What to do in London: neighborhoods, free museums, markets and pubs

London is a city you think you know before you've even set foot in it: red buses, Big Ben, the Changing of the Guard. Then you step out of the subway in Shoreditch on a Sunday morning, between two flower stalls, and it's not the same city at all. Thirty-two boroughs, free national museums, pubs older than the United States. It is what inspired the Beauséjour London collection. What to do in London in three or four days without spending your trip on the subway? Here is what we recommend, neighborhood by neighborhood, straight to the point.

Hours and openings vary by season: check before you go.

Neighborhoods to explore

Shoreditch and Spitalfields — the thriving East

Street art on every wall, converted warehouses, thrift stores. Start at Old Spitalfields Market, under its large Victorian hall, then walk up Brick Lane. Sunday is when it all happens: markets, crowds, scents of cuisine from all over the world.

South Bank — the Thames on foot

From Westminster to Tower Bridge, you can walk along the south bank in one go. The London Eye, the Southbank Centre and its skaters under the concrete, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, then Borough Market. Allow half a day, taking your time. It’s the best way to understand the city's geography.

Notting Hill — pastel facades

White houses with columns, colorful streets, private gardens behind railings. On Saturdays, Portobello Road becomes London's largest antiques market. Arrive early: by noon, you’re moving at the pace of the crowd.

Covent Garden and Soho — the center, for real

The neoclassical hall of Covent Garden, its street performers, then the narrow streets of Soho, denser, louder, full of restaurants. In the evening, this is where the West End theaters let out and pubs spill onto the sidewalk.

Hampstead — the village on the hill

To the north, sloping alleyways, brick houses, and Hampstead Heath, a vast, almost wild moor. Go up to Parliament Hill: the entire skyline of the City spreads out before you. A good plan for the day you get tired of the center.

What to do in London for free: museums

British Museum — the whole world under one roof

In Bloomsbury. The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, the Sutton Hoo helmet, the great glass-covered courtyard. Admission is free, but booking is recommended. The Bayeux Tapestry will be on loan there starting in autumn 2026: expect bigger crowds. Info on the British Museum website.

National Gallery — the Sunflowers on Trafalgar Square

Van Gogh, Velázquez, Turner, all free. Works are in progress, some rooms may be closed. On Fridays, the museum closes later: it's the best time to avoid tour groups.

Tate Modern — the power station

On the South Bank, in an old power station on the banks of the Thames. The Turbine Hall, which is immense, hosts a monumental installation every year. Go up to the 10th-floor panoramic terrace, which has reopened: view of St Paul's and the Millennium Bridge.

V&A — fashion and design

In South Kensington. Centuries of costumes, furniture, ceramics, and an interior courtyard where you can sit by the pool. The Natural History Museum, with the blue whale suspended in the hall, is right next door. Two free museums on the same street.

Sir John Soane's Museum — the strangest one

Lincoln's Inn Fields, in Holborn. The home of a 19th-century architect, left just as it was, packed with sculptures, paintings, and mirrors up to the ceiling. Free, open Wednesday to Sunday. Many Londoners cite it as the best free thing in the city.

Markets and good food

Borough Market — the city's pantry

At the foot of London Bridge, on the south side. English cheeses, breads, Richard Haward's oysters to be slurped standing up with a squeeze of lemon. Go on a weekday in the late morning: on Saturdays, you move shoulder to shoulder.

Columbia Road Flower Market — Sunday morning

In Bethnal Green, only on Sundays, from 8 a.m. Buckets of flowers along the whole street, vendors shouting their prices, and about sixty small shops and cafes around. Come early, or just before closing, when prices drop.

Maltby Street Market — the quiet version of Borough

In Bermondsey, under the railway arches. Smaller, more curated. Open Friday evenings and weekends. The place to have lunch without the Borough crowds.

St John — English cuisine, taken seriously

St John Street, in Farringdon. The institution that brought "nose-to-tail" cooking back into fashion, where the animal is cooked from head to tail. A white dining room, no decor, and a menu that changes every day. Book ahead.

