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God's Own Junkyard
Photograph: God's Own Junkyard

The best free things to do in London

The best things in life are free. Honestly. Here’s our guide to enjoying London without bashing your bankcard

Alice Saville
Written by
Alice Saville
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London's got a well-earned reputation for being one of the world's priciest cities. But look past the spenny restaurants, costly cocktails, and luxury boutiques and you'll find a place that's packed with fun things to do on a seriously tight budget.

Free museums and art galleries, gorgeous parks, gratis jazz nights... you could easily fill every night of the week with free stuff to do in London. Read on for some of the very best ways to set yourself (and your wallet) free.   

RECOMMENDED: 101 best things to do in London

Free things to do in London

Check out a free museum
  • Museums

Back in 2001, the government made scores of museums across the UK totally free to enter. And a couple of decades later, that decision has paid off with booming visitor numbers and diverse crowds flocking through the doors of London's eclectic, world-class array of institutions. Whether you want to window shop through centuries of stunning fashion at V&A, find out how the world actually works at the Science Museum, or admire slick architecture at the Design Museum, you can do it in London without paying a penny. Here's our list of London's best museums to check out.

  • Things to do
  • Walks and tours

Animal-lovers, rejoice! You don't have to splash out a fortune in vet bills, zoo tickets or cat cafe coffees to get some quality time with four legged creatures. London's full of city farms, most of which you can enter for free or for a small donation. They were established in the radical 1970s and 1980s as a way for nature-starved townies to rediscover the wonders of the animal kingdom on small, community-run farms. Massive pigs, curious goats, fancy ducks, and fluffy rabbits... meet them all at these much-loved local spots. Here's where to start.  

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  • Art

Actually buying art is hella expensive. But looking at it? Pretty often, it's totally free. And although the blockbuster special exhibitions at galleries like Tate Modern, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery will involve emptying your pockets, their permanent collections are a brilliant starting point for cash-strapped art fans. Once you've got to grips with the basics, your next port of call should definitely be London's smaller galleries. Here's our list of the best free exhibitions to check out right now, compiled by our art editor Eddy Frankel.

Hang out in London's stunning parks
  • Things to do

London is one of the world's greenest cities, with more than 3,000 parks to explore – ranging from tiny pocket parks to massive, beautifully landscaped wonderlands you could easily spend all day exploring. Cool your feet in the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain at Hyde Park, marvel at views over the city from the hilly heights of Greenwich Park, or head for small but wildly atmospheric spots like St Dunstan-in-the-East. Here are the city's biggest hitters.

 

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  • Attractions
  • Cemeteries
  • Chelsea

London's finest crop of dead celebs is to be found at Highgate Cemetery, but you've got to pay to get in. So set aside that cash for your funeral (gotta pay at least two sexy ladies to weep on your grave) and head to Brompton Cemetery for a free afternoon of ghoulish delights. This historic Grade I-listed cemetery is the final resting place of more than 200,000 people, including staunch suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and public health pioneer Dr John Snow. Getting creeped out? There are also palette-cleansingly lovely gardens to picnic in once you've finished exploring.

Explore arty east London with The Line
  • Art
  • Public art
  • Greenwich Peninsula

This city's biggest sculpture trail is a must for both art fans and nature fans, leading walkers along waterways including the Royal Docks and the River Lea, as well as soaring over the Thames on the Emirates Air Line. Just download the map and you'll discover an ever-changing line-up of works by big names including Tracy Emin and Anthony Gormley: plus pretty parks, Egyptian geese, and plenty of spots to rest your feet with a craft beer or flat white. 

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  • Attractions
  • Fenchurch Street

Zip up 35 floors of the Walkie Talkie's shapely layers and you'll be transported to a public garden with some truly spectacular views. Sky Garden boasts three storeys of landscaped gardens lush with South African and Mediterranean plants, observation decks, an open-air terrace, two restaurants, a bar and an uninterrupted panorama of the city's skyline. Entry is free, but visitors must book their 90-minute timeslot in advance on the website.

 

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Be king for the day at Fulham Palace
  • Attractions
  • Religious buildings and sites
  • Fulham

Visiting a National Trust-owned stately home involves having pockets almost as deep as the long-dead aristos who built them. But if you want to get your fill of historical grandeur for free, make for Fulham Palace: a fascinating spot where Catharine of Aragon was sequestered in Tudor times, and bloody deeds were done on the times of Mary 1. Bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, and stroll down the nearby Thames-side walks like the king, queen, or jester you are. 

  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Bank

Transport yourself back to old Londonium with a trip to these intriguing ruins, hidden underneath a massive shiny tower block. 1,800 years ago, this space was the home of the men-only cult of Mithras, a place to drink, misbehave and worship the ‘god of Mithra’, a deity known for slaying a primordial bull. Nowadays, nosy punters of all genders can enjoy audio and light installations designed to bring these ancient stones to wicked life.

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  • Shopping
  • Markets and fairs
  • Bethnal Green

Every Sunday, Columbia Road turns into a blooming wonderland packed with fantastic flowers of every hue (plus houseplants lush enough to convince you that your 'green fingers' are not, in fact, dark fingers of doom for any monstera that darkens your doors). You can easily just soak up the atmos, but if you're tempted to dig into your near-empty pockets, aim for 2pm, when stallholders cut bargains to shift their remaining stock. 

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Watch graffiti legends in action at Leake Street
  • Art
  • Graffiti
  • Waterloo

If you love the smell of aerosols (in a non 'Talk To Frank' kinda way) you'll be in clover at Leake Street, an underground graffiti spot that's soundtracked by the constant hiss of technicoloured spray cans. This tunnel under Waterloo station is an authorised place for graffiti artists to create an ever-changing line up of tags and murals (and for rubberneckers such as yourself to get selfies in front of them).

Get groovy at a free jazz jam
  • Bars and pubs
  • Brixton

Lovably low-key hangout spot Effra Social turns into a buzzing jazz den each Thursday night. The Junction Jazz Jam kicks off at 7.30pm with a session from the house band. Then, musicians get up from the floor to join in a free-form sesh that showcases their improvisational skills at their very finest.  

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Watch democracy in action at the Houses of Parliament
  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Westminster

Make for the hallowed halls of Westminster and you can treat your eyes and ears to the inspiring sight of democracy in action (or snooze like a backbencher after a three hour liquid lunch). This majestic building has public galleries that are free to visit: the business within won't always be riveting, but book a slot in advance for Prime Minister's Questions at noon on Wednesdays to watch the top dog squirm. 

Get the glow at a neon wonderland
  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Walthamstow
God’s Own Junkyard probably isn't Walthamstow's best kept secret, but this warehouse of neon delights is a classic for a reason. Go along to marvel at the late neon artist Chris Bracey’s personal collection in a salvage yard in Walthamstow, from Soho sex club signs to specially commissioned glowing artworks. 
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Take a walk on the wild side at Barbican's tropical paradise
  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Barbican

Wander for long enough among the Barbican's concrete angles and you’ll stumble into a gasp-inducing tropical paradise. The Barbican Conservatory opened in 1984 and houses 2,000 plant species, including towering palms and ferns. There are even koi carp and terrapins.

Free things to do in London this week

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