As much as the next average tourist conditioned by repetitive stereotypes that run our lives, I too think of The Queen, The Big Ben and The Tower of London when I think Great Britain. So of course these would be number one choices when it comes to visiting this beautiful European capital. And even for those of us traveling on a budget, the fact that hotels and restaurants seem to be more on the expensive side does not represent an inconvenient since the city more than makes up for that through free entrance in museums, the parks and markets, the canal walks. So instead of those places that everyone has seen and of course might make your list, we would like to show you places that are just as beautiful but maybe not so endorsed. Oh and the best part! They’re free.

  1. British Museum

Since we’re on the serious side I thought we should start with such a respectable top attractions, and, as luck would have it, it is 100% free. Housing collections of cultural artifacts portraying the civilizations of the world, both modern and ancient, the number of objects that can be seen in the museum has risen to over 13 million. It also offers 20 to 50 minute eyeOpener Tours.

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  1. Serpentine Gallery

Located in central London, in Hyde Park, the Serpentine Gallery is an art gallery focused mostly on contemporary and modern art, housing education, public program and architecture exhibitions. Here too is admission free which means you can enjoy beautiful artwork in natural light that is possible because of the large windows and the intelligent pavilion design belonging to commissions of international architects.

Frank Gehry's Serpentine Pavilion Is Unveiled

  1. Whitechapel Gallery

This art gallery began in 1901 amongst one of the first publicly founded galleries that exhibited temporary collections in London in an art nouveau building, it nowadays mixes emerging and established artists. On Thursday and Friday you may wind up in readings, music events or even films.

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  1. Wallace Collection

Another London museum that specializes in fine and decorative art, with collections that offer the viewer an enthralling glimpse into the 15th-19th centuries, the Wallace Collection takes pride in its large collection of French 18th century memorabilia: from paintings to furniture, porcelain and even arms, these prized elements are arranged in over 25 galleries.

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  1. Temple Church

Built by Templar Knights as an English headquarters, this late 12th Century church is famous for being a round church (a special type of construction with a completely circular plan) but also for the effigy tombs it houses. And if you are a DaVinci Code fan you are in luck: it is also the place where a key scene was filmed.

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  1. Tate Modern

Located along the Thames, the Tate Modern is a beloved attraction that houses art exhibits. Even though the special exhibits are usually not free, the permanent one is surely free of charge and as it is comprised of more than 60000 works that are uniquely themed, you will surely find something to your liking.

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  1. St. Paul’s Church

This small, beautiful church, also called the “actor’s” church lies west of Covent Garden Piazza and, in contrast to St. Paul’s Cathedral (an important landmark which comes with an entrance fee), has been home to an in-house theatre company since 2007.

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  1. Photographer’s’ Gallery

Founded in 1971, this was the first independent gallery in London that devoted itself entirely to photography. The new building opened in 2012 after being closed in august 2010 for redevelopment.

Photographers' Gallery, London

  1. Science Museum

As many other publicly founded museums, this wonderful place also does not charge for admission and since you could get lost in here, this is maybe one of the best places to see, even if you’re 3 or 90. With a collection of over 300000 items, you will surely find something that strikes your fancy, like the Stephenson’s Rocket, the Puffing Billy, the first jet engine, a reconstruction of Watson’s and Crick DNA model, interactive exhibits, documentaries, and many more.

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  1. Natural History Museum

This museum is the result of the Victorians’ inclination to collecting and cataloging- a ridiculously large collection of … well things in nature, such as dinosaur skeletons from diplodocus to T-Rex, pickled specimens and wildlife gardens.

So what remains is for you to take your pick!

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