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 spots. The Stables Market, Camden Lock Market, and the street-food rows along the canal cover everything from vintage clothing to street food from most corners of the world. The Stables section is worth a slow look on its own: the brick arches and stalls fill former Victorian horse stables and a horse hospital that once served the canal and railway trade, so the setting is part of the visit.

Budget travelers eat here instead of central London restaurants and spend about half as much. A street-food box runs a few pounds against the much higher cost of a sit-down meal in the center, and grazing across a couple of stalls is the cheaper way to try several cuisines in one go. Entry itself never costs anything.

The market also makes a free walk possible. The canal towpath from Camden Lock leads quietly to Regent’s Park, and the path continues up to Primrose Hill for one of the best free skyline views in the city. Pair Camden with the other free London markets, Borough Market in the south and Brick Lane in the east, and a whole day of the city costs little more than what gets eaten.