Camden Town Free Tour
1h30 · rated 9.3/10 in 4,520 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spot- Home
- London
Free things to do in London
London is expensive to sleep and eat in, and cheap to look at. The big national museums charge nothing for their permanent collections, every day they are open, and that covers the Rosetta Stone, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and a blue whale skeleton. The City's skyscrapers have free viewing floors if you book on the right Monday. The royal parks cost nothing, the Guard changes for free on the Palace forecourt, and you can sit inside Westminster Abbey or St Paul's for a sung service without a ticket. What you pay for here is special exhibitions, palaces and anything with a queue rope and a gift shop at the exit.
Free walking tours in London3
These have no fixed price. You reserve a spot, and at the end you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth.
Old City of London Free Tour
2h30 · rated 9.5/10 in 411 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotHarry Potter Free Walking Tour
2h · rated 9.4/10 in 300 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotSpots are booked through Civitatis.
Always free in London25
Open to everyone, every day they are open. No ticket to buy.
British Museum
BloomsburyAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
Two million years of human history under one glass roof: the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, the Sutton Hoo helmet and the Egyptian mummies. The permanent collection is free.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 5pm, Fridays until 8.30pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not compulsory, but the museum advises all visitors to book a free timed slot online. Booked visitors get priority entry when it is busy.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern, Elizabeth line) or Holborn (Central, Piccadilly), then 5 to 8 minutes on foot
Worth it? Yes.Worth it, but not at midday on a Saturday. Go on a Friday after 5pm, or use the quieter Montague Place entrance at the back.
Source: The British Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
National Gallery
Trafalgar SquareAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
European painting from the 1200s to about 1900 on the north side of Trafalgar Square. Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Turner's Fighting Temeraire all hang here for free.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 6pm, Fridays until 9pm · closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Walk-up entry is allowed. A free booked ticket gives fast-track entry, useful at weekends.
- Time needed
- 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern), 2 minutes on foot. Leicester Square is 5 minutes away.
Worth it? Yes.The best free hour in central London if you choose three rooms and ignore the rest. Friday evening is when you can actually stand in front of the Sunflowers.
Source: The National Gallery · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Tate Modern
BanksideAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
Modern and contemporary art in a former power station on the Thames. The collection displays and the Turbine Hall installation are free, the big-name exhibitions are not.
- Free when
- Always · Sunday to Thursday 10am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 9pm · last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed for the collection
- Time needed
- 1.5 to 2 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Southwark (Jubilee) or Blackfriars (District, Circle), about 10 minutes on foot. Or walk over the Millennium Bridge from St Paul's.
Worth it? Yes.Go for the building and the Turbine Hall even if modern art leaves you cold. Enter down the ramp on the west side, not through the riverside door, for the full effect.
Source: Tate · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Victoria and Albert Museum
South KensingtonAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The national museum of art and design: fashion, jewellery, furniture, sculpture and two halls of full-size plaster casts including Trajan's Column cut in half to fit. Admission is free.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 5.45pm, Fridays until 10pm (some galleries close after 5.45pm)
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. The museum states you do not need to book.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly), then the signed pedestrian tunnel straight to the museum
Worth it? Yes.The least stressful of the three South Kensington museums and the only one with no ticket to think about. Start with the Cast Courts and the jewellery gallery, and sit in the courtyard garden if it is dry.
Source: V&A · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Natural History Museum
South KensingtonAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
Dinosaurs, a blue whale skeleton hanging over the main hall and a Victorian building that looks like a cathedral for animals. The galleries are free.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 5.50pm, last entry 5.30pm · closed 24 to 26 December
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- You can walk in, but at weekends and in school holidays you may queue. A free entry ticket booked online guarantees entry.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly), 5 minutes through the pedestrian tunnel
Worth it? Yes.Essential with children, crowded with everyone else's. Book the free ticket, arrive at 10am and go to the dinosaurs first, before the queue inside the gallery builds.
Source: Natural History Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
National Portrait Gallery
Trafalgar SquareAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoor
British history told through faces, from the Tudors to living musicians and footballers. It sits directly behind the National Gallery and is free apart from some exhibitions.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10.30am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday until 9pm (last entry 8.30pm)
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Advance free booking is recommended to guarantee entry. Walk-ups are normally fine on weekdays.
- Time needed
- 1 to 1.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly) or Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern), 3 minutes on foot
Worth it? Yes.Smaller and easier than its neighbour, and better if you know some British history. Take the escalator to the top floor and walk down through time.
