London is known among tourism circles as one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the world. But while visiting in London means higher than usual spending, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no free things to be had while in the city. In fact, there are so many things you can do in London that are totally free. Here are some of the free activities you can do while in London
Go to museums
Do you know that you can visit almost all of the museums in London completely free of charge? Almost all of the permanent collections of museums in London can be visited without having to pay an entrance fee. That’s huge savings for you.
Another cool thing about London museums is that they sometimes have late openings, meaning you can visit the museum way past the usual business hours. This will allow you to squeeze in more activities in one day.
Before you say that free entrance is not worth it, do realize that London has one of the highest concentration of museums in a city in the world. You can’t even possibly visit all of them in just one short trip, so enjoy the moment.
Some of the museums that have free entrance include:
- Bank of England Museum
- Bloomberg SPACE
- Brunel Museum
- Courtauld Gallery (entrance is free Mondays from 10 am to 2 pm)
- Cuming Museum
- Fulham Palace
- Geffrye Museum
- Grant Museum of Zoology
- Guildhall Art Gallery
- Hackney Museum
- Hampstead Museum
- Islington Museum
- Hogarth’s House
- Hunterian Museum
- Kenwood House
- Library and Museum of Freemasonry
- London Film Museum
- Museum of Childhood
- National Army Museum
- Old Royal Naval College
- Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
- Photographers’ Gallery
- Pitzhanger Manor Gallery & House
- Queen’s House
- RAF Museum
- Sir John Soane’s Museum
- Wallace Collection
The Changing of The Guard
One of the traditions that London is quite famous for is the Changing of The Guard in Buckingham Palace. Practically all tourists in London try to see this ceremony at least once. This event can be watched absolutely free every day at around 11:30 AM during summer and every other day in winter.
Music festivals and performances
You can go to any one of the free live music performances that are mounted all throughout the city. For example, the Southbank Centre, holds various free music events regularly. If you visit the Royal Opera House during lunch, you’ll be able to watch their daily lunchtime recitals. There are also free lunchtime concerts at St. Martin-in-The-Fields. The popular record label Rough Trade also holds free shows every Saturday at the Notting Hill Arts Club.
Trafalgar Square
Another extremely popular location in London is Trafalgar Square, which is considered one of the landmarks that define London. There are so many things you can do in Trafalgar Square, one of which is admiring the architecture of the area.
Lounge around in Parks and Gardens
London is practically defined by the many parks and gardens that dot it. You can visit many of these locations and get a glimpse of English culture. One of the most popular gardens in London is Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens, which is located in Regent Park. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in London. St. James Park is another popular destination and has one very unique advantage over other parks and gardens – it has one of the best views of Buckingham Palace.
About The Author
Derek Gallimore is the owner of luxury serviced apartments provider Boutique London Lets.
