Free things to do in London
For full disclosure a lot of these suggestions are in East or City of London as this is where I live and frequent the most - I’ve tried to add a few from other parts of London as well and if you would like some specific suggestions for the area you might be visiting please do get in touch!
Columbia Road Flower Market - If you’re visiting on a weekend, head over to Columbia Road early on a Sunday to get a real East End market experience the real draw is the wide array of houseplants and beautiful cut flowers, a feast for the senses.
Tate Britain - if you like looking at art this is a lovely gallery to visit, always exciting special exhibitions and a great free permanent collection - they have my favourite painting of all time there - Ophelia by John Everett Millais.
All of London’s many parks have their own personalities and draw factors but I’m biased as I live near one of the loveliest ones in the central London area - Victoria Park. The park spans 86.18 hectares of open space and opened to the public in 1845. They have weekend markets there too and it’s great for strolling, dog walking/watching, cycling or just lazing around.
St Dunstan in the East - The Church of St Dunstan was originally designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren around 1100 and is a Grade I listed building.It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire of London and again in the Blitz of 1941. Wren's tower and steeple survived the bombing. During the re-organisation of the Anglican Church after World war II it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan’s. In 1967 the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970. Its a lovely calm oasis in the bustle of the City and I always feel it has a magical secret Garden quality to it.
The Southbank is a lovely place to visit regardless of the time of the year and has many free attractions if you're trying to save a bit of money. You can take a stroll down the Queens walk and closer to Christmas time you can visit all the winter market stalls. On the Southbank you will also find the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof garden which is lovely to visit in the summertime as well. Home to over 200 wild native plants and gorgeous views across the river, the garden is open Wednesday to Sunday throughout the spring and summer. Entrance is free and there’s a café-bar on-site.
Sky Garden - Also known as the Walkie Talkie because of its shape - the Garden at the top of the Fenchurch building is a brilliant way to view the whole of London from an amazing conservatory. It's free to book - unlike the Shard - but you will have to be quick as tickets go very quickly!
Borough Market - My favourite of the food markets in London - Borough Market is a true London stalwart. There has been a market in this location since 1756. You can buy everything from fresh produce, meats, cheese and breads to sweet pastries market food from all over the world. My one weakness is Borough Olives - the most amazing quality olives and tapenade, you have to try them!
Tower Bridge - Once you’ve finished stuffing your face at Borough Market you can take a stroll either across London Bridge - to view Tower Bridge across the water or carry on further along the river and walk across this beautiful and unique Bridge. If you want to access any viewpoints or go inside the towers you will have to pay and entrance fee but to be honest just walking under the towering structures( and hoping you won’t get stuck on one side just as a ship decides to come along!) is a visual feast. The views from the bridge of the rest of London is also lovely from here.
The home for unique & authentic travel
