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Official sources checked Oct 4, 2026

This route works on a Friday, when the Guard changes in the morning and the British Museum stays open until 8.30pm. Bring a sandwich or accept that lunch at Borough Market is the one thing you may pay for. The only money you need is for transit and food.

The route, stop by stop

10:15 am
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Take a spot by the Victoria Memorial by 10.15am for the 11am ceremony. Afterwards walk down the Mall and through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square, about 15 minutes.
Always free45 minutes, plus the wait
Details
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
11:45 am
National Gallery
Do the Impressionists and the Turners, then stop. From Trafalgar Square walk to Embankment, cross the Golden Jubilee footbridge and follow the river east for 25 minutes to Bankside.
Always free1.5 to 2.5 hours
Details
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
1:45 pm
Tate Modern
Enter by the Turbine Hall ramp and pick two collection floors. Borough Market is a 10 minute walk east along the river, past the Globe.
Always free1.5 to 2 hours
Details
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
3:30 pm
Borough Market
It shuts at 5pm on Fridays, so do not leave it later than this. Carry on along the river path past HMS Belfast to Tower Bridge, 15 minutes.
Always free45 minutes
Details
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
4:30 pm
Tower Bridge and its bridge lifts
Cross on the west pavement for the view back to the City. From the north end walk up past the Tower to Fenchurch Street, about 12 minutes.
Always free30 minutes
Details
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
5:15 pm
The Garden at 120
No ticket needed, just a bag check, and in early October you get the light going over the river. Then walk to Bank and take the Central line three stops to Tottenham Court Road.
Always free30 minutes
Details
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
6:30 pm
British Museum
Friday late, open until 8.30pm, with a pre-booked free slot to be safe. The Egyptian sculpture gallery and the Parthenon rooms are calm at this hour.
Always free2 to 3 hours
Details
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

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