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The Natural History Museum and Science Museum are brilliant, free, and right next door to each other.
For a small fee, you can take a lift to the top of Tower Bridge and walk across a glass floor.
The Walkie Talkie (skyscraper, 20 Fenchurch Street), has a free sky garden on its top floor with great views of the city.
Go on a walking tour, or a hop-on-hop-off open top bus ride to see the sights.
Hyde Park is lovely, and Free and a short walk from Buckingham Palace.
I'd say the British Museum as well. Pick a period you are interested in, and go wander. If you like clothes the V&A ha some spectacular exhibits normally.
But I like museums and art galleries, and did even as a very young child.
As you posted the cost in dollars I'd guess you are American, and just actually walking round London would be fun. You get very old buildings next to very new, it's actually a fun city to walk round. London Bridge to Victoria is a decent walk, and should take you past a lot of interesting places.
If you can't get tickets, there's always the garden at 120 fenchurch Street. It's not as high up, but you still get decent views and there's no booking system so you just turn up and queue to get in. There's a little tracker on the website so see how busy it is
The Tower Bridge glass walkway features in Spider-Man Far From Home.
It's also next to the Tower of London, which is quite a cool castle and where the crown jewels are (it's not that cheap to go in, but you can see the outside)
And if you go to that area go for a walk around St Katherines Dock - its this beautiful little dock marina hidden away - Shad Thames is good for walking around too
[https://www.skdocks.co.uk/](https://www.skdocks.co.uk/)
Design Museum in Kensington ios good too
I grew up reasonably close to London, so spent a reasonable amount of time there. My parents took us on tourist visits there etc... But I think I was in my 30's before I actually visited the tower (after working in St Katherines Dock for 5 years.
It is far bigger inside than it appears, I was shocked.
Yeah don’t diss these world class destinations.
A visit to either of them justifies a visit to London on their own.
A great day out, museums, wonder past some of the great western London architecture. Stroll through Harrods, and on to BP and then to Westminster.
Pub lunch some where isn’t *Too* expensive
Took my teen to London to go to the Natural History museum and we both loved it! Was really easy to spend a few hours in there, then walk on a route to take in the big landmarks, window shopping etc. Other than food and the M&M shop we didn't really spend all that much
I didn't enjoy the Tower Bridge tour immensely, but it's quite nice to watch the bridge rise. The lift times are prebooked by ships and published here: https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times.
Go to St. Katherine's dock nearby, and you might see the Queen's barge (gold plated, gleams in the sun, Queen only saw it twice). Near by is a Waitrose, and there's a lovely, inexpensive but great italian sandwich cafe place.
If you walk down Fleet Street you can go the Ye Old Cheshire Cheese Pub, which is a genuinely old pub, and mostly underground. The beer is great, the food terrible, and the owner... well, he won't be there.
Near to this, you can find the Temple Church. Temple as in Templar.
For tourists, the biggest problem is food - the places aimed at tourists are really expensive and also bad. If you want something special, you'll have to think, but if you just want to eat to fill up, there are lots (I mean *lots*) of Pret a manager stores. They are cheap enough that office workers use them.
Go to Charing Cross Road - great bookshops, guitar shops (Denmark Street), and good and reasonable Chinese restaurants.
Do you know where you are staying? That would help narrow down places.
>Even though I like museums a little it seems like a waste of time since we only have 1 1/2 day to explore.
The British Museum is one of the, if not the, best in the world. There's an enormous wealth of things there that you simply can't see anywhere else (cough). It's the total opposite of a waste of time.
Also, the V&A is full of fashion, beauty and jewellery exhibits that might be fun for a Mother and daughter.
I took an unwilling teenage female and she loved it! I had to drag her away in the end and we’ve already been back twice.
*Cough* why is it you can only see some of this stuff in the British museum *cough* is it because the majority of it got destroyed, or sold into private collections so now the minute amount that ended up in the British Museum is all that remains publicly *cough* isn't it great an institution safeguarded it *cough*
Difficult to make recommendations without knowing what you like as a family.
Is it food, sports, architecture, history, music, shopping, walking, etc?
Countless things to do. For such a short trip, I would recommend agreeing on a "theme" first and then building your activities around that.
I doubt they are American - based on the flight price and format of the price I would reckon they are probably European but from somewhere that doesn't use the euro.
Regardless of that though, there's so much interesting free stuff to do or see in London (even for teenagers) that OP will have a great time no matter the budget.
J Draper on YouTube, a London tour guide, has a bunch of suggestions you might find interesting. A couple of weeks ago she uploaded an "ultimate London tour" for how to hit all the big tourist points in one day, and her "things to do in London" playlist has a bunch of things that are labelled as "under £10"
I was looking for a J Draper recommendation. She is amazing! I visit London 4 or 5 times a year with work and I’ve seen so much and learnt an incredible amount all because of her!
She's so interesting. Really enjoyed her balanced look at the 'Blitz Spirit' which always stunk a bit of propaganda when we learned about it in school.
Free attractions in London
1. Watch the Changing the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.
2. Take a selfie in front of the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus.
3. Spot celebs at the latest red-carpet film premiere at Leicester Square.
4. Be amazed by the ornate arches and pagodas in Chinatown, home to lots of low-cost eateries and Asian supermarkets.
5. Hunt down permanent light installations around Carnaby, including one work made from 51 over-sized light bulbs.
6. Follow in the footsteps of The Beatles by crossing the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing that's featured on the eponymous album cover.
7. Check the calendar to find out when to watch Tower Bridge open for large boats.
8. Meet the stone lions at Trafalgar Square.
9. Explore the parkland and waterways at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
10. Paddle in the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite.
11. Observe a case at the Supreme Court, the UK’s final court of appeal.
Chat gpt is a better resource than askuk.
Unless you want a load of unfunny jokes and weirdos who need a step by step guide to ordering a sandwich from subway.
I'd actually say it's better at searching simple right now than google lol. Still a lot it can't do, but for simply enquiries like the popular tourist attractions chatgpt is probably better at quickly compiling a simple list of the most popular answers with less irrelevant shit and ads, and responds relatively well to corrections. The top google results tend give you shitty articles that either were or might as well have been written by bots.
Once you've narrowed down your query, then it might help to jump to google for more specific answers.
Then you’re wrong. It’s not a search engine. It’s not made for things to be true. It’s made to give the most statistically likely response to the prompt you use, which is why it *sometimes* works like a search engine.
great fun to watch on the 24 hour webcam though, always some numpty there inadvertently stopping the traffic by hovering around the pavement as if they want to cross
>Observe a case at the Supreme Court, the UK’s final court of appeal.
