Why people fall for London
London is cheap if you know where to look. Most major museums are free. Park space is abundant. The cheap-eat scene — Brick Lane, Soho's late-night noodles, Borough Market on weekdays — punches above its postcode.
It's also a city of distinct neighborhoods, each one feeling like a smaller town: Hackney for cool, Notting Hill for pretty, Greenwich for views, Hampstead for green, Peckham for new energy. The Underground makes hopping between them effortless.
Top attractions (the ones worth your time)
Not everything famous deserves the queue. Here's what we'd actually do.
British Museum
Free2 hoursPick the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian rooms, and Parthenon Marbles. 2 hours; you'll burn out otherwise. Free.
Tate Modern
Free90 minModern art in a former power station. Top-floor view free, even if you skip the galleries. Walk over the Millennium Bridge.
National Gallery
Free90 minWestern painting from 1300 to 1900. Free. The Sainsbury Wing has the early Renaissance — better than the more famous works.
Tower of London
Castle€332 hoursTouristy but historically dense. Crown Jewels at opening, Beefeater tours throughout. Combine with a Tower Bridge walk.
Borough Market (weekdays)
MarketTouristy on Saturdays. Tuesday–Thursday it's locals shopping. Get there at 11am.
Hyde Park + Kensington Gardens
FreeWalk Speakers' Corner → Diana memorial → Kensington Palace gardens. 90 minutes.
Greenwich
Half dayTake the DLR. Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark, the meridian, market. Best half-day out of central London.
V&A Museum
Free2 hoursDecorative arts, fashion, design. The fashion floor is one of the best in any museum anywhere. Free.
Hampstead Heath
FreeWild park up north. Climb Parliament Hill for the city view. Pop into Kenwood House for free art at the top.
Sky Garden
FreeBook aheadFree city view at the top of the Walkie-Talkie building. Book online, three days ahead.
Save these to a London itinerary. Drag, drop, done — in the app.
Download freeFree things to do
London is one of the rare global capitals where most of the best museums are free. Lean into it.
- British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum — all free
- Hyde Park, Regent's Park, St James's Park, Hampstead Heath, Greenwich Park
- Sky Garden (book ahead, free)
- Walk: Westminster → South Bank → Tate Modern → Borough Market
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (11am, alternate days)
- Speaker's Corner on Sundays
- St Paul's exterior (interior is paid)
- Postman's Park
- Walthamstow Wetlands (north London nature reserve)
- Free lunchtime concerts at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Where to eat without paying tourist tax
London's cheap eat scene is one of the best in Europe — if you know which streets to walk.
Padella
£BoroughBest pasta in London under £10. Queue for 30–45 min, no reservations.
Tayyabs
£WhitechapelPunjabi grill, lamb chops everyone talks about, BYOB.
Beigel Bake
£Brick Lane24-hour bagel shop. £5 salt-beef bagel that locals queue for at 3am.
Vinegar Yard
££London BridgeOutdoor food market under railway arches. Tacos, ramen, BBQ — all under £10.
3 days in London: the itinerary we'd run
One option of many — open the app to swap, reorder, or stretch to 5 days.
Day 1 — Westminster + the river
- 9am — Westminster Abbey (book online, beats the queue).
- 11am — Walk past Big Ben, Houses of Parliament.
- 12pm — Cross to South Bank, walk to Tate Modern.
- 1pm — Lunch at Borough Market (weekday).
- 3pm — Walk back along the river to Tower Bridge.
- 5pm — Pint at The George Inn (Southwark).
- 8pm — Dinner at Padella.
Day 2 — Museums + parks
- 10am — V&A or Natural History Museum.
- 1pm — Lunch in Kensington (Wulf & Lamb or similar).
- 3pm — Walk Hyde Park → Kensington Gardens.
- 5pm — Notting Hill walk.
- 7pm — Pint at The Mall Tavern.
- 9pm — Dinner in Soho or Marylebone.
Day 3 — East London
- 10am — Brick Lane: vintage shops, street art, beigels.
- 12pm — Spitalfields Market.
- 1:30pm — Lunch at Tayyabs.
- 3pm — Hackney walk: Broadway Market on Saturday, Columbia Road on Sunday.
- 6pm — Cocktails at Three Sheets (Dalston).
- 9pm — Dinner at any of Hackney's neighborhood standouts (Lyle's, P. Franco).
What's on in London this season
London's calendar is dense year-round. Don't try to chase events — pick one and let it shape the week.
- Notting Hill Carnival (August Bank Holiday) — Europe's biggest street party
- Wimbledon (late June–early July)
- Lord Mayor's Show (November)
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (Nov–Jan)
- Open House London (September) — buildings normally closed open up
- London Film Festival (October)
Practical London (no fluff)
Getting in
Heathrow: Elizabeth line (£12.80, 35 min) or Heathrow Express (£25, 15 min). Gatwick: Gatwick Express (£20, 30 min). Stansted: Stansted Express (£20, 47 min). Don't take taxis from the airport.
Getting around
Use contactless or Apple Pay directly on Tube/bus readers — daily cap is £8.50 zones 1–2. Don't buy paper tickets; you'll overpay.
Where to stay
First time: Bloomsbury or Marylebone (central, walkable, character). Cool: Shoreditch or Hackney. Avoid: Leicester Square (touristy, soulless), King's Cross-only stays (good for transit, less for vibe).
Money
Cards/contactless everywhere — cash is rare. Tipping: 12.5% added to most restaurant bills (check the receipt). Pubs don't tip. Tap water is free everywhere by law.
London FAQ
How many days do you need in London?
Four days for major sights + 2 neighborhoods. A week to start really living in it.
Is London expensive?
Hotels and dining can be brutal, but museums are free, parks are free, and street food + pubs are reasonable. Plan smart and £80/day works.
Best London markets?
Borough (food, weekdays), Maltby Street (Saturdays), Columbia Road (flowers, Sundays), Brick Lane (vintage, Sundays), Broadway Market (Saturdays).
Should I climb the Shard?
Skip it. Sky Garden is free with a similar view, and Frank's Café in Peckham is free with a better one.
Tube or bus?
Tube is faster but soulless. Bus is slower, free city tour. Mix both.
What's the best free thing in London?
Watching a sunset from Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath.