Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KCL chapter.

London For Free!

You’ve just moved to London for the first time, or you’ve lived there for a long time but haven’t done much exploring, or you’re just commuting to London! Being a student at King’s College London has its perks by being located in the busy city of London. I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of places that can be visited FOR FREE! 

(I’m trying to help you guys save the money you’re going to need for Uni life!). 

These free places will be categorised as to whether they are art galleries, museums, or markets (technically not free if you give in to temptation and buy something but are free to visit!). 

 Art Galleries

   1.The National Gallery

Describing itself as being ‘The story of European art, masterpiece by masterpiece’, The National Gallery consists of paintings from the 13th century, up until the 20th century, and includes works of huge names like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Monet and Van Gogh. 

Closest Stations: Charing Cross or Leicester Square (close to Strand Campus)

   2. National Portrait Gallery

Priding themselves on having ‘the most extensive collection of portraits in the world’ with ‘215,000 works’, National Portrait Gallery has works that span many different key periods in English history; from Tudor and Elizabethan to Victorian and Edwardian, to the 20th century. 

Closest Stations: Charing Cross or Leicester Square (close to Strand Campus)

 

   3. Tate Modern 

Tate Modern is known for not only its contemporary art, but also its international modern art. From sculptures, to interactive art, and a collection of 78,000 artworks and 4,000 artists, you will have a lot to see here! These works are from the 16th century to today. The famous Rothko room is also located here, a room in which I’ve been recommended to go and see countless times, so check it out!

Closest Stations: Blackfriars or London Bridge or Southwark 

   4. Whitechapel Gallery

This gallery has housed the works of many hugely famous artists, including Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo. 

Closest Stations: Aldgate East or Liverpool Street

   5. Saatchi Gallery

Also known for contemporary art, Saatchi Gallery homes exhibitions of art from places including the Middle East, India, China, America and the UK. 

Closest Station: Sloane Square

 

   6. God’s Own Junkyard 

God’s Own Junkyard is unique in terms of consisting just of colourful neon signs, which are the works of Chris Bracey. These signs can even be bought or rented! 

Closest Station: Walthamstow Central

 

Museums

   1.Victoria & Albert (V&A)

Priding themselves on being ‘the world’s leading museum of art and design’, you will find here a variety of items including paintings, photography, wallpaper, shoes and wedding dresses.  You can even take a free tour here, and these range from an LGBTQ+ tour, to Britain 1500-1900, to African heritage. 

Closest Station: South Kensington

 

   2.Museum of London

The Museum of London is, as indicated by its name, all about London- from Prehistory to today! Highlights here include Medieval London, Roman London, and even the London 2012 Cauldron used in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Closest Stations: Barbican or St Paul’s 

 

   3.Science Museum

Science museum has many different things to explore, a lot of these also being interactive; from mathematics and how it is connected to our lives, to technology, to the Earth’s changing climate and even to a steel wedding dress. 

Closest Station: South Kensington 

 

   4. National History Museum

Famous for their dinosaurs, but also housing over 80 million specimens that span 4.5 billion years including mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, the National History Museum is pretty impressive for those interested in specimens! 

Closest Station: South Kensington 

 

   5. Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane, a 19th century architect, wished for his house to be left untouched; cue this house museum! It features many of Soane’s possessions, including antiques, furniture, sculptures, architectural models and paintings. 

Closest Station: Holborn as it’s in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (Very close to Virginia Woolf Building and the Strand Campus!)

 

   6. Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Horniman Museum has displays of a music gallery, natural history, and a world gallery. It even has 16-acre gardens which you can visit for free! There is also a butterfly house and aquarium, but sadly you have to pay to visit these. 

Closest Station: Forrest Hill 

 

Markets​

   1. Portobello Road Market

A very famous market known for its bright colours, and one which I need to go down to myself, Portobello Road Market is most popular on Saturdays. However, the market does run every-day with specific themes of items: one day is an antique section, another a fruit and veg, another a new goods, then a fashion market and finally a second-hand goods day. 

Closest Stations: Marble Arch or Ladbroke Grove

 

   2. Camden Market

Camden Market, a market which I absolutely love and visit regularly, has a huge variety of products. You get the t-shirts that are the same on most stalls, or the fake designer items, but you also get the quirky and unusual items, jewellery, vinyl’s, and other lovely sentiments. Basically, it’s just an amazing place to go to (sorry for my bias!). 

Closest Stations: Camden Town or Kentish Town 

 

   3. Brick Lane Market

Another market that has a massive range of items with things like second-hand furniture and unusual clothing, you will find lots of amazing items here also. Lined with multi-cultural restaurants and food places to eat, and regular street performers, Brick Lane is a vibrant place to visit. Note that the best day to go is on a Sunday. 

Closest Stations: Aldgate or Aldgate East or Liverpool Street

 

   4. Old Spitalfields Market

Open 7 days a week, Old Spitalfields Market, contrary to the name, is not only full of market stalls, but even has shops such as make-up brands. In total, the place has 43 food and drink places, but also 51 shops and stalls. Stalls here further consist of variety ranging from clothing and jewellery to skincare products, vintage eyewear and even antiques (and there’s much more!). 

Closest Stations: Liverpool Street or Moorgate Railway 

 

   5. Borough Market 

Borough Market is famously known for its amazing food and drinks, with many different products from different cuisines on offer. To give you a taste of the variety, there are stalls that sell French-style cakes and pastries, Mediterranean products, and spirits from East London (that’s not even a starter!). 

Closest Stations: London Bridge, Borough or Southwark (very close to Guy’s Campus!)

 

I am a third-year student studying English at KCL. I love to read (obviously!), write, listen to music, go to the theatre and attend concerts, which I can especially do being in London (pre-pandemic)!
President of Her Campus KCL!