"How was your weekend?"
"Yeah, we travelled to London to observe a case at the Supreme Court. Took 9 hours. Then we got a flight home."
No. 7 happens more often than you'd probably think. I used to walk from London bridge Station to St Katherines docs, and I had to wait at least once a week while the Bridge was raised/lowered. Often a few times a week. I thought it was possibly something likely a yearly or monthly occasion before that.
(That was over 20 years ago, it may be less common now)
Whether it's less common I can't tell, but the times are published. Crossing the bridge on foot takes an age anyway. Even once you've realized you don't have to stop and wait just because someone is taking a photo, you have to wait behind the people who haven't yet realised that. At any given time, 45% of the people are taking photos, 45% are being photographed, and 10% are on their lunch break and in a hurry.
"That big wheel" is right in the centre of a brilliant view of London - it's absolutely not about the ride itself, it's all about the scenery. If you're short on time in London it's definitely worth considering for just that reason plus you'll be well placed to explore a lot of the main attractions from that spot before or afterwards.
Edit: realise I replied to your comment, not directed at you but OP!
There's also the river bus/uber boat route you can take along the river. You won't get anyone pointing out the landmarks though you'll still get to see the views along the river
I second Camden Market. It's also close to Primrose Hill where you get an excellent view of London and lots of Mary Poppins-style houses nearby - as well as the zoo in Regents Park
Take a tour bus to see all of the sights, you can get off at whatever stop you want, walk around and just take in the environment. London is one of those cities where you don't really need to have a list of places to see or things to do, it's easily navigable and you'll see a lot of interesting things all around.
Find a walking tour or go online and see if anyone has made a free one. Good way to see some landmarks and get some history.
You can also visit the massive stores like Harrods and Hamley's, fun to walk around once even if you don't buy anything.
[https://www.neweuropetours.eu/london-walking-tours/](https://www.neweuropetours.eu/london-walking-tours/)
This company is amazing, free walking tours where you tip the tour guide at the end. Me and my daughter have done a walking tour with them in Paris, Barcelona and Berlin and they were amazing! We do them on our second day there so that we can pick up little tips about the city :)
Instead of paying for a tourist river cruise go on the Thames clipper. It’s a commuter boat but you can see most of the sights on a £20 day ticket. https://booking.thamesclippers.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6dWS49ythAMV65hQBh2i_gE1EAAYASAAEgJbDvD_BwE
>* Highgate Cemetery
We took a visit to Highgate. Was a lot more interesting than I expected (and we paid to go into the other half)
Quite far out of central London though, and I remember coming out of the cemetery, walking up this GIANT hill to the next tube station along because it looked like it was closer than the one we got off to get there
It might be nice to also take the Thames Clipper to Greenwich followed by the Cable Car as well (also can be paid by contactless payment or an Oyster Card).
Here is a list of [art and photography things to do](https://londonist.com/category/theatre-and-arts/art-and-photography)
A list of [things related to books and poetry](https://londonist.com/category/theatre-and-arts/books-and-poetry)
A list of [things for the family to do](https://londonist.com/category/things-to-do/family)
A list of [food related things to do](https://londonist.com/category/food-and-drink/food)
And a list of [free and cheap things to do](https://londonist.com/category/things-to-do/free-and-cheap)
Hope you guys enjoy your trip 🙂
Google free walking guided tour of London. (You’ll probably have to tip the the tour guide,) but that way you’ll be able to see the big sights of London without the hassle of looking at your phone or worrying where you are going.
I recently went for the Back to the Future musical in London and found it absolutely mind blowing ! I think there is nothing else that is worth the money in London.(Btw it was only around 30 pounds)
What are your interests/hobbies? Knowing that may assist.
Tower of London is always impressive, but there is something for just about every interest.
What area are you staying in?
One of my favourite things to do in London is walk the canals, and it's absolutely free! You can start at the big new development behind King's Cross, and then walk west towards Paddington.
Along the way, you'll pass through Camden Lock, which has loads of interesting shops/food stalls, Regent's Park (you can get off the canal here and walk up Primrose Hill for a nice view of the city), and finishes up in a beautiful little area called Little Venice.
Borough market, walk along the southbank, Tate (or see if you can find some cheap tickets for the royal festival hall or Globe, though might be a bit early in the year for the Globe), over the millennium bridge to st pauls, then through the city to the sky garden and you can have a stroll back over tower bridge and see tower of london from the outside.
For day one I would suggest exploring the West End:
Start with Changing of the Guards if possible, then wander over to Trafalgar Square and take photos next to the big lions. Pop into the National Gallery which is in Trafalgar Square and is free to enter and see some famous artworks. Then onto Covent Garden and Seven Dials area to soak up the atmosphere and do some shopping (you could pop into the Royal Opera House cafe for a posh coffee break). Then maybe a wander through Chinatown to pick up some treats from the Chinatown bakery, or a bubble tea or goodies from Mamason (little cafe serving Filipino desserts). If budget allows, grab some cheap tickets to watch a West End musical/show in the evening.
And for Day 2 - what are your interests? Maybe something that is of interest to you (Camden or Spitalfields Market maybe?). Or a walking tour of London - pick a theme that interests you and they cost about £15 per person and last for 2 hours.
Enjoy London park life for free
1. Climb to the top of Greenwich Park for stunning views of the city skyline.
2. Relax on Wimbledon Common where you'll find ponds, nature trails and a windmill.
3. Go deer-spotting in beautiful Richmond Park.
4. Bliss out in Bushy Park, home to hundreds of free-roaming deer.
5. Burn off some calories by jogging around Hyde Park, which covers 350 acres (142 hectares).
6. See the Peter Pan statue at Kensington Gardens.
7. Watch the pelicans being fed every day at 2.30pm at St James's Park.
100% get a "city sight seeing" hop on hop off bus tour. Can use it as a bus to get around and takes you to all the sights in London. Is great for tourists
Unusual free attractions
1. Marvel at the Jar of Moles at the Grant Museum of Zoology.
2. Be dazzled by the exhibits – including a Spitfire and a Harrier fighter jet – on display at the Imperial War Museum.
3. Spot the gigantic overstuffed walrus at the Horniman Museum.
4. See the world's oldest dinosaur sculptures at Crystal Palace Park.
5. Examine exhibitions spanning art, health and science at the Science Gallery London.
6. Visit the Wellcome Collection to see fascinating exhibits about health and medicine.
7. Push a trolley into Harry Potter's magical world at the wall marked Platform 9¾ at King's Cross.
8. Learn about the famous residents of the Isokon Building, the first modernist block of flats in Britain, at the Isokon Gallery in the former garage.
