Top 5 Free things to do in London !

Hello you! Today, I bring you to London, UK, not the one in Canada ;-) Ready?

Travelling shouldn't be synonymous with crazy expenses and ending up broke, there are so many ways to enjoy places on a budget. Let me share with you a few tips.

Let's start with a fact: London is expensive. True. BUT, there are so many ways to visit this crazy city just with an Oyster card in your pocket. I spent over a year in London and I developed a few tricks to enjoy this city for no penny!

Here is my Top 5, but don't hesitate to share more in the comments.

1 - The changing of the guards in Buckingham Palace. You will have to wake up early for that one as the best spots (the fountain, I tell you) are often taken by the early birds or the party birds :-). It is free, it is in every touristic guide and it's full of photos opportunities. Do you need an other reason? 

2 - Parks and gardens. Walking is not boring. From Buckingham Palace, you can wander in the parks spread around the city. The closest one is Green park with its cute squirrels, but also St James Park and so much more! From Primrose Hill, you can relax with a view of the city! Just open a map and you will find so many parks around you.

My favorite gem is Hampstead, less conveniently located but still easily accessible from the transports.

3 - Museums. London is a great city when it's about equal access to culture and museums. The British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum and the Natural History and Science Museum are some of the best and can occupy a few of your days all together. If you just have to pick one, I would recommend the Natural History and Science Museum, for the architecture and the giant Dinosaur at the entrance. If you feel generous, you can donate a few pounds to support the great work they are doing!

Here is the V&A museum court, a hidden relaxing gem.

4 - A Thames walk. A great way to digest your too big Fish and Chips. You can easily walk along the Thames and discover some of the city's highlights. From the Tate Modern museum, you can walk along the river and you can see St Paul Cathedral, actually located on the other side, in front of the museum. And all along the walk, you can stumble upon a few traditional pubs, hidden commercial areas, the Town Hall, interesting for the architecture and the view. You will land next to the Tower Bridge with some nice hidden streets around the area. On sunny days, you can relax among tourists and locals on the nice grass around.

5 - Visit markets. I know this one is tough and full of temptations. But those places are also full of browsing and meeting opportunities. From the crazy Cyberdog shop in Camden Town, the Horse Tunnel in Camden Market to the vintage and not so vintage shops in Portobello Road, the possibilities are endless! In the Eastern suburbs, you will enjoy Brick Lane market on Sundays and discover London's new wave with its cool street art scene.

Street art scene can be found everywhere in London. It's free, but a donation is always appreciated ;-)

Bonus: Window shopping. So you are too broke to spend your money in Primark, but you can still walk. There are so many window shopping opportunities in London. Selfridges' windows in Oxford Street are always sophisticated. I remember the beautiful decorations at Christmas time but also for the Queen Diamond Jubilee as it was such an event! Some pics here.

Harrods is also a great spot for too expensive food corners and its Egyptian stairs.

Eye catching shops fronts in Camden Town.

Cyberdog shop in Camden Market, one of the most entertaining shops!

To know more about London's endless activities and shows, visit Time Out London, always updated and so interesting. 

For great deals, look at Groupon as well, you may find some discounted prices for city tours for example.