London is expensive to live in and visit, no question. But it has a cultural generosity that few cities match: the government funds world-class cultural institutions and keeps them free, the parks are vast and public, and the city's most spectacular views are available to anyone who can walk across a bridge. When someone tells you London is too expensive for families, they usually haven't properly explored the free tier.
| Place / Activity |
Best Age |
Crowd Level |
Entry Cost |
Best For |
Time Needed |
| Natural History Museum |
All, esp 3–12 |
Very High |
Free |
Dinosaurs, wow-factor |
2.5–3 hrs |
| Science Museum |
5–14 |
High |
Free |
Hands-on science |
2–3 hrs |
| Young V&A |
0–10 |
Low–Medium |
Free |
Under-8s, toddlers |
1.5–2 hrs |
| National Maritime Museum |
4+ |
Medium |
Free |
Interactive history |
1.5–2 hrs |
| Museum of London Docklands |
4–12 |
Low |
Free |
Mudlarks, under-10s |
1.5–2 hrs |
| Horniman Museum |
All |
Low |
Free (aquarium extra) |
Animals + quirky collections |
2–3 hrs |
| Hampstead Heath |
All |
Medium–High |
Free |
Wild outdoor space |
2–4 hrs |
| Greenwich Park |
All |
Medium |
Free |
Views + playground |
2–3 hrs |
| Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens |
All |
Medium |
Free |
Central outdoor space |
2–3 hrs |
| Victoria Park |
All |
Medium |
Free |
East London families |
2–3 hrs |
| Diana Memorial Playground |
2–12 |
High |
Free |
Young children |
1–2 hrs |
| Coram's Fields |
All (U16 only) |
Low–Medium |
Free |
Child-centred park |
1.5–2 hrs |
| Southbank Centre Events |
All |
Medium |
Free |
Culture + events |
1–3 hrs |
| Tate Modern Free Galleries |
5+ |
Medium–High |
Free |
Art, Turbine Hall |
1.5–2 hrs |
| South Bank Walk |
All |
Medium |
Free |
Views, strolling |
2–3 hrs |
| Regent's Canal Towpath |
All |
Low |
Free |
Calm waterside walk |
1–3 hrs |
| Borough Market |
5+ |
Very High |
Free |
Food, atmosphere |
1–1.5 hrs |
| Columbia Road Flower Market |
All |
High |
Free |
Sunday colour |
1 hr |
Free Museums
London's free museum offering is, by any measure, extraordinary. Here are the ones that genuinely work with children. For a deeper dive into all twelve best museums for kids with detailed rankings, see our full London museums guide.
1. Natural History Museum
📍 South Kensington, SW7
🎟 Free
👶 All ages, especially 3–12
The grandest free day out in London. Hope the blue whale hangs from the ceiling of the Hintze Hall, the Dinosaur Gallery has an animatronic T. rex, and the Earth Galleries have an earthquake simulator you'll want to go on repeatedly. There is no better single building to take children in this city.
Parent tip: Timed entry is required at weekends and during school holidays — book free tickets online in advance. Arrive at the first slot to dodge the crowds.
The honest parent details
- Best time: First entry slot (10am) on weekdays. Weekends before 10:30am are your best window. Saturday afternoons are genuinely unpleasant.
- Buggy access: Excellent — wide halls, lifts throughout, dedicated buggy park near the entrance. One of London's most pushchair-friendly buildings.
- Toilets: Good and multiple. Baby changing near Hintze Hall and by the café. Not usually a long wait except at peak times.
- Skip if short on time: The Minerals Gallery and Ocean Gallery are fine but not the headline acts. Go Hintze Hall → Dinosaurs → Earth Galleries in that order.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Picnic on the grass in Exhibition Road gardens (free). The museum café charges £6.50 for a toastie — bring your own.
- Crowd warning: The T. rex section on Bank Holiday weekends is a full-contact sport. If crowds arrive, head to the Mammals gallery — most people go straight to dinosaurs.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Hintze Hall — 10 minutes looking up at Hope the blue whale and the architecture
- Dinosaur Gallery — T. rex, animatronics, the full spectacle; allow 40 minutes
- Earth Galleries earthquake simulator — through the giant globe, brilliant finish
2. Science Museum
📍 South Kensington, SW7
🎟 Free (Wonderlab extra)
👶 Best ages: 5–14
Right next door, the Science Museum's free galleries cover space, mathematics, flight, and the history of technology with enough genuine wow-factor to hold children's attention for hours. The Apollo 10 command module is just sitting there, looking like it's been through an ordeal. (It has.) Book Wonderlab separately if the kids are 7+.
