summer in the city, sorted
Free things to do in London this summer
Summer is when free London comes into its own. The parks fill up, the canals catch a golden-hour glow and you can spend a whole long evening outside without spending a penny. Here are the best free things to do in London this summer, from a wild heath and a rose garden in full bloom to a slow canal towpath and a riverside walk that runs for miles.
FREE
Free things to do in London this summer
LONDON FREE GUIDEThe list
1
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead · Hampstead
London's wild back garden. Eight hundred acres of woods and meadow, a protected skyline view from Parliament Hill, swimming ponds and a free stately home in the trees.
Always openFull details →
2
Hyde Park
Hyde Park · Hyde Park Corner
Three hundred and fifty acres of Royal Park in the middle of London, free, with a lake to row, a soapbox at Speakers' Corner and room to lose the whole city.
Daily 5am–midnightFull details →
3
Queen Mary's Gardens
Regent's Park · Regent's Park
London's largest rose collection, free to walk through, set in the inner circle of Regent's Park with thousands of blooms.
Daily, 5am until duskFull details →
4
Isabella Plantation
Richmond · Richmond
A hidden woodland garden inside Richmond Park, free all year, that explodes into colour every spring with azaleas and rhododendrons.
Daily, dawn to duskFull details →
5
Little Venice
Maida Vale · Warwick Avenue
A tranquil canal basin where Regent's and Grand Union meet, free to stroll, lined with willows, painted narrowboats, a floating cafe and a puppet theatre on the water.
Towpaths always openFull details →
6
Regent's Canal Towpath
Camden / Islington · Camden Town
A flat, traffic-free walking and cycling route along the water, free, threading from Little Venice through Regent's Park and Camden across the city to Limehouse and the Thames.
Towpath always openFull details →
7
FREELONDON FREE GUIDE
South Bank Riverside
South Bank · Waterloo
The liveliest stretch of the Thames Path, free, running past the London Eye, the arts centres and the skate park with street performers, book stalls and big river views the whole way.
Always openFull details →
8
Brockwell Park
Herne Hill · Herne Hill
A rolling south London park with a hilltop skyline view, a walled flower garden, ponds and a beloved old lido nearby.
Daily, dawn to duskFull details →
More guides
Guide
Free
The stories hiding above Clerkenwell's pubs
A free ~45-minute walk from Angel to Farringdon past six Clerkenwell pub signs, each hiding a story you'd never guess from the street: a prince replaced by a Tamil king, a freed slave in chains, a mystery mural, the man who funded England's first atlas, and a 400-year-old typo. Every stop is free to look at, this is about the signs, not drinking.
Guide
FreeEvery weekend
Go East Vintage Flea: a free vintage market in Bermondsey
Go East Vintage runs a free vintage flea market most weekends at Maltby Street in Bermondsey, plus an indoor edition inside the railway arches on selected weekends. Free entry, no ticket, dog-friendly, just turn up. Expect 40 plus vintage sellers with furniture, vinyl, cameras, fashion, jewellery and odd little treasures, right by Maltby Street Market's food stalls. Dates move around a little, so check Go East Vintage's Instagram for the exact weekend before you go.
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