The Best Free and Cheap Experiences in London

Visit the Great Museums: London’s state museums and galleries—including most of the big names—show off their permanent collections for free. They include the British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, the two Museums of London, and the British Library.

Taking in Fresh Air & a City View: North of the River Thames, Hampstead Heath offers miles of woodland trails, historic pubs, and sumptuous mansions. To the south, the flower beds of Greenwich Park enjoy a panoramic sweep over the Thames.

Dining on the Cheap: Away from the Michelin-starred hotspots, London is surprisingly well equipped with affordable, tasty places to enjoy a full meal for under £10. Among the best is the West End’s most venerable budget pit stop, Café in the Crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.

The King of Libraries: The British Library started as the monarch’s private stash but now its doors yawn wide to the public with free exhibitions and priceless manuscripts that must be seen to be believed.

Catching a Free Event in the Center of the City: From the Lord Mayor’s Show to the Notting Hill Carnival, a large number of major public events cost nothing to attend.