Weekend on a Budget

Friday Night

Cheap and cheerful

Learn to bust some moves in true Patrick Swayze style at Salsa! on Charing Cross Road. Free lessons start at 6.30pm.

Next swap the cha-cha for chopsticks at the Hare and Tortoise Noodle Bar on Brunswick Square. You'll need a rock-climbing certificate to scale its mountainous portions, but the prices won't leave you dizzy. Still not cheap enough? Make your way to the Italiano Coffee Company on Goodge Street and grab a freshly made pizza for just £3.50.

Then take a seat at the Prince Charles Cinema where you can catch a flick for a fiver. Even better, join in the fun at one of the cinema's singalong screenings, which take place most Friday nights. Don a wimple for The Sound of Music, a big wig for Hairspray, or a pair of fishnets for the Rocky Horror Show!

If you want to get out on the dancefloor without shaking too much from your wallet, check out our guide to London clubbing on a student budget. 

Saturday Morning

Sail of the century

Sailing's not just for millionaires. With a River Red Rover ticket at £11.50 for adults and £5.75 for kids over five, you can cruise the Thames, hopping on and off as often as you like. Board at Westminster Millennium Pier, Tower Millennium Pier, Waterloo Millennium Pier and Greenwich Pier. See our River Travel section for more info on this and other boat tours.

Spend the morning exploring some of the many highlights within easy reach of the river, such as Trafalgar Square and the world-famous National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Entry to both galleries is free.

If boats leave you seasick, pick up some cheapo clothes and crafts within the intoxicating catacombs of Camden Lock Market. One of five open-air and indoor markets in Camden, it was established as a craft market back in 1974.

Saturday Afternoon

Astronomical - but not the price

If you're doing the boat tour, enjoy a free concert in the foyer of the National Theatre at 1pm (alight at Waterloo Pier). Then fill your tum for a snip at Wagamama or Eat just a few steps away.

Afterwards, gaze over London's rooftops from the eighth floor of the Oxo Tower, slate or celebrate the contemporary art at the Tate Modern (a short walk away), or explore deep space and the history of time at the Royal Observatory (alight at Greenwich Pier). None will charge you for entry.

Otherwise, after rooting out bargains at Camden Market, enjoy at spot of lunch at Masala Zone. Choose from an extensive selection of fresh-tasting and fast Indian food. For more budget food ideas, browse our Value Eats feature.

Then it's off to sample a little fine art in the stunning surroundings of the Royal Academy of Arts. The John Madejski Fine Rooms are free to enter and there's a complimentary tour every Saturday. Next, pop across the road to Fortnum & Mason and see where The Queen stocks her larder. You could pick up a little souvenir too – a pot of Fortnum's marmalade perhaps or some posh teabags for under a fiver.

Saturday Night

Underground deals

Eat by candlelight at the newly refurbished 18th century Café in the Crypt under St Martin-in-the-Fields church. Don't be surprised to get change from a tenner!

You can get free tickets to appear in the studio audience on shows like The X Factor, Big Brother and Top Gear at the Applause Store. Otherwise, write ahead and reserve your free place to witness the historic Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.

Finish up with a party to remember at The Social, tucked behind Oxford Street, this little bar/club won't break the bank (free entry). For an arty alternative, try the bar at the ICA.

Sunday Morning

Free speech

Roll up! Roll up! Watch as members of the public get up on the soap box to spout poetry and politics at Speakers' Corner, in the north east of Hyde Park.

Then, if you have kids, check out the cows, pigs, sheep and horses at the free Kentish Town City Farm. If you don't, head to the award-winning Dulwich Picture Gallery. Described by the Sunday Telegraph as "the most beautiful small art gallery in the world", its collection features works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto. Entry is £5 for adults and free for children under 18. Get there at 3pm for a free guided tour.

Sunday Afternoon

Put it on the skate

Quell those hunger pangs with an all-day brekkie or spag bol at the ludicrously good-value Chelsea Kitchen on King's Road. Then, once you've filled your tummy, hop on a bus to South Kensington and prepare to fill your brain!

Cower at an animatronic T-rex, gaze in wonder at a 3D IMAX film, or look back at over 400 years of fashion at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Alternatively, if you're feeling energetic, get your skates on and join in the free, weekly 6-8 mile Roller Stroll, which leaves at 2pm from the east side of Serpentine Road, Hyde Park.

Budget Accommodation

London is full of great, affordable accommodation in handy reach of some of London's top sights and attractions. Follow our links to excellent value Bed and Breakfast in London, Budget Hotels in London and Two-Star Hotels in London.

There are lots of options for London Youth Hostels and Budget Accommodation too. St Christopher's Inns offer everything from launderettes to lockers – one even has a rooftop hot tub and sauna! That's more than many luxury hotels have and prices start at £9.50 per person per night.

Nature lovers should try the Holland Park YHA, one of several Youth Hostel Association (YHA) hostels in London. This fantastic hostel is built into the Jacobean wing of a house in the heart of beautiful (and rather posh) Holland Park.