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.
Monument in London
London Eye
Also known as Millennium Wheel
Partly free, partly paidSome of it costs nothing, some of it charges.
The London Eye is a 135-meter observation wheel on the South Bank of the Thames, the most visited paid attraction in the UK. It opened in 2000 as the Millennium Wheel and is now a fixed part of the London skyline. A single rotation takes about 30 minutes in a sealed glass capsule, with views over the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, and across the river to The Shard. Entry is paid and priced in tiers, with cheaper off-peak slots and pricier fast-track and combination upgrades, so it is one of the more expensive things to do in the city. For a budget traveler the call is simple: the ticket is real money for 30 minutes, while London has several free rooftop and riverside viewpoints that take in much of the same skyline at no cost. The Eye itself photographs best for free, from Westminster Bridge, the riverside walk along the South Bank, or Jubilee Gardens directly at its base.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- The Queen's Walk, SE1 7PG 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.
Working out what London costs?
The whole of London