For conversation, choose a free garden or a wander at St Katharine Docks. For an indoor outing, Guildhall combines art and Roman archaeology, while the Grant Museum suits a group interested in natural history. For shared audio stories, try Soho Square or Introducing Bloomsbury with a Pass, or the free Surprising Stories On The Tube Collection. Pick one or two nearby stories and leave time to talk.
The ideas at a glance
| Idea | Adult / listener price | Total for two | Activity time | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre | FreeGeneral admission | FreeGeneral admission | 45–75 min | City of London |
| The Golden Hinde | £6£6 at the door; online booking costs extra | £12£6 at the door; online booking costs extra | 45–60 min | Bankside |
| Choose a Cobble Collection together | £1.99Standard £1.99 24-hour Pass for each listener who needs paid Collection access | £3.98Standard prices for two | 30–60 min | Across London |
| Grant Museum of Zoology | FreeGeneral admission | FreeGeneral admission | 40–60 min | Bloomsbury |
| The Garden at 120 | FreeGeneral admission | FreeGeneral admission | 30–45 min | City of London |
| Free public talks at LSE | FreePublic events; registration varies by talk | FreePublic events; registration varies by talk | 90 min | Holborn |
| The Backstreet Arsonist of Covent Garden — Cobble | £2.99One Walk per listener | £5.98Standard prices for two | 31 min | Covent Garden |
| National Portrait Gallery | FreeGeneral admission | FreeGeneral admission | 45–90 min | Trafalgar Square |
| Temple Church | £5Adult admission | £10Adult admission | 30–45 min | City of London |
| St Katharine Docks: a waterside wander | FreeGeneral admission | FreeGeneral admission | 25–40 min | St Katharine Docks |
| Dr Johnson’s House | £10Adult admission | £20Adult admission | 45–60 min | City of London |
We prioritise shared discovery over expensive competitive activities. Pick according to how much your group wants to talk, how long you have and whether everyone is comfortable with the subject and access conditions.
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre
For mixed interests: art and Roman archaeology in one free visit. Split your attention between the two parts or let each friend choose a section to show the others.
Know before you go: Free booking recommended. General admission.
When: Daily 10am–5pm; last entry 4.45pm. See official special closures.
Closed all day on 21 October and 16 November 2026. On 13 November, the Main Gallery closes at noon and the Undercroft, Heritage Gallery and Amphitheatre at 3.30pm. On 14 November, the gallery opens at 11am. Check the official calendar before travelling.
Details checked 7 September 2026 · per adult
The Golden Hinde
For friends who want to explore rather than sit still: move between a reconstructed ship’s decks and compare what you notice. It needs confidence with steep steps and low ceilings. Choose the door price to keep the cost clear.
Nearest station: London Bridge, Borough or Monument
Go to the ship at St Mary Overie Dock, beside Southwark Cathedral. General visitors have no public toilets on board.
Know before you go: Pay at the door; check private closures. £6 at the door; online booking costs extra.
When: April–October: daily 10am–6pm; November–March: 10am–5pm. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Private hires can shorten these hours.
October 2026 early closing: 29 October at 5pm. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Check the official visitor page for further changes.
Details checked 27 October 2026 · per adult
Choose a Cobble Collection together
For a catch-up with stories between conversations: choose a Collection below, hear one or two Scenes and pause to talk. The free Tube Collection needs no Pass; paid choices currently cost £3.98 for two listeners who both need standard 24-hour Passes.
Three Collections to try with friends
Choose one Collection for where you are, then pick a small part of it. Exact Scene locations open in the app.
Soho Square ↗
For friends who like odd building details: choose a story around the square, then compare what you noticed.
14 Scenes; included with the 24-hour Pass or Monthly Pass.
Try Mock-Tudor (2-minute listen): The hut with an unexpected purpose.
Introducing Bloomsbury ↗
For a neighbourhood wander: choose one or two nearby stops rather than trying to cover the whole Collection.
31 Scenes; included with the 24-hour Pass or Monthly Pass.
Try Towering Senate House (2-minute listen): The building that rose above 1930s London.
Surprising Stories On The Tube ↗
For a free taster before or after a catch-up: these stories are spread across London. Pick one already near you; this is not a single local route.
15 Scenes; free, with no Pass needed.
Try The Two Oxford Circuses (2-minute listen): The rival stations behind a familiar name. Open it through the free Collection.
These are individual listening times, not the duration of a Collection or walking route. Add time for app setup, reaching each location and conversation. Collections have no fixed route, start or order.
Open your chosen Collection in the Cobble app and invite friends by link or QR code. Everyone joins on their own phone. Bring headphones and leave pauses between stories to talk.
For a paid Collection, use an eligible Pass or buy the £1.99 24-hour Pass. Invited listeners who need access currently pay £1.99 each. Check the price in the app before joining; travel and food cost extra. Check Cobble Together access and current prices ↗
Collection access, Scene examples and published listening times checked 8 October 2026 against the linked Cobble pages.
Nearest station: Depends on your chosen Collection
Pick a place-based Collection and a nearby scene in the app. Collections have no fixed starting point.
