Want to have a great day out in London but don’t want to spend a penny? Here are some ideas that might help, or inspire you to get out and enjoy all of what London has to offer, even if you’re on a budget.

1) First thing to suggest would be any museum in London as there is free entry. There are so many museums in London for you to enjoy, The British Museum, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, The National Gallery and my personal favourite the London Transport Museum. You will be able to freely visit any of these great museums, but if you’re looking to not spend any money avoid the gift shops!

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2) Are you a bookworm? In need of a place to switch up your studying routine? Well there are plenty of libraries you can visit that are, yep you guessed it.. FREE! The British Library has the biggest catalogue of books in the whole of the world, you’ll be guaranteed to find what you are looking for here. The London Library again has a huge collection of books and was the home to many intellectuals over the years. The Guildhall Library specialises in the history of London and is the largest collection in the world devoted to the history of a single city. The first version of the library was established in around 1425 to serve a college of priests, but is now a public reference library open to all. Those are just a few examples to get you out into the city of London, even if it is for studying.

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3) Fan of Harry Potter? You will have heard of platform 9¾. Located in London’s busy King’s Cross train station, you will be able to get that perfect photo as if you were on your way to Hogwarts!

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4) Why not tick off another landmark and visit the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben.

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5) St Paul’s Catherderal is a must on your London landmarks checklist. The church was constructed in the late 17th century but had a church on site since the sixth century AD, it has been a part of London for a very long time. St Paul’s is a church that holds hourly service and prayers to this day. Don’t forget there are a whole number of free London landmarks you can see such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Tower of London and the famous lions in Trafalgar Square.

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6) Ever wondered how heavy a gold bar is to hold in your hand? Well why not visit the Bank of England and try it for yourself. Look at all the bank notes around the world and see how they have changed over time in the bank note gallery, take a gold vault selfie in the gold corridor and visit the infamous vault where all those precious gold bars are kept. You won’t be able to take any of those home with you unfortunately.

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7) Why not visit one of London’s vast parks and spend some time outdoors while the weather is nice. You could take a stroll in Hyde park, Richmond Park, Regent’s Park and St James’ Park. All these parks are totally free and you could easily pack up a picnic and enjoy a day in the sun!

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8) Fan of the Beatles? Why not recreate the classic Abbey Road album cover that was so famously recreated in different ways and distributed across the world. Don’t forget to bring Paul, John, George and Ringo with you!

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9) Covent Garden is always a very interesting place to visit. You are guaranteed to find something fun to do there. There are often shows and street performances happening in the Covent Garden square or in and around the market so it’s definitely worth wondering around and seeing what you can find.

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10) London has so many famously large markets dotted around and there is always a free sample to be had! Visit Camden Market to browse through over a 1000 stalls all the while take in all the funky characters you might see along the way. You can also visit Portabello Market and rustle through antiques, a foodies paradise in Borough Market, and pick up just about anything at Old Spitalfields Market. These are just some places you can visit while in London!

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