Parent tip: Pricey café — bring sandwiches and eat in the picnic zone.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings in term time. The 10am opening on a Wednesday is a serene experience; the same building on a Saturday at noon is not.
- Buggy access: Good, with lifts, though interactive galleries get congested with buggies at peak times. Free galleries on the ground floor are spacious.
- Toilets: Good and multiple. Baby changing near the main entrance on ground floor.
- Skip if short on time: The Information Age gallery is fascinating for adults but loses under-10s fast. Head for Making the Modern World and Exploring Space.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The free indoor picnic area is the move. Otherwise, pack from home — you'll save £20 easily versus the café.
- Crowd warning: Wonderlab sells out on busy days — book it before you arrive, not when you get there.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Making the Modern World (ground floor) — Apollo capsule, Stephenson's Rocket, genuine awe
- Exploring Space gallery — rockets and space suits; universally popular
- Launch Pad free interactive gallery — hands-on finish that children find very difficult to leave
3. Young V&A
📍 Bethnal Green, E2
🎟 Free
👶 Best ages: 0–10
The best museum in London for under-8s, full stop. Completely redesigned and reopened in 2023, it's all interactive, playful, and designed around how children actually experience the world. The play spaces are brilliant for toddlers and there are regular free workshops for different age groups. Considerably less overwhelming than the South Kensington museums, which is an underrated quality.
Parent tip: Two minutes from Bethnal Green tube. Check the workshop calendar before visiting.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings are noticeably quieter. It rarely gets truly overwhelming, even at weekends.
- Buggy access: Outstanding — purpose-built with families in mind. Wide corridors, lifts everywhere. Best in London for pushchairs.
- Toilets: Good and well-maintained, with baby changing. Easy to find throughout the building.
- Skip if short on time: It's small enough to do in 90 minutes. The Design gallery is the one to skip with under-5s; Imagine and Play are the must-dos for little ones.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Bethnal Green Road has good affordable cafés. The museum café is reasonable (sandwiches ~£5).
- Crowd warning: Weekend workshops fill up — check availability online before you arrive if a workshop is the reason you're going.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Play gallery — building blocks, physical play, soft spaces for babies; the heart of the museum
- Imagine gallery — open-ended creative space, brilliant for 3–8 year olds
- Historic toy collection — spot something from your own childhood and have a small emotional moment
4. National Maritime Museum
📍 Greenwich, SE10
🎟 Free
👶 Best ages: 4+
In beautiful Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum is free and very good with children — the All Hands gallery lets kids fire cannons, navigate ships, and send Morse code. It sits at the foot of Greenwich Park, so a full day combining the museum, the park, and lunch is absolutely on the cards.
Parent tip: The Royal Observatory up the hill is worth the walk (small charge for the Meridian Line crossing, but the park views are free).
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings are good. Greenwich is a busy tourist area at weekends in summer, but the museum itself rarely feels truly heaving.
- Buggy access: Good, lifts available. All Hands gallery has some narrow sections but is navigable with a standard buggy.
- Toilets: Good and multiple, with baby changing. Near the main entrance on ground floor.
- Skip if short on time: The upper floor naval history galleries are rich but lose under-8s quickly. Do All Hands first.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Trafalgar Tavern pub on the Thames is a 5-minute walk — riverside views and decent food. Or picnic in Greenwich Park, which is right outside.
- Crowd warning: The All Hands cannon-firing activity always has the longest queue. Head there first when you arrive.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- All Hands gallery — fire cannons, steer a ship, send Morse code; the reason most families visit
- Nelson's coat with the Trafalgar bullet hole — surprisingly powerful in person; nine-year-olds find it very satisfying
- Walk through Greenwich Park — views of the Thames from the hill are one of London's best free experiences
5. Museum of London Docklands
📍 Canary Wharf, E14
🎟 Free
👶 Best ages: 4–12
Free and brilliant, especially for under-10s who get the run of the Mudlarks gallery — an interactive space with digging, loading cargo, and Victorian street exploration. Much less crowded than the central London museums, and easy to combine with a walk along the Canary Wharf docks.
Parent tip: Jubilee or DLR to Canary Wharf. No booking required.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Any time — it's rarely crowded enough to make timing critical. Weekend mornings are particularly pleasant.
- Buggy access: Excellent. Wide warehouse spaces and lifts throughout.
- Toilets: Good, with baby changing. Ground floor near the main entrance.
