A weekend break in London can work out pretty steep, but as mums always say, mind your pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves! These ‘triffic’, free London attractions won’t break the bank when you’re visiting the Big Smoke.
1. Kensington Gardens
The capital has eight royal parks and Kensington Garden is one of them. You can find impressive trees and colourful flowerbeds. If you have the nippers in tow, the Diana Memorial Playground is handily located here. See www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens
2. The British Museum
Learn about different cultures throughout the ages, with free exhibitions on topics like German medals of the First World War and Japanese Men’s Fashion. Throughout the day, there are free 30-40 minute eye-opening tours of the various galleries. See www.britishmuseum.org
3. Changing of the Guards
We all know them – the men in uniform, with Bearskins on (you know those tall, furry caps), standing around at Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards Arch and Windsor Castle. They don’t smile, they don’t even look at you, they just march around sometimes. But when they finish their shift, the changing of the guards takes place. This is a stunning ceremony that you have to see at least once in your life. See www.royal.gov.uk
4. Victoria and Albert Museum
The worlds’s largest art and design museum has collections that are unrivalled in their diversity, with exhibits ranging from architecture, ceramics and glass, to furniture, drawings, dolls houses and teddy bears. It offers free daily introductory tours. See www.vam.ac.uk
5. Abbey Road – St John’s Wood, London, NW8 9BS
If you are a big fan of the Beetles, make sure you go to this address, as this is where you’ll find the famous zebra crossing featured on their last album cover. Unfortunately, the studios nearby are not open to the public unless you’ve booked a recording session, which isn’t cheap. Instead, bring your camera and take a picture crossing Abbey Road in the footsteps of the famous foursome. Find it on Google Maps at https://goo.gl/maps/f4Kib
So where is everything?
Here’s a map of London showing the location of everywhere in this blog.
Click here for a larger version of this map in a new tab.
How to get there?
For cheap holidays to London, ClickandGo has excellent packages with great value accommodation, so kiss your spendthrift pals goodbye and prepare to take a tour on a shoestring!