Our first stop on our world tour was London. Our very first day we explored as much as possible and a big goal was to do it for as cheap as possible. We walked roughly 11.5 miles and found some of the best, free locations in London for any type of traveler! Disclaimer: though the activities themselves are free, we did pay for the London Tube as we were going to places decently far apart.

Westminster Area Free Locations

Our accommodation was located between Nine Elms and South Lambeth. On our list of places to see, many were in the Westminster area so that is where we started.

1. Buckingham Palace

When we arrived in London, we started a general exploration and it led us to the Buckingham Palace. It is an absolutely stunning area. Without meaning to, we arrived right on time for the guard change. A recommendation would be to find your spot right at the fence of the palace and arrive early. Since we hadn’t planned it, we ended up not being able to see everything as well as we would have liked. Many people were also standing or sitting on the center monument. This is a great free location where you can watch the change. There are other areas (like the London Tower) that cost money but also have a guard change.

2. Green Park/Hyde

Park/Kensington Garden

Each of these green areas are located in walking distance of the Buckingham Palace. The Green Park borders the Palace gates (photo op spot from above!) and had a small coffee stand near the front. It also has the Canada Memorial to commemorate those who fought and were killed in the first and second world wars. If you choose to walk a bit further, you will enter the Hyde Park. There are more memorials along the way as well. The pond in between the park and the garden has a restaurant and you can rent pedal boats (if you are willing to spend the $$).

3. King’s Crossing Platform 9 3/4

As we took the Tube to our next area of London, we happened to pass through King’s Crossing. This was on our list for another day but chose to go ahead and take the time to stop. There is an area right next to the Platform 9 3/4 store that has the Harry Potter photo op. The line was kind of long but we were able to take multiple pictures and they provided us with our choice of house scarf and wand for the photo. There was an option to pay for the photos inside the shop. We asked someone else in line to take the photo for us and it worked great! This was a common occurrence and I took multiple people’s photos for them. A great free alternative for getting your iconic photo. It was fun to see everyone excited and getting into the spirit. Things to keep in mind – there was a longer line and it closes an hour before the Harry Potter shop closes.

Barbican Area Free Locations

After stopping for the photo op, we took the yellow circle tube to Barbican.

4. Barbican Centre

Originally, this was on the list because this is where the conservatory is located. Once we got there, we found out it was closed for a private event. We were able to look through the huge windows and it looked amazing! I hadn’t realized there was so many things within the centre! It had multiple bars, multiple kids areas, cafes, outside fountains, a library, art gallery, and concerts that you could buy tickets for. I recommend calling ahead to ensure the conservatory will be open.

5. St. Paul’s Cathedral

This was another happy coincidence on our part. We arrived right when they began their Choral Evensong. If you arrive at a time that is not during a service, there is a fee to visit. The architecture is absolutely amazing. One of the coolest touches was the installation made earlier this year called ‘Aura.’ It is a long beam that hangs through the center of the church and the light on the beam reacts to the intensity and pitch of the sounds in the church. It was mesmerizing to listen to the choir and watch the light. As always, be respectful when it comes to photographing and videos. It is forbidden to take photos or videos during services.

How to make the most of this

free location itinerary

From the US, we had an overnight flight that we did not sleep on. Upon arrival, we were lucky to get to drop our bags immediately at the AirBnB (always ask, many hotels will also hold your luggage before your room is available). My biggest recommendation is plan out your destinations ahead of time. Already having made a general list was helpful but we didn’t have an exact plan based on a map and timeline so it led to a lot of walking back and forth. If you can look at the bus and tube routes, this will help you eliminate time spent trying to figure out where to go.

Guided Tours (that are not free

in London)

Sometimes it is fun to go with the flow and leave the planning to the experts. If this is more your style and you can afford the cost, check out the links below for guided tours throughout London!

General Recommendations

1. Expect the unexpected with weather, pack umbrellas and rain jackets (like this one).
2. Be willing to use public transportation. It’s cheaper and often quicker. We prefer using the tap in/tap out method with our credit card. If you plan to stay longer, it could be more beneficial to get an Oyster card.
3. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. It’s a lot of walking.

If you get to take a trip to London, let us know how it goes! Keep an eye out for our other posts related to London like this one — How to Have a Great First Experience in London and this one — Magical Experience of Stonehenge from London!!!!

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