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.
Castle in London
Tower of London
Also known as His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London
Paid entryThere is an entry charge.
The Tower of London is a fortress on the Thames that has stood for roughly 1,000 years, begun by William the Conqueror after 1066 and grown over the centuries into a royal palace, a prison, an execution ground, and the vault that still guards the Crown Jewels. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the headline sights of London. Entry is paid and sits near the top of the city’s ticket prices, so the budget question is simple: the inside holds the Crown Jewels, the White Tower armouries, the Yeoman Warder tours, and the famous ravens, and for many travelers that lineup justifies the ticket. For everyone else, the outside is free. The exterior walls, the riverside walk, and the approach to Tower Bridge cost nothing, and the bridge itself is free to cross on foot. The best free view is from the South Bank across the water, where the fortress and the bridge line up in a single frame. A common budget play is to photograph the Tower from the outside, cross the bridge, walk the river in both directions, and decide on the spot whether the jewels and the ravens are worth the entry.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB 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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