A riverside walk
Follow the South Bank for recognisable views and an outing you can shorten whenever you like. Start near Westminster or Waterloo and choose your endpoint before adding a timed booking.
Follow our one-day routeEngland · A day made for you
Things to do in London, with a plan that fits your day.
Free museums and river walks, a table for two, a night at the theatre. Choose the kind of day you want, then make the practical details work around it.
Start here
What should you do in London?
For a first visit, pair Westminster and the South Bank with a free gallery. For a day together, choose a neighbourhood and one booked treat. With children or rain in the forecast, make a South Kensington museum the main event.
Make the day work
Choose an area before a long list.
Greenwich, South Kensington and the West End can each fill a half-day. Free entry can require a ticket, and transport, food and special exhibitions need their own budget. Our visit times are planning estimates, not guaranteed durations.
Start with your plans
Which London day is yours?
London for free · 13 min read
21 free things to do in London, organised by area
Spend your time exploring, not crossing the city between unrelated stops. These free London museums, parks, viewpoints and walks are grouped into seven areas so you can choose a manageable outing. General entry is free; travel, food and optional extras are not included.
Read the guide London for couples · 4 min readThings to do in London for couples: romantic date ideas
A romantic London day can be a free gallery date, a riverside walk or an evening built around a show. These seven ideas cover low-cost dates and paid occasions, with nearby combinations and the booking details to check before you commit.
Read the guide Rainy-day London · 3 min readThings to do in London in the rain: choose a base and stay nearby
Rain changes the logistics more than the possibilities. Pick one indoor place you really want to visit, secure any ticket it needs and keep the journeys between stops short.
Read the guide One day in London · 4 min readOne day in London: Westminster, the river and the West End
With one day, a coherent route matters more than the number of sights. This plan combines recognisable London views with time inside a gallery and room for a meal, a rest or a booked experience.
Read the guide London with kids · 3 min readThings to do in London with kids: build a day around their interests
A good London family day needs somewhere children want to explore, time to eat and a finish that does not depend on everyone having energy left. Start with one main visit, then keep a nearby outdoor stop optional.
Read the guide A weekend in London · 4 min readA weekend in London: two days with time to enjoy each stop
Spend Saturday around Westminster and the West End, then give Sunday to London Bridge and the river. This two-day itinerary groups nearby stops together and leaves space for a show, a paid attraction or an earlier finish.
Read the guide A day in Greenwich · 4 min readThings to do in Greenwich: museums, the river and a park view
Greenwich works best when you give its riverside, museums and park room to breathe. Start in the historic town centre, choose one main indoor visit and keep the hill walk optional. A rewarding half-day needs no paid attraction ticket.
Read the guide London birthdays · 4 min readBirthday ideas in London: choose the plan that fits your people
A good birthday plan gives everyone a clear place to meet, something the birthday person actually enjoys and enough time together. Start with the group size and a comfortable spending limit, then choose one area of London and one main booking.
Read the guideA practical shortlist
10 things to build a day around
Choose one main stop and something nearby. Each idea links to the details that help you plan.
The National Gallery
Choose a few rooms from the free collection, then continue into Trafalgar Square and the West End. Special exhibitions are optional paid additions.
Check gallery entry adviceThe British Museum
Give this a generous morning and choose the galleries you care about. Reserve a free timed ticket where possible and leave luggage elsewhere.
Plan your museum visitSouth Kensington museums
Choose the Science Museum, Natural History Museum or V&A as the main event. They are near one another, but queues and the size of the collections make three full visits an ambitious day.
Compare the indoor optionsGreenwich for a half-day
Pair the National Maritime Museum with the Queen’s House or Greenwich Park. The museum route works in rain; the hilltop view suits a clearer day and a group comfortable with a climb.
See the Greenwich planA skyline view
Look for a free Sky Garden slot or choose Primrose Hill for an outdoor view. Booking rules, weather and park closures matter more than fitting in a second viewpoint.
Choose your viewBorough Market and Tower Bridge
Browse the market, budget separately for lunch, then continue along the south riverbank towards Tower Bridge. Its public pavement is free; the glass walkways are a paid attraction.
Plan a market and river walkWest End theatre
Start with the show and performance, then choose a nearby dinner booking. Check seat restrictions, running time and how you will get home before buying.
Explore theatre and dinnerAfternoon tea
A centrepiece for a birthday or anniversary. Confirm the venue, dietary arrangements, drink inclusions and whether the price covers two before shaping the rest of the day.
Explore afternoon teaA Thames cruise
Choose between sightseeing, transport and dining on the water. Compare departure and arrival piers, covered seating, duration and cancellation terms; a sunset departure depends on the date.
Explore a river-cruise ideaFor the occasion
London experience gift ideas
These are ideas for enquiries, with indicative prices. Confirm the actual venue, inclusions, dates and final price before making plans.
Before you choose
Check the real meeting point, not just “London”. For theatre and afternoon tea, valid days and seating times matter; for cruises, compare piers and covered seating. Ask about access and dietary arrangements before buying a gift.
Our guides link to attraction operators for current visitor rules. We describe free and paid elements separately, and the research date records when sources were checked. Read our editorial policy or send a correction.