Reply With QuoteBit hackneyed but the British museum and the V&A have to be up there.
In case anyone is thinking of visiting London and wants a few tips for freebies here is my experience. Please feel free to add others.
1. If you know when you are going and have time write to your MP and ask for tickets to go up Queen Elizabeth tower (Big Ben). You will get tickets to go round the Houses of Parliament and up to the clock. Absolutely free.
2 If you go to the Shard don't pay to go to top. There are cocktail bars which you can visit on the 32 floor which give excellent view of skyline. Drink something cheap.
3 After Shard visit the George Inn (about 150 yards away on Borough High St). Interesting old coaching Inn dating from 1500's and visited by Shakespeare and Dickens. Good lunches.
4 John Soane museum (Lincion Inn Fields). John Soanes was an architect in 18th century who was an avid collector of art and architecture. He owned 3 houses which he knocked through and it is stuffed with all sorts of artifacts. Once again absolutely free.
These, together with a bit of the usual shopping will provide you with a couple of days sight seeing.
Any other offerings? They have o be totally free.
Bit hackneyed but the British museum and the V&A have to be up there.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Skygarden is free and worth a visit.
The Duck & Waffle bar (and restaurant) is on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower on Bishopsgate, another option for great views for the price of a coffee. Open 24/7/365 as well!
The fantastic Natural history museum should be on the list but thats probably common knowledge.
The Wallace Collection is fantastic (and free) - a great art collection, and if that's not your thing, the Armory is brilliant. If you're lucky with the timing (see what I did there), you might even catch the free clock winding tour. Pretty good cafe too, and a stone's throw from Baker St.
I'll add the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, both excellent.
There are often long queues at the main entrance to the Natural History Museum, if so it's worth a try at the Geological Museum entrance on Exhibition Road.
And of course there is the Clockmakers' Museum within the Science Museum as well as the Clocks and Watches Gallery in the British Museum.
Plus of course the Tate Modern, always a great experience as is the walk across the footbridge from Bankside over towards St Pauls.Originally Posted by Mr Curta
Great Thread.
Duck and waffle has been a haunt for years and amazed when folk do not realise that a view from the Heron is free.
Coffee is not stupidly priced.
Pitch
I'd seen something about this place in last weeks Sunday Times, but probable like many thought it would be too expensive to visit, thanks for the heads up
The view from the sky garden at 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie) is also free but you have to book about three weeks in advance. I think that tickets are released on a Monday.
Not quite, they only release the tickets 3 weeks in advance but you can book up the day of but as always it's availability depending.
The family are going to London, week after next and am about to pay for a trip to the Shard, I checked out the cocktail bar think I could save myself a few quid, but it has a £30 per person tariff
I should imagine the owners of the bar in the Shard are fed up with cheapskates taking the P for a cheap look at the view.
One NewChange next to St Pauls is a shopping center with a bar and restaurant at the top, but there is also a free area for looking out over the St Pauls dome. A very nice view.
A wander around Borough Market is entirely free of course, and a great variety of stalls.....only problem is end up spending to buy moderately exotic ingredients for cooking !
Its always our first port on call when training down to town. It does get busy but well a visit, the views are amazing.
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One Newchange bar is Madisons. Again can get busy and worth booking if going busy times.
Pitch
Another good shout for a drink up high is the Roof Garden. The gardens are absolutely stunning and it never amazes that you are 6 floors up in central London with flamingos and a acre of exotic plants.
http://www.virginlimitededition.com/...ns/the-gardens
It is free but is sometimes shut for private parties so worth calling. Its a very civil place to have a drink and soak up..
Pitch
The portrait gallery has been mentioned but something to note is that the view from the cafe on the top floor gives a very "Mary Poppins" look across the rooftops and over Trafalgar Square. Better than sitting in another Pret.
Very true. You can go up there just to look out over the view if you can't get in or don't fancy a drink though. Just turn left/left as you exit the lift.
Obviously, all the national museums are free, but sometimes it's worth paying extra to get in. If, for example, you don't want to queue for an hour to get in to the Natural History Museum, buy a ticket to one of the temporary exhibitions; it'll get you fast-track entrance.
One thing you may not have done at the NHM is the Spirits Collection Tour which is (I believe) still free.
The Wellcome Collection is also well worth a visit (Euston Road).
Greenwich Park / the Observatory also has a great view back across London.
Re the OP, Sir John Soane was also the architect of the Bank of England, which also has a free museum.
If you're up North, then Kenwood House is also good - and even has some interesting clocks (including John Joseph Merlin's skeleton clock - the first of its kind).
go up Monument tower, not free but cheaper than a cocktail up one of the Braun electric razor look alikes .... didn't know you could and a great view up there
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