Top 50 UK
Museums, parks, landmarks and coastline

The 50 Best Free Days Out in the UK

Britain is unusually generous with its best stuff: national museums with free general admission, royal parks, city viewpoints and world-famous coastline. Here are fifty free days out we would happily recommend to anyone. Special exhibitions, parking or booking may involve a charge — check ahead for details.

50
curated picks

Entries 1–10

  1. The British Museum, London

    Two million years of human history under one roof, including the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures. General admission is free; some special exhibitions are ticketed.

  2. Natural History Museum, London

    A cathedral-like Victorian landmark in South Kensington, famous for its dinosaur gallery and the blue whale skeleton suspended in Hintze Hall.

  3. Science Museum, London

    Free galleries covering flight, space, medicine and computing, with plenty of hands-on exhibits that keep children and adults equally occupied.

  4. Victoria and Albert Museum, London

    The V&A holds vast collections of art, design, fashion and sculpture, all wrapped in one of London's most beautiful buildings.

  5. Tate Modern, London

    International modern and contemporary art inside the former Bankside Power Station, with the vast Turbine Hall and free river views from the upper levels.

  6. The National Gallery, London

    Masterpieces from Van Gogh, Turner, Monet and hundreds of others, free to see on Trafalgar Square in the heart of London.

  7. Tate Britain, London

    The home of British art from the Tudors to today, including the world's largest collection of works by J.M.W. Turner.

  8. National Portrait Gallery, London

    Faces of the people who shaped Britain, from monarchs and scientists to musicians, hung a few steps from Trafalgar Square.

  9. Imperial War Museum, London

    A serious, thoughtful museum on the story of modern conflict, free to enter in Lambeth with major galleries on both world wars.

  10. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

    The UK's national museum of the sea, free to enter in Greenwich's World Heritage setting, a short walk from the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory hilltop.

Entries 11–20

  1. Museum of London Docklands

    The story of London's river, port and people, told inside a Georgian warehouse on West India Quay — free and often quieter than the big South Kensington museums.

  2. The Wallace Collection, London

    A free treasure-house in a Marylebone townhouse, home to Frans Hals's The Laughing Cavalier and superb French furniture and armour.

  3. Sir John Soane's Museum, London

    The eccentric, atmospheric former home of architect Sir John Soane on Lincoln's Inn Fields, packed floor-to-ceiling with antiquities and paintings. Free entry; booking may be advised — check ahead.

  4. Horniman Museum and Gardens, London

    A much-loved free museum in Forest Hill known for its anthropology collections, musical instruments and famously overstuffed walrus, with hilltop gardens attached.

  5. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, London

    Royal parkland in the middle of the city: the Serpentine, the Diana Memorial Fountain, the Albert Memorial and endless space to walk.

  6. Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, London

    Formal gardens and sports fields lead up to Primrose Hill, whose summit gives one of the best free skyline views in London.

  7. Hampstead Heath, London

    Wild, hilly heathland in north London with woodland walks and the classic city panorama from Parliament Hill.

  8. Richmond Park, London

    London's largest royal park, famous for its free-roaming red and fallow deer and long views back towards the city.

  9. Greenwich Park, London

    Climb the hill for the sweeping view over the Old Royal Naval College, the Thames and the Canary Wharf skyline — one of London's great vistas.

  10. Trafalgar Square, London

    Nelson's Column, the fountains and the famous lion statues, with the National Gallery on one side — the ceremonial heart of the capital.

Entries 21–30

  1. South Bank riverside walk, London

    Follow the Thames from Westminster Bridge past the London Eye, the Southbank Centre and Tate Modern to Tower Bridge — free street entertainment included.

  2. Tower Bridge and the Thames Path, London

    Walking across London's most famous bridge costs nothing and delivers postcard views of the Tower of London and the City. The high-level exhibition is ticketed.

  3. Borough Market, London

    One of London's oldest food markets, under the railway arches by Southwark Cathedral — free to wander, dangerous for the willpower.

  4. Changing of the Guard, London

    The famous ceremony outside Buckingham Palace is free to watch from the surrounding streets. The schedule varies through the year, so check ahead for details.

