London is one of the most visited cities in the world! People from all over the globe dream to see London’s bright lights and witness the busy life that the city exuberates. Over 20 million (pre-covid) visit London each year internationally, and it’s flooded with tourists daily!
When visiting London it really is difficult to pinpoint the best things to do and places to see. We know people who have lived there for 5-10 years and still have so much they haven’t discovered yet. So, someone who is visiting on holiday, or for a long break often feel overwhelmed with activities, places to eat and sights to see.
This is also coupled with the prices of London being exceptionally high and trying to make the most of your visit and not spend all your savings.
Just for reference, we live an hours train from London and when we visit you can easily find yourself spending £150 on food for 2, £100 on a stay for 2 and £100 for two activities in 1 day! This is not sustainable and when we go London we make sure to find the best budget options so we can maximise our experience whilst not breaking the bank each time!
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Best Times to Visit London
As expected, the best times to visit would usually be nearing Christmas/New Year or during the summer months.
On the lead up to Christmas, there will be decorations lining each street, festive activities including winter wonderland and markets that will definitely get you in the festive spirit! However, during these events prices are likely higher as it is an annual event that a lot of people go to.
The summer is more so for the beautiful parks and walks you can do and also enjoy some of the activities like the London eye or visiting Buckingham Palace with lovely weather. During the summer, it’s common to rent bikes and go for cycle rides in local London parks or settle for a picnic and enjoy your surroundings which you definitely cannot enjoy all year round.
Best Activities to do in London on a Budget
All the mainstream activities in London do come at a premium price. Everyone comes to London to see the main sights like the London Eye and Tower of London Tours but are these the best things to do in London?
Local Markets
There’s 2 reasons why we would visit London markets! Firstly, the food is really high quality, fresh and more budget friendly compared to local restaurants in the areas. In London there are so many markets you may just stumble across some! It’s the perfect place to look for your lunch/dinner while not using all your savings! The markets below are the ones we would recommend but there are so many more!!
- Borough Market
- Spitalfields
- Portobello Road Market
- Covent Garden
- Camden Market
These markets are great to wander around and see some amazing and abstract things you may not otherwise see! You may not be hungry but you can marvel at all the stalls and potentially pick up something like local honey or jams that you can enjoy later in the day. Each market is full of character and have many different options of food for all to try. The main problem is usually deciding where to eat!
Our favourite market of choice would be borough market. It has some great lunch options including a generous portion of mussels, Thai street food bakeries and more! With perfect and take homes like homemade jams, rich cheeses and some desserts like Ice Cream and dedicated dessert stalls like humble crumble! Even if you aren’t looking for food, its a great place to wander and experience a true local market in the heart of London.
Hire a bike!
Many people may not know this but London is HUGE! You simply cannot see everything as all the main sights are dotted across the Capital. Most use the Underground which is a cheap and convenient way of moving across the city but can be tough to navigate unless you are a local. Even we struggle sometimes.
An alternative would be to hire a bike and ride across London. This will limit your time going to the underground and moving from point to point without experiencing the whole of London. Some of the best parts of the city is truly wandering and stumbling across some unique and cool places. Whether it’s quirky shops, street artists or performers, food stalls… anything really!
There is nothing better than a gentle bike ride across the riverbank admiring the views and seeing the sights the city has to offer. There are many locations where e-bikes are available for renting. All you need to do is download the app and scan the bike and you on are on your way! When finishing with the bike, you will need to drop it off at a bike stop and they are really cheap to rent out!
Walking tour
Walking tours are dotted throughout the city and is a great way to learn more on the history or sights throughout London.
If you aren’t familiar with the history, and are interested then it may be worth while to get a walking tour in your specific interest to learn more! An example would be the London Dungeons or a Jack the Ripper tour where you can learn more about what life was like in London centuries ago and how people lived. On these tours you would be taken to locations with significant importance and told facts about the topic at hand. Find our top pick of the Jack the Ripper tour here.
They usually last for an hour or two and you are able to ask questions and learn more about the topic. Included in the tour may be breaks which will allow you to grab food and drink or nip to the toilet when required. It’s a really good way to learn more about the rich history of the city as not all historic locations will include further details like a tour.
