Hello, off to London for two nights and looking for cheap (or free 🙂 ) touristy things to do.

Always end up going to the same galleries/areas when I visit so could do with some recommendations.

Going with the mrs, no kids, open to suggestions!

Wandering is always nice depending on the weather. Covent Garden, Camden Markets, Regents Park etc etc

Then all the standard issue galleries etc but sounds like you’ve covered that.

Depends when too, this weekend there’s a little get together for a few people that might be fun.

Me and a mate cycled round the place in rush hour. That was fun.

http://www.soane.org/
http://www.wallacecollection.org/

If you want to chill out for a while (and if youre lucky with the weather) the sitting on the balcony out the back of Somerset House with a bottle of wine or a coffee is nice.

+1 for the Wallace.

National Gallery and Portrait, both Tate Galleries, the museums etc, etc, etc, etc….

Cheers, keep ’em coming. Wallace looks interesting, makes a change from the Tates, Portrait gallery etc.

get lost in camden market
climb up top of hampstead heath, do some wild? swimmimg in the ponds
head to teh top of ally pally
old truman brewery usually has some interesting stuff going on
http://www.trumanbrewery.com/cgi-bin/commingup.pl
and you can marvel at the fixie riding cool young hoxton leisure pirates

saachi gallery near sloane square is free too

When you say galleries, do you mean art- Dulwich village in South London is nice, Dulwich Picture Gallery is very good and a bit off the beaten track. Good pub there as well.

Sotheby’s and Christies salesrooms are a good place to have a wander and a perve as well, whether there’s a sale on or not.

Go to Richmond and take the waterbus to camden market – not that expensive IIRC
St Paul’s – it used to be that you could climb up from the Whispering Gallery to the top of the dome. few years ago mind, so might not be the case now

one thing to do in london everyday,

http://www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com/

Moi, I’d recommend:

Brick Lane (general/funky/happening) Market- E1 6QL
Columbia Road (flower) Market – E2 7RH
Borough Market (food) Southwark Street SE1 1TL

Oxo Tower for Coctails perhaps (though this isn’t free, but worth it)

Not all free, but cheap

Go up to highgate, take a tour of the cemetry, then go up parliament hill to look at the view. Go to some pubs in primrose hill, maybe spot some celebs. Then go to camden

That should fill an afternoon

As above, your Mrs may enjoy being taken up the Oxo tower 🙂

I went to the National Portrait Gallery last night, there’s a free exhibition on at the moment which is pretty good.

Or just go and stand around outside Topshop on Oxford Street for a bit. That’s very entertaining too.

Edit: just noticed you’re taking the missus – scrub the Topshop plan (unless you wait outside while she goes shopping)

djglover, very naughty….

after wallace, I can recommend a pint at The Gunmakers
http://www.fancyapint.com/Pub/london/the-gunmakers-ex-william-wallace/1424

imperial war museum… if they’ve still got the holocaust exhibition on, that was good (if a bit of a tear jerker).

then you’re in walking distance of Zeitgeist for excellent german schnitzel, wurst and more beers than you know what to do with in vauxhall. Oh, and then you might as well walk over the bridge to pimlico and go to Cask.

Dave

Brick Lane is a good one if you like a curry – I can recommend Shampan (don’t do offers in here but a very good curry all the same).
Other option for this weekend if your feeling brave is the Notting Hill carnival (might even be some free electronic goods by the end of it….)
Greenwich got some good musuems and place to eat too but could probably be better if you have good weather.

Ride round London on one of the Heritage bus routes (numbers 9 & 15). Way, way cheaper than the rip off bus tours, you get to go on a Route Master and jump on & off whenever you please all day!

Zeitgeist for excellent german schnitzel

fail

Photography exibitions, you can Google them to find out where and what’s on. I’ve been to some fantastic ones and there are all over London!

Thanks so far, waiting for the train at the minute.

Any more?

Boris Bike! £1 for 24hours of bad handling, heavy, ugly biking. But, they’re simply ace!

+1 for Borough……get the tube to London Bridge, walk around the market, eat something lovely then walk right down the south bank to Westminster.

Brick Lane/Spitalfields is loverly and I work there.

Greenwich! Obeservatory is worth a visit, as is the Naval College.

I’ve never done a Blue Plaque tour, I’d like to, supposed to be very interesting. Same for organised historical walks around the City/Mayfair…..Hampstead one is good, my parents did it.

Dont go to the Notting Hill Carnival. Just dont.

looting

lol

If you are in Old St area “Look Mum No Hands” is worth a coffee and cake, Vueltas on too, they maybe screening it (they normally do)

+1 for Greenwich and don’t forget the Greenwich Market then take a picnic into the park with a bottle of sparkles and two glasses.

Could take a river trip from Greenwich back into town, but thats a few quid.

If you are in Regent St/Oxford St area there are some pretty funky buskers there these days, though get there after 6 to see them perform, last week there was a “Jimi Hendrix Experiance” 3 piece and a drummer who was acting like a robot (I kid you not)

If you are after a bit of Posh then Langans Hotel for coctails too (though as said the Oxo’s got a way better view)

Erm.. Condor Cycles or Tokyo Fixed.

Another +1 for Boris Bikes.

Whitechapel Gallery (though you have to pay for this one) is excellent and has a photography exhibit on at the mo’

Sadlers Wells is a fave haunt of mine if you are around in the eve, then eat at the Green Banana across the road (very good veggie/fusion food) then walk up to the Angel.

The Hunerian museum is always ‘interesting’ if you like dissected animal parts and biological oddities. I believe its just off Holborn viaduct. And its free!

Notting Hill Carnival this weekend….. you have been warned!