Source: National Portrait Gallery · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Tate Britain
PimlicoAlways freeIndoor
British art from 1500 to now, including the largest collection of Turner anywhere and the Pre-Raphaelites. Free, and rarely busy.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 6pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. Tate says there is no need to book for the gallery.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Pimlico (Victoria line), 8 minutes on foot. Bus 87 from Trafalgar Square stops outside.
Worth it? Yes.The calm alternative when the National Gallery is heaving. Go straight to the Turner rooms in the Clore Gallery on the right-hand side.
Source: Tate · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Imperial War Museum London
LambethAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The First and Second World War galleries and the Holocaust Galleries, with a Spitfire and a V2 rocket hanging in the atrium. Free, unlike its sister sites HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 6pm · closed 24 to 26 December
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. The museum says entry is free and you do not need to book.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Lambeth North (Bakerloo), 5 minutes on foot, or Elephant & Castle (Bakerloo, Northern), 10 minutes
Worth it? Yes.The most affecting free museum in the city and well off the usual tourist loop. The Holocaust Galleries are heavy going and the museum advises against them for children under 14.
Source: Imperial War Museums · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
National Maritime Museum and Queen's House
GreenwichAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
Two free buildings side by side in Greenwich: the maritime museum with Nelson's Trafalgar coat, and the Queen's House with its spiral Tulip Stairs and the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I. The Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory next door are paid.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 5pm, last entry 4.15pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Free entry, booking recommended on the Royal Museums Greenwich website. Walk-ins are usually fine outside school holidays.
- Time needed
- 2 hours for both
- How to get there
- DLR to Cutty Sark, 5 minutes on foot. Or train from London Bridge to Greenwich, 10 minutes on foot.
Worth it? Yes.Do the Queen's House first, it takes 30 minutes and most people walk past it. Then the museum, then up the hill in the park for the view.
Source: Royal Museums Greenwich · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Wallace Collection
MaryleboneAlways freeIndoor
A town house behind Oxford Street packed with French 18th-century painting, Sevres porcelain and a serious armoury. Frans Hals's Laughing Cavalier and Fragonard's The Swing are both here, and the permanent collection is free.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 5pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed for the permanent collection
- Time needed
- 1 to 1.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Bond Street (Central, Jubilee, Elizabeth line), 7 minutes on foot north to Manchester Square
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum most visitors never reach, five minutes from Selfridges. Head upstairs to the Great Gallery first, then the armour on the ground floor.
Source: The Wallace Collection · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Sir John Soane's Museum
HolbornAlways freeIndoor
The house of a Regency architect, left as it was when he died in 1837: an Egyptian sarcophagus in the basement, Hogarth's A Rake's Progress behind hinged panels, and mirrors everywhere. Entry is free.
- Free when
- Always · Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm, last admission usually 4.30pm · closed Monday and Tuesday
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- No booking, walk in on the day. Space is tight, so you may wait outside. Groups of eight or more must book.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- How to get there
- Tube to Holborn (Central, Piccadilly), 4 minutes on foot to the north side of Lincoln's Inn Fields
Worth it? Yes.Odd, cramped and unlike any other museum in London. Arrive at 10am to avoid the pavement queue, and travel light, because bags go into a clear plastic carrier they give you at the door.
Source: Sir John Soane's Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
British Library Treasures Gallery
King's CrossAlways freeIndoor
One dim room holding Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, Leonardo's notebook and handwritten Beatles lyrics. It is free and sits next door to St Pancras station.
- Free when
- Always · Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 8pm, Friday 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm · whole site closed 12 and 13 December 2026
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. No reader pass required for the gallery.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to King's Cross St Pancras (six lines), 5 minutes on foot west along Euston Road
Worth it? Yes.The right size for the hour before a train from St Pancras or King's Cross. Displays rotate for conservation, so do not promise anyone a specific manuscript.
Source: British Library · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Sky Garden
City of LondonAlways freeBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
A glazed garden across the top three floors of the Walkie Talkie at 20 Fenchurch Street, with an open-air terrace facing the Shard and the river. Public access tickets are free.
