London on a Budget
When to go, what’s actually free, and where the costs actually are, so you’re not paying more than you need to.
London has a reputation for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, and it can be, but several of its best museums cost nothing at all. Here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down without cutting the trip short.
Visit January-March, outside school holidays
Winter, outside the Christmas period, brings genuinely lower hotel prices than the busy summer months and school holidays. It’s cold and often grey, but London’s world-class museums work just as well regardless of weather, and several of the biggest ones cost nothing at all.
Several of London’s best museums are genuinely free
The British Museum, the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and Tate Modern all offer free entry, a properly rare concentration of world-class collections without a ticket price. Walking Westminster, Buckingham Palace’s exterior and Borough Market cost nothing too, and the Changing of the Guard is free when it runs.
Get an Oyster card and walk the centre
An Oyster card or contactless payment covers the Tube and buses at a properly reasonable, capped daily rate, considerably cheaper than paper single tickets. Central London is walkable too, particularly along the South Bank, worth covering on foot where the weather allows.
Borough Market beats a West End tourist meal
Borough Market offers widely excellent, reasonably priced food, considerably cheaper than a sit-down restaurant right in the West End’s busiest streets. Food halls in Camden and Brixton hold a similarly strong value scene too, and a pre-theatre menu is worth it if a West End show is on the cards, cheaper than the full à la carte offering.
Consider Shoreditch or a zone further out
Hotels right in the West End or Covent Garden sit at the top of the price range given the location. Shoreditch and areas a short Tube ride further out, still well connected, run noticeably cheaper while offering a properly strong food and nightlife scene of their own.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
