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Places to Visit in London for Free

St Paul’s Church is an iconic building, designed and curated by British architect Inigo Jones. Inspired by the ancient traditional Vitruvius Tuscan architecture, Jones was instrumental in creating the magnificent and massive church.  It is often referred to as the Actor’s Church due to its connection with the theatre community in organizing musical concerts and mass services.

There are numerous memorial plaques inside the church dedicated to the British actors and actresses for their contribution to the theatre. You can sit and relax at the benches lined along with its beautiful garden outside.

Location: St Paul’s Church is situated at Bedford Street in London.

Timing: The church is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM till 5:30 PM.

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National Gallery is one of the prominent places to visit in London for free. It is a famous art museum built way back in 1824. Housing a collection of about 2300 paintings by renowned artists and painters, the museum was initially designed by William Wilkins.

Some of the key paintings, you must not miss out, are “A Young Woman standing at a Virginal” by Johannes Vermeer, “Bacchus and Ariadne” by Titian, “Bathers” by Paul Cezanne, “Doge Leonardo Loredan” by Giovanni Bellini, “Equestrian Portrait of Charles I” by Anthony Van Dyck, “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, “The Virgin of the Rocks” by Leonardo da Vinci.

Location: The National Gallery museum is situated at the famous Trafalgar Square in Westminster, Central London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 6 PM except Fridays when it is open till 9:00 PM.

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Constructed in 1857, the Science Museum is one of the major places to visit in London for free. The museum proudly hosts almost more than 300,000 items, including ancient and old means of transport, medical instruments, books, manuscripts, periodicals and many more. It is the brainchild of Bennet Woodcroft, an eminent British archaeologist and textile manufacturer.

Some of the key collections at the museum are Apollo 10 command module. Stephenson’s Rocket, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine and also the latest addition being the IMAX 3D cinema for viewing documentary films on nature and science.

Location: The science museum is situated on the Exhibition Road in South Kensington, Central London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 6 PM though the galleries start to close almost half an hour before the closing time.

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British Museum is one of the interesting places to visit in London for free with its huge 8 million collections related to art, culture, and history. Built in 1753, the establishment of the museum was majorly due to the famous Irish scientist and physician, Sir Hans Sloane.

The highlights of the museum exhibits are the sculptures and images of a Gebelein predynastic mummy, Senusret III, Goddess Sakhmet, Amenhotep III, coffins from Henutmehyt’s tomb of Egypt.

Location: The British museum is present in the Bloomsbury area of London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 5:30 PM except Fridays when it is open till 8:30 PM.

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Among all the distinguished art galleries, Tate Britain is one of the famous artistic places to visit in London for free. Established in 1897, the museum comprises a vast collection of items consolidated by the renowned British artist and painter J.M.W. Turner.

It has separate rooms dedicated to a single artist, for example, Douglas Gordon, John Latham, Tracey Emin, and many other world famous painters. The museum also hosts several art exhibitions and retrospectives every year.

Location: Tate Britain, part of the chain of museums housed by Tate institution, is present at Millbank in Westminster, London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 6:00 PM except during the Christmas holidays from 24th till 26th of December.

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Hosting an exclusive collection of portraits of internationally acclaimed British nationals, the  National Portrait Gallery is one of the well known historical places to visit in London for free. The gallery, built in 1856, is said to be founded by Philip Henry Stanhope. He was assisted by Thomas Carlyle and Thomas Babington Macauley to complete the design and construction of the gallery.

It includes collections of sculptures, paintings, photographs, drawings of several British legends. The prominent among them are the portraits and sculptures of William Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and King Edward VI.

Location: National Portrait Gallery is situated at St Martin’s Place in Trafalgar Square, London.

Timing: The gallery is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 6:00 PM except during the Christmas holidays from 24th till 26th of December.

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Natural History Museum is one of the exotic places to visit in London for free. Its collection comprises about 80 science specimens of plants and animals, representing 4.5 billion years of history.

