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
Westminster and Big Ben
Also known as Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower, Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament
Partly free, partly paidSome of it costs nothing, some of it charges.
The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey form the political and religious heart of London, and the whole group is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exterior is free to see from Westminster Bridge and the South Bank, where the Palace, the tower, and the river all line up for the classic photo at no cost. Parliament Square opposite is open public ground with free-to-visit statues of Churchill, Mandela, and others.
Big Ben is really the bell inside the tower, which was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012. Most people use the name for the whole thing. The Gothic Revival building seen today was rebuilt after the 1834 fire, which is why such an old institution looks so Victorian.
Paying only starts inside. Westminster Abbey charges for sightseeing entry, but attending a service or Evensong is free and still lets visitors hear the choir under the vaulted nave. The Houses of Parliament offer paid tours, while watching a debate from the public gallery is free when Parliament is sitting, and UK residents can arrange free tours through their own MP.
The budget move is simple: stand on Westminster Bridge, photograph the Parliament facade and Big Ben, walk through Parliament Square, then follow the river past the London Eye toward the South Bank without spending a thing. Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square are both a short walk away, so this corner stitches into a full free day in London.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Bridge Street, SW1A 2LW 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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