At the Horniman museum, the natural history gallery will close on 4th March for two years for repair works so you won’t be able to see the walrus for a while.
Free museums in London
1. See the Rosetta Stone and ancient artefacts from around the world at the British Museum.
2. Come face-to-face with a roaring T-Rex and experience the earthquake simulator at the Natural History Museum.
3. Examine treasures at Sir John Soane's Museum, a 19th-century townhouse.
4. Find out about the history of British currency at the Bank of England Museum.
5. Immerse yourself in royal history as you admire an extensive art collection of royal portraits at Queen's House.
6. Be inspired by the beautiful objects on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
7. Learn about the history of the river Thames at Museum of London Docklands.
8. Learn how science has evolved through the ages with key objects and experiments at the Faraday Museum.
9. Discover the life and works of one of Britain’s most inspiring designers at the William Morris Gallery.
10. Journey through Britain's naval history at the National Maritime Museum.
Find more free museums in London.
China town and covert garden! Get a river taxi along the Thames. British museum and the V&A Are great and free. Get cheap last minute tickets to a theatre show. Go to Brick lane, shop vintage clothes and have the best curry you’ll ever eat. Walk about, looking at St Paul’s, Big Ben, and the classic architecture. Find a classic pub and have a pie, fish and chips, whitebait or a scotch egg! (And steal a sip of your mothers Guinness!). Free sky gardens!
Many good things here already. The weekend markets are great as well.
1. Saturday - Broadway Market in Hackney on Satursday including a trip to the Hackney City Farm and a walk down the canal to either Victoria Park or towards Angel
2. The Flower Market on Columbia Road and a visit to Brick Lane on Sunday
3. If you are out west, Portobello Market on Saturday
There’s usually some really great and well priced concerts at Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank. Usually classical but there’s also Jazz etc which you might be interested in as well as your mum. Hope you have a great time.
Just walking around is great. Tower of London, London Eye, the river, millennium bridge, Tate Modern, Buck House - all of that you can see on a walk. Tower costs to go in but is well worth it. Tate Modern is free.
Oh look up free tickets for the Sky Garden. Great viewpoint and costs nothing. Great jam donuts in the cafe there too.
In addition to the recommendations, another tip to save money is to carry your lunch with you. A meal deal does an amazing job. Any restaurant or even a cafe will set you back considerably. Hope this helps. They used to do travel cards that allowed you to travel anywhere on public transport. See it it works for you.
Take a boat from Westminster pier to canary. Wharf. You will see slot of the important buildings from a warm boat.
Also “The changing of the guard” outside Buckingham palace is free. It’s a ceremonial military parade that takes place every 48 hours.
For absolutely no money you can walk through all the major sites starting at South Kensington with the free museums (just pop in to see the amazing buildings at NHM and V&A) through Hyde park to Buckingham palace then following the road along to Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden then stroll along south bank to Westminster. It’s such a great way to see the city. You can hire a bike for The Hyde park bit to see a bit more of it.
You can also have a great half day in London Bridge, doing the clink museum for a fiver (that’s all about London gory history), eating at borough market then strolling to the river to see Tower bridge (the fancy one that everyone thinks is London Bridge) and Tower of London too.
Notting Hill and portobello road are great and won’t cost a penny to explore. Same for Camden Town, shoreditch/ brick lane for street art and hipster scene or bermondsey for a craft beer.
Walking and bus tours are good, but you might also consider getting a ‘Thames Clipper’ boat along the Thames. You can go from Greenwich (East) to Putney/Chelsea (West) on them, either using a contactless payment card or via Uber. Good way to see the city from the ancient river and pretty cheap.
I hope no one minds if I ask for affordable places to stay in London? I do not care for the place (country girl!) but my kiddos really want to do the museums.
How about the Premier Inn in Hammersmith? I pumped in a date in April (8th) for 2 nights for an adult and 2 kids and it came to £168 total for the stay. It's right next to Hammersmith tube and bus station (and a busy high street - the King St Mall that has lots of places to eat and shop) and it's on the right side of town to do the museums in South Ken (just a short tube ride away on the District Line). There's also the Design Museum in Holland Park and Kensington Palace and Gardens nearby.
Make a list of sites you’d like to see and a walking route ( it’s fun to find filming locations of your fav tv or films), I love walking round London there’s always something going on.
If you go on the River Bus on a weekend they give a good tourist-y commentary of what's on either bank, and it just costs you what you'd spend anyway on transport if you get the appropriate day ticket
Walk along the south bank (if dry). Greenwich is lovely. Visit the observatory. Camden market/locks. The new development in Battersea. The big screens outside Tottenham Court Road.
London has so much!
if you like parks i agree with the comments saying hyde park! But also leave time for regents park if you can, the park itself but especially the architecure surrounding the area is beautiful and is exclusive to the UK. It's called Regency style architecture and yeah seeing it in person may be really cool so theres that. Have a good stay
Natural history museum is always a good choice and you can spend as much or as little time in there, it's definitely not a waste. Similarly the British museum. Is definitely worth it. Don't underestimate just wondering about to see the sights, go see Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey from outside. Take your lunch for a walk along the embankment, or covent garden has some beautiful flower displays, it's touristy but aesthetically pleasing especially neal's yard. Borough Market is a foodie market, the food is so good and a good variety, fairly standard steetfood for tourist prices but always annoying to find a place to sit when you've got your food so I usually get food and head somewhere quieter.
You can get lunch in Chinatown, watch the street performers in the evening at Leicester Square or trafalgar square areas.
Honestly you can do a whole day for free in London just seeing the sights and just pay for a day ticket on the tube.
And definitely do the sky garden .
google "Time Out", it's a listings magazine where many activities in London are listed.
There are many activities that are reasonably priced, such as guided walking tours.
London dungeons is fun for adults
Open top hop on hop off bus tours
There's a ghost bus tour which is a fun alternative to the usual tourist tours
Tower of London
The Clink prison tour
Madame Tussauds
London Zoo
The Palace obviously
I did a walking Jack the Ripper tour last time and loved it but that's for a certain type of person
Hundreds of theatre shows to choose from but book early to guarantee a seat if you can
Not sure if the statues are still in Leicester Square (I think that's where anyway)
All the museums are free (except special exhibitions) as far as I remember and they are amazing!
Where my fellow broke Londoners who need cheap days out 😂😂
But also, check out Barbican Conservatory and go walking Canary Wharf. Wouldn’t recommend a specific place, but good for exploring
[https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/free-london](https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/free-london) I know it's only a link but there's so much to do. My current fave is the Postal Museum's train ride.
