Central line
A free day out on the Central line
9 genuinely free places across 7 stops. Listed in line order, so you can ride it end to end and stop off as you go.
54 acres between Kensington and Notting Hill, with roaming peacocks and the free Kyoto Garden — one of west London's least crowded green spaces.
The UK's largest antiques market, plus food and fashion stalls further down the hill in Notting Hill — free to browse; antiques and vintage stalls trade mainly on Saturdays.
Hyde Park's quieter, more formal neighbour — the Italian Gardens, Round Pond and Albert Memorial are all free; Kensington Palace's State Rooms next door charge separately.
A townhouse museum near Oxford Street with Fragonard's The Swing, suits of armour and French furniture — free under Lady Wallace's 1897 bequest to the nation, no ticket needed.
- 05
Holborn
World-class collections from the Rosetta Stone to the Parthenon sculptures. Permanent galleries are free; special exhibitions may charge.
Architect Sir John Soane's own house near Holborn, left to the nation exactly as he arranged it — a genuine hidden gem crammed with antiquities and mirrored tricks of light. Free, no booking needed, but small and can mean a short wait to get in.
A Victorian covered market in the City, with ornate ironwork and cobbles — the public arcade is free and open 24/7, even though individual shops keep their own hours.
Free 360° views over the City from the top of the 'Walkie-Talkie' — but you must book a timed ticket online in advance (released a few weeks ahead); turning up without one usually means no entry.
- 07
Mile End
'The People's Park' — London's oldest public park, opened in 1845 for the East End — lakes, a deer enclosure and wide-open grass between Bow and Hackney.
Ride a different line from the Tube map of free things to do, or check costs, parking and opening times in the full London guide. Straight-line station matches, not walking-route promises — use TfL for the journey itself.