London Free Guide — free & cheap things to do in London
A London guide for people who hate overpaying. We find the free and genuinely cheap things to do in London and explain them plainly. Where there is a catch we say so.
Browse the full A–Z of 298 free London spots, the free events calendar, free day trips by train, our curated guides, and the first-time visitor guide.
Free this weekend in London
- 5 free things to do this weekend (17–19 Jul 2026) — The weekend edit. Five free things across London this weekend, from a brand-new East End art biennial to free graduate catwalks, a free daytime rave and a proper summer fete.
- Backyard Biennial East (Fri 17 – Sun 19 Jul · opening weekend) — A brand-new 8-week art biennial takes over the East End, and this is its opening weekend. 40+ venues of free shows, performances and open studios around Whitechapel. Free, walk in. Nearest tube Aldgate East.
- Kyotographie at Japan House (Sat 18 + Sun 19 Jul · 10am–6pm) — Japan House opens its first ever photography show, straight from the famous Kyoto festival. Two major Japanese photographers, free to see. Kensington High St, W8 5SA.
- Free Graduate Catwalks (Fri 17 Jul · 11.30am + 3pm) — Front-row seats at a real graduate fashion show for free. Watch the next generation of designers send their collections down the runway at the East Bank. London College of Fashion, Stratford E20. Free but RSVP.
- Free Day Rave (Sat 18 Jul · from 3pm) — A free daytime rave in the container courtyard. DJs, street food and proper party energy for zero pounds. BOXPARK Shoreditch, E1 6GY. Just RSVP.
- Clockhouse Summer Fete (Sat 18 Jul · 12–5pm) — A proper local summer fete in Woolwich. Bouncy castle, kids disco, live music, dance and food stalls, all free. Clockhouse Centre, Woolwich SE18 5QL.
London's free icons
- British Museum — Bloomsbury. World-history collection of 8m+ objects including the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon sculptures.
- National Gallery — Trafalgar Square. Western European masterpieces from Van Eyck to Van Gogh.
- National Portrait Gallery — Trafalgar Square. Portraits of famous Britons across centuries, reopened 2023.
- Tate Modern — Bankside. Modern and contemporary art in a former power station with a vast Turbine Hall.
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) — South Kensington. World's leading museum of art and design, 5,000 years of objects.
- Natural History Museum — South Kensington. Dinosaurs, the blue whale skeleton and 70m specimens; the UK's most-visited attraction.
- Science Museum — South Kensington. Hands-on science and engineering history.
- Wallace Collection — Marylebone. Old Master paintings, French furniture and armour in a townhouse.
- Sir John Soane's Museum — Holborn. Architect's labyrinthine home crammed with antiquities and art.
- Borough Market — Southwark. London's most famous food market, trading since the 11th century.
- Columbia Road Flower Market — Bethnal Green. Sunday street market bursting with flowers and plants.
- Camden Market — Camden. Sprawling alternative market of food, vintage and crafts by the canal.
- Sky Garden — City of London. Three-storey indoor garden atop the Walkie-Talkie with 360 views.
- Greenwich Park — Greenwich. Oldest enclosed Royal Park with gardens, deer and hilltop views.
- St Dunstan in the East — City of London. Bombed-out Wren church reborn as a lush public garden among the ruins.