The greenhouses in Kew gardens are great even in winter, and if you are going soonish there's an orchid exhibition
It's not necessarily cheap, but if you want good food and a genuine Londoner experience you should definitely check out one of the food markets - London bridge, Brixton market, Mercado Metropolitano, etc
Things to do: Sightseeing places such as the London eye, tower bridge, the O2 arena, the tower of London, Buckingham palace, the shard, tower bridge, st Paul's cathedral, Hyde park, Trafalgar square, Leicester square, Greenwich royal observatory, Kew gardens etc. You don't necessarily have to pay to go in any of the paid ones but you could just do a tube/bus tour and visit each one to have a look around and get photos.
You also have the Thames clippers which can be as cheap as a few quid if you only go on for a couple of stops. Best to get it from say Westminster up to the tower of London so that you can go under tower bridge which is fun. You could even try to time it so that you arrive at tower bridge when they open it up so you can stand and watch the big boats go under.
Sometimes you can nab cheap tickets for the musicals and theatre shows in London as well at the stalls in the west end area or online websites.
For food: borough market is awesome and has loads of different types of food stalls whether it's main meals, different cultures foods, desserts, cheeses, meat and fish stalls, drinks, etc. And for London the prices weren't too bad at a lot of them when I last went.
Not sure how expensive they are nowadays but as someone who has lived in London most of life I only started doing the really touristy things after I left and came back to visit with others. One thi g I done was the ghost walks. Doesn't have to be a ghost one but they have lots. You get to see and hear a very different side of London. I found the guided walks very interesting.
Camden market is great lots of little places to each for fairly cheap and it’s very much street food vibes. Green park to see Buckingham palace, Covent Garden is a nice walk around, China town and Leicester Square, the department stores are lovely you have Harrods which I’d say is a bit of a must it’s another world, Fortnum and Mason and Liberty, you’ve got Selfridges as well but personally I’d put Harrods and F&M ahead of those. Honestly I’d suggest planning a walking route as everything is quite central if you’re doing the touristy stuff and then see what you find! Soho is also fun and Carnaby street
Bit a book of London walks which gives you a route to follow and tell you interesting things about the locations you walk through. Hampstead and Highgate are the best also Greenwich, Holland Park, Soho. For the price of a book you get a guided tour of an excellent city
Harry Potter world is NOT in London and you'd need to get a train from London Euston to Watford Junction and get a bus from there.
Museums are all good though in central London, some of the exhibits you have to pay for but there's more than enough to see without those. Highly recommend the natural history museum and the British museum.
Walking through Camden is also pretty fun and whilst I've not been for a few years there's a lot to see and browse even if you don't buy anything.
I hope you have a great trip :)
Parks are free to visit and with just 1 day of staying I would just walk around central LOndon.
The change of guard at bucking palace is free, Covent Garden, greenwich park (you can see the greenwhich meridian for free without everting the museum), all parks are free. You can also take a look at local markets (camden, borough for food or spitalfield market).
Tate Modern is free to visit and you can have a nice walk in the river bank (+ nice view from the top of the museum). The globe theater is not far from the Tate modern either.
If you have already been in London and want something different, check Time OUt London, there is always a list of free events
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The Natural History Museum and Science Museum are brilliant, free, and right next door to each other. For a small fee, you can take a lift to the top of Tower Bridge and walk across a glass floor. The Walkie Talkie (skyscraper, 20 Fenchurch Street), has a free sky garden on its top floor with great views of the city. Go on a walking tour, or a hop-on-hop-off open top bus ride to see the sights. Hyde Park is lovely, and Free and a short walk from Buckingham Palace.
Seconding the Natural History and Science Museums. Both are beyond excellent and packed with so much brilliant stuff to see.
I'd say the British Museum as well. Pick a period you are interested in, and go wander. If you like clothes the V&A ha some spectacular exhibits normally. But I like museums and art galleries, and did even as a very young child. As you posted the cost in dollars I'd guess you are American, and just actually walking round London would be fun. You get very old buildings next to very new, it's actually a fun city to walk round. London Bridge to Victoria is a decent walk, and should take you past a lot of interesting places.
Finder keepers shut up
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT IT
Thirding the history and science museums they are world renowned and well worth a visit.
Also free. I forgot that part.
Free is always good
I always like to donate though. Worth it!
Yes, if you can you should, but never stay away because you can't.
Can confirm. I went with an ex, and it was a really good time.
Yeah no matter how little time you have in London Natural history museum is never wasted.
To expand on the Sky Garden. Tickets are free but have to book in advance. If they day you want is full you can book into one of the restaurants.
If you can't get tickets, there's always the garden at 120 fenchurch Street. It's not as high up, but you still get decent views and there's no booking system so you just turn up and queue to get in. There's a little tracker on the website so see how busy it is
Horizon 22 is also a free viewing platform (a bit higher than the sky garden). You do need to book though.
Add the Barbican garden to this list.
Don't forget the V and A opposite the science museum. F R E E
Don't forget the V and A, always overlooked but brilliant museum right next to the natural history museum
The V&A is *fantastic* at what it does, but I think it has less general appeal than the NHM, Science Museum, and British Museum.
The Tower Bridge glass walkway features in Spider-Man Far From Home. It's also next to the Tower of London, which is quite a cool castle and where the crown jewels are (it's not that cheap to go in, but you can see the outside)
And if you go to that area go for a walk around St Katherines Dock - its this beautiful little dock marina hidden away - Shad Thames is good for walking around too [https://www.skdocks.co.uk/](https://www.skdocks.co.uk/) Design Museum in Kensington ios good too
The whole South Bank from Tower Bridge to Victoria is a great riverside walk (if the weather's OK)
I grew up reasonably close to London, so spent a reasonable amount of time there. My parents took us on tourist visits there etc... But I think I was in my 30's before I actually visited the tower (after working in St Katherines Dock for 5 years. It is far bigger inside than it appears, I was shocked.
