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

Pollards Hill Skatepark

Concrete skatepark in Pollards Hill that opened in 2010.
3

The Gherkin (30 St. Mary Axe)

Designed by Sir Norman Foster this huge office block is 180m high.
4

Happy Valley

Glacial action formed this steep sided valley in the last ice age.
2

Gunnersbury Park Museum

Local history museum for the Ealing and Hounslow areas housed in the mansion in Gunnersbury Park.
3

Bostall Heath and Woods

Ancient woodland whos name comes from the Anglo Saxon for "woody heath".
4

Carnaby Street

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

Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve

Once part of the Selsdon Park estate, the woods were opened to the public in 1936.
3

Sydenham Wells Park

Ornamental trees and shrubs in a park built on the site of 17th century medicinal springs.
4

Church House Gardens

Ornamental gardens with a lake which originally were the grounds of Church House, which was destroyed in World War Two.
2

Woolwich Ferry

A free ferry service for cars and pedestrians.
3

The Monument

The Monument was built in 1671-77 to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666.
4

Tate Modern

National Museum of modern and contemporary art.
2

Danson Park

A large park with one of the best childrens playgrounds in London.
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

Columbia Road Flower Market

Sunday flower market and shops in the East End.
2

Crystal Palace Dinosaurs

Crystal Palace park is famous for all sorts of reasons, one of which being the legendary dinosaurs! Sculpted by Benjamin Hawkins with help from Sir Richard Owen.
3

Southwark Park Tennis Courts

Free tennis courts in this green flag award winning park.
4

Richmond Park

Famous for it's deer, Richmond Park was once in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Opened during the reign of Charles I, Richmond Park is the second largest park in London.
2

National Maritime Museum

Part of the Greenwich World Heritage site, the museum houses relics, art and information about the history of Britain at sea.
3

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.
4

Mertyl Avenue

For any planespotter, the park at the end of Mertyl Avenue is the place to go. Directly under the landing flightpath at Heathrow Airport, spotters can find themselves up close with giant airliners coming into London.
2

Central Park Havering

A large park with woodland and open grasslands.
3

Hamleys

The biggest toy shop in the world, Hamleys has seven floors of toys and games to browse through.
4

Tower Bridge

One of the most famous sites in London, this twin bascule bridge was built in 1892.
2

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!
3

Regents Park

Regents Park covers 395 acres and includes Queen Marys Gardens where you can see more than 30,000 roses.
4

Getty Images Gallery

One of the largest photographic galleries in London holding images dating from the 1850s to the present day.
2

Imperial War Museum

Museum with exhibits about conflict, particularly those involving Britain and the Commonwealth from World War 1 to the present.
3

Riddlesdown

Large expanse of open fields and downland.
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

Norbury Park

Open spaces, a childrens playground and a community BMX track are all available in this 28 acre park.
3

British Academy

British institution supporting humanities and social sciences. The Academy host a range of public events including conferences, talks and discussions.
4

Valentines Mansion Gardens

Eighteenth century formal gardens surrounding the Mansion.
2

Mad Bess Wood

Mad Bess Wood is part of the Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
3

Battersea Power Station

This famous London landmark was closed in 1983 and is now protected by Grade 2 listing by English Heritage.
4

Richmond Bridge

The Borough of Richmond is split by the River Thames but joined by Richmond Bridge.
2

St. James Park

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

Charles Dickens Dog and Pot

A statue of a golden dog licking a pot erected in honour of Charles Dickens.
4

Waddon Ponds

Once used as millponds for a medieval corn mill they are now a haven for waterfowl.
2

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.
3

London Wall

A section of the Roman London Wall built around AD200 adjoining the Tower of London.
4

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarch and has been since 1837.
2

Greenwich Market

A covered market with a variety of stalls set within the Greenwich World Heritage site.
3

High Beach Visitor Centre

Visitor centre with details of walks, leaflets and guidance about visiting Epping Forest.
4

William Morris Gallery

The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow was opened by then Prime Minister Clement Atlee in 1950. The building itself was once known as Water House. Morris and his family lived there from 1848 to 1856.
2

Speakers Corner

Since the middle of the 19th Century this has been the place for people to speak out and for people to listen to them.
3

Street Performers at Covent Garden

A variety of street performers can be seen in the Piazza at Covent Garden.
4

London Mithraeum

Roman Temple of Mithras discovered during excavation of a World War II bomb site.
2

East Wickham Open Space

Thirty four hectares of parkland and wildlife habitats.
3

Old Spitalfields Market

There is a market here everyday although the main days are Thursday - Sunday.
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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