- Skip if short on time: Upper floor shipping history galleries are good but lose under-6s fast. Stay on lower floors with Mudlarks.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Canary Wharf is 3 minutes away — Wahaca, Pret, street food stalls. Or picnic by the water.
- Crowd warning: Mudlarks has a capacity limit — if it's full on arrival, do the upper galleries first and come back.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Mudlarks — digging, cargo-loading, Victorian street; young children will happily spend an hour here
- Sailortown recreated alley — atmospheric and surprisingly evocative even for older kids
- Walk along the Canary Wharf docks — the warehouse setting makes a genuinely interesting end to the trip
6. Horniman Museum
📍 Forest Hill, SE23
🎟 Museum free (aquarium extra)
👶 All ages
Eccentric, charming, and criminally undervisited. The free museum has the famous overstuffed walrus, world musical instruments, and natural history specimens. The surrounding gardens are free, gorgeous, and have animals (alpacas!) that small children adore. The aquarium is worth paying for too.
Parent tip: Overground to Forest Hill, short walk uphill. The café terrace has some of the best views in South London.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings are lovely and quiet. Sunny weekend afternoons bring local families for the animals — totally manageable but busier.
- Buggy access: Good inside. Garden paths are mostly navigable; the animal walk has gravel sections that require a bit of effort with a heavy pushchair.
- Toilets: Good, with baby changing in the main building. Use those rather than the garden loos.
- Skip if short on time: The African Worlds gallery is excellent for adults and older children but loses under-7s. Go: overstuffed walrus → aquarium → animal walk → terrace café.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The museum café is actually good and reasonably priced (~£8–10 for a main) with brilliant terrace views. Worth it.
- Crowd warning: The alpaca enclosure on a sunny spring afternoon is absolute chaos of toddlers. Arrive before noon on weekends if the animals are the main draw.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Natural History Gallery — find the overstuffed walrus; it is the correct priority
- Aquarium (~£5 per person) — shark tunnel and touch pool are excellent value
- Animal walk — alpacas, sheep, chickens; under-5s will consider this the highlight of their lives
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Free Parks and Green Spaces
London has over 3,000 parks, and the best of them are spectacular. These are the ones that reliably deliver proper outdoor adventures for children.
7. Hampstead Heath
📍 North London, NW3/NW5
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
Eight hundred acres of ancient woodland, hills, meadows, and ponds — Hampstead Heath is where North Londoners go to pretend they're in the countryside. Parliament Hill has the best views of the City skyline in London. There are lidos (small charge), ponds you can actually swim in (mixed, men's, ladies'), and enough varied terrain to genuinely tire children out. The adventure playground at Gospel Oak end (near the lido) is free and excellent.
Parent tip: Take the Gospel Oak overground or Hampstead tube. Bring waterproof boots — the Heath gets properly muddy and children will find every puddle.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Honestly, any time — the Heath is at its finest in autumn when the leaves are turning and the mud is spectacular. Summer mornings before 11am avoid the worst of the crowds on Parliament Hill.
- Buggy access: Variable. The paved paths are good but the woodland trails and meadow grass are challenging with a heavy pushchair. A lightweight or all-terrain buggy is far better than a large travel system.
- Toilets: At the Parliament Hill athletics track and near the Gospel Oak lido. Not everywhere — plan ahead.
- Skip if short on time: The ponds swim is brilliant but a long detour. Focus on Parliament Hill for the view, the adventure playground for the children, and the kite-flying if you've got a kite.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The Parliament Hill café does decent food at fair prices — about £6–8 for a main and the outside tables are lovely. Bring a picnic for maximum economy.
- Crowd warning: Parliament Hill on a sunny bank holiday is heaving — kite-flyers, dog walkers, joggers, and everyone who's had the same idea as you. The woodland sections are always quieter.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Parliament Hill — walk to the top for the London skyline view; it genuinely impresses children and adults equally
- Gospel Oak adventure playground — free, well-designed, great for all ages
- Follow any woodland path back down — the Heath's wildness is its best quality; let children lead
8. Greenwich Park
📍 Greenwich, SE10
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
One of London's great Royal Parks, Greenwich Park sits on a hill with breathtaking views over the Thames and Canary Wharf. Roll down the hill, explore the rose garden, visit the deer enclosure, and walk up to the Royal Observatory at the top. The brilliant free playground next to the café has equipment for all ages and is consistently one of the best in South East London.
Parent tip: Free to enter, brilliant views, excellent playground. Combine with the National Maritime Museum at the bottom of the park.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Any time is good. Summer evenings when the sun catches the Thames view are spectacular. Weekday mornings in term time mean you nearly have the playground to yourself.