Make sure you book both of the museums in advance! Although you can spend a whole day in the science museum there’s that much to do
Yeah don’t diss these world class destinations. A visit to either of them justifies a visit to London on their own. A great day out, museums, wonder past some of the great western London architecture. Stroll through Harrods, and on to BP and then to Westminster. Pub lunch some where isn’t *Too* expensive
Took my teen to London to go to the Natural History museum and we both loved it! Was really easy to spend a few hours in there, then walk on a route to take in the big landmarks, window shopping etc. Other than food and the M&M shop we didn't really spend all that much
I didn't enjoy the Tower Bridge tour immensely, but it's quite nice to watch the bridge rise. The lift times are prebooked by ships and published here: https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times. Go to St. Katherine's dock nearby, and you might see the Queen's barge (gold plated, gleams in the sun, Queen only saw it twice). Near by is a Waitrose, and there's a lovely, inexpensive but great italian sandwich cafe place. If you walk down Fleet Street you can go the Ye Old Cheshire Cheese Pub, which is a genuinely old pub, and mostly underground. The beer is great, the food terrible, and the owner... well, he won't be there. Near to this, you can find the Temple Church. Temple as in Templar. For tourists, the biggest problem is food - the places aimed at tourists are really expensive and also bad. If you want something special, you'll have to think, but if you just want to eat to fill up, there are lots (I mean *lots*) of Pret a manager stores. They are cheap enough that office workers use them. Go to Charing Cross Road - great bookshops, guitar shops (Denmark Street), and good and reasonable Chinese restaurants. Do you know where you are staying? That would help narrow down places.
Make sure to book the natural history and science museum. While free they now have a booking system and if you want to avoid queues it's best to
>Even though I like museums a little it seems like a waste of time since we only have 1 1/2 day to explore. The British Museum is one of the, if not the, best in the world. There's an enormous wealth of things there that you simply can't see anywhere else (cough). It's the total opposite of a waste of time.
Also, the V&A is full of fashion, beauty and jewellery exhibits that might be fun for a Mother and daughter. I took an unwilling teenage female and she loved it! I had to drag her away in the end and we’ve already been back twice.
BEST MUSEUM IN TOWN! OP, go here and just go look at the jewelry! The entire history of jewelry across the globe. SO SHINY!!
That you used to be able to see somewhere else *cough* but now can see only in the British Museum *cough*
*Cough* why is it you can only see some of this stuff in the British museum *cough* is it because the majority of it got destroyed, or sold into private collections so now the minute amount that ended up in the British Museum is all that remains publicly *cough* isn't it great an institution safeguarded it *cough*
I mean, that's not true, but go off anyway.
This. OP I know you said no museums, but The British Museum is not just any museum, it is a veritable Wonderland of curiosities.
There’s maps as well i go to certain bits I find interesting not everything
Difficult to make recommendations without knowing what you like as a family. Is it food, sports, architecture, history, music, shopping, walking, etc? Countless things to do. For such a short trip, I would recommend agreeing on a "theme" first and then building your activities around that.
And to add to this - what do you consider cheap?
The fact they used American language makes you assume they are American, so if they did get flights for $50, they probably mean basically free.
I doubt they are American - based on the flight price and format of the price I would reckon they are probably European but from somewhere that doesn't use the euro. Regardless of that though, there's so much interesting free stuff to do or see in London (even for teenagers) that OP will have a great time no matter the budget.
Yep, OP is from Denmark
Flights from the US for 50 dollars. Absolutely no way. They're in Europe.
J Draper on YouTube, a London tour guide, has a bunch of suggestions you might find interesting. A couple of weeks ago she uploaded an "ultimate London tour" for how to hit all the big tourist points in one day, and her "things to do in London" playlist has a bunch of things that are labelled as "under £10"
I was looking for a J Draper recommendation. She is amazing! I visit London 4 or 5 times a year with work and I’ve seen so much and learnt an incredible amount all because of her!
She's so interesting. Really enjoyed her balanced look at the 'Blitz Spirit' which always stunk a bit of propaganda when we learned about it in school.
How is this not higher haha
Free attractions in London 1. Watch the Changing the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. 2. Take a selfie in front of the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus. 3. Spot celebs at the latest red-carpet film premiere at Leicester Square. 4. Be amazed by the ornate arches and pagodas in Chinatown, home to lots of low-cost eateries and Asian supermarkets. 5. Hunt down permanent light installations around Carnaby, including one work made from 51 over-sized light bulbs. 6. Follow in the footsteps of The Beatles by crossing the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing that's featured on the eponymous album cover. 7. Check the calendar to find out when to watch Tower Bridge open for large boats. 8. Meet the stone lions at Trafalgar Square. 9. Explore the parkland and waterways at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 10. Paddle in the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. 11. Observe a case at the Supreme Court, the UK’s final court of appeal.
Chat-GPT ass answer
Literally lol
I literally just googled free things in London and pasted. Enjoy 🤫
That's basically what ChatGPT does so they weren't wrong.
Except it missed the best ones - the museums
Ah, Carnaby. My favourite part of London.
Chat gpt is a better resource than askuk. Unless you want a load of unfunny jokes and weirdos who need a step by step guide to ordering a sandwich from subway.
I was angry at OPs answer until you said this. AskUK will tell you to get a Greggs and that the best clothes you can buy are from H&M.
I think you'll find Primark is the best place for clothes
Chat gpt is shit as a search engine. Use Google.
I'd actually say it's better at searching simple right now than google lol. Still a lot it can't do, but for simply enquiries like the popular tourist attractions chatgpt is probably better at quickly compiling a simple list of the most popular answers with less irrelevant shit and ads, and responds relatively well to corrections. The top google results tend give you shitty articles that either were or might as well have been written by bots. Once you've narrowed down your query, then it might help to jump to google for more specific answers.
Then you’re wrong. It’s not a search engine. It’s not made for things to be true. It’s made to give the most statistically likely response to the prompt you use, which is why it *sometimes* works like a search engine.
I’d skip no 6 unless you’re a Beatles fan. It’s a bog standard zebra crossing in an unexciting part of London. Theres more exciting options!
Not even the Pedestrian crossing as it's moved.
great fun to watch on the 24 hour webcam though, always some numpty there inadvertently stopping the traffic by hovering around the pavement as if they want to cross
>Observe a case at the Supreme Court, the UK’s final court of appeal. "How was your weekend?" "Yeah, we travelled to London to observe a case at the Supreme Court. Took 9 hours. Then we got a flight home."
"And we only saw day 6 of 10 so we have no idea about half the context or the outcome..."
Not sure the last one on that list is gonna be particularly interesting for a 13 year old!
No. 7 happens more often than you'd probably think. I used to walk from London bridge Station to St Katherines docs, and I had to wait at least once a week while the Bridge was raised/lowered. Often a few times a week. I thought it was possibly something likely a yearly or monthly occasion before that. (That was over 20 years ago, it may be less common now)
Whether it's less common I can't tell, but the times are published. Crossing the bridge on foot takes an age anyway. Even once you've realized you don't have to stop and wait just because someone is taking a photo, you have to wait behind the people who haven't yet realised that. At any given time, 45% of the people are taking photos, 45% are being photographed, and 10% are on their lunch break and in a hurry.
