Best value for money, cheap or free stuff for tourists in London

[Prettydress]

Am hoping to take the kids to London but on a budget. Can you recommend fun stuff that is either really good value for money or free? Would have loved to have taken them up the Shard or on the Eye but I just can't afford it so was going to take them on the Emirates Skyline instead - stuff like that.... ! Also any cheapy but tasty food recommendations. The kids love the tube so spending hours getting somewhere isn't a problem! Thanks. X

Sky garden is free but need to book tickets. As is science and history museum. (pay for wonderlab in science museum which is fab). Depending on how much you want to spend we entered and won £25 theatre lottery tickets for Matilda. We did tesco meal deals for lunch and then restaurants for tea

The conservatory at the barbican? Tropical garden. You need to book but it's free.

How old are your children?

How old are they?

Camden Market and walking along the regents canal is quite fun. Past London zoo.

Or if little loads of really good free big playgrounds, Dianna memorial park etc.

Science museum etc.

Just walking along the southbank at the weekend is good entertainment.

Ditto to how old are your kids. Also how often you go to London - do you want to cover the sights or have a nice day out?

My teenagers love the graffiti tunnels at Leake Street (by Waterloo station), particularly if they're into Instagram. There's a great photo you can take of the Houses of Parliament using one of the arches under Westminster Bridge (from across the river). You could then walk up the South Bank to see the skateboarders.

Borough Market by London Bridge is quite fun for a wander. Then you can walk up More Riverside (there's another good photo you can take lying on your back just after Pret of three buildings in a triangle) to Tower Bridge. Or walking round the City or Canary Wharf is fun if they like tall buildings.

Or hire a rowing boat on the Serpentine in Hyde Park. Or the boat trip from Westminster to Greenwich is decent entertainment for not much outlay cost-wise.

We live near London so I take the kids regularly. Mine like taking photos so we do a lot of wandering around doing that. If they're younger, the scavenger/quiz type things are quite good for structuring a walk. We did one on the South Bank which had various clues from writing on buildings etc.

Again, depending on ages, sitting in on a murder trial at the Old Bailey is interesting (minimum age 14) but not really one if you don't go to London very often.

Take the TfL River Bus from Westminster to Greenwich. Stand on the Greenwich Meridian line and have a picnic in the park. Good views of the city.

We've taken the kids on the Skyline for fun, then taken the DLR back into Bank. Depending how old the kids are you could do a bit of The Line. the-line.org/

It costs but it's worth doing the Tower Bridge tour. Walking across the glass floor is fun.

Hire Santander bikes to cycle along the cycle path from Parliament square along the embankment.

the Uber boat is lovey, but isn’t cheap

Get Blue Peter badges for the kids - Tower of London is then free entry for them.

And the museums are free of course (just mentioning as not everyone knows that) - Natural History, Science Museum, V&A, Tate, Tate Modern.... depending on age of children. DH took DD ages 9 to the Tate Modern last week and they had a great time.

The Old Operating Theatre museum is great, it's very close to the Shard.

Have a look on TikTok for free stuff in London. There are some great idea on there

Fire of London walk

The Top Hat restaurant for Monopoly fans. My dc really want to go here.

Novelty Automatio museum we want to go here too

Aggghj, I should have said the kids are 10 & 12

Embankment is nice, you can see lots of sights from there and visit the rate modern. There’s a nice view from the cafe upstairs.
Parks are also free, regents park I would say has the most to see.

Oh what lovely suggestions. We don't go to London very often but the kids would be more interested in walking around markets rather than museums. Unless it was a museum about gadgets or gaming 😳 if I took them to the big museums they would be more interested in the building than the content!

They are impressed by views, I really wanted to take them to the walkie talkie building but there aren't any tickets left 😔 I even looked into booking a table for lunch as that would still be significantly cheaper than the Shard or the Eye and at least they would eat but the only table was for 11:45 on the day we arrive and we wouldn't be able to get there by then 😔 so what's the next best thing? I was thinking of taking them up the monument? That's only about five quid for an adult Or aparenting theres a viewing platform at the Tate Modern?

They really love the underground so that in itself would be a treat. But any cheapy travel tips like a cheap open top bus or anything. Will definitely take them on the Uber ferry bus. We did that last time we went and they loved it.

Are any of the big cathedrals or churches free or significantly cheaper than St Paul's?

I am so grateful for your help. Thanks all. X

Sky garden does also do walk up tickets - you may have to queue a little but you can get up there :)

Yes, there's a viewing platform at the Tate Modern, and an interactive exhibition at the moment.

If you went to somewhere like Borough for lunch (depending on the day), you could also go to Southwark Cathedral which is much smaller than St Pauls (obvs) but a very pretty church.

There are also three standard bus routes which are good for sightseeing - sit on the top deck (preferably at the front if you can get it!) and follow the route for the cost of a bus ticket - more info here.

The RAF church, St Clement Danes, on the Strand is free to enter. It isn’t big, but it is very nice to look at.

When are you thinking about going? There are quite a few pop up things on for the summer holidays but obviously things are winding up now.

The Design Museum is interesting for kids. It's free. It's at the south end of Holland Park.

I'd recommend going on the new elizabeth line if they like the underground. My ds really like canary wharf 🙄

Brill. Added to the list.

Any other ideas lovely people?

Tate Britain
Wellcome Collection
regents Park if the weather is nice
Wallace collection
Museum of London before it closes for a few years
Serpentine gallery
Cartoon museum

We went over to the Olympic Park. We swam in the pool (it’s normal council pool prices I think), walked through the grounds (at least two play parks on way) and had a look at the velodrome. It was quite a long DLR trip but we were able to sit at the front and the children felt like they were driving!

Are any of the big cathedrals or churches free or significantly cheaper than St Paul's?
All the City churches are free to visit (although donations are welcome) and many, like St Paul's, were designed by Wren.

If they're interested in buildings and architecture, you can spend a day wandering around the City, exploring the hidden corners, and visiting churches. (Not all are open every day). At opposite ends of the City, All Hallows by the Tower and St Bride's Fleet Street are interesting. St Mary le Bow is the Bow Bells church.

St Dunstan in the East is the remains of a bombed church, and is a quiet spot to eat sandwiches.

The Guildhall Art Gallery has excellent loos, and the remains of the Roman amphitheatre in the basement.

River bus to Greenwich (part of tfl so reasonable) then maritime museum (free) picnic in Greenwich park