- Buggy access: Good on the main paths, but the hill up to the Observatory is steep. A buggy board or carrier is helpful for toddlers on the uphill section.
- Toilets: Near the playground and the café at the top of the park. Adequate and maintained.
- Skip if short on time: The formal rose gardens are lovely but not compelling for children under 10. Prioritise the playground, the hill roll, and the view.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Picnic on the grass — there is nowhere more pleasant. The café at the top is decent but not cheap. Trafalgar Tavern at the river (15-minute walk down) is good for lunch.
- Crowd warning: The playground gets very busy on sunny weekend afternoons. Come before noon for a more relaxed experience.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Walk up to the Royal Observatory — the Thames view from the top is the best free view in SE London
- Roll down the hill — yes, seriously; children will insist on doing this five times minimum
- Free playground near the café — some of the best free equipment in South London
9. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
📍 Central London, W2/W8
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
Two Royal Parks that flow into each other, covering almost 625 acres in the heart of London. For children, Kensington Gardens has the Diana Memorial Playground (see below) and the Serpentine lake for watching birds and pedalo hire. Hyde Park has the Serpentine lido (small charge in summer), a fantastic bandstand, and acres of space to run.
Parent tip: The parks are free — the café and lido cost extra. Pack a picnic and you can spend a full day here for nothing.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings are pleasant but honestly this is central London — it's never truly quiet. Early Sunday mornings in summer, before the joggers and tourists arrive in force, are particularly lovely.
- Buggy access: Excellent throughout. Smooth tarmac paths across the whole park. One of the easiest parks in London to navigate with a pushchair.
- Toilets: Multiple locations — near the Serpentine Gallery, near the Diana Playground, near the bandstand. Generally well-maintained. Baby changing at the Diana Playground facilities.
- Skip if short on time: The Serpentine Gallery is worth 20 minutes with older children (it's free), but you can come another time. Focus on the Diana Playground, the lake, and the space to run.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Pack a picnic — full stop. Any of the park cafés are expensive by design. The Lido Café is around £12 for a basic lunch.
- Crowd warning: The park is Central London. It is never not busy on a weekend. It is vast, though — you can always find a quiet corner if you walk 10 minutes from the main paths.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Diana Memorial Playground (Kensington Gardens side) — pirate ship, sand, teepees; one of London's best free playgrounds
- Serpentine lake — feed the birds, watch the pedalos, find a spot on the grass
- The Long Water (Kensington Gardens) — quieter than the main Serpentine and genuinely beautiful
10. Victoria Park (East London)
📍 Hackney, E9
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
The "People's Park" of East London — 218 acres of green space in Hackney with a brilliant modern playground, a paddling pool (seasonal, free), a model boating lake, and excellent café options along the park perimeter. It has a lively, community-focused feel and gets superb in summer with lido, events, and outdoor concerts.
Parent tip: Mile End tube or Cambridge Heath overground. The paddling pool at the east end of the park is free in summer and absolutely hammered on hot days — go early.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday mornings for the playground. The free paddling pool on hot days is absolute carnage by noon — get there at opening (10am usually) if it's a hot August day.
- Buggy access: Good throughout. Smooth paths, flat terrain, wide open spaces. Very pushchair-friendly.
- Toilets: Near the playground and café. Baby changing available. Generally maintained.
- Skip if short on time: The model boating lake is charming but on the far side from the main playground. Focus on the playground and paddling pool (seasonal) if you have young children.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The Pavilion Café (facing the park from outside, on the canal side) does excellent coffee and a reasonably priced lunch — about £8–10 for a main. Several other cafés on the park perimeter.
- Crowd warning: The free paddling pool on the first genuinely hot weekend of summer is mobbed to an extraordinary degree. It is genuinely difficult to move. Go on a Tuesday morning in July instead.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Modern playground (east side) — well-designed, good for all ages, rarely too crowded on weekdays
- Paddling pool (summer only, free) — worth planning a specific trip for on a hot day
- Canal towpath walk back to Mile End tube — the Regent's Canal runs along the park; a lovely way out
Free Playgrounds Worth Making a Trip For
11. Diana Memorial Playground
📍 Kensington Gardens, W8
🎟 Free
👶 Best ages: 2–12
One of the best playgrounds in London and entirely free. The Peter Pan-themed adventure playground has a massive wooden pirate ship as its centrepiece, surrounded by teepees, sand, sensory areas, and climbing structures. It can get very busy but the size means it rarely feels too crowded. There's a separate toddler zone for under-5s.
