London has much in the way of tourist attractions, many of which are free or relatively inexpensive to enter. Here is a list detailing the best cultural sites to visit in London if you’re on a budget.


London provides a world of opportunity for those travelling on a budget. There’s plenty to do for those attending an English language school London offers, and luckily, it’s also possible to plan a varied schedule without breaking the bank. Here are the top tourist spots to check out at cost-effective prices...

Galleries

Tate Britain
All of London’s art galleries are free to enter and the Tate Britain is high on the list of most visitors to the city. Housing a collection of Britain’s art from 1500 to the present day, this central gallery is not to be missed.

Tate Modern
For fans of modern art, the Tate Modern holds a varied collection of art dating from 1900 to the present day. This impressive building also hosts special exhibitions and events throughout the year.

National Portrait Gallery

Opened in 1856 and in its current location since 1896, the National Portrait Gallery features portraits of the most famous people in British history. View more than 175,000 portraits from the 16th Century to the present day in this amazing collection.

 

Museums

British Museum
Many museums across London are completely free to enter and the British Museum is one of the best. Set in an amazing building, the British Museum houses a vast collection of world art and artefacts with many varied exhibitions throughout the year.

Museum of London
Learn about the history of London from Roman times to the present day at this interesting venue. Seven permanent exhibition galleries tell the story of the city in the world’s largest city museum.



The Geffrye Museum

The Geffrye Museum in East London gives visitors an amazing insight into how Londoners have lived over the years. Featuring detailed sets of English domestic interiors, the museum documents a collection of rooms from the year 1600 up to today.

 

Music

Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre is the largest single-run arts centre in the world, and regularly hosts free events for all visitors. Enjoy live jazz music on Friday evenings and lunchtime music in the Central Bar of the Royal Festival Hall on weekends, all for absolutely nothing!
The National Theatre
At The National Theatre, visitors can enjoy free concerts in the ‘Djanogly Concert Pitch’ throughout the week, from smooth jazz to upbeat ethnic beats and much more. During the summer months, you can even enjoy the concerts outside.

The Royal Opera House
For fans of opera, the Royal Opera House hosts regular free lunchtime recitals featuring the rising stars of the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Programme, along with members of the orchestra, chorus and the Southbank Sinfonia.

Theatre


TKTS booth
If you fancy sampling one of the major London theatre productions, tickets for big shows such as We Will Rock You, The Lion King and Les Miserablés can be purchased cheaply at Leicester Square’s TKTS booth. Half-price tickets are often available on the day of the performance for West End shows, so don’t forget to stop by if you’ve got your heart set on Mamma Mia!

The Royal Court Theatre
If you fancy sampling something a bit more alternative, The Royal Court offers new productions by innovative writers from around the UK. If you can get your skates on, four standing tickets go on sale one hour before each Jerwood Theatre Downstairs performance – for just 10p each!

London Theatre Passport
If you haven’t yet selected which show you want to see, a London Theatre Passport can give you discounted entry to a West End performance from a select list of productions – a must-have for any theatre enthusiast visiting London.

If you plan carefully, you can have a great time visiting London without spending a fortune. With events, galleries, museums and theatre productions, there’s plenty to do for those attending English courses in London no matter what the budget.

Resource box

Activities in London
Learn more about what’s happening in the UK’s capital

British Theatre
Find out about the new productions in the world of theatre

London on a budget
Ideas for how to enjoy London on a budget