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Free Time in London
London:
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Free time in London? Take a look at the suggested activities below to add even more to your tour experience. Please note that these recommendations are separate from your included EF tour activities. Opening times, availability and fees for these free time activities may vary depending on the time of year and are subject to change. Please check listed websites for details.
Museums:
Trafalgar Square; Tube Northern and Bakerloo lines to Charing Cross station. Open daily 10am-6pm, until 9pm Friday.
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The premier collection of art in the UK ranging from early Renaissance to late Impressionism. This was one of the very first public museums in the country and now includes the adjacent National Portrait Gallery. Admission is Free.
Bankside; Tube Jubilee line to Southwark. Open daily 10am-6pm, until 10pm Friday and Saturday.
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Once a 1960’s power station, the transformation of this building, especially the turbine hall, is breathtaking. This museum offers one of the largest collections of contemporary art and features regular exhibitions incorporating sculpture, video, and installation art. Admission is Free.
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Lambeth Road; Tube Bakerloo line to Lambeth North. Open daily 10am-6pm.
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This marvellous museum, which concentrates on the history of warfare rather than any particular era or conflict, has a number of temporary exhibitions to enjoy alongside the permanent collection. Inside you will find a wealth of documentary evidence, film and video material as well as a number of original exhibits. Admission is Free.
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Clive Steps, King Charles Street; Tube Bakerloo or Northern line to Charing Cross. Open daily 9:30am to 6pm.
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This underground shelter was the control room for planning Allied actions during World War II. It was also the place from where Churchill gave some of his memorable radio addresses. Explore the war rooms, many of which were left untouched since the war. In the adjoining museum learn about Churchill’s life, including the chance to view his school reports! Entrance fee applies.
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HMS Belfast, The Queen’s Walk; Tube Northern or Jubilee line to London Bridge. Open daily 10am-6pm during summer, until 5pm otherwise.
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Built in 1936, HMS Belfast was the largest and most powerful cruiser in the Royal Navy and equipped with the most advanced radar systems, playing a crucial role in protecting the arctic convoys throughout the war. She also spent five weeks supporting the D-Day landings and reportedly fired one of the first shots on D-Day itself. HMS Belfast played an active role in the Korean War from 1950-1952 working with other Allied Forces to support the retreating American and South Korean troops. Her final years were spent performing peace-keeping duties until she was retired from service in 1963. Today, a floating museum, HMS Belfast offers a great chance to understand a vital stage in this island’s naval history. Entrance fee applies.
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Covent Garden Piazza; Tube Piccadilly line to Covent Garden. Open daily 10am-6pm, at 11am Friday.
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Housed in a historical Victorian building, the museum showcases the long history of public and private transport in London. From omnibuses to the Underground, all kinds of travellers will be drawn to this unique and interesting museum. Entrance fee applies.
Only in London:
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London; Tube District, Circle, Jubilee, Northern and Bakerloo lines to Waterloo. Open daily 10am-9pm, times may vary depending on month.
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The world’s largest observation wheel (pods on the outside) was designed especially for the millennium and celebrates technology and fun while affording those who ‘fly the eye’ the highest view of the city. Each flight takes half an hour as you explore the changing view from the safety of your capsule. Your ticket also includes a separate 4D show. Entrance fee applies.
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Fish Street Hill; Tube on District and Circle line to Monument. Open daily 9:30am-6pm during summer, until 5:30pm during winter.
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An imposing, dignified memorial to the 1666 Great Fire of London - the 61m stone column is topped by a golden flame and stands just meters away from where the fire started on Pudding Lane. If you can make it up the 311 steps to the top, you are rewarded with a phenomenal view and a certificate to prove your efforts! Entrance fee applies.
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87-135 Brompton Road; Tube Piccadilly line to Knightsbridge. Open daily 10am-8pm, Sunday 11:30-6pm.