Parent tip: Queues form at peak times (weekends and school holidays) — arrive when it opens at 10am for the best experience. Very close to Queensway tube.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Arrive at 10am when it opens, particularly on weekends. The queue that forms from around 10:30am on busy days can be 20–30 minutes long.
- Buggy access: Good access to the playground itself, but the entrance has a controlled queuing system. Buggy parking is available outside the gate.
- Toilets: Good, with baby changing, inside the playground. One of the better-maintained sets of park toilets in London.
- Skip if short on time: Nothing — the pirate ship is the whole point. Allow at least 90 minutes because children will not want to leave.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Bring snacks into the playground (you can eat inside). The nearest affordable food is Queensway — around 10 minutes' walk. The park cafés are predictably expensive.
- Crowd warning: Peak school holiday weekends see genuine queues to enter. The capacity system means you sometimes wait, then get in, then it's actually fine. Don't be put off by the queue — it moves faster than it looks.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- The pirate ship — the centrepiece, and children universally find it magical; climb every deck
- Sand area surrounding the ship — massive sandbox with digging tools; toddlers will disappear here for extended periods
- Sensory trail — the quieter outer sections have story stones, sensory plants, and gentle equipment for younger or more cautious children
12. Coram's Fields
📍 Bloomsbury, WC1
🎟 Free
👶 All ages (under-16s only — adults must be accompanied by a child!)
This is one of London's best-kept secrets: a seven-acre children's park in the middle of Bloomsbury, with a paddling pool, farm animals, sports pitches, and excellent playground equipment. The rule that adults must be accompanied by a child to enter gives it a genuinely child-centred feel that's increasingly rare in London public spaces.
Parent tip: Russell Square or Holborn tube, a few minutes' walk. Free and genuinely wonderful on a summer afternoon. Bring your own snacks.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Weekday afternoons after school let out are wonderfully lively. Weekend mornings before noon are quiet and lovely.
- Buggy access: Good throughout. Flat, well-maintained surfaces. The farm area is accessible with a pushchair.
- Toilets: Good and central. Baby changing available. Generally well-maintained.
- Skip if short on time: Nothing — the whole space is compact and wonderful. The farm animals (chickens, goats, rabbits) and the playground are equally worth visiting.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Bring snacks from home (there's limited food provision inside). Lamb's Conduit Street nearby has good cafés. Pret on Bloomsbury is a 5-minute walk.
- Crowd warning: The paddling pool in summer fills up fast on hot afternoons. The adults-must-have-a-child rule keeps the overall numbers manageable and the vibe family-focused — it works well.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Main playground — well-designed equipment for a wide age range, reliably good
- Farm area — chickens, goats, rabbits; small children find this extraordinary
- Paddling pool (seasonal, summer only) — free and brilliant on a hot day
Free Events and Cultural Activities
13. Southbank Centre Free Events
📍 South Bank, SE1
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
The Southbank Centre — which includes the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Hayward Gallery — puts on a remarkable amount of free programming throughout the year. The foyers host free concerts, dance performances, and exhibitions, and there are regular family-focused events particularly around school holidays and festivals like the Imagine Children's Festival in February.
Parent tip: Check the Southbank Centre website and sign up to their newsletter to catch the free events. Even without a specific event, the riverside location and architecture are worth a visit.
The honest parent details
- Best time: The Imagine Children's Festival (February half term) and the Summer Festival events are particularly good. Weekends see the most free programming in the foyers.
- Buggy access: Excellent throughout — the Southbank Centre buildings are fully accessible and the riverside walkway is flat and wide.
- Toilets: Good in all buildings. Baby changing available in Royal Festival Hall. Clean and accessible.
- Skip if short on time: The Hayward Gallery is usually paid exhibitions. Focus on the Royal Festival Hall foyer events and the outdoor terraces and skate park below.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The undercroft café by the skate park is good value. Festival Kitchen pop-ups during events are often reasonable. Pret on the Strand is a 5-minute walk.
- Crowd warning: Major free events (like the Imagine Festival headline shows) fill up fast. Sign up to the mailing list to catch them early.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Check what's on in the Royal Festival Hall foyer — free concerts and performances happen regularly, often without advance booking
- Undercroft skate park — always worth watching; children find the skaters fascinating
- Walk along the riverside terrace — the view upriver towards Westminster is genuinely spectacular and entirely free
14. Tate Modern Free Galleries and Turbine Hall
📍 Bankside, SE1
🎟 Free (permanent collection)
👶 Best ages: 5+
The Turbine Hall commission is always free, always enormous, and reliably produces the kind of art that genuinely stops children in their tracks. The permanent collection galleries are free, and Family Activity Backpacks from the information desk turn a wander around the building into something structured and fun for school-age children.
