Free tours in London
"Free" means three different things for London tours, and it is worth knowing which one you are signing up for. This page explains each, then lists the free guided tours and walks that are on this week.
Tip-based walking tours
The "free walking tour" you see advertised around Westminster, the City and Camden is free to join and paid by tips at the end. The guide keeps what you give, so pay what the two hours were worth to you. Routes usually cover one district in a couple of hours and run daily from a fixed meeting point. Book a place online in busy months; groups fill up.
Free guided tours inside institutions
Several places run genuinely free guided tours as part of being open to the public. The big free museums offer daily gallery tours led by volunteers or curators. Some historic buildings, libraries and law courts run scheduled free tours on set days. These appear in the listings below when they are dated.
Self-guided routes
London is a walking city, and the best free tour is often your own. The Thames Path runs both banks from Hampton Court to the Barrier. The Jubilee Greenway and the Capital Ring are signed circular routes. Blue plaques, the City’s Roman wall trail and the Regent’s Canal towpath each make a half-day on foot with no guide needed.
Free tours and walks this week
More free things
Frequently asked questions
Are free walking tours in London really free?
They are free to join, and the guide is paid by tips at the end. There is no fixed price and nobody is turned away for not paying, but the guides depend on tips, so most people give what the tour was worth to them.
Do the free museums run free guided tours?
Most do. The British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and V&A all run free daily gallery tours and talks, usually lasting 30 to 60 minutes. Times are on each museum’s site and dated ones appear in the listings on this page.
What is a good free self-guided walk in London?
The South Bank from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge is the classic: the Eye, the National Theatre, Tate Modern, the Globe, Borough Market and the Tower across the water, in about an hour and a half of walking. For something quieter, the Regent’s Canal from Little Venice to Camden Lock takes about the same time.