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Perhaps the most famous department store in the world. Harrods boast they can sell you anything at all, from an elephant to an airplane. Over 4½ acres in size, with 40 elevators and its own 490 foot well - Harrods is well worth a visit. Make sure not to miss the Food Halls on the ground floor, the Egyptian escalator, and the memorial to Princess Diana.
Fun Activities:
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21 New Globe Walk; Tube Jubilee or Northern to London Bridge. Times vary due to theatre season, usually 10am to 5pm.
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This incredibly sympathetic reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre overlooks the Thames and hosts a season of performances in the open-air theatre every May to September. The educational exhibition reveals backstage secrets and the gift shop is a treasure trove of Shakespeare texts, props and costumes. When there are no performances you can take a guided tour of the theatre with one of the actors. Entrance fee applies.
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Make a Brass Rubbing – London Brass Rubbing Centre
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square; Tube Bakerloo or Northern to Charing Cross Station. Open daily 10am-6pm, until 8pm Thurs-Sat, Sunday 11:30am-5pm.
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Take home some costumed ladies and knights in armour from England's age of chivalry. Make your very own brass rubbing in the crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square; the staff there will be happy to show you how. Prices vary.
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9a Saint Thomas Street; Tube Northern or Jubilee line to London Bridge. Open daily 10:30am-5pm.
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Located in a church attic, this is the oldest existing operating room in Britain dating back to 1821. Learn more about medical procedures (or the lack of them) in the 19th century as well as seeing instruments that were used and the place where medical students would crowd around a table to watch operations happen. Entrance fee applies.
Foods to Try:
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Bangers and Mash
Simply sausage and mashed potatoes, it’s a staple food throughout Britain.
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Cheese Toastie
A grilled cheese sandwich taken to another level because of the high quality ingredients used in it.
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Sausage Roll
Golden-brown flaky, fresh buttery pastry is wrapped around minced pork and herbs, making this a delicious meaty snack.
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Sticky Toffee Pudding
For dessert, order this. It is a dark sponge cake soaked in a sweet toffee sauce topped with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream.
Shopping:
Gracechurch Street; Tube Circle or District to Monument. Open daily 10am-6pm, closed Saturday and Sunday.
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The setting for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies, this wrought-iron covered market was restored after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Tucked away in the heart of the financial city, the market houses traditional taverns, cutting-edge restaurants and the best fish and poultry markets in town. Right next door you will find the exoskeleton building of the famous insurance company, Lloyds of London.
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16 Horner Square, Spitalfields; Tube Circle, District, or Hammersmith & City to Aldgate East. Open Mon-Wed 10am-5pm, Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 9am-5pm.
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Few markets better represent the melting pot which is London, not just today but historically. Recently, a public art project and street restoration have rejuvenated the lively stalls and shops which make this one of the most vibrant places to be in London.
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Great Walks:
Signal Court, Old Station Way, Eynsham, Witney.
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Take a walk near London Bridge and see some famous sites including The Golden Hind which was the first ship to circumnavigate the world (in 1580). Close by is London’s first prison (the Clink), its name given to the sound the keys made in the locks. Stop at the famous Borough food market (most active Friday to Sunday) and finish your walk at Shakespeare’s Globe or cross the river to St. Paul’s cathedral.
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Churches
Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge; Tube Jubilee or Northern lines to London Bridge. Open daily 8am-6pm, at 8:30am Saturday and Sunday.
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There has been a church on this site since the beginning of the 7th century and it is the first Gothic church to be built in London. The current cathedral was built over 200 years, starting in 1220 and is well known for the various choirs associated with it as well as the 19th century organ. Entrance fee applies.
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Temple; Tube Circle or District to Temple or Blackfriars. Open Wed-Fri 1-4pm; Sat 1-2:30pm; closed Monday, Tuesday and Sunday.
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Built by the Knights Templar, the order of crusading monks founded to protect pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem in the 12th century. Learn why initiates would have to enter the church through the western door at dawn. The church, which is located within the Inns of Court (for barristers and judges), was also featured in the Da Vinci Code. Entrance fee applies.
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