one free riverside mile
A free walk along the South Bank
The South Bank is the best free walk in London. Start at the Southbank Centre and follow the river east, ducking into free galleries, a covered market and a cathedral, all the way to Tower Bridge and a hidden garden ruin on the far side.
FREE
A free walk along the South Bank
LONDON FREE GUIDEThe list
1
FREELONDON FREE GUIDE
Royal Festival Hall
South Bank · Waterloo
Europe's largest arts centre on the South Bank, with free foyers, free gigs and exhibitions, sofas to work on and balconies with a sweeping free view over the Thames.
Daily · foyers roughly 10am to 11pmFull details →
2
FREELONDON FREE GUIDE
National Poetry Library
South Bank · Waterloo
The largest collection of modern poetry in the world, free, hidden on Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall, where anyone can read, listen and even ask the staff to track down a half-remembered poem.
Tue–Sun 11am–8pm · closed MonFull details →
3
Tate Modern
Bankside · Southwark / Blackfriars
A giant power station full of modern art, free to roam, with one of the best free views of St Paul's from the upper floors.
Daily 10am–6pm · Fri & Sat to 10pmFull details →
4
Borough Market
London Bridge · London Bridge
London's best food market under the railway arches. Free to wander, and the samples are generous if you look interested.
Tue–Sat, full market · check days before you goFull details →
5
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark · London Bridge
London's oldest Gothic church, free to enter, tucked beside Borough Market with a Shakespeare memorial, medieval roof bosses and a quiet riverside garden.
Daily · roughly 10am to 5pm · services asideFull details →
6
FREELONDON FREE GUIDE
Golden Hinde (exterior)
Bankside · London Bridge
A full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's galleon, free to admire from the quayside in a hidden Bankside dock.
Exterior viewable any timeFull details →
7
Tower Bridge (walk across)
Tower Hill · Tower Hill
London's most famous bridge is free to walk across, with grandstand views of the Thames, the Tower and the City skyline.
Road and walkways always openFull details →
8
St Dunstan in the East
City of London · Monument
A bombed-out City church left as a public garden, with climbing plants threading through the ruins. Free, peaceful and pure magic.
Daily · roughly 8am 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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