10 Free and accessible things to do in London
Finding accessible things to do in London on a budget can be challenging; how do you know if an attraction or area will cater to your accessibility needs?
We’ve teamed up with Carrie-Ann Lightley, one of the UK’s leading accessible travel bloggers, to bring you a list of free things to do in London which are accessible. Carrie-Ann is also Head of Marketing at AccessAble, the UK’s leading provider of detailed disabled access information.
Our list of free accessible things to do in London uses information from the AccessAble website, where Detailed Access Guides tell you all about a place’s access. They are all 100 per cent facts, figures and photographs, and all of the details have been checked in person, on-site, by trained surveyors.
British Museum
Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
Open daily between 10 am and 5 pm.
The British Museum, founded in 1753 is a stunning architectural beauty and is home to some of the world's most noted artefacts from different cultures around the globe.
It's fair to say that most visitors to the capital say it's the best museum in all of London.
And the best thing is, it's free to visit! From the Parthenon Sculptures and Mesopotamian objects to the Rosetta Stone, the British Museum is heaven for history buffs. Its millions of artefacts take human culture from its beginnings to the present day.
This vast museum has over seventy galleries, and the rooms are organised by geography, history and theme.
The vast collection can make your first visit a little overwhelming. So pick the exhibits that most interest you, and plan return trips if needs be.
Consider tagging along on a guided tour if you want some help navigating the approximately 80,000 objects on display out of its collection (totalling 8 million items). Several daily eye-opener tours are free, but you might have to pay for some of them. For example, the "Around the World in 70 Days" tour, which takes in some of the most famous objects on display, lasts for 70 minutes and costs £14 per person. This tour is operating throughout November and December 2021.
The museum opens daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and the last visit entry time slot is 4 pm. The Great Court, the covered public square at the centre of the museum, remains open until 5:30 pm, apart from Fridays when it's open until 8:30 pm.
We recommend booking tickets online in advance. There are four eateries on-site, including two quick-service cafes, a casual pizzeria and the more formal Great Court Restaurant. If you opt to eat outside of the museum, several food trucks serve a variety of food options.
Access Guides
Imperial War Museum, London
Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ.
Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.
The Imperial War Museum is the world's leading war museum, and its collection is focused primarily on modern warfare. Founded during World War One, it gives a glimpse into the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live their lives in a world torn apart by conflict.
The extensive range of 400-plus objects are from the first World War through to the present day, and they are displayed across six floors.
You will find letters, uniforms, photographs, vehicles through to films, weapons and works of art alongside more significant exhibits, such as a chunk of the World Trade Center window. Each object tells a story, usually one of despair and sadness.
Access Guides
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is open to vehicles from 7:00 am in the summer and 7:30 am in the winter. Vehicle gates close at dusk all year round.
Pedestrian gates are open 24 hours except during the six-week deer culls from November to early December and February to early March. During these months, pedestrian gates open at 7:30 am and close at 8:00 pm.
If you are using a mobile GPS device, the postcode for the park is TW10 5HS - this is for guidance only as the park covers a large area.
Vehicle access and parking for Blue Badge holders is available near the beautiful Isabella Plantation.
Just a stone's throw from the centre of London, you can escape to the wonderful outdoors in Richmond Park. It's the largest of eight Royal Parks, covering 2500 acres and home to grasslands and 650 deers.
The park is one of the best UK sites for supporting a range of rare species such as fungi, birds, bats, beetles and wildflowers and the landscape of hills and woodlands is set amongst ancient trees, offering a peaceful respite to visitors.
Access Guides
London’s West End – Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square
London’s West End is one of the most famous, celebrated and exciting places in the world.
Located at the junction of five busy streets, Piccadilly Circus is one of London's most popular tourist destinations. Sit by the famous statue of Eros (a popular meeting point) or take some photos in front of the iconic advertising screens.
Whether it's film, theatre, food or family favourites, Leicester Square exists to excite your senses. It’s an entertainment hub and the perfect place to spot celebrities at the latest red-carpet film premiere.
Access Guides
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge Rd, London, SE1 2UP
Tower Bridge is open 09:30 - 18:00* (last entry is 17:00). Tower Bridge is closed 24 - 26 December. On the third Saturday of the month, between 10:30 and 11:30, entry to Tower Bridge is reserved for Relaxed Opening attendees.