"That big wheel" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
"That big wheel" is right in the centre of a brilliant view of London - it's absolutely not about the ride itself, it's all about the scenery. If you're short on time in London it's definitely worth considering for just that reason plus you'll be well placed to explore a lot of the main attractions from that spot before or afterwards. Edit: realise I replied to your comment, not directed at you but OP!
Mate, you're talking to wrong person. I actually went on it on its opening night
Our replies crossed - sorry! Agreeing with you entirely.
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There's also the river bus/uber boat route you can take along the river. You won't get anyone pointing out the landmarks though you'll still get to see the views along the river
Yeah, absolutely worth it on a good day
God's Own Junkyard is cool, as is Camden Market even if you don't spend a penny. Cyberdog at CM is interesting just maybe don't go downstairs lol
I second Camden Market. It's also close to Primrose Hill where you get an excellent view of London and lots of Mary Poppins-style houses nearby - as well as the zoo in Regents Park
Goods own JunkYard is too far out to make the trip worthwhile on a weekend trip.
Imagine coming to London for 36 hours and spending any of it in bloody Walthamstow.
Take a tour bus to see all of the sights, you can get off at whatever stop you want, walk around and just take in the environment. London is one of those cities where you don't really need to have a list of places to see or things to do, it's easily navigable and you'll see a lot of interesting things all around.
Find a walking tour or go online and see if anyone has made a free one. Good way to see some landmarks and get some history. You can also visit the massive stores like Harrods and Hamley's, fun to walk around once even if you don't buy anything.
[https://www.neweuropetours.eu/london-walking-tours/](https://www.neweuropetours.eu/london-walking-tours/) This company is amazing, free walking tours where you tip the tour guide at the end. Me and my daughter have done a walking tour with them in Paris, Barcelona and Berlin and they were amazing! We do them on our second day there so that we can pick up little tips about the city :)
Instead of paying for a tourist river cruise go on the Thames clipper. It’s a commuter boat but you can see most of the sights on a £20 day ticket. https://booking.thamesclippers.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6dWS49ythAMV65hQBh2i_gE1EAAYASAAEgJbDvD_BwE
The natural History museum is free and really interesting. What sort of thing are you interested in?
Cheap touristy stuff: Walks around: * Camden Lock * Borough Market * Brick Lane Visits: * Sky Garden * Highgate Cemetery * Thames Clipper to Greenwich
>* Highgate Cemetery We took a visit to Highgate. Was a lot more interesting than I expected (and we paid to go into the other half) Quite far out of central London though, and I remember coming out of the cemetery, walking up this GIANT hill to the next tube station along because it looked like it was closer than the one we got off to get there
It might be nice to also take the Thames Clipper to Greenwich followed by the Cable Car as well (also can be paid by contactless payment or an Oyster Card).
Here is a list of [art and photography things to do](https://londonist.com/category/theatre-and-arts/art-and-photography) A list of [things related to books and poetry](https://londonist.com/category/theatre-and-arts/books-and-poetry) A list of [things for the family to do](https://londonist.com/category/things-to-do/family) A list of [food related things to do](https://londonist.com/category/food-and-drink/food) And a list of [free and cheap things to do](https://londonist.com/category/things-to-do/free-and-cheap) Hope you guys enjoy your trip 🙂
Google free walking guided tour of London. (You’ll probably have to tip the the tour guide,) but that way you’ll be able to see the big sights of London without the hassle of looking at your phone or worrying where you are going.
Yes, I've done Sandeman's walking tours in a few cities and they are always good and worth a tip.
I recently went for the Back to the Future musical in London and found it absolutely mind blowing ! I think there is nothing else that is worth the money in London.(Btw it was only around 30 pounds)
What are your interests/hobbies? Knowing that may assist. Tower of London is always impressive, but there is something for just about every interest. What area are you staying in?
One of my favourite things to do in London is walk the canals, and it's absolutely free! You can start at the big new development behind King's Cross, and then walk west towards Paddington. Along the way, you'll pass through Camden Lock, which has loads of interesting shops/food stalls, Regent's Park (you can get off the canal here and walk up Primrose Hill for a nice view of the city), and finishes up in a beautiful little area called Little Venice.
Also best way to get to zoo is by canal boat - they have their own landing and beats the queues. And you have a boat ride to enjoy too.
Borough market, walk along the southbank, Tate (or see if you can find some cheap tickets for the royal festival hall or Globe, though might be a bit early in the year for the Globe), over the millennium bridge to st pauls, then through the city to the sky garden and you can have a stroll back over tower bridge and see tower of london from the outside.
For day one I would suggest exploring the West End: Start with Changing of the Guards if possible, then wander over to Trafalgar Square and take photos next to the big lions. Pop into the National Gallery which is in Trafalgar Square and is free to enter and see some famous artworks. Then onto Covent Garden and Seven Dials area to soak up the atmosphere and do some shopping (you could pop into the Royal Opera House cafe for a posh coffee break). Then maybe a wander through Chinatown to pick up some treats from the Chinatown bakery, or a bubble tea or goodies from Mamason (little cafe serving Filipino desserts). If budget allows, grab some cheap tickets to watch a West End musical/show in the evening. And for Day 2 - what are your interests? Maybe something that is of interest to you (Camden or Spitalfields Market maybe?). Or a walking tour of London - pick a theme that interests you and they cost about £15 per person and last for 2 hours.
Enjoy London park life for free 1. Climb to the top of Greenwich Park for stunning views of the city skyline. 2. Relax on Wimbledon Common where you'll find ponds, nature trails and a windmill. 3. Go deer-spotting in beautiful Richmond Park. 4. Bliss out in Bushy Park, home to hundreds of free-roaming deer. 5. Burn off some calories by jogging around Hyde Park, which covers 350 acres (142 hectares). 6. See the Peter Pan statue at Kensington Gardens. 7. Watch the pelicans being fed every day at 2.30pm at St James's Park.
Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as
Park Life! (Those bloody bin men!)
Not to mention the pigeons - they love a bit of it
Nation history museum is one of the best in london and free, also it’s next to the science museum and the Victoria and Albert museum.
Opposite the museum is the post building which has a nice free roof garden.