The museum is divided into four major zones – Blue, Green, Red, and Orange with the collections spread across different branches of science – Zoology, Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, and Palaeontology.

The Museum is especially famous in the world for its exclusive models of dinosaurs, whales, fossils and other big mammals in its gallery.

Location: Natural History Museum is situated at Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 5:50 PM.

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Possessing an exquisite collection of 15th to 19th century paintings and art exhibits, Wallace Collection is one of the historic and artistic places to see in London for free. There are about 30 galleries inside the museum hosting 5500 art works collected by the famous British aristocratic family Marquesses of Hertford.

The museum has 6 departments – Goldsmith, Pictures and Miniatures, Porcelain, Arms and Armour, Ceramics and Glass, Sculpture and Art Works. Moreover, The French paintings furniture are the key attractions of the museum.

Location: Wallace Collection is situated at Hertford House in Manchester Square, London.

Timing: The museum is open every day of the week from 10 AM till 5 PM.

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Houses of Parliament popularly known as the Palace of Westminster is one of the attractive places to see in London for free. It is the congregation of the two prominent houses of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Curated by the famous British architect Sir Charles Barry, the palace is constructed using the traditional Gothic style of architecture. The palace has 3 towers – the largest being the Victoria Tower, the Elizabeth Tower housing Big Ben and the shortest being the Central tower.

Location: Houses of Parliament are situated at the backdrop of the River Thames in Westminster, Central London.

Timing: The palace is open every day of the week from 9 AM till 5 PM except on Saturdays.

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Open throughout the year, Greenwich park is one of the royal places to see in London for free. Spread across an area of 180 acres of land, the park was encircled and adorned in 1433. You can enjoy a lovely stroll across the vast greenery of the park embellished by ancient Chestnut trees, brightly coloured rose gardens, comfortable and lovely pathways and green meadows.

In the middle of the park, you will find the statue of James Wolfe, a famous British officer. You will be amazed at the scintillating views of the River Thames, the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum and the Vanbrugh Castle from the park.

Location: Greenwich Park is one of the largest green open spaces in Greenwich, southeast London.

Timing: The park is open every day of the week from 6 AM for pedestrians and 7 AM for traffic.
The closing times vary especially during winters when it closes at 6:00 PM normally whereas in summers it remains open till 9:30 PM.

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Wandering across the streets and alleys of East London to watch street art is one of the best free things to do in London. At Chance Street, you can see the unparalleled hedgehog sketch being hunted by Native Americans, a masterpiece by ROA- the street artists from Belgium.

Another key attraction is the buildings glowing in myriad colours painted by MadC, an artist from Germany. Ebor Street is adorned by the intrinsic alphabet artworks on the buildings by artist Ben Eine. Then comes Sclater Street, Brick Lane, Hanbury Street, Ellsworth Street, and Chrisp Street with the vibrant display of exquisite and quirky artworks by various famous artists and painters.

Location: To observe the street art of East London, you need to start from Shoreditch Overground station and proceed towards Bethnal Green, Hackney, and Hoxton.

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If you are eager to spend an evening of fun and entertainment while enjoying the scintillating views of the sunset, Sky Garden is one of the happening places to visit in London for free. It has a gallery on the 43rd floor to watch the panoramic landscape of the city of London relaxing amid its open air terrace and lush green gardens.

There are bars and restaurants for savouring the authentic British cocktails and snacks as well. It also hosts yoga sessions, live music, and other indoor events throughout the year.

Location: Sky Garden is situated at 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 8AF, London.

Timing: The garden is open from Monday to Wednesday from 7 AM till 10:30 PM, Thursday to Friday from 7 AM till 12 AM, Saturday from 8 AM till 1 AM and on Sunday from 8 AM till 10:45 PM.

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Hampstead Heath or Heath is essentially a shrubland spreading across a huge area of 790 acres. The place is a hilly region traversing across woodlands, ponds, open-air public swimming pools, railway tracks and playgrounds. Managed and maintained by the City of London Corporation since 1989, the Heath is marked by several key points of interest.

