I’m sure we could all agree that 2020 was nothing like what we expected. I thought that I was going to be in my final year at Leeds University and stressing over the dissertation project but here I am enjoying myself in London and reflecting on the past 12 months.
Anyway, long story short I’m now working full-time in London and constantly looking for ways to make my weekends more exciting.
I’ve made a short list of free things that you could do in London on a weekend. The only catch is that you MUST book your tickets in advance.
The British Museum
📍 Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG
As one of the largest museums in the UK with exhibits from all around the world, The British Museum offers you the opportunity to experience the world through the prisms of history, art, and culture.
The entry is free if you book your visit a week or two in advance but if you’re interested in a specific exhibit that is hosted by The British Museum you would have to purchase a ticket for it.
My suggestion would be to book a time slot between 12-2 pm so that you can have enough time to have a good look at all of the artifacts without rushing.
Museum of London
📍 150 London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5HN
If you want to gain an insight into the history of the UK’s capital, then the Museum of London is the best place for that. Not only does it have artifacts that date back to prehistoric times but it also tells the story of London chronologically dating all the way from prehistoric to present times.
The staff was friendly, and they gave me a little bit of background on what I was about to see and the order of the exhibition artifacts.
It all depends on how busy the museum is around the weekends but I was able to book a ticket for it a day in advance.
The National Gallery
📍 Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN
If you want to immerse yourself in the world of art, you could always visit The National Gallery. The art museum exhibits over 2000 paintings and I have to admit it’s one of my favorite places to go to.
The gallery proudly showcases the brilliant paintings of artists like Botticelli, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Monet, Van Gogh, and many more.
It’s the first museum that I ever visited since I moved to London back in July and it’s certainly worth adding to your list.
Sky Garden
📍 1 SKY GARDEN WALK, London EC3M 8AF
If you love cityscapes and tall business buildings like me, you would definitely fall in love with the view that the Sky Garden offers. It is London’s highest public garden with a 360-degree view of the capital’s skyline and an open-air terrace.
Weekend visits are typically almost fully booked so I would suggest planning it and booking a spot at least two weeks in advance.
I always say that places like that need to be visited at least twice – once during the day and another time while the sun sets and the city starts to light up. The only thing you need to keep in mind for your golden hour visit would be that the terrace will most likely be closed as it closes at 6 pm.
Tate Modern
📍 Bankside, London SE1 9TG
Tate Modern is one of the most visited modern and contemporary art museums in the UK. The gallery has multiple floors and exhibits artwork from around the world dating between 1900 to present times.
The admission fee for Tate Modern is free and gives you access to Tate’s main collection displays, however, for temporary special exhibitions and events you would have to purchase a ticket to enter.
National Maritime Museum
📍 Romney Rd, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
Located in Greenwich, an area in South East London, the National Maritime Museum is a publicly funded national museum, and booking your visit is free of charge. It has a rich collection of over 2 million artifacts including maritime artwork, cartography, manuscripts.
Because it is located on the opposite side of London for me I had to plan my journey there and the type of public transportation I would need to use. It’s great if you could combine the National Maritime Museum with a visit to the Queen’s House which is less than a minute away.
Queen’s House
📍 Romney Rd, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
The Queen’s House is a beautiful classical building designed by the architect Inigo Jones, known for introducing Palladianism in its construction as well as the H-shaped architectural plan.
Since its early construction at the beginning of the 17th century, the Queen’s House has been reconstructed many times throughout the years but has still managed to preserve its classical look.
Victoria and Albert Museum
📍 Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
Founded in 1852, Victoria and Albert Museum is one of the world’s largest museums for applied and decorative arts with a collection of over 2.2 million artworks. Its exhibition halls are spread across 4 floors and open for free visits every week Wednesday – Sunday.
I absolutely loved visiting the museum as it was my first time exploring an exhibition with such a wide variety of artworks covering fashion pieces, regional and religious art pieces as well as sculptures, furniture, and ceramics. One piece of advice I’d give is to allocate enough time for your visit as the museum is quite big and there’s a lot to see.
Natural History Museum
📍 Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
The Natural History Museum exhibits a rich array of specimens from various historical periods. Its five main collections consist of: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology, and zoology, and its zones are divided by colors: red, green, blue, and orange.
It’s probably one of my favorite museums in London, and it’s massive, so it’s best if you have a map. Alternatively, if you’re good at directions, unlike me, you most likely won’t have issues finding your way back.
Spots are always limited, especially during the weekend and it would be best to book your visit a few weeks in advance.
Stay tuned for part two! ✌️
IVCEPTION 
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