- Free when
- Always, with a free ticket · Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, weekends and bank holidays 11am to 9pm · each ticket is valid for one hour
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Book on the Sky Garden website. Free tickets are released every Monday morning (not bank holidays) for a whole week, three weeks ahead. A few walk-in slots exist at staff discretion. Arrive more than 15 minutes late and you are unlikely to get in.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- How to get there
- Tube to Monument (District, Circle), 3 minutes on foot. Bank is 7 minutes away. Entrance on Philpot Lane.
Worth it? Yes.The best free view in London, and the hardest ticket. Book on the Monday release and choose a weekend slot near sunset. Paid early-morning and evening tickets are also sold, so check you are on the free option.
Source: Sky Garden · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Horizon 22
City of LondonAlways freeBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
The viewing gallery on level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, higher than Sky Garden and fully indoors, with floor-to-ceiling glass and a 300-degree view. It is free.
- Free when
- Always, with a free ticket · Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Book a free timed ticket on horizon22.co.uk. Tickets are released every Monday at 10am for the following 14 days. Same-day walk-ins are possible through a QR code at the entrance, subject to capacity.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to Liverpool Street (Central, Elizabeth, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan), 6 minutes on foot. Bank is 7 minutes away.
Worth it? Yes.Higher and easier to book than Sky Garden, but there is no terrace and reflections on the glass spoil photos. Good backup if you missed the Sky Garden release.
Source: Horizon 22 · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Garden at 120
City of LondonAlways freeGood with kids
An open-air roof garden on the 15th floor of 120 Fenchurch Street. Lower than the towers around it, which is the point: you look at the Walkie Talkie, the Gherkin and Tower Bridge rather than down on them.
- Free when
- Always · 1 October to 31 March: Monday to Friday 10am to 6.30pm, weekends 10am to 5pm · 1 April to 30 September: Monday to Friday 10am to 9pm, weekends 10am to 5pm · closed on bank holidays
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- No ticket. Walk up, pass a bag check and take the lift. Expect a short queue at lunchtime on sunny weekdays.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to Monument (District, Circle) or Aldgate (Circle, Metropolitan), 5 minutes on foot. Entrance in Fen Court, off Fenchurch Street.
Worth it? Yes.The one City rooftop you can do on impulse. It is fully outdoors, so it closes in high wind and is no fun in rain.
Source: The Garden at 120 · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Tower Bridge and its bridge lifts
Tower HillAlways freeGood with kids
Crossing at road level is free at any hour, and so is watching the roadway split and rise for a tall ship. The bridge lifts around 800 times a year and the schedule is published in advance.
- Free when
- Always · the pavements are open day and night · lift dates and times are listed on the Tower Bridge website
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- None. Only the high-level walkways with the glass floor and the engine rooms need a paid ticket.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to Tower Hill (District, Circle), 7 minutes on foot. From the south, London Bridge station is 12 minutes away along the river.
Worth it? Yes.Check the lift times before you go and plan around one, it takes about 10 minutes and changes the visit. The best place to watch is the riverside path by City Hall on the south bank.
Source: Tower Bridge · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Hyde Park
West EndAlways freeGood with kids
The big one: the Serpentine lake, a rose garden, Speakers' Corner on Sunday mornings and enough grass to forget Oxford Street is at the top edge.
- Free when
- Always · pedestrian gates open 5am to midnight, every day
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly) for the south-east corner, Marble Arch (Central) for Speakers' Corner, or Lancaster Gate (Central) for the north side
Worth it? Yes.Walk it rather than sit in it: Hyde Park Corner to the Serpentine bridge and on into Kensington Gardens takes 40 minutes. The Diana Memorial Fountain was closed for a water fault in 2026, so check before promising it to children.
Source: The Royal Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Regent's Park and Primrose Hill
CamdenAlways freeGood with kids
A formal park with a rose garden of some 8,000 roses in Queen Mary's Gardens, and across the road a bare hill with the skyline laid out from the BT Tower to Canary Wharf.
- Free when
- Always · Regent's Park pedestrian gates open at 5am and close around dusk (7pm in early October) · Primrose Hill stays open 24 hours on weekdays and closes at 10pm on weekend nights from 3 April to 8 November
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Regent's Park (Bakerloo) or Baker Street for the gardens. For Primrose Hill, Chalk Farm (Northern), 10 minutes on foot.
Worth it? Yes.Primrose Hill at sunset is the free skyline view that needs no ticket and no lift. Roses peak in June, and in October the park is about trees and space instead.
