London on a Budget: Prices and Free Days
London’s honest price tag is lower than its reputation. The city’s actual headline sights, the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the V&A, have free, permanent general admission by policy, not a promotion. The paid sights that do exist are limited and mostly worth their prices: the Tower of London at GBP 37, Westminster Abbey at GBP 31 (shut to tourists on Sundays), and Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms, open only 9 July-27 September 2026 at GBP 33. Everything else in this overview is either free or a meal-deal-sized cost.
| At a glance | London |
|---|---|
| Free sights | British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern/Britain, V&A, Natural History Museum, all permanent general admission |
| Paid must-book | Tower of London GBP 37, Westminster Abbey GBP 31, Big Ben tower tour GBP 55 (sells out in minutes) |
| Transit | Contactless/Oyster, Zone 1-2 daily cap GBP 8.90 |
| Time needed | 3-4 days for the highlights, a week to slow down |
What actually costs money in London
Not much, if you sequence it right. The Tower of London is the one paid sight worth planning around, GBP 37 adult, GBP 18.50 child, booked through hrp.org.uk or via a GetYourGuide skip-the-line ticket if the gate queue isn’t worth the wait. Westminster Abbey runs GBP 31 and is closed to tourists on Sundays, worship only. St Paul’s Cathedral is GBP 27, dropping to roughly GBP 24 during the 25 June-1 September 2026 summer-savings window.
Is the London Eye worth it, or is there a free alternative?
There’s a genuinely free alternative. The London Eye runs GBP 29-33 on dynamic pricing for a 30-minute rotation, while the Sky Garden’s free viewing floors (booking required) and Tate Modern’s free viewing level cover a comparable skyline at GBP 0. Ride the Eye only if the budget already has room and the sunset timing lines up.
Getting around on the daily cap
A contactless card or phone charges the same fare as an Oyster card and shares the same capping system, so most visitors skip buying a separate Oyster entirely. The Zone 1-2 daily cap runs GBP 8.90, and it covers essentially every sight in this overview; check current fares at tfl.gov.uk . From Heathrow, the Piccadilly line Tube is the cheapest way in at GBP 5.90, though the Elizabeth Line’s flat GBP 15.50 is faster and more comfortable.
Compare Zone 1-2 stays before you book a base, since price swings hard with the season: check current London rates on Booking.com . Skip the London Pass unless a specific itinerary already prices out four to five paid attractions across two-plus days, the city’s free museums make that bar hard to clear.