If you are wondering what to do in London, use our app to browse through our lists of free London sightseeing ideas for inspiration.

We have over 1000 free to visit attractions listed including museums, art galleries, children's farms, gardens, historic sites, markets, nature, parks, children's playgrounds, skate parks, sports, leisure and landmarks.

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Map of todays 50 things to do in London

See below for 50 random free places to visit in London.


2

Markfield Beam Engine and Museum

Museum containing a beam engine dating from 1888 when it was used to pump waste water from Tottenham and Wood Green.
3

Hyde Park

One of the Royal Parks, Hyde Park has much to be explored including the 7 July Memorial, Princess Diana Fountain, 2 childrens playgrounds and Speakers Corner at the North East corner.
4

Coronation Gardens

An Edwardian park next to Leyton Orient FC, opened in 1903 to commemmorate the coronation of Edward VII.
2

Hainault Forest Country Park

Over 300 acres of open spaces and forest, with picnic areas, a large lake, play areas and a rare breeds farm.
3

Putney Sculpture Trail

A series of nine sculptures located by the South bank of the River Thames to either side of Putney Bridge.
4

Tate Modern

National Museum of modern and contemporary art.
2

Diana Memorial Fountain

This fountain is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales and was opened in 2004.
3

Kew Bridge

A grade II listed structure, opened in 1903.
4

Jubilee Gardens

Pleasant gardens with a childrens playground at the foot of the London Eye.
2

South Park Gardens

Formal Victorian park refurbished in 2009 and 2015, located close to Wimbledon town centre retaining original features such as a water fountain and water trough.
3

Southall Manor House Grounds

The gardens of the manor house, which dates from the 16th century.
4

Kensal Green Cemetery

A 19th century cemetery containing some very interesting buildings, tombs and memorials.
2

Carshalton Park

Originally part of a deer park containing features such as the remains of a 17th century grotto and ornamental canal.
3

Southwark Park

One of Londons oldest parks it was first opened to the public in 1869 and has recently been refurbished.
4

Bruce Castle Park

Bruce Castle Park derives its name from the estate from which it was created. The 16th century manor house hosts the Bruce Castle Museum of local history.
2

Valentines Mansion Gardens

Eighteenth century formal gardens surrounding the Mansion.
3

Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf is one of Londons most dominant landmarks located in docklands on the Isle Of Dogs
4

St. Pauls Cathedral

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, St Pauls Cathedral is one of the best know buildings in London. It was built after the great fire of London and is at least the fourth Cathedral to stand on this site.
2

Haling Grove

Formerly part of the grounds of Haling Grove House, which was demolished in 1936.
3

Old Courthouse Rec Ground

Previously a pasture with a brewery and stables, the park was opened in 1924.
4

Scadbury Park

Local Nature Reserve offering a circular route through woodland and meadows.
2

Old Royal Naval College

The buildings date from the 17th century and were designed by Sir Christopher Wren who also designed St Pauls Cathedral.
3

St. James Park

St James Park is the oldest of the royal parks. It contains both The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.
4

Belmont Open Space

This is a site of local importance for nature conservation.
2

Victoria Park Skate Park

A concrete bowl created in 2011.
3

Dagnam Park

A historic park with boundaries dating from the 18th century, now forming part of the Manor local nature reserve.
4

Basing Hill Park

A small park operated by Barnet Council with shrubs and trees around the perimeter.
2

London Wall

A section of the Roman London Wall built around AD200 adjoining the Tower of London.
3

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarch and has been since 1837.
4

Thames Barrier

Opened in 1982, the Thames Barrier provides flood defences for the city of London. Costing £16,000 to close the flood barrier each time, it has been closed 175 times up to April 2015.
2

Morden Hall Park

A former Deer Park, now owned by the National Trust.
3

Eastcote House Gardens

Previously the garden of Eastcote House dating from the 16th century but demolished in 1964.
4

Carnaby Street

World famous for boutique fashion shops and the centre of the swinging London of the 1960s.
2

Canons Park

Canons Park covers 120 acres of formal gardens and open land that was developed as a public park after world war two.
3

Albert Bridge

One of the most attractive bridges in London, particularly when it is illuminated at night.
4

Imperial War Museum

Museum with exhibits about conflict, particularly those involving Britain and the Commonwealth from World War 1 to the present.
2

