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.
Museum in London
Imperial War Museum
Also known as IWM London
FreeCosts nothing to visit.
The Imperial War Museum in Lambeth covers conflicts involving Britain from World War I to the present, and general admission is free. That puts it alongside London’s other free national collections, so a day of culture here can cost nothing beyond transport. Walk in and the atrium does the talking: a Spitfire, a V-2 rocket, and a Harrier jet hang above the hall.
The Holocaust Galleries and the First World War galleries are the standouts, both serious, well-designed, and worth setting aside real time for. The Holocaust Galleries are intended for visitors aged fourteen and over. Plan for at least half a day if both interest you.
The building has its own story. Before it became a museum it was the Bethlem Royal Hospital, the asylum better known as Bedlam, which is how that word entered English. Budget travelers get one of the most important war museums in the world, in a landmark building, for free.
For a wider London plan, the museum pairs well with other free institutions like Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum, or with green time in Hyde Park and a cheap lunch at Borough Market just to the north.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ 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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