Parent tip: Combine with a walk along the South Bank — the stretch from Tate Modern to Tower Bridge is genuinely spectacular and entirely free.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are the quietest. Weekends from noon are busy. The Turbine Hall is most dramatic at opening when the light is good.
- Buggy access: Excellent. Lifts everywhere, wide corridors, smooth floors. The Turbine Hall itself is perfectly pushchair-friendly.
- Toilets: Good, multiple locations, baby changing available. Level 2 has the most family-friendly facilities.
- Skip if short on time: Upper Blavatnik Building galleries can be a detour too far with young children. Turbine Hall + one or two permanent collection rooms is the right amount.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Pret on Bankside (2 minutes, lunch from £4–6). Skip the Tate café — £5 for a slice of cake is not a price worth paying.
- Crowd warning: When the Turbine Hall commission goes viral (it happens), the building is genuinely packed. Check what's on and manage expectations: some commissions get enormous crowds, others are beautifully peaceful.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Turbine Hall — whatever the current free commission is; the scale always impresses
- Permanent collection (pick up a Family Activity Backpack first) — one or two rooms done properly is better than a rushed tour
- Level 10 viewing platform — free, and the best panoramic view of the Thames in London
Free Walks and River Routes
15. The South Bank Walk
📍 South Bank, SE1
🎟 Free
👶 All ages (buggy-friendly)
The stretch of the South Bank from the Golden Jubilee Bridges (next to Waterloo station) to Tower Bridge is one of the great urban walks in the world — and it's completely free. You pass the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre, Tate Modern, Borough Market (great for free tastings), the Globe Theatre, and finish at Tower Bridge with views of the Tower of London. The whole route is flat, mostly buggy-friendly, and lined with free play equipment, street performers, and second-hand book stalls.
Parent tip: The under-croft skateboard park between the Southbank Centre and Waterloo Bridge is always good for watching. Gabriel's Wharf has a good playground. Allow 2–3 hours for the full walk with stops.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Any time — the South Bank is genuinely all-weather and all-season. Summer evenings are magical. Rainy days work fine because there are always covered sections and interesting stopping points.
- Buggy access: Excellent for most of the route. The section near Borough Market can get very crowded and narrow on Saturdays — if you have a wide double buggy, weekend market hours require patience.
- Toilets: Multiple public toilets along the route. Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, and Borough Market all have good facilities. The gaps between them are manageable.
- Skip if short on time: The full walk from Waterloo to Tower Bridge is about 2.5 miles. If time is limited, do the Tate Modern to Tower Bridge section — it's the most dramatic and takes about 45 minutes at an easy pace with stops.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The walk is lined with food options. Borough Market (if open: Thu–Sat) has excellent street food from £4–8. The second-hand book stalls outside the National Theatre are free browsing.
- Crowd warning: The entire walk is popular with tourists, particularly in summer. It never feels truly uncrowded, but it's wide enough that it rarely feels claustrophobic. The Gabriel's Wharf playground area is reliably pleasant.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Start at Tate Modern — pop into the Turbine Hall (free) and grab a Family Activity Backpack
- Walk east along the river to Borough Market — arrive for tastings and atmosphere if Thu–Sat
- Continue to Tower Bridge — the view back towards the City with the bridge in foreground is one of London's definitive free images
16. Regent's Canal Towpath
📍 Little Venice to Hackney (multiple sections)
🎟 Free
👶 All ages (buggy-friendly)
One of London's most underrated free experiences: the Regent's Canal runs for eight and a half miles from Little Venice in West London through Camden, Islington, and out to the Olympic Park in Hackney. The towpath is flat, traffic-free, and takes you through an entirely different side of the city — past narrowboats, gardens hanging over the water, wildlife, and the occasional tunnel. The Camden section past the market is a brilliant family walk.
Parent tip: The Camden Lock section is great for a busy, lively walk — pick up street food at Camden Market and eat by the water. The Islington tunnel requires a short detour via the street.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Any time — the canal towpath is one of London's most reliably pleasant walks regardless of season. Spring when the narrowboat gardens are in flower is particularly lovely.
- Buggy access: Good on most sections — the towpath is generally wide enough. The section through Camden Market gets congested on weekends. Some sections have uneven surfaces but nothing impassable with a standard buggy.