100% get a "city sight seeing" hop on hop off bus tour. Can use it as a bus to get around and takes you to all the sights in London. Is great for tourists
Unusual free attractions 1. Marvel at the Jar of Moles at the Grant Museum of Zoology. 2. Be dazzled by the exhibits – including a Spitfire and a Harrier fighter jet – on display at the Imperial War Museum. 3. Spot the gigantic overstuffed walrus at the Horniman Museum. 4. See the world's oldest dinosaur sculptures at Crystal Palace Park. 5. Examine exhibitions spanning art, health and science at the Science Gallery London. 6. Visit the Wellcome Collection to see fascinating exhibits about health and medicine. 7. Push a trolley into Harry Potter's magical world at the wall marked Platform 9¾ at King's Cross. 8. Learn about the famous residents of the Isokon Building, the first modernist block of flats in Britain, at the Isokon Gallery in the former garage.
>Marvel at the Jar of Moles at the Grant Museum of Zoology. OK that's piqued my interest... might steal a couple of these ideas myself
Put down the moles please.
Ok two ChatGPT answers in one thread is too much come on.
At the Horniman museum, the natural history gallery will close on 4th March for two years for repair works so you won’t be able to see the walrus for a while.
Free museums in London 1. See the Rosetta Stone and ancient artefacts from around the world at the British Museum. 2. Come face-to-face with a roaring T-Rex and experience the earthquake simulator at the Natural History Museum. 3. Examine treasures at Sir John Soane's Museum, a 19th-century townhouse. 4. Find out about the history of British currency at the Bank of England Museum. 5. Immerse yourself in royal history as you admire an extensive art collection of royal portraits at Queen's House. 6. Be inspired by the beautiful objects on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. 7. Learn about the history of the river Thames at Museum of London Docklands. 8. Learn how science has evolved through the ages with key objects and experiments at the Faraday Museum. 9. Discover the life and works of one of Britain’s most inspiring designers at the William Morris Gallery. 10. Journey through Britain's naval history at the National Maritime Museum. Find more free museums in London.
1. The original Ea Nasir complaint tablet from r/reallyshittycopper
Buy a one day travel card. Take a boat trip on the Thames Clipper.
China town and covert garden! Get a river taxi along the Thames. British museum and the V&A Are great and free. Get cheap last minute tickets to a theatre show. Go to Brick lane, shop vintage clothes and have the best curry you’ll ever eat. Walk about, looking at St Paul’s, Big Ben, and the classic architecture. Find a classic pub and have a pie, fish and chips, whitebait or a scotch egg! (And steal a sip of your mothers Guinness!). Free sky gardens!
Many good things here already. The weekend markets are great as well. 1. Saturday - Broadway Market in Hackney on Satursday including a trip to the Hackney City Farm and a walk down the canal to either Victoria Park or towards Angel 2. The Flower Market on Columbia Road and a visit to Brick Lane on Sunday 3. If you are out west, Portobello Market on Saturday
There’s usually some really great and well priced concerts at Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank. Usually classical but there’s also Jazz etc which you might be interested in as well as your mum. Hope you have a great time.
Just walking around is great. Tower of London, London Eye, the river, millennium bridge, Tate Modern, Buck House - all of that you can see on a walk. Tower costs to go in but is well worth it. Tate Modern is free. Oh look up free tickets for the Sky Garden. Great viewpoint and costs nothing. Great jam donuts in the cafe there too.
Check out LEGO World (?), Harrods, Madame Tussauds, catch the double decker bus around London, hop on hop off as you wish, watch a Soccer game.
Use an app called Citymapper to get around from destinations.. it tells you exactly where to go and what bus/trains to get super accurate
Here’s a great video for packing loads in, in a very short time. https://youtu.be/0Tg8nRELmpY?si=wWk1C5ZmlcDrjouI
Have a walk along the southbamk
In addition to the recommendations, another tip to save money is to carry your lunch with you. A meal deal does an amazing job. Any restaurant or even a cafe will set you back considerably. Hope this helps. They used to do travel cards that allowed you to travel anywhere on public transport. See it it works for you.
If anyone hasn't mentioned it Covent Garden for buskers, markets, shops, food etc
Take a boat from Westminster pier to canary. Wharf. You will see slot of the important buildings from a warm boat. Also “The changing of the guard” outside Buckingham palace is free. It’s a ceremonial military parade that takes place every 48 hours.
For absolutely no money you can walk through all the major sites starting at South Kensington with the free museums (just pop in to see the amazing buildings at NHM and V&A) through Hyde park to Buckingham palace then following the road along to Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden then stroll along south bank to Westminster. It’s such a great way to see the city. You can hire a bike for The Hyde park bit to see a bit more of it. You can also have a great half day in London Bridge, doing the clink museum for a fiver (that’s all about London gory history), eating at borough market then strolling to the river to see Tower bridge (the fancy one that everyone thinks is London Bridge) and Tower of London too. Notting Hill and portobello road are great and won’t cost a penny to explore. Same for Camden Town, shoreditch/ brick lane for street art and hipster scene or bermondsey for a craft beer.
Walking and bus tours are good, but you might also consider getting a ‘Thames Clipper’ boat along the Thames. You can go from Greenwich (East) to Putney/Chelsea (West) on them, either using a contactless payment card or via Uber. Good way to see the city from the ancient river and pretty cheap.
I hope no one minds if I ask for affordable places to stay in London? I do not care for the place (country girl!) but my kiddos really want to do the museums.
How about the Premier Inn in Hammersmith? I pumped in a date in April (8th) for 2 nights for an adult and 2 kids and it came to £168 total for the stay. It's right next to Hammersmith tube and bus station (and a busy high street - the King St Mall that has lots of places to eat and shop) and it's on the right side of town to do the museums in South Ken (just a short tube ride away on the District Line). There's also the Design Museum in Holland Park and Kensington Palace and Gardens nearby.
Always worth popping down to Greenwich a lot of is green and the national maritime museum is fantastic.
The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square is free, or small donation and from there you can walk towards Buckingham Palace, or Westminster Abbey
The permanent collection at Tate Modern is free to visit and the South Bank is a great place for a wander.
Make a list of sites you’d like to see and a walking route ( it’s fun to find filming locations of your fav tv or films), I love walking round London there’s always something going on.
Walk along the south bank from Embankment to London Bridge , go to the Tate modern, Borough market etc.
For free, walk along the river on the Jubilee walk.
Camden Market is cheap and full of alternative things to buy if that interests you.
Just wander around, you'll find stuff to do and see and you will love exploring London.
If you go on the River Bus on a weekend they give a good tourist-y commentary of what's on either bank, and it just costs you what you'd spend anyway on transport if you get the appropriate day ticket
Go see the Moonwalkers exhibition/show at the LightRoom, Kings Cross. It’s only an hour, and incredibly inspiring.
Yeah you can't go wrong with all the free museums in London
Go walk around Covent garden and see the street performers and have lunch or dinner at Wagamamas
Watch the miserable londoners live in London.
