Free Things to Do In London

Museums are known in London to be brilliant as a cost-effective way of seeing the city as they are mostly all free. The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and many more.

Embankment is just a nice place to sit back and enjoy the whole city in front of you.

Listen to the Buskers on the Tubes or the streets. Charlie Chaplin usually hangs out on London Bridge.

Cycle through London by following the new routes being marked down on the main roads throughout Westminster.

The iTunes Festival is held every year throughout July. All tickets are won in a competition and you can apply for these here and the tickets are entirely free. You get a card where you can download free songs from the previous year’s gigs and there are often famous people dancing beside you. The gigs are brilliant as you can see well-established good bands and singers in an extremely intimate venue called the Roundhouse, which is located in Camden Town.

The Photographer’s Gallery and other art galleries offer a free way to explore London. The Saatchi Gallery offers a free magazine each season, so every time you visit be sure to pick one up as it is extremely interesting to read on the current art world. Tate Modern, V&A and Tate Britain are also well worth seeing and the Whitechapel Gallery is free too.

Silent discos are amazing. At London Zoo in August, there will be silent discos every Friday night. It sounds crazy, and it is. The concept is that you take your own music and you dance to it – without anyone else hearing what you hear but just seeing you dance from how you react to your own music. The best one in the past was the silent disco in Waterloo station. This can be quite a funny event to go to as the people of London are often confused and watching their faces while you’re having the time of your life is often a tummy tickler.

Take a stroll round Hyde Park. The stunning scenery provides somewhere to relax and maybe cuddle up with a book. The peace and quiet offers a contrast to the busy London streets so if you want some reflective time or a run about with your dog then this is a very good area to go to without feeling you’ll be intruded upon by a gang of hoodies.

The British Museum is great, and free. It offers so much British history as well as foreign history and the pieces that are on display are actually worth seeing.

The National Theatre offers a scheme where people under 25 can get cheaper theatre tickets. Since it is a part of the ‘A Night Less Ordinary’ charity that offers young people a chance to go to the theatre without the ridiculous prices, it is definitely worth applying for an Entry Pass if you can qualify for one. The first ticket you ‘buy’ is actually free as well. Then all the following are £5 each. All of the tickets at normal rates are much more than this bargain.

You may feel a little bit like Aladdin by doing this but if you go to a street market such as Camden Lock where there are tons and tons of stalls where people are trying to sell food, often they will ask you if you would like to try before you buy. If you are feeling particularly cheap and want free food, you could just keep going to different stalls and asking to try them out! However the food is relatively cheap – so if you can squeeze a few pounds in your pocket, support the local community and buy some food.

Perhaps you’re feeling nosey, or would like some real life drama. Or maybe you’re a law student but feel guilty about not revising for an exam. Maybe you’re just up for anything. The Old Bailey is where you can go and watch trials. It’s certainly not entertainment, but it can be fascinating, if you have a strong constitution.

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