No city in the world has more or better free things to do than London. In addition to world-class museums – almost all of which have free admission – the city is home to beautiful parks, buzzing markets, captivating cemeteries, stunning churches and phenomenal viewpoints.

Here are just 20 of the hundreds of free attractions in Britain’s capital.

1. National Gallery

Housing masterpieces by painters including van Gogh, Renoir, da Vinci and Michelangelo, the National Gallery holds one of the world’s most important art collections, and sees over six million visitors every year. Miss the hordes by visiting on weekday mornings or Friday evenings. Whatever time you go, the permanent collections are always free.

2. British Museum

The British Museum is one of London’s top attractions, and absolutely free. It is bursting at the seams with enthralling artifacts from all over the world, from Egyptian mummies to samurai armour and Anglo-Saxon burial treasures to the Rosetta Stone. Remarkably, the 80,000 objects on display at any one time only make up 1% of the eight million objects in the museum’s possession.

3. Houses of Parliament

Home to the world’s most famous clock, Big Ben (officially the Queen Elizabeth Tower, but no one calls it that), the Houses of Parliament is a neo-Gothic wonder built in the mid-19th century. It is made up of two houses – the Commons and the Lords – and if you reserve ahead (or just try your luck on the day) you can go inside to watch British democracy in action.

4. Tate Modern

Located in what was once Bankside Power Station on the south bank of the Thames, the Tate Modern is one of the city’s most loved attractions. You can enjoy the permanent collection for free – it includes works by Pollock, Warhol and Matisse. The upstairs cafe has wonderful Thames views, and the building itself is amazing.