The main attractions are the ponds named Hampstead, Highgate and Whitestone, Caen Wood Towers, Parliament Hill Fields, Kenwood, Hampstead Heath Woods, the Vale of Health, open space farmland and the Golders Hill Park.

Location: Hampstead Heath is located inside the London Borough of Camden traversing across from Hampstead to Highgate.

Timing: The heath remains open throughout the day except for the Golders Hill Park which opens at 7:30 AM and closes either at 4:30 PM or 10 PM depending on the climate.
Even the Hill Garden and Pergola opens at 8:30 AM and closes at around 3:30 PM or 8:15 PM.

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Among all the royal parks in London, Hyde Park is the largest and one of the most phenomenal places to visit while touring the city. Originally a hunting ground, the park was opened to the public first in 1637. Spread across an area of 350 acres of land, the park is adorned by fountains, gardens, a summer house, statues, sculptures, and memorials.

The park is instrumental in hosting several political debates and conferences and several musical concerts performed by world famous singers and musicians. The park is also phenomenal in offering various sports facilities to the tourists like football, tennis, biking and horse riding.

Location: Hyde Park is located between Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace in Central London.

Timing: The park remains open every day of the week from 5 AM till 12 midnight.

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Trafalgar Square is an iconic place in London earning its name from the famous Trafalgar Battle marking the victory of British naval forces. The public square hosts many statues and sculptures, and more importantly a large space used for concerts, public gatherings and meetings, political demonstrations, cultural events, and many sports events.

The place is also adorned by beautiful fountains sprinkling over a stream of water. The key attractions of the place are the statues of George IV and Sir Henry Havelock. Every year the annual New Year's Eve celebrations are held at the square.

Location: Trafalgar Square is located at the Borough of Westminster in Central London.

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Want to fulfill your shopping desire while touring in London? You can venture out into the Portobello Road market, one of the popular activities amongst the list of free things to do in London. The market was first started in the 19th century when only fresh food was sold.

Between the 1940s and 1950s, the dealers of antique products started arriving at the market, transforming it into the largest antique market in the world. The market also attracts visitors for its marvellous Georgian style of architecture and live performances by the street artists. Almost 1500 dealers sell different types of products at the open air stalls for you to hop and shop. 

Location: Portobello Road market is located in the district of Notting Hill at the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington in West London.

Timing: The market remains open Monday to Saturday from 8 AM till 6:30 PM.

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St James’s Park is one of the four Royal Parks of London. Spread across an area of 57 acres of land, it has a beautiful shimmering lake, two islands, fountains, bridges, and lush green plantations. A key attraction of the park is a swarm of pelicans in the lake waters. Moreover, the kids can also spend a lovely time here in the playground which includes a sandpit.

Also, the West Island and the Duck Island are two key places worth seeing in the park coupled with the spectacular Swire fountain and the Tiffany fountain, enhancing the beauty of the park with their serenity and tranquillity.

Location: St James’s Park is situated at Borough of Westminster in Central London.

Timing: The park remains open throughout the year from 5 AM till 12 midnight.

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If you are eager to immerse yourself into a night full of laughter and entertainment, Angel Comedy Club is the perfect place for you. One of the fun-filled free things to do in London, the club proclaims itself as the Comedy Institution of the United Kingdom. Hosting comedy shows every night, the club attempts to showcase the immense talents of comedians and actors.

The club essentially operates across 2 places, one is the Camden Head where the comedy shows and gigs are held throughout the week. The second one is the Bill Murray venue where a broad range of activities are hosted like learning courses on comedy, practice sessions for comedians as well as community projects.

Location: The Angel Comedy club is located at Islington, London.

Timing: The club remains open every day of the week from 7:30 PM till 10:30 PM but groups with more than 8 members are not permitted during Fridays and Saturdays.

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