More Than 100 Free Things to Do in London

Don't let people put you off with tales of how expensive London is. There's an incredible array of things to do throughout the city without spending a penny.

London doesn't split into neighborhoods as neatly as US cities do but I have tried to organize this list by area. Every free thing listed has a link for more information.

01 of 11

Westminster

Address

Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA, UK

Get directions

Westminster covers a huge area of central London and even though this is where you will find most of the high-priced attractions there is still plenty on offer at no cost at all. Do see: Free Things to Do in Westminster.

Westminster Abbey (not always free)
Changing of the Guard
Four O'Clock Parade
Supreme Court
St James's Park
Trafalgar Square
National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
World's Smallest Police Box (in Trafalgar Square)
Giro the Nazi Dog (near Trafalgar Square)
London Nose (near Trafalgar Square)
Savoy Hotel Museum
Inner Space Quiet Room
Leicester Square Film Premieres
New Year's Day Parade (1st January)
Chinese New Year in London (January or February)
Trooping the Colour (every June)
London Gay Pride (every June or July)

02 of 11

Fitrovia & Bloomsbury

Fitzrovia is the area north of Oxford Street and Bloombury is east of Tottenham Court Road.

Wallace Collection
L. Ron Hubbard's Fitzroy House
Coram's Fields (Children's playground)
British Museum
Grant Museum of Zoology & Comparative Anatomy
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Peter Pan Statue at GOSH
Wellcome Collection
Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon
Treasure Trails offer some free smartphone trails, including one of Fitzrovia, Canary Wharf, and Shoreditch

03 of 11

Mayfair / St James's / Piccadilly

Elegant Georgian townhouse terraces in Mayfair London W1 England — Julian Castle/ArcaidImages / Getty Images

Address

Hyde Park, London W2 2EU, UK

Get directions

Phone +44 7722 523629

Web Visit website

Areas north and south of Piccadilly.

Speakers Corner
The Vault
Cigar Museum
Royal Institution
Smythson of Bond Street
Auction House Viewings
Brown Hart Gardens
Sit Between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill
St James's Piccadilly Free Lunchtime Recitals

04 of 11

City of London

Address

150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN, UK

Get directions

Phone +44 20 7001 9844

Web Visit website

The City of London is actually only a small area known as the Square Mile. Also see Free Things to Do in the City of London.

Museum of London
Ceremony of the Keys
Bank of England Museum
St Paul's Cathedral for Free
Mudlarking
Gresham College Free Lectures
London Stone
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman London's Amphitheatre
Whitefriar's Crypt
St. Olave's Free Lunchtime Recitals
Postman's Park
The Soundmap Sweeney Todd Audiowalk
One New Change Roof Terrace
Barbican Centre Conservatory
Lord Mayor's Show (every November)

Continue to 5 of 11 below.

05 of 11

City Borders

Renovation Work Is Completed At The Sir John Soanes Museum — Leon Neal / Getty Images

Address

5 Strand Lane, Aldwych, London WC2R 1AP, UK

Get directions

Phone +44 20 7641 5264

Web Visit website

City Borders is not an official area but I've tried to group places near to the City of London.

London Roman Baths
Twinings Tea Museum
Somerset House Free Guided Tour
Courtauld Gallery (free on Monday mornings)
Lincoln's Inn Fields
Sir John Soane's Museum
Library & Museum of Freemasonry
Hunterian Museum
HQS Wellington

06 of 11

East London

Museum of London Docklands. — Lonely Planet / Getty Images

Address

Geffrye Almshouses, 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA, UK

Get directions

Phone +44 20 7739 9893

Web Visit website

07 of 11

South London (including South Bank)

Address

Tate Modern, London SE1, UK

Get directions

The South Bank itself is a magnificent free area in London. It's a wonderful place to walk next to the River Thames with iconic views. The summer brings the Watch This Space free entertainment outside the National Theatre and the Appearing Rooms Fountains outside the Southbank Centre.