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

The view from the top of the hill in Greenwich Park is great.

If they like trains, Get the DLR down to Greenwich, it had fab views of Docklands, walk past the Cutty Sark, very impressive without paying to go in. Through the market, and the lovely buildings of the Royal Naval College, swing through the Maritime Museum, and up the hill in the park for the view and the Observatory and International Date Line. Back by the boat.

An excellent little museum which is free and a big hit with DD is UCL’s Grant Museum of Zoology. Much more manageable than the Natural History Museum, if you don’t fancy spending half a day there.

Forget the Eye. Go up the tower at the Garden Museum: adults £4, under 18s free, for a good view of the Westminster side of London. It's right by Lambeth Palace (Archbishop of Canterbury). You don't have to buy entrance to the Museum to go up the tower. If you want to go to the Leake Street tunnel (recommended) you can walk between the two through Archbishop's Park, which has a playground and used to have a zipwire, although I don't know if it still does.

For views of the City side of London go up the Monument. £5.80 adults, £2.90 children. The church of St Magnus the Martyr, between the Monument and the Thames has a nice model of the original London Bridge with all the buildings on it. It's free but closed Saturdays and Mondays, otherwise open 10-3 normally.

Both towers involve lots of steps so you can get some exercise, but they also let you spend as long as you want at the top, so take some kind of map and have a good look at where you are. You can really see how the river bends through London.

A fun lunch can be had by going for Dim Sum in China Town. Some of the restaurants have trolleys that go round and you point to what you want. Others have a card of pictures to choose from. They mark what you have on a card on your table, so you can order a few items at a time, according to how full you are getting. Dim Sum dishes are around £3 each at eg. New Loon Fung, Gerrard Street, but there are many good ones. Bottomless Jasmine tea isn't much (tip the lid in the pot to indicate you need more water added), and goes well with the food. The DCs might enjoy it - it's an unusual taste, but not unpleasant - or you can always order tap water (or the usual drinks - at a price). The Wong Kei is famous for being cheap with service that's abrupt to the point of rudeness, but it's certainly different. It's also fun to explore the Chinese supermarkets in the area and grab a cake at Bake in Wardour Street.

Might not be their thing but I really like round docklands/Canary Wharf for a more low-key, off the usual tourist trail day out. Getting there of course enjoy the DLR or the Elizabeth line. There’s the Museum of London Docklands which isn’t huge but reasonably interesting, loads of eating places by the water and just cool to mooch about with the historic docks vs skyscrapers. They’re maybe a little old for it but there’s a free city farm at Mudchute and if you’re active types and don’t mind a bit of a hike you can walk through the docks and the farm to the foot tunnel under the Thames and come out in Greenwich.

Museum of London is really underrated. It's a great museum.

Camden food market has fun food options

Street art around Brick Lane then vintage market in Truman Brewery. Lunch in Marugame Udon, fun Japanese canteen

London Fields lido - heated!

We got cheap tickets from Groupon for a boat trip from Westminster. It was good to get the commentary and nice to sit down for a bit!

This is great . Thanks for starting this and all the advice. Hoping to go soin with teenager and DH.

Itsu sushi - half price around 30 mins before closing time.

The Royal Air Force Museum London is fantastic and by far my kids favourite place.

Hopping on a riverboat is a good and cheap way to see lots of sights.

Southbank always has lots going on as a pp said, and you can walk across the pedestrian bridge to St Pauls.

Spitalfields Market might be a good option, even if it’s not market day there are some stalls and various quirky shops (as well as some pretty mainstream ones these days) there’s a beautiful Hawksmoor church right there too. Good views from Bishopsgate Tower although you might have to pretend you have a reservation at SushiSamba or Duck & Waffle to go up the lift

I live in London and am still noting down ideas!

I’ve done numerous days out with the kids with are solely about public transport - get the DLR out east, take the skyline over the river then hop on a boat back into the centre after taking a look at the dome.

Tube stations that are particularly impressive include Westminster (escalators from the Jubilee line), Canary Wharf, Baker Street (one of first tube stations). The front seat of the DLR under the Thames to Greenwich is fun.

I also enjoy taking the train (not tube) from Charing Cross to London Bridge (or vice versa), for rooftop views. Head back on door along the south bank - there’s often free events/activities at the royal festival hall, the Tate Modern is free and borough market is good for a mooch.

Do you have any Tesco Clubcard vouchers?
We've done so much in London for free using them.

Good views from Bishopsgate Tower although you might have to pretend you have a reservation at SushiSamba or Duck & Waffle to go up the lift

I'm having a flashback to our dinner at Duck and Waffle last December. The music was very loud (I'm turning into my parents...), the menu eclectic to say the least and the windows had a strange wrapping so we couldn't see any view from our table.

The 50 odd storey lift on the outside of the building scared my son and I so much that I genuinely (albeit briefly) contemplated walking down the 50 storeys on crutches a month after a hip replacement. I shall not be returning!

I also didn't like the Emirates skyline for a similar reason. It stopped in the middle for about 15 minutes and we were just swinging there in the wind. I hadn't appreciated how much the wire sags in the middle. Whereas ski lifts don't bother me at all.

Elizabrth Line stations are fabulous. Walk From Westminster up Whitehall and through St James Park to Buckingham Palace.
Southbank from Waterloo to Tate Modern and over the millennium bridge ti St Paul’s in time for a service. If you creep in and out quietly and are happy to sit you can gaze at the architecture. Postman’s park is near to St Paul’s v quirky. Barbican and museum of London, Greenwich and Park and through the tunnel the. Docklands via DLR - all free as are the big museums. You don’t have to spend a penny on entrance fees and can see a huge amount. Take a bus as you see more along the way

Should also add that, depending on the weather and the DCs' stamina, it can be really wonderful just to walk through streets and parks and take in the sights that way. From Westminster up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then along the Mall/St James' Park to Buckingham Palace has so much to see in such a short distance!

@lanadelgrey you were typing the exact same suggested route as me at the same time! Jinx!

The new developments at the back of kings cross is interesting - coal drops yard . Some lovely architecture and open spaces, market with lots of street food. You can walk Along the canal to Camden or London zoo

If you are doing the museums, the V and A have an outside patio with a shallow pool you can paddle in. There is a cafe, but you can bring a packed lunch. It was heaven for my kids to kick off their shoes on the grass and have a paddle this summer after lots of walking round museums.

Surprise hit was Borough Market but that might be because my children love cooking and watch a lot of cookery programmes.

The Uber river boats are good.

Tesco clubcard points saved up for Pizza Express, Ask or Zizzi.

The garden at 120 Fenchurch St is free and has great views. Take lunch with you!

I think someone upthread mentioned Southwark Cathedral - if you're in the area, check out the replica of the Golden Hinde moored nearby, and also the remains of the Bishop of Winchester's Palace. There's not much of it left, but it's a surprising medieval survival among all the more modern buildings, and I find that very few people know that it's there.

Agree with the garden at 120 fenchurch Street, it's just along from the Walkie Talkie and you can just walk up. We went there recently wirh my mother and walked from there to Spitalfields market and the walk past all the tall buildings mixed wirh all the old buildings was amazing.

Oh don't eat in any of those rubbish depressing chains that you can eat in anywhere in the UK!

You’re missing nothing, not going up The Shard. Ride in a lift then distant views because it’s so high up. Monument is cheaper, much more fun climbing up and views great. Sky garden is lovely but you need to book.

all of the big museums well worth a visit (NH and Imperial War Museum brilliant) and a walk along South Bank on a sunny day is great. Depending on ages, the playground in Kensington Gardens is good.