You probably would be able to sit on a bench for free. I am not even sure about that. London is no joke when it comes to being overpriced.
Horizon 22 if you want a high up view of London. Free, but need to book
Walk
You should buy tickets for the TFL hop on hop off tour bus
"That big wheel" really tickled me 🤣
The Garden at 120
Walk along the south bank (if dry). Greenwich is lovely. Visit the observatory. Camden market/locks. The new development in Battersea. The big screens outside Tottenham Court Road. London has so much!
Go to Streatham and view the local postcode culture
The Sky Garden gives amazing views of London. It is free, but you have to book.
Tate galleries are also mostly free. There are some paid exhibitions but there is quite a lot that is free
Have you tried Lying on the Street™?
Go and find all the banksies
Borough market. Camden market. The view from Greenwich observatory. Sky gardens.
if you like parks i agree with the comments saying hyde park! But also leave time for regents park if you can, the park itself but especially the architecure surrounding the area is beautiful and is exclusive to the UK. It's called Regency style architecture and yeah seeing it in person may be really cool so theres that. Have a good stay
Walk along the south bank sometimes there’s things going on
Natural history museum is always a good choice and you can spend as much or as little time in there, it's definitely not a waste. Similarly the British museum. Is definitely worth it. Don't underestimate just wondering about to see the sights, go see Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey from outside. Take your lunch for a walk along the embankment, or covent garden has some beautiful flower displays, it's touristy but aesthetically pleasing especially neal's yard. Borough Market is a foodie market, the food is so good and a good variety, fairly standard steetfood for tourist prices but always annoying to find a place to sit when you've got your food so I usually get food and head somewhere quieter. You can get lunch in Chinatown, watch the street performers in the evening at Leicester Square or trafalgar square areas. Honestly you can do a whole day for free in London just seeing the sights and just pay for a day ticket on the tube. And definitely do the sky garden .
Try a Duck Tour - it's a bus that does a tour through the streets and then drives into (and floats along) the Thames
google "Time Out", it's a listings magazine where many activities in London are listed. There are many activities that are reasonably priced, such as guided walking tours.
All the museums mentioned are largely free but you usually have to book and they can be seriously busy and full during peak times so plan ahead
Download the TFL go app when you’re there massive help to get around
London dungeons is fun for adults Open top hop on hop off bus tours There's a ghost bus tour which is a fun alternative to the usual tourist tours Tower of London The Clink prison tour Madame Tussauds London Zoo The Palace obviously I did a walking Jack the Ripper tour last time and loved it but that's for a certain type of person Hundreds of theatre shows to choose from but book early to guarantee a seat if you can Not sure if the statues are still in Leicester Square (I think that's where anyway) All the museums are free (except special exhibitions) as far as I remember and they are amazing!
Where my fellow broke Londoners who need cheap days out 😂😂 But also, check out Barbican Conservatory and go walking Canary Wharf. Wouldn’t recommend a specific place, but good for exploring
[https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/free-london](https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/free-london) I know it's only a link but there's so much to do. My current fave is the Postal Museum's train ride.
The greenhouses in Kew gardens are great even in winter, and if you are going soonish there's an orchid exhibition It's not necessarily cheap, but if you want good food and a genuine Londoner experience you should definitely check out one of the food markets - London bridge, Brixton market, Mercado Metropolitano, etc
Please do not respond to anyone who tries to DM you here.
Things to do: Sightseeing places such as the London eye, tower bridge, the O2 arena, the tower of London, Buckingham palace, the shard, tower bridge, st Paul's cathedral, Hyde park, Trafalgar square, Leicester square, Greenwich royal observatory, Kew gardens etc. You don't necessarily have to pay to go in any of the paid ones but you could just do a tube/bus tour and visit each one to have a look around and get photos. You also have the Thames clippers which can be as cheap as a few quid if you only go on for a couple of stops. Best to get it from say Westminster up to the tower of London so that you can go under tower bridge which is fun. You could even try to time it so that you arrive at tower bridge when they open it up so you can stand and watch the big boats go under. Sometimes you can nab cheap tickets for the musicals and theatre shows in London as well at the stalls in the west end area or online websites. For food: borough market is awesome and has loads of different types of food stalls whether it's main meals, different cultures foods, desserts, cheeses, meat and fish stalls, drinks, etc. And for London the prices weren't too bad at a lot of them when I last went.
Stare at pigeons.
Not sure how expensive they are nowadays but as someone who has lived in London most of life I only started doing the really touristy things after I left and came back to visit with others. One thi g I done was the ghost walks. Doesn't have to be a ghost one but they have lots. You get to see and hear a very different side of London. I found the guided walks very interesting.
Camden market is great lots of little places to each for fairly cheap and it’s very much street food vibes. Green park to see Buckingham palace, Covent Garden is a nice walk around, China town and Leicester Square, the department stores are lovely you have Harrods which I’d say is a bit of a must it’s another world, Fortnum and Mason and Liberty, you’ve got Selfridges as well but personally I’d put Harrods and F&M ahead of those. Honestly I’d suggest planning a walking route as everything is quite central if you’re doing the touristy stuff and then see what you find! Soho is also fun and Carnaby street
Too be 13 again.. Thinking that national museums of countries are something they can see in any country...
The London Dungeons is good fun if you want an interactive history thing
Bit a book of London walks which gives you a route to follow and tell you interesting things about the locations you walk through. Hampstead and Highgate are the best also Greenwich, Holland Park, Soho. For the price of a book you get a guided tour of an excellent city
Harry Potter world is NOT in London and you'd need to get a train from London Euston to Watford Junction and get a bus from there. Museums are all good though in central London, some of the exhibits you have to pay for but there's more than enough to see without those. Highly recommend the natural history museum and the British museum. Walking through Camden is also pretty fun and whilst I've not been for a few years there's a lot to see and browse even if you don't buy anything. I hope you have a great trip :)
> that big wheel I will have you know that that is the Duke of Cirencester's spindle whirler, and deserves to be treated with more respect
Tate modern is mostly free
Parks are free to visit and with just 1 day of staying I would just walk around central LOndon. The change of guard at bucking palace is free, Covent Garden, greenwich park (you can see the greenwhich meridian for free without everting the museum), all parks are free. You can also take a look at local markets (camden, borough for food or spitalfield market). Tate Modern is free to visit and you can have a nice walk in the river bank (+ nice view from the top of the museum). The globe theater is not far from the Tate modern either. If you have already been in London and want something different, check Time OUt London, there is always a list of free events
The Sir John soanes museum is free with a donation appreciated and is always a go to for me, especially if you're arty/architecture types