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

London Wall

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

Carnaby Street

World famous for boutique fashion shops and the centre of the swinging London of the 1960s.
4

Cottons Park

Close to Romford town centre this park provides play facilities for different age groups.
2

Southbank Centre Roof Garden

The garden is for everyone to enjoy and is one of Southbank Centres free public spaces. You are also welcome to bring your own picnic.
3

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.
4

Blackheath

Site of the start of the London Marathon and location of one of Londons best free firework displays.
2

Telegraph Hill Skatepark

Built in 2012 with concrete ramps surrounding a basketball court.
3

The Stephens Collection

A small museum about Stephens Ink and writing materials located within Avenue House.
4

Old Royal Naval College

The buildings date from the 17th century and were designed by Sir Christopher Wren who also designed St Pauls Cathedral.
2

Sutcliffe Park

Opened as a park in 1937 the area was susceptible to flooding until re-landscaping and flood protection helped out in 2004.
3

Lloyd Park Croydon

Large open spaces with a childrens playground and outdoor gym.
4

Ham Common

Local Nature Reserve between Ham Avenues and Ham Common Woods.
2

Somerset House

An Arts and Crafts cultural centre with programmes of contemporary art and design exhibitions.
3

Lesnes Abbey Woods

Lesnes Abbey Wood offers a variety of habitats including woodlands, heathland and ornamental gardens as well as the ruins of Lesnes Abbey.
4

Tower Bridge Walk Of Fame

A series of decorative plaques highlighting the people who have worked on the bridge.
2

Hamleys

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

Threehalfpenny Wood

Meeting Spring Park to the East, this is the border with Kent.
4

Imperial War Museum

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

Golborne Road Market

Located near Portobello Road market off Ladbroke Grove.
3

BFI Mediatheque

The British Film Institute Mediatheque is completely free to use, simply arrive, tell the staff how long you require a booth for, and watch whatever you like!
4

Foots Cray Meadows

At almost 100 hectares, this is the London Borough of Bexleys largest public open space.
2

St. James Park

St James Park is the oldest of the royal parks. It contains both The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.
3

Hammersmith Bridge

A grade II listed bridge that was designed by Joseph Bazalgette
4

BDA Dental Museum

With over 20000 exhibits, this museum chronicles dental care in the UK.
2

The Design Museum

Opened here at its new site in 2016, the building itself is worth a look.
3

Hayes Old Rectory Gardens

A formal garden dating from 1906 that was the garden of the rectory.
4

Pump House Gallery

Housed in a Grade II listed old pump house within Battersea Park.
2

Morden Park

A leafy park that is part of the Capital Woodlands Project. The Roman road Stane Street runs through the park but is totally covered, however there is a mound that is thought to be a pagan burial site.
3

Big Ben

Big Ben is the popular name of the Elizabeth Tower that houses the Great Bell which has the nickname of Big Ben.
4

Tumbling Bay Playground

Natural wooden adventure playground located at the Timber Lodge community centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
2

West Ham Park

In 1871 Upton Park F.C. played football here. They conceded the first ever goal in the F.A.Cup, scored by Jarvis Kenrick in a 3-0 win for Clapham Rovers.
3

National Army Museum

Museum containing exhibits and displays about the British Army from its inception as Cromwells New Model Army to the present day.
4

London Wall

A section of the Roman London Wall built around AD200 adjoining the Tower of London.
2

Crane Park

A nature reserve where it is possible to find kingfishers and water voles - if you are lucky. Running either side of the River Crane, the North part is in Richmond and the South is in Hounslow.
3

Roundwood Park

A formal victorian park with green flag status.
4

Regents Park

Regents Park covers 395 acres and includes Queen Marys Gardens where you can see more than 30,000 roses.
2

Glebelands Wood Nature Reserve

Local nature reserve with a variety of habitats.
3

Whitechapel Market

An long established market close to Whitechapel station that may well change once Crossrail is finished.
4

Newlands Park

A small park created in the 1950s but reworked in 2001.
2

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarch and has been since 1837.
3

Shakespeares Globe Theatre

A modern reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre on the South bank of the River Thames.
4

Tate Modern

National Museum of modern and contemporary art.
2

Brittons Playing Field

Rainham Skatepark and Brittons Playing Field and childrens playground. Across the road from Bretons Rec which has formal sports pitches and open spaces with a large lake fed by the River Beam.
3

O2 Arena (Millennium Dome)

Opened on 31st December in 1999 as the Millennium Dome, the O2 Arena is now a vast entertainment complex. Entrance to the complex is free.
4

Battersea Bridge

Opened in 1890 by Lord Rosebery who was to become Prime Minister in 1894.
2

St. James Park

St James Park is the oldest of the royal parks. It contains both The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.
3

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.
4

Charles Dickens Dog and Pot

A statue of a golden dog licking a pot erected in honour of Charles Dickens.
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

St Pauls Cray Hill Country Park

Formerly a landfill site, now a country park covering fourty hectares.
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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