Source: The Royal Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Greenwich Park viewpoint
GreenwichAlways freeGood with kids
A steep royal park with the classic view from beside the General Wolfe statue: the Queen's House and Old Royal Naval College below, the river, then the towers of Canary Wharf.
- Free when
- Always · pedestrian gates open 6am, closing time follows the season (7pm in early October)
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. The Royal Observatory at the top, including the Prime Meridian courtyard, is a paid attraction.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- How to get there
- DLR to Cutty Sark, 10 minutes on foot to the park gate, then a 10 minute climb. Train from London Bridge to Greenwich or Maze Hill also works.
Worth it? Yes.Pair it with the free Maritime Museum and Queen's House at the foot of the hill for a full half day. One Tree Hill, a few minutes east of the main viewpoint, has the same view and far fewer people.
Source: The Royal Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Columbia Road Flower Market
Bethnal GreenAlways free
One short Victorian street in the East End filled every Sunday with cut flowers, houseplants and traders shouting prices. The shops behind the stalls open the same morning.
- Free when
- Sundays only · 8am to 2pm according to the council, with some stalls trading until about 3pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- How to get there
- Overground (Windrush line) to Hoxton, 7 minutes on foot. Bus 26 or 55 to Hackney Road also works.
Worth it? Yes.Go before 9.30am or after 1.30pm. In between the street is a slow shuffle, and with a pushchair it is close to impossible.
Source: Tower Hamlets Council · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Science Museum
South KensingtonAlways freeBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
Stephenson's Rocket, the Apollo 10 command module and floors of engines, planes and medical history. Entry is free, but this is the one big museum that insists on a ticket.
- Free when
- Always · daily 10am to 6pm, last entry 5.15pm · closed 24 to 26 December
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Required. Pre-book a free timed ticket on the museum website before you go.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly), 5 minutes through the pedestrian tunnel
Worth it? Depends.Good with children aged 6 to 14, less so for adults on a short trip. Several of the most hands-on areas, such as Wonderlab, are paid extras, so set expectations before you go in.
Source: Science Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate
City of LondonAlways freeBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
A free viewing room on the 50th floor of 8 Bishopsgate, next door to Horizon 22. Smaller, plainer and quieter, and open late two nights a week.
- Free when
- Always, with a free ticket · Monday and Friday 12pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Thursday 10.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday 11am to 6pm, Sunday and bank holidays 10am to 5pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Book a free ticket through the 8 Bishopsgate website.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to Bank (Central, Northern, DLR) or Liverpool Street, 5 to 6 minutes on foot. Entrance on Bishopsgate at the corner of Leadenhall Street.
Worth it? Depends.Skip it if you already have Sky Garden or Horizon 22. Its one real advantage is Monday and Friday evenings, when the other free decks have closed and the City is lit up.
Source: 8 Bishopsgate · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace
WestminsterAlways freeGood with kids
The King's Guard hands over on the Palace forecourt with a military band, bearskins and a lot of shouting. You watch from the pavement and it costs nothing.
- Free when
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11am in autumn 2026 · the Household Division publishes confirmed dates month by month, and the ceremony can be cancelled in heavy rain or for state events
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- None. Be in place by 10.15am for a view.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes, plus the wait
- How to get there
- Tube to Green Park (Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria) or St James's Park (District, Circle), each about 8 minutes on foot
Worth it? Depends.Famous, crowded and mostly seen through other people's phones if you stand at the railings. Stand on the steps of the Victoria Memorial instead, or wait on the Mall to see the band march past at close range.
Source: The Household Division · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Borough Market
London BridgeAlways freeGood with kids
London's old food market under the railway arches by Southwark Cathedral: cheese, oysters, bread, and a great many people filming a strawberry pot. Walking through is free.
- Free when
- Always · Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm · closed Mondays
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to London Bridge (Jubilee, Northern), 2 minutes on foot from the Borough High Street exit
Worth it? Depends.Free to look, hard to leave without spending. Saturday lunchtime is shoulder to shoulder, so go on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning when traders have time to hand out tasters.
Source: Borough Market · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Portobello Road Market
Notting HillAlways free
A mile of street market running through Notting Hill past the pastel houses. The antiques everyone comes for are a Friday and Saturday affair, and the covered arcades open on Saturdays only.
