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.
Park in London
Hyde Park
FreeCosts nothing to visit.
Hyde Park is one of London’s eight Royal Parks, roughly 350 acres of green in the middle of the city, free and open daily. The Serpentine lake, Speaker’s Corner, the Diana Memorial Fountain, and the Italian Gardens are all inside. Budget travellers cycle through it, walk the perimeter, or just sit by the water. Renting a deckchair by the lake, taking a boat out on the Serpentine, or swimming at the open-air Serpentine Lido each cost a small fee, but walking, sitting, and people-watching cost nothing. On Sundays, Speaker’s Corner near Marble Arch hosts free open-air debates that have been running since the 1800s. The park runs straight into Kensington Gardens and Palace on its western edge, so the two together make one long free walk, and they pair well with London’s free national museums for a day that barely touches the wallet. For more green further out, Hampstead Heath is another free option to the north.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Hyde Park, London
- Good to know
Nearby
More in London
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is the heart of London's Bangladeshi community, a curry-house spine through Shoreditch and Spitalfields that doubles as the city's loudest open-air street-art gallery. Free to walk, and one of the best-value corners of East London for a budget traveler.
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.
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