By Natalie Wilson
Announcing an upcoming trip to London is now met with the same shriek as a city break in Switzerland 鈥 鈥渋t鈥檚 soo expensive鈥.
True, with its costly combination of TfL travel, high-end shopfronts and anything-but-budget booze, the capital has a habit of lightening purses.
However, away from Michelin meals and the halls of Harrods, there are leafy green spaces, free museums and open-door comedy shows to be found in London if you know where to look.
Think galleries, markets, gardens and city farms that are kind to your credit card.
From the Victoria and Albert Museum to picnics in Greenwich Park, here鈥檚 our pick of low-cost activities for thrifty travellers to lean into London.
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Some of London鈥檚 top tourist draws open their doors to the public for free. With no entry fee for the Victoria and Albert, British Museum, Natural History Museum and Science Museum, there鈥檚 a wealth of world-renowned collections, history and art to discover without paying high admission prices.
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Pubs including the Camden Head in Angel and Battersea鈥檚 The Candlemaker host free stand-up shows with both big and small names testing new material on patrons. Feeling like splashing 拢1? Covent Garden鈥檚 The Top Secret Comedy Club has guaranteed giggles from tried and tested comedians most nights of the week for just a quid.
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Aside from London鈥檚 signature pigeons, foxes and squirrels, countryside staples such as sheep, cows and pigs also reside in unusual urban corners 鈥 better still, it鈥檚 free to visit furry friends at most of the city鈥檚 farms. Mudchute Park and Farm, Hackney, Spitalfields and Vauxhall City farms, to name a few, are open for animal fans, with donations welcome.
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Green spaces are scattered in every borough of London, from the sub-tropical gardens of Battersea Park to the picnic-primed hills of Greenwich and Holland Park’s Kyoto garden. Their colours may change with the seasons, but walking routes, sandwich spots and play areas promise to show a different side of the city year-round.
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With a London summer comes al fresco cinema screenings, from rooftops to the canal side. On the King鈥檚 Cross 鈥楻iviera鈥, Everyman on the Canal will be screening blockbusters, cult classics and the madness of Wimbledon matches for free on the steps of the canal from 30 June to 17 August. Elsewhere, London Bridge鈥檚 riverside festival Summer By The River is showing free flicks and Vauxhall鈥檚 Summer Screen is set for some big-screen blockbusters.
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As the likes of Borough and Camden charge steep prices for their most popular street food stalls, to make the most of a market on a budget, head for some window shopping. Colombia Road鈥檚 colourful Sunday flower market is well worth a weekend stroll, or peruse Portobello on a Saturday for a bric-a-brac bargain.
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To tower over the capital without splashing out on a slow ride around the London Eye, tickets to London’s highest public garden 鈥 the Sky Garden 鈥 are free. The viewing gallery on the 43rd floor of the 鈥淲alkie Talkie鈥 building offers panoramic views from Fenchurch Street with bars and restaurants onsite.
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For a walking tour of the city鈥檚 biggest landmarks, follow a stretch of the Thames path from the South Bank east to the Tower of London. This four-mile route passes the Houses of Parliament, Millennium Bridge and plenty of pubs for a pint refuel along the way.
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There are free gigs, art and exhibitions to be found at the Southbank Centre for those looking for culture that doesn鈥檛 charge their credit card. Among events this summer, Freudian Typo invites visitors to consider how the English language 鈥渦nderpins the globally precarious state of land鈥, Dance Your Way Home showcases a series of artworks, and Iris Colomb performs live poetry.
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You actually can go to a gallery in London without paying a 拢15 admission fee and spending 拢5 on a flat white. For your fill of sketches, oil paintings and interactive exhibits, some of the city鈥檚 most notable showrooms 鈥 including the Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Wallace Collection 鈥 display their visual masterpieces admission-free.
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London institution Ronnie Scott鈥檚 may be the king of the city鈥檚 jazz clubs, but for a boogie on a budget, there are plenty of live music venues letting in jazz fans for less. The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch hosts free Sunday jazz sessions in its main bar, as does Dalston鈥檚 The Haggerston and The Royal Albert pub in New Cross.
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