- Free when
- Always · Monday to Sunday 8am to 7pm, most traders 8.30am to 6pm · antiques on Friday and Saturday, antiques arcades Saturday only, most from 7am to about 4pm · Monday to Thursday is mainly fruit, veg and household stalls
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- How to get there
- Tube to Notting Hill Gate (Central, District, Circle), 10 minutes on foot to the antiques end. Ladbroke Grove (Circle, Hammersmith & City) is 5 minutes from the northern end.
Worth it? Depends.On a weekday you will wonder what the fuss is about. On Saturday it is the real thing and also very crowded by 11am, so start from Notting Hill Gate by 9am and walk north.
Source: Portobello Road Market (RBKC) · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free on certain days, or for certain people2
Mostly museums. The free window, who it applies to and the booking rule are on each card.
Evensong at Westminster Abbey
WestminsterFree on certain daysIndoor
A sung evening service with the Abbey choir, and the only way inside without buying a visitor ticket. You get the building, the music and a seat in or near the Quire. You do not get a tour.
- Free when
- Free only as a worshipper at services · Evensong usually 5pm on weekdays and 3pm on Saturday and Sunday · one weekday service is normally a said Evening Prayer with no choir, and times change at short notice, so check the Abbey's list for your date
- Free for whom
- Everyone attending the service
- Reservation
- No tickets. Enter by the Great West Door, pass a security check and arrive at least 30 minutes early, because seats run out.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes to 1 hour
- How to get there
- Tube to Westminster (Jubilee, District, Circle), 5 minutes on foot. St James's Park station is the same distance.
Worth it? Depends.Go if you want to hear one of the best choirs in the country in the room it was made for. Do not go expecting to see the royal tombs, Poets' Corner, the Lady Chapel or the Coronation Chair up close: you are shown to a seat and out again, and photography is not allowed.
Source: Westminster Abbey · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Choral Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral
City of LondonFree on certain daysIndoor
Sung evening prayer under Wren's dome, free and unticketed. You sit on the cathedral floor and look up. The dome galleries and the crypt stay closed to you.
- Free when
- Free only as a worshipper at services · Choral Evensong most days at 5pm, Sundays at 3pm, about 45 minutes · some days are said rather than sung, so check the cathedral calendar
- Free for whom
- Everyone attending the service
- Reservation
- No tickets for regular services. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early at the main west steps and say you are there for the service.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- How to get there
- Tube to St Paul's (Central), 2 minutes on foot. Or walk across the Millennium Bridge from Tate Modern.
Worth it? Depends.You see the nave and the inside of the dome from below, which is a lot. You do not climb to the Whispering, Stone or Golden Galleries, visit Nelson's and Wellington's tombs in the crypt or take photos, and stewards direct you out when the service ends.
Source: St Paul's Cathedral · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Before you go
- Free tickets for Sky Garden and Horizon 22 are released on Monday mornings, so set a reminder and book then rather than hoping for a walk-in.
- Use the Friday lates: the British Museum, National Gallery, V&A, Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery all stay open into the evening, and they are far quieter after 6pm.
- A free museum ticket does not include the special exhibition, so ignore the exhibition desk and walk straight into the permanent galleries.
Questions people ask
Are London museums really free?
The permanent collections of the national museums are free for everyone, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum. Temporary exhibitions are charged separately. You will see donation boxes, and giving is optional.
Do I need to book tickets for free museums in London?
The Science Museum requires a free pre-booked ticket. The British Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery recommend one and give booked visitors priority at busy times. The V&A, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Imperial War Museum need no booking.
How do I get free Sky Garden tickets?
Free tickets are released on the Sky Garden website every Monday morning, except bank holidays, for a whole week three weeks ahead. Free slots run 10am to 6pm on weekdays and 11am to 9pm at weekends, and each ticket is valid for one hour.
Can I see Westminster Abbey for free?
You can attend a service such as Evensong free of charge, entering by the Great West Door. It is worship, not a visit: you sit for the service, photography is not allowed, and you do not tour the chapels, tombs or galleries.
Is the Changing of the Guard free, and when is it?
Yes, you watch from the public pavement outside Buckingham Palace. In autumn 2026 it is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am, and the Household Division publishes the exact dates month by month.
PAID · ONE PER CITY
If you spend on one thing in London, make it this.
Tower of London
Nothing free in London stands in for the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and a Yeoman Warder telling you who lost their head where. You can look at the walls from Tower Hill for nothing, but the point is inside. Go at opening time and head for the Jewel House first.
Everything above is free. This is the only paid pick on the page, chosen because no free option replaces it.
See tickets and prices
