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

Imperial War Museum

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

Trumble Gardens

Opened as a public park after the second world war. This area was residential but was devastated by a V1 bomb in 1944.
4

Rowley Green Common

Common land forming a local nature reserve adjacent to Arkley golf course.
2

Chalkhill BMX Track

Three bike tracks of different grades.
3

Getty Images Gallery

One of the largest photographic galleries in London holding images dating from the 1850s to the present day.
4

John Innes Park

Named after John Innes, a local philanthropist who left the park to the people of Merton when he died in 1904.
2

Threehalfpenny Wood

Meeting Spring Park to the East, this is the border with Kent.
3

London Wall

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

London Chatham And Dover Railway Sign

Brightly painted insignia of the London Chatham and Dover Railway dating from 1864.
2

Hampstead Heath

One of Londons largest parks with excellent views of the London skyline.
3

Totteridge Fields Nature Reserve

Dollis Brook runs through this site of over 30 hedgerowed fields.
4

Battersea Park

A large Victorian park with a 1 km riverside promenade, fountains, a lake, formal gardens and a childrens play area.
2

Brixton Windmill and Gardens

A fascinating mill that was built as a traditional windmill in 1816 but converted to run on steam in 1902. It has recently been restored.
3

Hamleys

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

Grant Museum of Zoology

The museum, founded in 1828 houses around 67000 specimens from the Animal Kingdom.
2

Petticoat Lane

Petticoat Lane is one of Londons oldest markets and has been running since the 1750s.
3

Westminster Cathedral

This is the primary church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
4

Building Centre

The Building Centre is an independent forum dedicated to provide information and inspiration to all sectors of the built environment.
2

Regents Park

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

Old Blackfriars Railway Bridge Pillars

The old Blackfriars railway bridge was largely demolished in 1985.
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

Carnaby Street

World famous for boutique fashion shops and the centre of the swinging London of the 1960s.
3

London Wall

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

Broomfield Park Conservatory

Built in 1934 and refurbished by the council in 2018, the conservatory is run by volunteers.
2

Queen's Wood Local Nature Reserve

Fifty two acres of ancient woodland mainly comprised of oak and hornbeam.
3

Buckingham Palace

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

Horniman Museum and Gardens

Museum of anthropology and natural history that is set in a 15 acre garden.
2

BT Tower

Still known by many as The Post Office Tower this is one of Londons tallest buildings and has been a telecommunications centre since the 1960s.
3

Barnes Common

A Local Nature Reserve covering 120 acres either side of the A306.
4

Piccadilly Circus

Famous busy junction with neon and video signs and a statue of Eros and fountain.
2

Petts Wood and Hawkwood

Maintained by the National Trust since it was acquired in 1957 from the Hawkwood estate.
3

Tate Modern

National Museum of modern and contemporary art.
4

Park Hill Recreation Ground

The area became a public park in the 1880s, having previously been the site of a reservoir.
2

Big Ben

Big Ben is the popular name of the Elizabeth Tower that houses the Great Bell which has the nickname of Big Ben.
3

City of London Police Museum

Museum charting the development of the police service in the United Kingdom. Guided tours provided.
4

The Cordwainer

Statue of The Cordwainer (A shoemaker) celebrating the ward of Cordwainer.
2

Fitzroy House

The former home of the writer and philosopher L Ron Hubbard. It is open to the public by appointment only.
3

Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court)

The current building was built in 1907 but there has been a court on the site since medieval times.
4

Gresham College

Gresham College has provided free lectures in the city of London for over 400 years. Since it's formation in 1597, public speakers have offered free lectures to the population on a variety of topics.
2

Little Britain Lake

Named due to its shape being vaguely similar to the British Isles, formed by extraction of gravel in the 1930s.
3

Valentines Park

Award winning park adjoining Valentines Mansion and Gardens.
4

Chrisp Street Market

The oldest purpose built market in the country with redevelopment planned in the near future.
2

Faraday Museum at the Royal Institution

Museum about discoveries in science at the Royal Institution since 1799.
3

Old Truman Brewery

A disused brewery on Brick Lane that has now been transformed into an arts and media venue.
4

St. James Park

St James Park is the oldest of the royal parks. It contains both The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.
2

Copse Wood

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

Saison Poetry Library

The Saison Poetry Library in the Southbank Centre houses the Arts Council poetry collection which is the largest collection of poetry in the United Kingdom.
4

Brixton Market

Lots of shops and stalls with a real street vibe. Most of the time there are about 80 street traders.
2

Tate Britain

Major art gallery housing the largest collection of British art in the world in a grade II listed building.
3

Cannizaro Park

Grade 2 listed garden with one of the countries premier collections of azalias and rhododendrons.
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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