9 Tips for Visiting London on a Budget

Visiting London can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

London is HUGE and everything is spread the heck out! I recommend purchasing an oyster (metro) card to get around. The Tube isn’t cheap, but it’s definitely less expensive than taking a cab everywhere. And you can feel like a local.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco are grocery stores that offer ‘meal deals.’ You can purchase a pre-made entree (a sandwich, salad, pasta salad, etc.), a side (usually fruit or chips) and a drink (non-alcoholic) for ONLY £3. I took advantage of this deal almost every day. I’d rather spend my travel budget on art museums and walking tours than over-priced fish and chips.

That being said, don’t eat meal deals all the time! Have dinner at a traditional English pub.

The #1 most fabulous thing you can do in London at no charge is see the city and the River Thames from the top of the Tate Modern. This view at sunset is a fond memory from my trip and it was completely FREE. Not everyone knows about this perk. It’s a bit of a hidden gem.

View from the top of the Tate Modern. You can see the Shard on the right.

View of the River Thames

Technically, walking tours aren’t free. Guides work for tips and it’s crucial that you tip them. But that doesn’t mean they’re not an incredible deal. You get to explore a new city with a local guide at a very low cost. Their stories and recommendations are well worth it.

In any city you’re visiting, I recommend going on a walking tour the day you arrive. This way, you’re able to do and see some of the things that your guide recommends during the remainder of your stay.

Another great thing about walking tours is that you’ll see all the city’s most famous sights in one day and you can ask your new friends to take your picture with them. No more solo travel selfies!

Did you even visit London if you didn’t take a picture in an old phone booth?

I went on THREE walking tours while I was in London. The first was a general tour with sightseeing and history. That’s where I took the picture above. The second was a specialty tour of Soho to learn all about its rock n roll influence. On this tour, I learned that Elvis never performed overseas despite multiple invitations to perform in London. This is because his manager immigrated to the States illegally and did not own a U.S. passport.

SoHo

The final tour I went on was a street art walking tour. This one was probably my favorite. Admiring street art with strangers can be a little awkward, so after the tour I backtracked to look at the pieces on my own (and take better pictures than the ones I got on the tour).

I went to two markets: the Brick Lane Sunday Market and the Camden Market. At the Brick Lane market, local vendors were selling international cuisine, coffee, desserts, secondhand clothing, shoes, art, and more. This is a great place to experience local flair.

I also recommend the Camden Market. Unlike the Brick Lane Sunday Market, the Camden Market is open every day. It’s more focused on food than the Brick Lane market, and you can find every type of cuisine imaginable here. Everything I tried was delicious and less expensive than a dine-in restaurant. It gets crowded, so go early!

Halloumi fries – Thick cut slices of fried halloumi cheese topped with garlic aioli, pomegranate seeds, and red pepper flakes

An iconic London experience! And completely free. If you can’t figure out where to go and when, you can sign up for a changing of the guard tour. Your tour guide will take you exactly where you need to go to see the ceremony and get great pictures. This is what I did to save myself the headache of trying to figure it out on my own, and I learned some fun facts on the tour. It was well worth the suggested £15-25 donation.

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

In addition to my street art walking tour, I went out on my own and followed maps that I found online to see some of the city’s greatest works of street art.

London has incredible street art and viewing it doesn’t cost a penny. Brick Lane is famous for its impressive murals and it was right by my hostel. There’s even a Banksy preserved in plastic in the Tower Hamlets neighborhood.

Leaving is the easy way out

I love how the artist used the rounded bricks to create the hat.

Have you seen the movie Notting Hill? Remember the travel bookshop where Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts met? Well, you can visit the O.G. bookstore in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London.

There’s a lot of colorful houses in this neighborhood. You can walk around pretending to be Julia Roberts and take your picture against the brightly-colored backdrop.

A residential side street just off of Portobello Road

Visit King’s Cross train station to see the famed replica of Platform 9 3/4. Visitors queue up patiently to get the perfect photo. You’re allowed to take your own photos for free or you can purchase professional ones. If you’re traveling solo, I recommend asking the person in line behind you to take your photo.

When it’s your turn to be a star, an employee will drape a Gryffindor scarf over you. They will pull the scarf taut then release it just before the picture is taken so it looks like your scarf is blowing in the wind.

Have you been to London? What was your travel budget like? Let me know in the comments!

– Travel Alli