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Things to do in London for under a tenner

Take an affordable turn around the capital at the weekend

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A pocket-friendly stroll through Columbia Road Flower Market A pocket-friendly stroll through Columbia Road Flower Market - © Ed Marshall

Walk the Thames Valley path, wander through Columbia Road Flower Market or take a tour of London's most famous landmarks. Use Time Out's list of things to do on the weekend for under ten pounds and make the most of the capital for less. Got some suggestions of your own? Just add them in the comments below

  • Visit the Wellcome Collection

    183 Euston Rd, NW1 2BE (7611 2222/ www.wellcomecollection.org). Euston/Euston Square tube.

    Founder Sir Henry Wellcome, a nineteenth-century pharmacist and entrepreneur, amassed a vast collection of implements and curios relating to the medical trade, now displayed in this swanky little museum. In addition to these fascinating and often grisly items the Wellcome Collection houses several serious works of modern art.

  • Homely charm at Carshalton Athletic

    Watch non-league football

    More and more supporters are acquainting themselves with London's non-league scene which offers history, pride and passion and admission costs at £10 or less. Hampton and Richmond FC, Clapton FC, Carlshalton Athletic FCEnfield Town FC, Bromley FC, Dulwich Hamlet FC are all non-league destinations to get some cheap footie thrills.

  • Royal Albert Hall tour

    The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP (7589 8212/ www.royalalberthall.com). South Kensington tube.

    Guided tours of the illustrious Royal Albert Hall last around 45 minutes and start from gate 12. Visitors get the chance to witness technical preparations and rehearsals for the evenings performance, as well as visiting the impressive iron-and-glass-domed auditorium. Tours are occasionally cancelled for security reasons so call beforehand.

  • Hackney City Farm

    1a Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QA (7729 6381/ www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk). Bethnal Green tube.

    Hackney City Farm gives visitors the chance to experience rural farm life in the heart of the city. If you want to see larger animals including calves, donkeys, goats and sheep then this farm is certainly worth a visit. There are regular events (check website for details), and for £1 you can pick up a self-guided tour leaflet which includes info and activities for the kids.

  • Shakespeare's Globe

    21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1 9DT (7902 1500/ www.shakespeares-globe.org). Mansion House, London Bridge or Southwarks tube.

    Step back in time and experience England's greatest playwright through displays, music, dance and rehearsal performances. Although costing £10.50 for an adult ticket, we think its definitely worth the extra 50 pence. Guided tours occur every 15-30 minutes. In the event of a matinee performance at the Globe, visitors will be taken along Bankside to the Rose Theatre where Shakespeare learned his trade.

  • Explore the permanent collections

    Our capital leads the world when it comes to top museums with free entry. Among the finest: British Museum, Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Museum of London, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, V&A and Wallace Collection.

  • Sherlock Holmes Museum & Tour

    221b Baker Street, NW1 6XE, (7935 8866/ www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk). Baker Street tube.

    Hound Holmes and Watson through the streets of London. Begin at the eponymous museum at 221b Baker Street - a loving recreation of Arthur Conan-Doyle's Victoriana. Other points of interest include: 2 Devonshire Place (the site of Conan-Doyle's medical practice) and 9 Queen Anne St (where Dr Watson roomed), the site of the original Scotland Yard and The Sherlock Holmes Pub.

  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

    105-119 Brentfield Rd, NW10 8LD, (8965 2651/ www.mandir.org). Neasden Station or Stonebridge Park Station tube.

    A miraculous vision in marble, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is the biggest Hindu Temple outside India. Fascinating architecturally and cross-culturally, The Mandir is open to people of all faiths and none.

  • Columbia Road Flower Market

    Columbia Road, E2 7RG. Liverpool Street or Old Street tube.

    One of London's most visually appealing markets, Columbia Road overflows with bucketfuls of beautiful flowers every Sunday. There are bulbs, herbs, shrubs and bedding plants too. An early start is recommended (the market opens at 8am) if you want to guarantee yourself the pick of the bunch.