- Toilets: Limited along the towpath itself — plan around access points. Camden Lock, Victoria Park (at the Hackney end), and Broadway Market have facilities nearby.
- Skip if short on time: Don't try to do the whole 8.5 miles in one go. The Camden to Islington section (about 3 miles) is the most varied and interesting; the Victoria Park end section is lovely for families with the park alongside.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Camden Market has excellent and varied street food from £5–8 — jerk chicken, dumplings, crepes, you name it. Eat by the water's edge for maximum effect.
- Crowd warning: The Camden Lock section is very busy on weekends, especially in summer. The narrowboats and the market make it excellent, but allow extra time for the crowds. The Islington section is noticeably quieter.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Start at Camden Lock — walk along the towpath past the narrowboats heading east towards King's Cross
- Stop for street food at Camden Market — the canal-side eating is one of London's best free experiences (you pay for the food, not the setting)
- Walk to Islington or back — the towpath either direction is peaceful, traffic-free, and genuinely lovely
Free Markets Worth Browsing
17. Borough Market
📍 Southwark, SE1
🎟 Free to enter
👶 Best ages: 5+
London's most famous food market is completely free to walk around, and the combination of extraordinary smells, colourful stalls, and liberal sample offerings makes it a genuinely fun experience for children. You don't need to spend a penny to enjoy the atmosphere — though it's essentially impossible to leave empty-handed, and the pork belly rolls and cheese stalls are a serious threat to any food budget.
Parent tip: Go on a Saturday for the full experience (Thu–Sat, busiest Sat). London Bridge station is adjacent. Can be very crowded at lunchtime — go mid-morning.
The honest parent details
- Best time: Thursday mornings are genuinely excellent — full market, far fewer crowds than Saturday. Saturday lunchtime is an absolute scrum. Aim for Saturday morning (9–11am) if the weekend is your only option.
- Buggy access: Difficult at peak times. The market paths are narrow and Saturday crowds make buggy-pushing genuinely stressful. A baby carrier is a much better option on busy days.
- Toilets: Pay toilets at the market entrance (20p). London Bridge station (2 minutes away) has better facilities. Plan ahead.
- Skip if short on time: Nothing — it's compact and everything is good. The meat section near the entrance and the cheese stalls in the middle are the highlights. The fruit and veg section is excellent for free tastings.
- Eat cheaply nearby: The market itself is the eating — Roast's takeaway counter, Monmouth Coffee, the Gujarati vegetarian stall, and the legendary pork belly rolls are all £4–8 and worth every penny. Or bring a picnic for before/after.
- Crowd warning: Saturday afternoon is genuinely unpleasant with children. The market was designed for an era before Instagram, and the path widths reflect this. Go early or go Thursday.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Cheese stalls — free tastings, enthusiastic stallholders, children are usually welcomed warmly
- Bread and pastry section — the smell alone is worth the visit; buy something warm for breakfast
- Walk to Southwark Cathedral — immediately adjacent, free, and unexpectedly beautiful; a calm contrast to the market
18. Columbia Road Flower Market
📍 Bethnal Green, E2
🎟 Free
👶 All ages
Sunday mornings only, 8am–3pm, and worth every effort to get there. The market street is packed with flower sellers who, especially towards the end of the morning, will offer their remaining blooms at remarkable prices and with the kind of cheerful cockney salesmanship that feels like a genuinely living piece of London culture. Children find the noise, colour, and sheer floral abundance wonderful.
Parent tip: It gets very crowded from 10am — aim to arrive at 9am or earlier for the best experience. The surrounding streets have excellent cafés and the nearby Hackney Empire area is worth exploring.
The honest parent details
- Best time: 8–9am on a Sunday morning — you get the full market, the best prices, and room to actually move. By 11am it's a crowd of considerable density. By 1pm, the good stuff has gone and the remainders are available for almost nothing.
- Buggy access: Very difficult during peak hours — the single street is narrow and packed. Arrive very early with a buggy or leave it at home and use a carrier. This is not a Saturday afternoon pram situation.
- Toilets: The pubs and cafés on the surrounding streets are your best bet. The market itself has no dedicated toilets. Plan accordingly — or nip into the Clove Club area cafés.
- Skip if short on time: Nothing — the street is short. You'll see everything in 30–45 minutes at a relaxed pace. Stay for a coffee and a browse of the independent shops on the side streets.
