London pub is a quintessential spot for a drink.
If you’re visiting in the colder months, hunker down in a nice warm pub – there are lots of old boozers in Soho like the Coach and Horses or the John Snow. Other spots to check out are the Princess Louise in Holborn, the Windsor Castle in Notting Hill and The Hawley Arms in Camden.
If you’re after some sunshine, the Founder’s Arms by Blackfriars bridge and Anchor Bankside near Borough Market both have outside seating by the river.
- From ~£5
Visit Maltby Street Market
If the crowds at Borough Market get a bit much for you, then head for nearby Maltby Street. This market takes place on Saturdays and Sundays and has a slightly more chilled vibe, although it can get busy too.
Try everything from empanadas and burgers to donuts and vegan brownies, plus there are bars where you can grab a glass of wine and listen to live music.
If beer is more your thing, you’re just round the corner from Bermondsey’s beer mile where you’ll find tasty pints from breweries like Bianca Road Brew Co and The Barrel Project.
- From ~£5
Swim in a lido
London has some great historic lidos which are a really cool spot for a swim, and there’s even one in Hyde Park!
The Serpentine Lido is open to the public daily between June and mid-September, as well as weekends from mid-May. You can book a session from £5.95.
There’s also Tooting Bec Lido in South London (open to the public May-Sep), London Fields Lido in East London and Parliament Hill Lido and Hampstead ponds in North London.
- From £5.95
Catch the boat to Greenwich
Hop aboard a boat down the Thames for a different view of London. Catch the Uber boat and you’ll pay the price of a fare, rather than coughing up for a dedicated boat tour.
Catch the boat from the pier by the London Eye and you’ll go past landmarks like St Pauls, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
Once you’re in Greenwich, you can explore Greenwich Park and see amazing views of the city. There’s also the National Maritime Museum here which is free to enter, and you can see the famous sailing ship Cutty Sark beside Greenwich Pier. Pick up a cheap lunch from Greenwich Market, which is open 7 days a week and also sells arts and crafts and antiques.
If you want to see the meridian line – which marks 0° longitude and is where Greenwich Mean Time is measured from – but you don’t want to pay £24 for entry to the Royal Observatory, there is a way to do it for free!
You can find the line marked on the street in other places outside the observatory. Walk along Prime Meridian Walk to the Shepherd Gate Clock. Facing the clock, look immediately to your right and you’ll see a black kissing gate leading to a path. Go through it and you’ll find a wall plaque and the line marked on the floor, so you can get your photo opp for free!
- Uber boat from £10.80 one way
Take a day trip to Richmond
Leafy Richmond is a charming part of London most recently made famous by the Apple TV series Ted Lasso. You can get there in 20 mins from central London, and it’s a lovely day or half-day out.
Stroll along the river and watch the birds, and spot a rowing boat or two. There are also cute boutique-y shops here and traditional pubs like the White Swan, where you can site outside and literally watch the swans go by!
If you’re a diehard Ted fan, there’s even a tour you can do.
- Return to Richmond from £11.90
The Best Affordable Things To Do in London
Made room in the budget for some more unique experiences that are going to be worth parting with your cash for? Here’s some great value activities for your next trip to London.
See some comedy at Soho Theatre
Spend an evening watching a world-class comic at celebrated comedy venue Soho Theatre.
Top comedians like Kevin Bridges, Nish Kumar and Dulcé Sloan have had shows here. You can also catch work in progress shows, which are a great way to see famous comedians for less, while they try out new material.
Prices range from around £10-£23 depending on whether you’re seeing an up-and-coming act or a famous name.
Squeeze yourself into the bar for a pre-show drink and be prepared to be entertained! And don’t be surprised if you spot the main act or some of their comedian mates having a drink in there too!
Soho Theatre have recently opened up a second venue in Walthamstow, so check out the line-up there if you’re staying in that part of town.
Other popular comedy venues are the Top Secret Comedy Club, and JK Comedy Club where you can see shows from just £5.
- Tickets from £13
Don’t miss this absolute gem of a museum during your London stay!
The Postal Museum is a fab place to discover the history of the postal service in the UK with lots of cool interactive exhibits and most importantly, Mail Rail – a postal train you can ride!
You can see unique telegrams and historic letters, learn about the history of the postal system and geek out on vintage envelopes and stamps.
Serious enthusiasts can also splash out on a tour of the tunnels (12+ only). If you have little ones, there’s a play space here too – which you can buy a ticket for separately.
This is my favourite museum in London!
- Adult tickets from £17.60, kids tickets from £10 (under 3s go free)
Dine on a barge
For a dinner with a difference, step aboard Barge East, a Dutch barge in Hackney Wick that serves up sustainable dining.
From Cornish monkfish and mussels to steak and black pork, this is dinner with a difference. They source ingredients from their canalside gardens and have won a bunch of awards for their food.
You can expect to pay around £13 for a burger and £25-£35 for a main. Or splash out on a Sunday roast for £45 for 2 courses including sides.
Other unique culinary experiences you can try in London include dinner in a tube carriage, afternoon tea on a London bus and coffee in a former (emphasis on former!) Victorian toilet.