Know before you go: Choose a Collection in Cobble and invite by link or QR code. Standard £1.99 24-hour Pass for each listener who needs paid Collection access.
When: Choose your own time; local gates, street access and daylight can affect an on-location outing.
Details checked 13 October 2026 · per person buying a standard 24-hour Pass
Grant Museum of Zoology
For a curious group: inspect the small details and compare the specimens that surprise you. Preserved animals will not suit everyone, so agree on that before arriving.
Know before you go: No booking required. General admission.
When: Tuesday–Saturday, 1–5pm. Closed Monday and Sunday.
Details checked 16 September 2026 · per adult
The Garden at 120
For uninterrupted conversation: an outdoor rooftop garden with an interesting skyline. It is free, though you should expect security and possible waiting.
Know before you go: No booking for ordinary visits. General admission.
When: April–September: weekdays 10am–9pm. October–March: weekdays 10am–6.30pm. Weekends all year: 10am–5pm. Closed bank holidays.
Details checked 16 September 2026 · per adult
Free public talks at LSE
For a group with a shared interest in ideas: choose a speaker or topic together and save the conversation for afterwards. Register when required, meet before entering and arrive early enough to sit together.
Know before you go: Register when required; arrive early. Public events; registration varies by talk.
When: Dates and start times vary by event. Read the individual listing.
Details checked 11 September 2026 · per adult
The Backstreet Arsonist of Covent Garden — Cobble
For a short shared story near Covent Garden Piazza or Leicester Square: a 31 min route through a suspected arson case. Each listener pays £2.99; two listeners pay £5.98. Open the route before setting out and allow time to reach the start.
Nearest station: Leicester Square
Meet near Leicester Square station. Open the Walk for the precise start of the route towards Cecil Court.
Know before you go: Buy in the Cobble app. One Walk per listener.
When: Self-guided; allow for street conditions and crossings.
Details checked 13 October 2026 · per listener
National Portrait Gallery
For a free cultural outing with an easy starting question: which person would each of you most like to meet? Use the portraits to build a conversation rather than racing for completion.
Know before you go: Free booking recommended. General admission.
When: Daily 10.30am–6pm; Friday and Saturday until 9pm. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Details checked 7 September 2026 · per adult
Temple Church
For a group interested in older London: a £5 visit can anchor a wander through the surrounding lanes. Check the sightseeing calendar and group arrangements first.
Know before you go: Check sightseeing hours for your date. Adult admission.
When: Variable sightseeing hours; use the official daily calendar.
Details checked 7 September 2026 · per adult
St Katharine Docks: a waterside wander
For a spontaneous waterside catch-up: the public paths make a useful low-pressure meeting point. The zero cost is for the wander; cafés and boat activities have their own prices.
Know before you go: No booking for the public waterside. General admission.
When: Public waterside; businesses, festivals and marina operations have separate hours.
Details checked 7 September 2026 · per adult
Dr Johnson’s House
For book-loving friends: a small house with a strong subject. Check the offer below if you want the lower admission price. There are several floors and no step-free access.
Know before you go: Book online or walk in. Adult admission. £5 · Fridays, 2–5pm — Friday 2–5pm; last entry 4.30pm.
When: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun noon–4pm. Closed Mon. Check occasional functions.
Details checked 16 September 2026 · per adult
How Cobble Together lets you listen together
Choose a Walk or Collection, then invite the other people by link or QR code. Everyone hears the same stories on their own phone. You can explore side by side, have someone join remotely, or listen together from home.
Walks: each listener buys the Walk at its listed price. The app shows the exact price before each invited listener joins.
Collections: each listener who needs paid Collection access uses a £1.99 24-hour Pass — £3.98 for two. Free Collections stay free. Individual Walks are separate purchases.
The invitation coordinates listening; it does not itself create a discount. These are activity costs; travel, food and optional extras are separate.
See how Cobble Together works ↗
Published details checked 13 October 2026.
Put a plan together
Choose one anchor activity and one optional nearby pause. At Guildhall, the gallery and amphitheatre are already a varied outing. In Covent Garden, the short arsonist audio route can be the main activity, with an outdoor pause afterwards if you have time. Recheck requirements if your group reaches eight people or more.
A few useful answers
Do organisations pay for these places in the list?
No. They do not pay to be included. London for a Tenner is published by Cobble Media, and Cobble’s own experiences are identified wherever they appear.
Is the site’s ranking the same for every group?
No. This is an editorial shortlist for the stated situation. Age, interests, access requirements and opening hours can make a different order more useful for you.
Does everyone pay the full Cobble price?
Each listener pays the listed Walk price. For paid Collections, each listener who needs access can buy a £1.99 24-hour Pass; existing eligible Pass holders may already have access. Join using the invitation and check the price in the app.
About the details
We check details against official sources, but hours, prices and availability can change before this guide is updated. Please check the official website before travelling or booking.
Prices are in GBP per adult or per listener, unless explained otherwise. Food, transport and optional extras cost more. Time estimates exclude travel and queues. Official source links appear with every idea; each activity page contains its full checking record.
London for a Tenner is published by Cobble Media, which also makes Cobble. Read about the publisher and how we choose recommendations.
Read our selection and price policy, or suggest a correction.