- Eat cheaply nearby: Brawn restaurant and Jones Dairy Café on the surrounding streets are excellent but not cheap. For cheaper, Brick Lane is a 15-minute walk east — beigels from the 24-hour Beigel Bake for £1.50.
- Crowd warning: This is one of those markets where "it gets crowded" is a spectacular understatement if you arrive at 10:30am. The street becomes essentially impassable. Go early or accept the chaos cheerfully.
⏱ If you only have 90 minutes
- Walk the market street from end to end — both sides; the flower sellers are the whole point
- Browse the independent shops on Ezra Street and the side streets — some genuinely excellent small galleries and boutiques
- Coffee and cake at a nearby café — then the Young V&A is a 10-minute walk away if children need more
Making the Most of Free London
The single best thing you can do to unlock free London with children is to get a library card and check your local authority's family events calendar. Every London borough has a network of libraries running free children's events — storytime sessions, reading clubs, craft sessions, holiday activities — and most are brilliantly programmed and chronically underattended.
London's parks also run free activity programmes through the summer, and organisations like the National Trust (at properties like Morden Hall Park in Merton), the RSPB (at Rainham Marshes in East London), and the Woodland Trust (various sites) offer free or very low-cost family activities throughout the year.
The BBC, the Southbank Centre, and organisations like Kids in Museums run programmes specifically designed to make cultural life accessible to families, often with entirely free events. Signing up to a few well-curated newsletters — including, you won't be surprised to hear, this one — is the best way to catch them before they sell out.
London is expensive. But the free tier is genuinely world-class, and with a bit of forward planning, you can give children an extraordinary London childhood without spending a fortune. The whale is still free. The Turbine Hall is still free. Hampstead Heath will always be free. Get out there.
When the weather turns against you, you'll want our rainy day activities guide — it covers every good indoor option in London, from soft play and trampoline parks to escape rooms and cinema deals. And for the definitive deep-dive on London's museum offering, our full guide to the best museums for kids ranks all twelve with detailed practical notes on each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is actually free in London with kids (no hidden costs)?
London's free tier is genuinely extraordinary and mostly no-catches. The major national museums — Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum, National Maritime Museum, Tate Modern, Horniman Museum, Young V&A, Museum of London Docklands — are all free for permanent collections. All Royal Parks are free. The South Bank Walk, Regent's Canal towpath, Greenwich Park, Hampstead Heath, Victoria Park, Coram's Fields, and the Diana Memorial Playground are all free. The main watch-outs: some free museums require advance booking; museum cafés are universally expensive (bring your own food); and some parks have paid extras like lidos.
What are the best free parks for kids in London?
The best free parks for kids in London are: Hampstead Heath (800 acres of wild woodland, hills, and ponds; excellent free adventure playground at Gospel Oak), Greenwich Park (brilliant views, free playground, deer park), Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (Diana Memorial Playground is free and extraordinary), Victoria Park in Hackney (great modern playground, free seasonal paddling pool), and Coram's Fields in Bloomsbury (seven-acre children's park with farm animals — adults must be with a child to enter). All are free and excellent for different ages.
What free things can we do in London this weekend?
For a free London weekend: on Saturday, Borough Market in the morning (free to walk around, wonderful atmosphere), then walk the South Bank to Tate Modern (Turbine Hall always free). On Sunday, Columbia Road Flower Market (arrive before 10am) is a wonderful experience, or spend the day in Hampstead Heath or Greenwich Park with a picnic. Any weekend, the free national museums (Natural History Museum, British Museum, Science Museum) are excellent — book timed tickets online in advance. The Southbank Centre often has free family performances on weekends, particularly during half terms.
What are the best free activities for under 5s in London?
The best free activities for under-5s in London are: the Young V&A in Bethnal Green (purpose-built for families, everything touchable, free workshops); Coram's Fields in Bloomsbury (farm animals, paddling pool, excellent playground); the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens (huge pirate ship, sand, sensory spaces — arrive at opening to avoid queues); Rhyme Time sessions at your local public library (free, weekly, brilliant for language development); and the Horniman Museum's animal walk (alpacas, sheep, chickens — free and reliably brilliant for under-5s).
How do I find free events for kids in London?
The best ways to find free children's events: sign up to The London Scoop newsletter (weekly, specifically curated for London families); check the Southbank Centre's website for free family programming; follow your local library's events calendar (every London borough runs free children's events, particularly during school holidays); and check the Young V&A, Tate Modern, and Natural History Museum websites for free family workshops. The Imagine Children's Festival at Southbank (February) and the Summer Reading Challenge at libraries (July–September) are particularly worth knowing about.