Think London is expensive? Think again. In the capital's oldest district there’s much to see and do for free. Here are some helpful pointers...

Plan your trip: get expert local advice...

Make the City Information Centre your first stop - we can help you make the most of your day. Alternatively, download our Time Out guide (5mb) to the City here and start planning now.

Take a walk: enjoy a free self-guided walk...

At the City Information Centre select a free self-guided walk leaflet. Choose Dickens’s magic lantern - a walk examining the London of Charles Dickens - or Designs of the times featuring the best of the City’s architecture. Alternatively, download walks here and follow the trail of the Great Fire or take the City highlights whirlwind tour.

Pack your lunch: enjoy a musical interlude or picnic al fresco...

Music: coming in the working week? Many of the City’s ancient churches provide free lunchtime recitals and finding out what’s on where is simple, just download the latest City events calendar from the Friends of City Churches website; or, if you’re visiting in the summer months, check out ... Show more. the City of London Festival website where you’ll find details of its many free open-air events. The Guildhall School and the Barbican also present free events throughout the year, many taking place in the early evening.

Picnic: pack a tasty lunch and relax in one of the City’s 150 parks, gardens and piazzas. Highlights include the rose garden at St Paul's Cathedral, St Dunstan in the East where climbers wrap the ruins of an ancient church to create a truly Gothic feel, or Postman’s Park which houses a Victorian memorial that provided an essential plot device in the film Closer. See all parks and gardens in the City. Hide.

Visit world-class attractions: explore museums and monuments...

Travel through time at the Museum of London and explore the capital's turbulent past from prehistoric times to the present day; see London’s only Roman Amphitheatre (free from 1 April); hold a real gold bar at the Bank of England Museum; learn about the history of one of London’s oldest hospitals ... Show more. at the St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum; or explore the world’s oldest collection of clocks and watches at the Clockmakers’ Museum. An additional low cost option (only £3 for adults) is the Monument which was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London - climb its 311 steps for spectacular views. Hide.

Marvel at the masters: see free exhibitions and special commissions...

Art lovers can enjoy a fantastic collection of Victorian paintings and pictures of London subjects at Guildhall Art Gallery (free from 1 April) and in the in the same visit see London’s only Roman Amphitheatre. There’s also the Barbican’s The Curve - a gallery which shows new commissions by contemporary artists and Goldsmiths’ Hall, which presents some great jewellery and metalwork exhibitions throughout the year.

Take in a view: see City sights and architecture...

The City has some truly great architecture. Enjoy one of ten fantastic views listed here; take the lift to the roof garden at One New Change and get up close and personal with the dome of St Paul’s; explore the City’s oldest secular building and the seat of City government at Guildhall (check here for opening information); take a look in one of the City’s ancient churches - many of which were built by Sir Christopher Wren ... Show more. and are often free to enter; or see some spectacular Victorian architecture at Leadenhall Market (shops and cafés open Mon-Fri only but free to view any time) and Royal Exchange - built in 1844 and housing luxury shops (Mon-Fri only). Hide.

Join the debate: hear talks on a range of topics...

Gresham College has provided free public talks for over 400 years and offers around 100 free events a year - subjects covered include art and literature, science, mathematics, religion, politics, business and more.

Enjoy the show: sporting spectaculars, parades, pageants and more...

The City calendar is packed full of great events throughout the year, many of them free. Highlights include the pomp, pageantry and spectacle of the Lord Mayor’s Show each November, bike racing at the Smithfield Nocturne (usually in June), Cart Marking in Guildhall Yard each July and the many free concerts and exhibitions listed above. Check out our events pages for what’s on when.