  • Tour the BBC

    BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, W12 7RJ (0370 901 1227/ www.bbc.co.uk/tours). White City tube.

    A behind-the-cameras tour of the BBC HQ. In this award-winning visit what you see will vary due to the fact that this is a working television studio. Tours generally include a peek at BBC News and other interactive studios and there is also a CBBC tour for children, including a trip to the 'Blue Peter' garden.

  • Join a cycling club

    Various locations around Croydon and Pollards Hill. (www.pollardshillscyclists.org.uk).

    Pollards Hill Cyclists is a community cycling club that organises guided rides around the Mitcham and Croydon area. Rides are free and there is no need to book, simply turn up with a bike 15 minutes prior to the stated time; for forthcoming rides check the website.

  • Alfie's Antiques Market

    Rummage for antiques

    Bermondsey Square London, SE1 3UN. London Bridge tube/rail.

    Bermondsey Antiques Market is every magpie's dream - dozens of traders and stalls piled high with silverware, china, jewellery and curious vintage knick-knackery. It's on every Friday between 4am and 1pm rain or shine. Experts gather at around 6am for the best bargains; later you'll find arty types and amateur enthusiasts.

  • Drive dodgems at Namco Station

    County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB (7967 1067/ www.namcostation.co.uk).

    Located next to the London Eye is the indoor entertainment centre, Namco Station. Open until midnight with free admission and housing more than 150 interactive arcade games, Namco Station also boasts 12 bowling lanes, US pool tables and dodgems - and if that isn't enough there is also a fully licensed bar.

  • Take the Tate to Tate Boat

    Until Feb 29 2016, Tate to Tate Boat. Pimlico/Southwark,/Waterloo tube.

    This catamaran service operates during gallery hours and leaves every 40 minutes. The service stops at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and beside the London Eye. You can buy day tickets at either Tate gallery, online, by phone or on the boat. Check the website for timetables and prices.

  • Tour Roman London

    Guildhall Yard, EC2Y 5HN (7332 3700). Bank, St Paul’s, Mansion House (Bow Lane exit) or Moorgate tube.

    It's been 21 years since archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre underneath the Guildhall Yard, and it is from here that admission (£2.50, free on Fridays) into the savage realm of slaves, gladiators and wild animals comes to life, as you step back in time into the city's bloody past.

  • Walk the Thames Valley path

    Get those legs moving and take on the 36-mile walk from the Thames Barrier all the way to Hampton Court Palace. Not for the faint hearted, the signposted path weaves through the heart of London to the leafy suburbs and the rural west. Pack some plasters and enjoy the sights.

  • World Rugby Museum

    Rugby Football Union, Rugby Rd, Surrey, TW1 1DZ, (8892 8877/ www.rfu.com/microsites/museum). Twickenham rail.

    Tickets for the international matches are extremely hard to come by, but the World Rugby Museum offers some compensation. It features a multimedia museum that uses touch-screens, video clips and film to chart the history and world-wide growth of rugby.

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Comments

By Kathryn - Aug 4 2011

For a fiver you can download one of these day out guides and go exploring different parts of London - includes places to eat and drink as well as some hidden gems and more well known sights: www.tripstylist.co.uk

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By Chris - Feb 4 2011

I just started a blog introducing cheap and free things to do in London. Check it out, it's quite fun too! http://lushlondonuk.blogspot.com/

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By Audrey Paige - Jan 8 2011

Thanks, Time Out!! Have now planned the perfect date for this weekend that will cheer my boyfriend up and keep my purse happy too! Keep them coming, please!

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By Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels - Sep 15 2010

Fantastic. Definitely going to use this for my upcoming trip to London!

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By Holly - Sep 9 2010

awesome! i am definitely going to try the tate to tate boat! please continue to include articles about cheaper london!!!

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