  5. Sky Garden, London

    A public garden and viewing gallery at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street with panoramic views across London. Entry is free but must usually be booked in advance — check ahead.

  6. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

    Scotland's biggest free museum, spanning natural history, science, design and Scottish history — its residents include Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal.

  7. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh

    Free access to Scotland's national art collection on the Mound, from Renaissance masters to the Scottish Colourists.

  8. Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

    An extinct volcano rising straight out of the city centre; the climb is short, steep in places and rewarded with a full 360-degree view of Edinburgh.

  9. Calton Hill, Edinburgh

    A quick climb to Edinburgh's monument-studded hilltop, with the National Monument's columns and classic views along Princes Street to the castle.

  10. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

    Glasgow's grand free museum, from Salvador Dali's Christ of Saint John of the Cross to Spitfires and Scottish wildlife, in a magnificent red sandstone building.

Entries 31–40

  1. Riverside Museum, Glasgow

    Scotland's museum of transport and travel in a striking Zaha Hadid-designed building on the Clyde, with a recreated cobbled street and the Tall Ship berthed outside.

  2. Glasgow Botanic Gardens

    Free gardens in the West End centred on the Kibble Palace, a beautiful Victorian glasshouse filled with tree ferns and sculpture.

  3. National Museum Cardiff

    Wales's national museum of art and natural history, free to enter, with a notable collection of Impressionist paintings.

  4. St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff

    An open-air museum where dozens of real historic Welsh buildings have been re-erected in parkland — one of Britain's best free days out. Parking may be charged; check ahead.

  5. Cardiff Bay waterfront

    Stroll the barrage and boardwalks past the Senedd, the Wales Millennium Centre and the little Norwegian Church on one of Europe's great regenerated waterfronts.

  6. Ulster Museum, Belfast

    Northern Ireland's free national museum in the Botanic Gardens quarter, covering art, history and natural sciences, including an Egyptian mummy.

  7. Botanic Gardens, Belfast

    Free Victorian gardens beside Queen's University, home to the elegant curved-glass Palm House and the Tropical Ravine.

  8. Museum of Liverpool

    The story of Liverpool and its people — music, football, the docks and everything else — told in a modern building right on the Pier Head waterfront.

  9. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    One of England's finest galleries outside London, free to enter, with works spanning Rubens, Rembrandt prints, the Pre-Raphaelites and Hockney.

  10. World Museum, Liverpool

    A classic free museum covering space, dinosaurs, ancient Egypt and a full aquarium, making it a reliable full-day family outing.

Entries 41–50

  1. Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool

    Wander the restored dockside warehouses of Liverpool's World Heritage-listed waterfront; Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum sit around the dock. Check ahead for gallery details.

  2. Science and Industry Museum, Manchester

    Free museum on the site of the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station, telling the story of the city that industrialised the world.

  3. Manchester Art Gallery

    A free city-centre gallery best known for its outstanding Pre-Raphaelite collection and lively programme of modern shows.

  4. National Railway Museum, York

    One of the world's great railway museums, free to enter, with famous locomotives, royal carriages and enormous engineering on display.

  5. York City Walls

    Walk the most complete medieval city walls in England for free, circling the Minster and the old city over about two miles of gates and ramparts.

  6. Angel of the North, Gateshead

    Antony Gormley's colossal steel angel stands beside the A1 with wings the width of a jumbo jet — free to visit, and best seen up close.

  7. Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire

    A Neolithic henge so large that a village sits inside it; unlike Stonehenge, you can walk right up to the stones for free. Parking is charged — check ahead.

  8. The White Cliffs of Dover, Kent

    England's most famous chalk cliffs, with free clifftop paths and views across the Channel to France on a clear day. Parking may be charged — check ahead.

  9. Seven Sisters cliffs, East Sussex

    The rolling white chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, seen at their best from the beach at Cuckmere Haven or the clifftop path above.

  10. Durdle Door, Dorset

    The Jurassic Coast's celebrated natural limestone arch, reached by a short downhill walk from Lulworth. Access is free; parking is charged — check ahead.

Rankings are our editorial picks, not objective measurements. Details like hours, access and booking can change — always check ahead with the official site before you travel.