Budget-friendly London: 4 days of free museums, the City and Greenwich

The first morning of this budget plan heads away from the main itinerary's Natural History Museum and V&A day and towards the history of science and engineering. Entry to the Science Museum on Exhibition Road is free; the only condition is booking a free ticket in advance on the museum's ticket page. The museum opens every day and last entry is at 17:15, so arriving at opening time leaves room to walk the permanent galleries before they fill up. Areas such as Wonderlab and Power Up are charged separately, and this plan leaves them out.

Location: 51.49740, -0.17467

In the afternoon the plan moves to Tate Britain on Millbank, by the Thames. Unlike Tate Modern in the main itinerary, this museum traces British art over the centuries; entry to the galleries is free and needs no booking, and only some exhibitions are ticketed separately. The main Millbank entrance is closed until 2027 for the building of the Clore Garden, so visitors use the Manton entrance on Atterbury Street. The museum opens Monday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, with last entry at 17:30, so leaving around 16:15 is enough to reach the evening service.

Location: 51.49112, -0.12782

The day ends at Westminster Abbey, which the main itinerary visits with a ticket, but this time as someone attending the choral evening service rather than as a sightseer. According to the Abbey's own page, everyone is welcome at its services free of charge; this is worship, not a tour, and you stay in your seat for the whole service. Evensong is sung at 17:00 on most weekdays and at 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday; there is no Evensong on Wednesday, when a said Evening Prayer takes place at 17:00 instead. Times and places can change at short notice, so check that week's programme in the morning.

Location: 51.49940, -0.12739

Day two starts among the towers of the City of London. Sky Garden is a garden viewing floor at the top of one of the city's newer skyscrapers; according to VisitBritain it is free for all, as long as you book a time slot in advance. Free tickets are booked on Sky Garden's own ticket page; paid options such as the sunrise ticket are separate, and this plan does not use them. After looking out over the Thames and the City's roofs, you come back down and walk on to the next stop.

Location: 51.51127, -0.08354

The art gallery beside Guildhall, the City's town hall, also holds the remains of Roman London's amphitheatre in its basement. According to the City of London's page, entry to Guildhall Art Gallery and London's Roman Amphitheatre is free; a general admission ticket can be booked in advance for either or both, but you can also walk in on the day. One free ticket therefore covers both the City's art collection and its Roman past in the same late morning.

Location: 51.51551, -0.09141

For lunch the plan walks to Spitalfields on the north-east edge of the City. VisitBritain presents this centuries-old covered market as a place with a wide range of artisan goods under one roof, and notes that browsing London's markets is free. You do not need to buy anything to wander between the stalls; for a meal, Gunpowder nearby is the Bib Gourmand suggestion in the food section.

Location: 51.51960, -0.07536

The day ends at St Paul's Cathedral, which the main itinerary sees with a sightseeing ticket, but this time to attend a service. The cathedral's visit page says its daily services are open to all and free to attend, while anyone who wants to explore the building needs a separate sightseeing ticket. Service times were not verified for this plan, so check the cathedral's calendar on the day; you stay in your seat for the service and do not take photos.

Location: 51.51379, -0.09845

Day three opens in Holborn with Sir John Soane's Museum on Lincoln's Inn Fields, an unusual interior that an architect left as a museum, kept as it was at the time of his death. Entry is free and there is no need to book; the museum has limited space, though, so you may have to wait at the door. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00, and is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so plan this day between Wednesday and Sunday.

Location: 51.51708, -0.11750

Around midday the plan moves to Manchester Square in Marylebone and the Wallace Collection in Hertford House. Entry to the permanent collection of paintings, furniture and armour displayed in the townhouse is free. The museum opens every day, 10:00–17:00, and closes only on 24, 25 and 26 December each year; a lunch break in the area fits before walking on to Regent's Park.

Location: 51.51752, -0.15304

The afternoon is spent in Regent's Park. According to VisitBritain, Queen Mary's Rose Gardens are free to enter; after the rose garden the plan walks north through the park to the top of Primrose Hill. According to the Royal Parks, the summit is almost 63 metres above sea level and is one of London's six protected viewpoints; the trees are kept low so they do not block the view, and in winter Hampstead can be seen to the north-east. It is a fitting place to end the day looking out over the skyline.

Location: 51.53905, -0.16246

The last day starts in Docklands with London Museum Docklands, set in an old warehouse at West India Quay, which tells the story of the Thames as a port. Entry is free with no need to book; the museum opens every day, 10:00–17:00, and starts clearing the galleries 20 minutes before closing. The museum suggests allowing at least an hour, and from here the DLR makes it easy to continue to Greenwich.

Location: 51.50763, -0.02387

After a lunch break in Greenwich, the plan visits the National Maritime Museum. According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the museum opens every day 10:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:15, and entry is free, although booking is recommended. In the main itinerary Greenwich was only an optional alternative; here it becomes a full half day of free museums.

Location: 51.48078, -0.00512

Next door to the museum, Queen's House is one of the four Royal Museums Greenwich sites, all within an easy walk of each other. Queen's House also opens every day 10:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:15, and entry is free. A short hour here comes before heading up into the park.

Location: 51.48119, -0.00386

The plan ends on the highest hill in Greenwich Park. According to the Royal Parks, the park's most popular spot is the top of this hill, with sweeping views over the London skyline; the summit of One Tree Hill offers a quieter view. The Royal Observatory stands in the middle of the park, where the Greenwich Prime Meridian begins. VisitBritain presents the park as London's oldest enclosed Royal Park.

Location: 51.47724, 0.00092