Five free things to do in London

Just under a year ago I made the decision to leave my quiet life in Lincolnshire and move to the much noisier, much busier – and much more expensive, of course – city of London with my boyfriend. Throwing ourselves into London life meant trying all the restaurants we had been admiring on Instagram, shopping on Oxford Street and taking Ubers everywhere! After six months of indulging and paying London levels of rent, we soon came to the realisation that we couldn’t keep up this lavish lifestyle for much longer. That is when we came up with a plan to incorporate date ideas that wouldn’t cost a penny (apart from travel) but would still allow us to enjoy London and everything it has to offer.

Here are five activities we have enjoyed so far:

1. Natural History Museum

Yes, we had both visited the Natural History Museum before on school trips, but I don’t think I will ever cease to be amazed by an 82-foot Blue Whale hanging from the ceiling, or the extremely realistic roaring T-Rex.

Side note! There are plenty of other free museums to enjoy in London:

The British Museum
The London Museum
Queens House, Greenwich
The Imperial War Museum

2. Walking around London Markets

Walking around London Markets is so much fun, and there is plenty to see! As a self-proclaimed foodie, my favourite thing to do is admire all the food stalls. Of course, they are only free if you don’t buy anything but, if you’re lucky, there are free samples to try. So far, we have ticked off Borough Market, Camden Market and Spitalfields Market.

Closest tube station to Bourough Market – Southwark
Closest tube station to Camden Market – Camden Town
Closest tube station to Spitalfields Market – Liverpool Street

3. Take in the views of London

Sometimes when I come across some of the many iconic London landmarks such as The London Eye or Big Ben, I get a ‘pinch me’ moment and think to myself I’m so lucky to be living in one of the best cities in the world. So imagine my excitement when I found out I could marvel at the London skyline for free at the Sky Garden and Greenwich Park!

Nearest tube station to Greenwhich Park – North Greenwhich
Nearest tube station to the Sky Garden – Monument

4. Walk around the colourful streets of Notting Hill

It might be a cliché, but one of my favourite films is Notting Hill, so it has always been a goal of mine to walk in the footsteps of Julia Roberts and stand outside the famous blue door. There is much more to Notting Hill than just the film, however, and it is a must to walk down the super-colourful Lancaster Road.

5. Spot the deer at Bushy Park

Bushy Park is right on our doorstep in SW London. We love taking long walks and spotting the deer roaming around and, if we’re feeling super energetic, we make our way to Hampton Court Palace and look around the gardens there, too.

Richmond Park is also nearby and is another free activity to tick off your bucket list.  The Isabella Plantation is definitely worth a visit, no matter what the season.  It’s a simple walk from Richmond Tube station to reach the park, up Richmond Hill and with an opportunity en route to admire the wonderful (now protected) view of the River Thames that Turner famously painted.

Of course, we still treat ourselves occasionally to drinks in a cool cocktail bar or brunch in a cute café, but we are enjoying the many absolutely free activities in London and can’t wait to make our way through the rest of the long list.

Written by: Eleanor Collins