Tower Bridge, built in the late 19th Century, is one of London’s most iconic landmarks, and it spans the River Thames close to the Tower of London.
The Tower Bridge was built to help ease road traffic while maintaining river access to the busy Pool of London docks. It's a fantastic piece of architecture, made with giant movable roadways that lift for passing ships. The workings inside are just as captivating too! Even in the 21st Century, the Tower Bridge is still considered by many as an engineering marvel.
Watch Tower Bridge open for free – in person or on Visit London’s live video feed.
Access Guides
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Westfield Avenue, London, E15 2DU
The Park is open 24 hours a day, every day! Please note different venues will open at different times, so do check before you visit. It is also advisable to book activities and tours in advance – visit the individual venue websites for more information.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, is East London’s modern urban destination.
The park contains the Olympic swimming pool and many other Olympic venues. It is overlooked by the ArcelorMittal Orbital which is an observation tower, a giant slide and Britain’s largest piece of public art.
The 560-acre park features award-winning parklands, waterways and playgrounds that are free to visit every day, although some attractions require an entry fee). There are free trail guides with four to choose from: London 2012, Art in the Park, Parkland and Wildlife or Children’s adventures in the park.
Access Guides
The Supreme Court
To find out when you can visit, please ring 0207 960 1500 or email [email protected].
Parliament Square, London SW1P 3BD
The UK Supreme Court, the highest appeals court in the UK, is independent of the government, and it makes final decisions on how the law should be interpreted. The cases that it hears affect people’s everyday lives.
The Supreme Court is located in Parliament Square. Visitors can come and see courtrooms, watch a hearing, and learn more about the role and work of the Court in the exhibition space. The café serves excellent coffee and a simple food menu.
Access Guides
South Bank
South Bank is the cultural heart of London, spectacularly located next to the River Thames – with world-class cultural venues, visitor attractions, tree-lined riverside walks and iconic landmarks like the London Eye.
Access along the South Bank was improved in the run-up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with smoother walkways, ramps, benches, and other added features. It’s the perfect place for a stroll.
The Southbank Centre hosts regular free musical performances in the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Check out London’s street art in Leake Street Arches. Eight former railway arches next to the famous Graffiti Tunnel have been brought back to life to provide a curated collection of independent restaurants and bars that capture the essence of urban culture.
Access Guides
British Library
96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
The British Library is the UK's national library. Open to all visitors seven days a week, this superb building by Sir Colin St John Wilson offers events, special exhibitions and a Treasures Gallery that displays over 200 items, including Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible and lyrics by the Beatles.
Every year the British Library hosts a range of free and ticketed exhibitions.
Access Guides
Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD.
Mon: closed
Tues–Sun: 10am–6pm
Last entry to the galleries is half an hour before closing time.
If you have any concerns or need extra assistance during your visit, please ask to speak to the Duty Manager when you arrive.
Wheelchairs and disabled parking can be booked in advance via our ticketing team.
The Royal Academy of Arts, or the R.A., as it's sometimes fondly referred to, has been around for 250 years, run by artists operating one of the most prestigious art schools in the world.
Although it's had several homes in its lifetime, the grand Burlington House in Piccadilly has been Academy's home since 1867. The building is a magnificent spot for hosting the R.A.'s vast collection of sculptures, drawings, paintings and architecture.
The majority of featured artists and art comes from some of the most prominent R.A. artists in the world, from Reynolds to John Constable, Sir Anthony Caro, Tracey Emin, Dame Laura Knight and Millais.
The R.A. and its curated exhibitions should be seen by anyone interested in art. It's very popular, though, as it nearly always sells out with over a million visitors a year.
And there is always the annual Summer Exhibition, the world’s largest open-submission exhibition. This event features plenty of new work from up and coming R.A. students and alumni, and significant icons in the art world. The pandemic delayed this year's Summer Exhibition, but is now running September through January 2022 and is well worth seeing. It's a real celebration of contemporary art and architecture. This year's theme, 'Reclaiming Magic,' features work from a range of new artists, some of whom are self-taught.
Access Guides
If you're visiting any of these free London attractions, download the free AccessAble App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
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