Top 15 Free Things To Do In London

It is said that your experience in London is incomplete if you haven’t witnessed the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Otherwise called Guard Mounting, the Changing of the Guard ceremony is one of the best ceremonies that take place in London, right at Buckingham Palace. It is a formal ceremony where the Queen’s guards are replaced by a new batch of guards as they march towards Buckingham Palace from Wellington Barracks and switch their responsibilities with one another. Decked in hats and red tunics, the Queen’s Guard will display pageantry and are seen switching their responsibilities with one another. The event is free and is a popular event that takes place in the city, so ensure you get to the spot early for a good view.

Best Places to Watch the Changing of the Guard

Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford is a major attraction in the city. The 16th-century half-timbered building in Henley Street, Warwickshire, is the place where he was born in 1564 and a place where he spent most of his childhood years. You get an insight into Shakespeare’s life history, enjoy live theatre on-demand, and you can see the rare artifacts from his collections, helping you discover how the man continues to shape our lives in the current era.

Harry Potter fans can assemble at the King’s Cross Station’s Platform 9 ¾ , which is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and well-known railway platforms in the world, that doesn’t exist in reality! Based on J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter, Platform 9 ¾ is a fictional one that is known to transport you to Hogwarts’s School of Witchcraft.

You can find a Harry Potter Shop on the platform with all memorabilia, and can even capture a picture underneath the sign. You can choose what scarf to wear and use various props to make your picture look as realistic, while you make your way through the wall with your half trolley, just like the one in the Harry Potter series.

If you are in search of something affordable and historic at the same time, London Mithraeum is the place to be. Tucked away in the city, there reside the ruins of a former Roman temple of Mithras. Visitors are sure to get transported back in time to the third century AD to see how the Romans lived and how they worshipped. The main attraction is the reconstructed temple. You can also explore an array of subjects from Roman Londinium, found beneath the Bloomberg building when the Roman temple was excavated.

Fancy yourself a nice, nature kissed stroll through London? St. James Park is the way to go. Known to be one of the first Royal Parks opened to the public, the St. James Park serves as a habitat for a wide range of species. Situated in the heart of the city, the park welcomes more than 1.7 million visitors every year and is undoubtedly one of the most visited parks in the whole of Europe. What draws visitors’ attention in St. James Park is the Lake, which is home to a variety of birds. You can acknowledge the local wildlife, along with the park’s very own pelicans which can be seen at feeding time. This is best watched from a bench or a walk near the park’s fountain.

If you enjoy anything associated with science, then you must visit London’s Science Museum. With more than 3.5 million people visiting every year, the Science Museum is one of the most visited attractions in Europe. The birth of the Science Museum took place in 1909 when the science and engineering collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum were moved to a new location. Within it are world-famous objects like the Apollo 10 command capsule and the Stephenson’s Rocket. Apart from this, you can enjoy a hands-on experience with interactive exhibits present in the museum. Situated in Kensington, this place is accessible from any hotel via public transport.

Known as a cultural venue, the Barbican Conservatory hosts numerous festivities all year long. Right from theatre to musical performance, film talks to art exhibitions, and film screenings, the Barbican’s walls serve the purpose for all art lovers in London and provides a massive roof for these activities.

Simplicity at its best! The Piccadilly Circus is a special place in London and you will know this when you are seated by the Eros statue while admiring it. Nearly 100 million people walk by the Piccadilly Circus every year as it is known for being a famous intersection connecting Regent Street, Convent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Glasshouse Street, and the famous Haymarket. If this is the very first time that you are visiting, it is no less than a ritual to be in a frame with the Piccadilly lights.

What if we told you that apart from the iconic landmarks in London, the city has a side to it that is not often discovered. With numerous street art, trendy bars, and nightclubs to venture into, Shoreditch is a must-see as well. Shoreditch is home to tons of galleries and museums and is filled with graffiti and street arts that are meant to be explored. Museums like Brick Lane Gallery and the Whitechapel gallery are well known, with a mesmerizing art scene along the street. The Old Spitalfields Markets and the Old Brick Lane Market are the places to drop by if you are visiting Shoreditch shortly.

Trafalgar Square is known for its historic importance and is an epicenter for major festivities in the city. The most prominent attraction is the four lion statues sculpted by Edward Landseer situated at its base and the fountains which were carefully crafted by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The center hosts a wide range of events and celebrations throughout the year. Depending on your timeline of visit, we are quite sure that you may stumble upon some event or celebration that may take place at Trafalgar square.

If you are on a holiday in London and are in a mood to do something different, say, climb a hill, well then, we know the exact place you should be heading to – Primrose Hill. You can admire the London skyline from the hilltop, 63 meters above sea level, and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the famous London landmarks – The London Eye, The Shard, The BT Tower, and many many more. Another reason to visit Primrose Hill could be to do some celebrity-watching, as a lot of well-known names in the industry are known to visit and live in the area.

God’s Own Junkyard is one of the most intriguing places in the city and is known as the neon sign gallery of London. It sits in Walthamstow and you are sure to find some very English homes on your way. On your entrance to the junkyard, you can find the wackiest of neon signs within the walls. This space is a ground for all those who love lights and quirky narratives in neon form.

A hub for new talent to connect and create wonderful music, that is what The Royal Academy of Music is known for. The Musical Academy is a risk-taking conservatory in London, England where you can witness the blend of art from the past and the future. Established in the year 1822, the Royal Academy of Music was Britain’s oldest music school. Now, it has become an academy that provides training across various forms of art – jazz, musical theatre, opera, compositions and comprises a student community representing more than half the globe.

Columbia Road is one of the nicest-looking flower markets and is a well-known hub in London visited by many locals and tourists across the globe. Every Sunday, the market area is filled with buckets full of exotic flowers and a wide variety of houseplants, herbs, shrubs, and more.

Little Venice is a district in West London, tucked away around the junction of Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal. The Regent’s Canal and the Grand Union Canal meet to form an intersection of waterways. The streets are lined with pubs and the canals are filled with boats that allow visitors to sail through the wonderful scenery.