Explore the city,
June 18 2023
Avoid that scary bill at the end of your meal, the rip-off tourist activities that aren’t worth it and the expensive extras you hadn’t planned for. Instead, with a bit of planning, you can enjoy loads of fabulous cheap activities, meals and days out in London. Catch free shows, enjoy a picnic in a Royal Park and get a dose of London’s rich culture without splashing the cash. Here’s our guide to affordable things to do in London.
The Angel Comedy Club has 2 Islington venues – The Camden Head and The Bill Murray – hosting free and very cheap comedy nights 7 days a week. The Camden Head puts on plenty of open-mic nights, and the comedy is always free. At The Bill Murray, you’re in a lovely London boozer with a more varied programme of comedy and workshops.
As well as up-and-coming performers, these venues have seen plenty of big-name acts, from Eddie Izzard and James Acaster to Stewart Lee and Josie Long. Although they’re free, you should expect to make a donation at the end.
Find what’s on at the Angel Comedy Club
Fill up on a wallet-friendly filling-packed pizza from Pizza Union. With locations in various spots around the capital, including Kings Cross and Spitalfields, you can get a margherita pizza for under £5. Plus, you can sip on a frozen raspberry mojito or margarita for under £5, too.
Or head to Roti King in Battersea and Euston for flavour-rich Malaysian and Singaporean street food at bargain prices. Dip a delicious roti in a stunning dhal for a fiver. It's walk-in only, so you may find a queue.
Head to Hampstead Heath’s three ponds or Parliament Hill Lido for an outdoor swim. You pay a small fee, but it’s open all year, even if the water is never heated and always bracing. If you’re feeling hardy, this is for you.
Find out about swimming at Hampstead Heath
For a warm swim with impressive views, go to Richmond’s Pools on the Park where both the indoor and outdoor pools are heated. There’s no membership fee and a single adult swim is less than £6. The indoor pool has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the outdoor pool, and both have views over the Old Deer Park lawns.
Look into swimming at Pools on the Park
For fun cheap things to do in London when it’s cold and wet outside, head to the cinema. But avoid those expensive Leicester Square cinemas and go to Peckhamplex in Peckham instead. It’s a six-screen independent cinema with affordable tickets for all screenings, every day. It’s probably London’s cheapest cinema, and by going, you’re also supporting a local-community space involved in many charities. Along with mainstream films, Peckhamplex also shows art-house films, hosts film festivals and has had its fair share of glamorous film premiers.
With these cheap places to go in London, you can keep a whole family fed, watered and entertained without breaking the bank. Add in a well-priced stay at Thistle Piccadilly Hotel or Thistle Trafalgar Square Hotel to put yourself in the centre of London for less.