Materials Library

The Institute of Making hosts the Materials Library, presenting a collection of all sorts of materials from synthetic or natural sources, comprised of just about any material you could possibly think of.
3

Farthing Downs

Chalk grasslands forming the most extensive area of chalk grasslands in Greater London.
4

Ragged School Museum

Museum of a Victorian school set up by Thomas Barnardo to educate children who were too poor to access education.
2

Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery in the Southbank Centre often has free exhibitions - check the website for details.
3

British Library

You can access the British Library for researching over 150 million items or to visit one of the free events or exhibitions.
4

Big Ben

Big Ben is the popular name of the Elizabeth Tower that houses the Great Bell which has the nickname of Big Ben.
2

Regents Park

Regents Park covers 395 acres and includes Queen Marys Gardens where you can see more than 30,000 roses.
3

Hadley Green

A ten hectare site of importance for nature conservation.
4

Camden Lock Market

An area of small shops and market stalls selling vintage fashion, handmade jewellery and homewares.
2

Hamleys

The biggest toy shop in the world, Hamleys has seven floors of toys and games to browse through.
3

Brick Lane Market

Brick lane Market is open on Sundays and is a traditional flea market.
4

Royal Mail Archive

The archive is part of the Mount Pleasant Sorting Office complex and is freely open to all but you must register with the user card system.
2

Green Park

Green Park is situated between Buckingham Palace and Mayfair. Within the park are the Canada Memorial, Constitution Hill and the Bomber Command Memorial.
3

Leyton Jubilee Park

Thirty acres of parkland that was redeveloped in 2013. The area is divided between sports, play and natural.
We have over 1000 ideas for FREE things to do and places to go for anyone visiting, or living in London.

If you are looking for ideas about having a day out then browse through our lists of sightseeing ideas for inspiration - whatever the weather London has in store there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities listed.

The majority of London attractions listed are free to visit and include museums, art galleries, childrens farms, childrens playgrounds, gardens, historic sites, markets, nature, parks, skateparks, sports, leisure, landmarks and London events.

Many of the most famous art galleries the city has to offer are featured on the site including Tate Modern, The National Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery. Details can also be found of much smaller and less well known sites including the Serpentine Galleries in Hyde Park and the Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park.

Children are well catered for in the city with many parks having playgrounds ranging from swings and slides to the pirate ship in the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens.

There are several childrens farms spread across London - one of our favourite ones is in Crystal Palace Park where you can also take the children to check out the Victorian dinosaur statues that reside in and around the lake.

For a slightly older age group are many skateparks and you can also find free to use tennis courts and outdoor gym equipment in some of the parks.

We will soon have an events page that lists out the well known annual events including Notting Hill Carnival, The Lord Mayors Show, Trooping The Colour and The Boat Race. Several institutions such as the LSE and The Royal Society offer free lectures and you can also be entertained at places like The Scoop next to City Hall or watch the street performers at Covent Garden.

London is a surprisingly green city with the large Royal Parks in the centre of town and Battersea Park just a short distance away on the South side of the River Thames. Greenwich Park is partly a deer park and also houses historical sites such as the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum which are both free to visit.

Further out there are many woodlands, the largest being Epping Forest which covers 6000 acres of North London stretching from Chingford to Epping. Large areas of the forest are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conversation and there are 4 visitor centres.

Historic sites and London landmarks frequently go hand in hand, for example both Tower Bridge and The Tower Of London are known around the world but with interesting historical backgrounds - and don't forget The Monument to the Great Fire of London, located in Pudding Lane just a short walk across the river from London Bridge Station.

Then of course there are more modern landmarks such as the Gherkin and the Shard which are both spectacular buildings, but the areas around can also reveal other places of interest like the public artworks in the streets surrounding the Gherkin (including rusty metal dinosaurs and a large globe made from stainless steel nuts and bolts).

Marble Arch hosts two large public artworks in the form of a giant horses head and Ghengis Khan mounted on his horse. Henry Moore sculptures can be found by the Thames at Millbank and at College Gardens near the Houses of Parliament. Please note that not all of the landmarks and historic sites are free to enter but we have included them if good views can be had of them from the surrounding streets.

So there is plenty to see and do for a daytrip, an extended visit or a full holiday in London and it need not be expensive.

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