You are here: Home > Things to do > Sightseeing > London itinerary > One day in London itinerary > Family day out for £50

15 things to do on a family day out for £50

Follow our itinerary and enjoy a fabulous day out in London for less than £50.

A family day out in London doesn’t have to break the bank. Take the kids to some of the city’s best museums, galleries and free tourist attractions and find out which central London restaurants let them eat for free.

Morning: free museums

Visitors looking at Science on a Sphere in the Space gallery at the Science Museum.
Visitors looking at Science on a Sphere in the Space gallery at the Science Museum. © Science Museum Group

Visit one of London's many excellent free museums:

  • Explore South Kensington's Science Museum and discover a packed programme of fun family activities. Take your budding astronaughts to the Space gallery which brings together remarkable objects that celebrate the first space age, alongside the cutting-edge technology of the future of space travel.
  • Next door, the Natural History Museum has lots of fascinating finds. Get up close to a terrifying T. Rex, step into an earthquake simulator and check out an extinct sabre-tooth cat. But don't forget to say hello to Hope the blue whale in Hintze Hall!

Lunch: picnic time!

Albert Memorial at Kensington Gardens in London surrounded by trees with autumn foliage.
Enjoy the beautiful grounds of Kensington Gardens. Credit: Jon Reid. Image courtesy of Visit London.
  • Take a packed lunch to the Science Museum's indoor picnic areas on level 2 and 3 of the museum.
  • If it's a nice day, sit on the east lawn of the Natural History Museum or find a spot in nearby Kensington Gardens.

Evening: cheap eats in Covent Garden and Soho

A white marble table with plates of colourful Mexican food including tacos and enchiladas, cocktails and beer
Let kids build their own tacos or order from the mouthwatering a la carte menu at Wahaca restaurants across London. Credit: Wahaca. Image courtesy of Wahaca.
  • Catch the Tube to Covent Garden to watch colourful street performers in the piazza and offer them your appreciation in the form of applause and some small change. There are also plenty of fantastic and cheap places to eat in the area.
  • Famed for its frozen custard shakes, Shake Shack serves burgers from £5.50. 
  • Or try Byron's Covent Garden outpost, complete with a kids menu of a main, side and soft drink for £6.50 – adults can tuck into burgers from £8.95.
  • For the more adventurous child, Wahaca dishes up flavour-packed Mexican street food in a lively atmosphere – sharing-style street food dishes here start at £5.10, with kids' specials from £5.25.
  • The Real Greek, which has locations in Soho and the Strand, offers kids a main course, drink and dessert for £6.75; while adult-friendly sharing meze plates average around £6.

Travel

  • Young children can enjoy free or discounted travel but older children need a Zip Oyster photocard to receive money off. The cheapest way for adults to travel is by using an Oyster Card or contactless payment card, with fares capped at £8.90 per day in Zones 1-2.

Total cost:

  • Dinner for two adults and two children: around £30-35
  • Tube fare for two adults in Zones 1-2: £17.80
  • Everything else: free
  • Total: around £50

Explore by category