- Burgers from £13
Learn how to spray paint on a street art tour
Sign up for something a little different and get your graffiti on!
Take a graffiti art tour, where you’ll see some incredible examples of graffiti art on London’s streets, and get to know the stories behind them.
You’ll see work from the likes of Stik and Banksy, and get the lowdown on the city’s street art scene. And you’ll get to have a go at creating your own masterpiece in a spray painting workshop.
- Tour and workshop from £37.50
Walk across a football stadium’s roof
London is home to some iconic football teams, so if you want to get close to your favourite team, why not visit their stadium?
If your team is Tottenham Hotspur – and even if it isn’t – you can do something called The Dare Skywalk, which sees you going over 46m up in the air to the stadium’s roof, and getting amazing views of the city skyline. You get up via an exposed walkway – don’t worry you’re clipped into a safety harness the whole time!
Like Westminster Abbey, you can get 2 for 1 tickets to The Dare Skywalk with a National Rail Ticket. Even if you’re not planning to travel by train, you can just book a short journey between London stations as you can end up making a decent saving!
If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you can even go one step further and do The Dare Skywalk Edge, a free fall abseil back down to the ground!
- Skywalk adult tickets from £34, kids tickets from £26
The Best Luxury Things To Do in London
Spend the evening at a West End Show
Treat yourself to a theatre trip in London’s West End. Popular shows include Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Hamilton and the Lion King. If you want to try something different, try the ballet at the Royal Opera House or Cabaret The Musical at the Kit Kat Club.
Tickets come at a range of prices, and so we recommend you downloading the TodayTix app which will help you find the cheapest prices – as well as give you access to lotteries to win tickets for as low as £10!
For cut-price same day shows, and next day matinees, also check out the TKTS website. They used to have a booth you could visit in Leicester Square, but now you can buy them online, which is pretty handy.
- Tickets from £28
Push the boat out and splurge an afternoon tea at a posh hotel!
Afternoon tea typically refers to a selection of sandwiches, sweet treats or pastries and of course – scones with jam and clotted cream. Not forgetting the key element – a pot of tea.
Our top pick for a fancy afternoon tea is The Landmark Hotel which has a really pretty atrium with palm trees inside.
Or you could opt for Claridge’s, a classic choice with their iconic blue china. There’s also NoMad which is super instagrammable with lots of greenery, and Sketch for a quirky experience in a powder pink parlour (and funky toilets!).
Now these fancy afternoon teas are all pretty expensive (even if you do get refills for free), so it’s definitely a treat activity. For example The Landmark is £75pp and Claridge’s is £95pp.
Need a cheaper option?
For an afternoon tea that won’t cost silly money, our tip is to check voucher sites like Wowcher and Groupon to see if there are any offers running.
To get an afternoon tea for under £50, try The Zetter in Clerkenwell which has a fab cosy parlour, or The Dixon in Tower Bridge, where they serve you tea in an old courtroom, which is pretty cool.
For even less, you can get a cream tea at The Ivy Tower Bridge – which is just scones and tea – for under £12.
- Afternoon tea from £45
Have a spa day
London has some seriously posh spas, so if you want to rest your aching feet after all that sightseeing, why not spend the day relaxing?
The spa at members club the Ned can be used by non-members, so it’s the perfect place to relax and pamper yourself. A day pass is quite pricey at £200, but you can redeem it against a treatment like a massage, reflexology or a facial. There’s a pool, sauna and steam room there too.
Other options are The Retreat at the Londoner, perfect for escaping the craziness of the city centre. Non-members can book a cabana bed beside the pool for 2 hours for £110.
There’s also Aire Ancient Baths, where there are five baths at various temperatures – you can even bathe in wine! Two hours in the baths including an hour’s massage costs £210. A nightfall bath – an hour in the evening – costs £98.
- Nightfall bath at Aire from £98
Snooze with the dinos at the Natural History Museum
Did you know you can stay overnight at the iconic Natural History Museum?!
They run regular nights where you can sleep over in the main entrance hall under the enormous blue whale skeleton.
You get a three-course meal, a science show, comedy, movies, and even bingo. Plus a cooked breakfast in the morning! This is such a fun activity to try and a cool way to get this amazing gallery almost to yourself!
There’s an adults-only version for £220pp, and a kids one which is £86pp for both kids and adults.
- Dino snores tickets from £86
Eat at the chef’s table
A great experience is to dine in a fancy restaurant at the chef’s table, where you get a front seat to the action! Try this at Evelyn’s Table, a hidden restaurant with a Michelin star in Chinatown, where you can enjoy 5 courses for £135. Or head to Ekstedt at The Yard, where you can enjoy a 9-course Nordic meal for £150.
If posh restaurants aren’t your thing, but you’re a real foodie, then try a counter seat at somewhere like Barrafina, which does delicious tapas, or Kiln in Brewer Street, which does Thai-inspired dishes. Or check out a supper club – like this one serving up Latin American food in an old tube carriage.
- Set menu from £135
Plan Your Trip With Our Best Things To Do in for Every Budget
London has so much to see and do, you want to be able to make the most of your trip whilst keeping your costs in check. Our guide to the best things to do in London for every budget will help you figure out where to spend your cash to ensure you have a great stay.