These would be aimed towards people who are maybe less familiar with the history and are visiting London as a holiday.
China Town
China Town is a beautiful part of the city. When you enter, you feel like you have teleported to busy Chinese streets with many food vendors and luscious smells. The streets are decorated with traditional Chinese markings and the food there is cheaper than most of London and has the authentic taste! The area will host events including the Chinese New Year there which would be great to witness.
All the surrounding streets are small local food stops which have traditional Chinese foods which is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. When visiting London is it usually a place we visit as we love the flavours and authentic taste and it’s just a beautiful area to walk through and soak up the atmosphere!
Museums
There are many museums across London, so many in fact that you can’t realistically see all of them.. even if you lived there! As it’s a city, there is museums for all kinds of things and no matter your interest, there will be one tailored to what you like! As you may not know, most museums in London are free to enter – this includes all public displays. However, each museum does provide private viewings, usually temporary and seasonal, which you would be required to pay for.
These are normally worth while being around £10 – £20 and usually around a famous person or time in history. We have visited many of the museums in London and it is definitely a great way to spend some time to learn about topics you are interested in and a great way to keep costs down while in London.
We would recommend these Museums as these are the ones we have visited and enjoyed the most:
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- Victoria & Albert Museum
These museums offer a lot of variety of interests and a lot of cool viewings that could keep you busy for a few hours in London.
For us personally, our favourite in the National History Museum and is something we would recommend for all travellers to London to experience!!
Festivals throughout the year
London is well-known for the festivals and events they have throughout the year. Some are so large that people visit from around the world to experience them like new years or the London marathon which is a great time to visit. The atmosphere is very different with a lot of visitors either cheering on runners and enjoying the weekend or celebrating the turn of a new year. It definitely adds a new aspect to visiting London that many people don’t experience.
However, there are many festivals throughout the year that people are almost unaware of and stumble across. These can be music festivals or food festivals. For example, in June this year there is a Taste of London festival in Regent’s Park. This will include top restaurants showcasing their top dishes to onlooking and offer free samples to taste. This would be great to have a wander through and experience some top quality food. You could maybe even use this to find the best place to eat dinner later. It’s perfect as you can decide how much you want to spend or spend nothing at all, it’s totally up to you!!
Across London, no matter the time of year you visit there will be events occurring you just have to be in the right place. Sometimes it can be a simple google search away or you may just stumble upon one! As it’s such a large, vibrant city, we would always recommend to look out for any events, even if it’s just something to experience and walk through as you never know what you might see!
We really could talk about so much London and all that it’s offer but these would be our top picks when visiting London and keeping to a budget!
Accommodation recommendations
We have also provided our best recommendations on the different accommodation in London. Some budget friendly, medium priced and luxury hotels as well as a hostel option for your trip!
Hostel Option
This hostel is a great option for backpackers who want award winning accommodation for a fraction of the price. The reviews on this hostel are generally SO positive, with some stating this hostel is ‘perfect’. Located near Tower Bridge, you need to check this spot out! Find it here.
Budget Option
London can be an extremely expensive place to visit, especially for accommodation reasons- these rooms are a great budget friendly option! Working out at about £34 (based on two people sharing a room) each, these rooms have communal area kitchens, however these do have community bathrooms rather than private – this isn’t a problem for many, and we think this is a great option! Find it here.
Mid-Range Option
This modern hotel is only a 2 minute walk from Tate modern in the heart of London, and is a beautiful option for your trip to London! This hotel has its own app system, so you can control your room’s lighting and ambiance, amongst access to Disney, Netflix and more, this hotel boasts many impressive features ready for your stay! It will cost roughly £78 per person (based on a room for 2), and is such a great find! Find it here.
Luxury Option
Want the luxury life in London? This hotel serves world class treatment, with an onsite spa and health club (including a roman-style swimming pool), and is only a short 15 minute walk to Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Costing roughly £133 per person (based on 2 people sharing), this hotel is the best option for your celebrity style London adventure. Find it here.
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