Day out ideas in London under £10! - traveller.james- European travel tips & Inspiration

Day out ideas in London which won’t break the bank

Planning a trip to London and looking for unique and exciting day out ideas? These four day out ideas in London will all cost you less than £10 to visit- what’s more, three of them are completely FREE and won’t cost you a single penny.

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Four day out ideas in London to add to your bucket list:

Although London is known for expensive travel and accommodation prices, there are plenty of free and cheap day out ideas in the capital city which can help you to plan a budget trip to the capital. If you’re not familiar with London, you will be pleased to know that entry to the majority of museums and interactive exhibitions as well as parks and gardens is completely free. Alongside taking a walk through Hyde Park and the Italian Gardens in Kensington, through Camden Market or Notting Hill, there are also attractions which will entertain, thrill or provide an insight into the history and culture of the capital.

Babylon Park- London’s only UNDERGROUND rollercoaster

Babylon Park is the only underground theme park in the whole of London. Furthermore, you will find London’s ONLY rollercoaster here. Alongside the rollercoaster, there are arcade games, rides and a food and drink offering. Entry to Babylon Park itself is completely free of charge.

If you wish to ride the rollercoaster, a single ride costs £5. If you download the Babylon Park app, you can buy a package which allows you to save money on multiple rides as well as arcade games.

Arrival to Babylon park: Take the Northern Line to Camden Town or Chalk Farm. Babylon Park is located directly opposite from Camden Market.

A picture of the entrance to Babylon Park in Camden, where you will find the only underground rollercoaster in the whole of London. An entrance decorated with an illuminated sign as well as balloons await you upon arrival to the theme park, located directly opposite Camden Town.

Interactive Design museum

Kensington is one of my personal favourite districts of London and offers a variety of affordable day out ideas and activities. From the Science to National History Museum, there are plenty of museums and attractions with free entry which are also perfect for a rainy day.

The Design Museum is located directly next to Holland Park, where you will find the Tokyo Garden. Entry to the permanent collection of the Design Museum – Designer, Maker, User – is completely free. There are also seasonal exhibitions, which sometimes require an entry fee.

In the museum building, you will also find a cafe on the top floor. In the cafe you can enjoy cakes and coffee with amazing views over London.

Arrival: District Line to South Kensington

A picture of the Design Museum, a free day out idea in London. On display is a collection of old tvs and radios, from black and white to colourful geometric designs, which take you through the history of design in the United Kingdom.

Acrylic neon lettering hangs down from the ceiling in the permanent collection of the Design Museum. The permanent collection is called 'Designer, Maker, User'. The lettering hanging down from the ceiling are yellow, orange and red in colour.

Europe’s tallest viewing platform – Horizon 22

You may have heard of The Shard -one of London’s most famous skyscrapers- but have you heard of Horizon 22? Since September 2023, Horizon 22 provides the most beautiful views over London. The viewing platform offers 300 degree views of London.

How tall is Horizon 22? Horizon 22 is located on the 58th floor. Enjoy views from 254m, 10m higher than from the Shard.

Is entry free? Yes, entry is free but make sure to book a time slot online in advance, here.

Arrival: tube to Liverpool Street + walk.

Panorama view from Horizon 22, the tallest viewing platform in London and the whole of Europe. From this free attraction in London, you can enjoy the best views onto the whole of London, including onto the Thames and St Pauls Cathedral.

A picture of Horizon 22, infront of the glass skyscraper is a hen sitting on a rock. The hen is coloured orange, red and blue. The skyscraper is one of the tallest in London and offers London's tallest viewing platform.

London’s largest Air Museum- RAF museum London

The RAF museum is the largest Air Museum in the whole of London. There are multiple hangars to explore, whilst discovering the history of the Royal Airforce in the UK. In the museum you will find interactive exhibitions and you can even climb into a vintage aircraft!

How much does it cost? Entry to the RAF museum in London is completely free of charge, although donations are appreciated.

How long should I spend here? I was in the exhibition for around 3-4 hours. I suggest planning half a day. There is also a cafe on site.

Arrival: Northern Line to Colindale + walk

A picture of the steps in the Royal Air force museum in London. This is the largest air force museum in the whole of the British capital. Suspended above the staircase in one of the hangars is an old fighter jet from the RAF.

An interior view of one of the largest hangars at the RAF Museum in London. The room is multi story and there are planes suspended in the air as well as on the ground floor of the exhibition hall.

Looking for the largest air museum in the whole of the UK? The Imperial War Museum in Duxford is the largest air museum in the whole of Europe

International day trips from London

Looking for international day trip ideas from London? With the Eurostar you can travel to and from Belgium in a day! The Eurostar travels directly from St. Pancras International to Brussels, where you can travel to these 6 spectacular locations.