Borough Market
Borough Market is London's oldest food market, trading since the 13th century beneath the Victorian railway arches by London Bridge in London. Entry is free.
Street in London
Brick Lane
FreeCosts nothing to visit.
Brick Lane is the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community and its most vibrant street market district, running through Shoreditch and Spitalfields in East London. Free to walk. The Sunday Upmarket inside the old Truman Brewery sells vintage goods and street food, and the curry houses along the southern stretch compete hard for customers, with touts at the door offering walk-in discounts. Street art covers nearly every available surface, which makes the whole street a free open-air gallery worth an afternoon on its own. The salt beef bagel shops at the north end are a cheap, filling stop. Budget travelers eat cheap curry, browse the markets, and explore the surrounding streets for some of the best street art in Europe. Time it for a Sunday and pair it with Columbia Road Flower Market a short walk north for a full free morning in the East End, the same way Camden Market anchors the north of the city.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Brick Lane, E1 London
- Good to know
Nearby
More in London
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
British Museum
The British Museum in Bloomsbury is one of the greatest museums in the world, and entry to the permanent collection is completely free. The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles, the Egyptian mummies, and the Enlightenment Gallery are all here.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch and one of the city's signature free sights. Nobody pays to stand at the gates, photograph the famous balcony, or watch the Changing of the Guard, which makes it a reliable anchor for a no-cost day in central London.
Camden Market
Camden Market is a sprawling complex of connected markets, stalls, and food vendors around Camden Lock in Camden Town, north London. Free to enter, and one of the city's most visited attractions. For a budget traveler it is a full afternoon that costs nothing until the moment a street-food box is bought.
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road Flower Market is a Sunday-only street market in Shoreditch, East London, where vendors pack a narrow Victorian street with flowers, plants, bulbs, and garden supplies. Free to walk and browse, and one of the cheaper ways to spend a Sunday morning in the East End, especially when paired with Brick Lane a short walk south.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a covered market and piazza in the West End of London, one of the city's best spots for free entertainment. The central market halls date from the 1830s, built to house what was then London's main fruit and vegetable market.
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