GREAT THINGS TO DO FOR £10 OR LESS
One of the world’s great cities should be open to everyone. Discover its art, history and entertainment, spend time together, and try something new — without needing a lot of money.
A tenner is £10. Our recommendations cost £10 or less per person, and many are completely free.
The view is free.Archive photo: Bert Seghers / CC0 · Photo credits
A LITTLE TIME. A LITTLE LONDON.
On a coffee break or waiting for a friend? Discover the people and events behind London's streets, a few minutes at a time.
Start with three free audio scenes. Cobble has more than 1,300 scenes across London. Find one nearby and make a little discovery of your own.
Find stories near you on Cobble ↗Find nearby stories on the website. Listen in the Cobble app.
Cobble is made by this guide’s publisher.
How the free start works · Allow time to set up the app and reach your chosen scene.
START WITH THE DAY YOU WANT
A DATE. A CATCH-UP. A DAY OUT.
Free galleries, small museums and stories to share. Make a plan for two with a total activity budget of £10 or less.
Find something to do together ↗Cobble Together keeps everyone in sync on separate phones. Each listener pays the listed price. How Together works ↗
THREE PLACES WORTH YOUR TIME
Nearest station: London Bridge, Borough or Monument
£6 at the door; online booking costs extra
Climb aboard a reconstruction of Drake’s ship beside London Bridge. The decks and rigging give you something very different to explore together.
October 2026 early closing: 29 October at 5pm. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Check the official visitor page for further changes.
General admission
A garden held within the remains of a church. It is a good place to sit and look carefully, especially after the crowds around the Tower or the pace of a City lunch hour.
General admission
Give one collection your attention instead of trying to finish the whole museum. It is a satisfying way to spend an hour and leaves you with a reason to return.
Archive photographs: morebyless / CC BY 2.0; Eduard Militaru / CC0; DAVID ILIFF / CC BY-SA 3.0. Sources and licences.
CULTURE BELONGS TO EVERYONE
MUSIC & TALKS
Start with a free LSE recital, join a public talk, or explore musical history at the Royal Academy of Music Museum.
Read the guide and check the dates ↗Nearest station: Greenwich (National Rail and DLR)
Standard adult admission
A museum devoted to fans makes a surprisingly focused outing: look at the painting, materials and craft in an object designed to be carried.
Standard admission includes a voluntary donation
See the entrance shaft and engineering story of the Thames Tunnel. Choose this if you enjoy finding out how a city was built.
A fiver is £5. Spend an afternoon exploring one part of London. These neighbourhood guides bring together places costing £5 or less, including plenty for free.
ALREADY OUT EXPLORING?
Every recommendation links to official information and shows when we checked the details. Prices explain what is included; food and transport are extra. Organisations do not pay to appear here.
How we choose and check ↗