Beigel Bake — bagels at any hour

Brick Lane. Open 24/7, white neon lights, a line that moves fast. Order the salt beef bagel with strong mustard. The best snack in London at 2 a.m. or at noon.

Plaza Khao Gaeng — the spicy Thai curry

In Borough, in a railway arch. Southern Thai cuisine, with no compromise on the heat. Time Out ranks it among the best tables in London. Perfect after Borough Market.

Pubs you shouldn't miss

Ye Olde Mitre — the hidden pub in Holborn

In an alley in Ely Place that you'll miss if you don't look for it. A pub dating back to 1546, with small paneled rooms. Legend has it that Elizabeth I danced around a cherry tree in front of the door. Have a pint, then head back into the City.

The Blackfriar — Art Nouveau in a pint

Across from Blackfriars station. Green and gold facade, monks carved everywhere inside, on the walls and above the bar. You go there as much for the decor as for the beer.

The George Inn — the last galleried pub

In Borough, near London Bridge. The last galleried pub in London still standing, managed by the National Trust. Drink in the cobbled courtyard, under the wooden balconies.

Lamb and Flag — the "Bucket of Blood"

Rose Street, in Covent Garden. One of the oldest pubs in Covent Garden, once known by the nickname "Bucket of Blood" for its brawls. Today, the crowd stands in the alleyway, pint in hand, as soon as the day ends.

The Spaniards Inn — after Hampstead Heath

On the edge of Hampstead Heath. Dickens came here, Keats and Byron too, apparently. Fireplaces, low ceilings, garden. Finish your walk on the Heath here.

Excursion and rainy day plan

Greenwich — the meridian and the market

Take the Thames river shuttles or the DLR. The Royal Observatory and its meridian line, the park that slopes gently with a view of Canary Wharf, and Greenwich Market for lunch. Half a day that flies by.

Sky Garden — the free view

At the top of a City skyscraper, 1 Sky Garden Walk. A covered garden under a glass roof, the Thames and the Shard opposite. It's free, but you must book tickets in advance on the Sky Garden website. Slots go fast.

Rainy day — British Museum, then Soane

What to do in London when it rains—and it does rain? The British Museum in the morning, Sir John Soane's Museum in the afternoon, a ten-minute walk away. In between, a bowl of noodles at Master Wei, hand-pulled Xi'an noodles in Bloomsbury.

A typical day in London

• 8:30 a.m.: Columbia Road on Sunday, or Borough Market on weekdays.
• 10:30 a.m.: walk along the South Bank to Tate Modern.
• 1:00 p.m.: curry at Plaza Khao Gaeng.
• 3:00 p.m.: British Museum, two rooms, no more.
• 6:00 p.m.: pint at the Blackfriar or Lamb and Flag.
• 8:30 p.m.: dinner at St John, Brick Lane bagel for the road.

Practical questions

What is the best time to visit London?

To visit London: May, June, and September—long days, full parks, fewer crowds than in mid-summer. December has its Christmas lights. Rain comes in every season: bring a jacket.

How many days for a weekend in London?

Three days for a first weekend in London, four if you add Greenwich or Hampstead. Choose two neighborhoods a day, no more: distances are great.

How to get around London?

The subway, the Tube, and the double-decker buses. Pay directly with your contactless bank card or your phone; the fare is capped daily. For short distances, walk: two subway stations in the center are often faster on foot.

Bring London back with you

Everyone has the same photos of Tower Bridge. A t-shirt, you can wear it again on a Monday in Paris, and the courtyard of the George Inn comes back with it. That's the principle of wear your memories. The Beauséjour London collection features Mind the gap, Big Ben, Slow Tea, and Crown for men and women, and we tell its story in our article on the London collection.

For what's next, our guide on what to do in Amsterdam makes for a good second stop via Eurostar, and Paris off the beaten path awaits upon your return.