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Places on this page where we hold a photo; the others show sights elsewhere in our guide.
Free means general admission. Special exhibitions and events can be ticketed, some places ask you to book a free slot, and some suggest a donation. Check the venue before you go.
Every entry below is a gallery and museum in our London guide whose own website said, when we read it, that entry is free. We quote what the page said, link the page, and do not give opening hours, because they change. 4 places on this list ask you to book a free ticket first: National Maritime Museum, Natural History Museum, Queen's House, Tate Modern. If a venue's page changes, we remove it at the next check.
Free museums, galleries and sites
- Official site for Guildhall Art Gallery (opens in new tab)
Guildhall Art Gallery
Its page says admission to the gallery and the Roman Amphitheatre is free.
- Official site for Imperial War Museum London (opens in new tab)
Imperial War Museum London
Its page says entry is free and you do not need to book.
- Official site for Museum of the Home (opens in new tab)
Museum of the Home
Its page says entry is free and no booking is required.
- Official site for National Gallery (opens in new tab)
National Gallery
Its visiting page says the gallery is free to visit, with a charge for some exhibitions.
- Official site for National Maritime Museum (opens in new tab)
National Maritime Museum
Its page lists free entry, with booking recommended.
- Official site for Natural History Museum (opens in new tab)
Natural History Museum
Its page offers a free entry ticket; check whether you need to book.
- Official site for Queen's House (opens in new tab)
Queen's House
Its page lists free entry, with booking recommended.
- Official site for Science Museum (opens in new tab)
Science Museum
Its page lists free entry.
- Official site for Tate Britain (opens in new tab)
Tate Britain
Its page lists free admission (special exhibitions can be ticketed).
- Official site for Tate Modern (opens in new tab)
Tate Modern
Its page lists free admission (special exhibitions can be ticketed).
- Official site for Victoria and Albert Museum (opens in new tab)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Its home page says admission is free, with a separate charge for some exhibitions and events.
- Official site for Wallace Collection (opens in new tab)
Wallace Collection
Its page says entry to the permanent collection is free.
- Official site for Wellcome Collection (opens in new tab)
Wellcome Collection
Its page says permanent and temporary exhibitions, and most events, are free.
Open spaces
These are open spaces in our guide. The operator's page says when they are open; it does not say whether any charge applies to events or facilities.
- Official site for Max Roach Park (opens in new tab)
Max Roach Park
Lambeth Council says the park is open 24 hours a day.
- Official site for Leadenhall Market (opens in new tab)
Leadenhall Market
Its page says the public areas are open 24/7; shops, bars and restaurants keep their own hours.
- Official site for The Regent's Park (opens in new tab)
The Regent's Park
The Royal Parks page says Primrose Hill stays open 24 hours on weekdays (dates and exceptions are on the page).
Free self-guided walks
Following a walk costs nothing, though places you pass may charge. Each walk page has a map, the route, stops and a GPX file.
- Soho and Covent Garden: Squares, markets and side streets between Tottenham Court Road and the Piazza.
- Thames Path: Westminster to Tower Bridge: Parliament, the London Eye and the whole South Bank, ending at Tower Bridge.
- Camden, Primrose Hill and Little Venice: Camden Lock, a hilltop view and the Regent's Canal towpath to Little Venice.
- Greenwich: Park, Observatory and Riverside: Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Naval College, the Prime Meridian and the Thames Path.
- Notting Hill, Portobello and Holland Park: A famous pub, the Portobello Road, a Japanese garden and a Victorian artist's house.
- Hampstead Heath and Kenwood: Hampstead village, the high heath, Kenwood House and the view from Parliament Hill.
Getting around London for less
Local transport: Transport for London (Oyster and contactless). TfL says you can "use contactless or an Oyster card to pay as you go".
Fares and tickets: TfL fares and ways to pay (opens in new tab), TfL tube and rail fares (opens in new tab). Our getting around guide compares every destination.
More in London
Our older free and cheap London page lists parks, viewpoints, markets, cheap theatre tickets and cheap eating. You can also follow a self-guided walk.
Where next in London
Open the London guide for neighbourhoods, eating and getting there. For sights that need a timed ticket, see what to book ahead; for indoor ideas on a wet day, see the rainy-day guide.
Other destinations
- Free things in Bath
- Free things in Bristol
- Free things in Cambridge
- Free things in Cornwall
- Free things in Edinburgh
- Free things in Glasgow
- Free things in Liverpool
- Free things in Manchester
- Free things in Northern Ireland
- Free things in Oxford
- Free things in the Cotswolds
- Free things in the Jurassic Coast
- Free things in the Lake District
- Free things in the Scottish Highlands
- Free things in Wales
- Free things in York