Best things to do in London, including free and rainy-day options

London, Ontario is a mid-size city on the Thames River, about two hours southwest of Toronto by car or train. It is not a sight-heavy destination: the appeal is a compact, walkable downtown, a river valley with trails, a good market, and a theatre festival 45–60 minutes away in Stratford.

If you have one day, do the downtown and riverfront loop on foot. If you have two, add a museum morning and a Stratford evening. If it rains, the market and museums carry the day. If you are here for a specific event, check the date first — the city's calendar, not the weather, decides the plan.

Prices are 2026 estimates in Canadian dollars. Free sights are genuinely free; paid ones are modest by big-city standards.

The downtown core is the natural starting point. Victoria Park sits in the middle of it, with paths, a bandshell and summer events, and the main streets around it hold the market, cafés and shops. From there you can walk to the Forks of the Thames, where the river splits and the trail system begins. The paths run both ways along the water and connect to larger green spaces, so a short walk can stretch into a two-hour loop if you keep going.

Covent Garden Market is the reliable indoor stop: food stalls, produce and coffee under one roof, useful when the weather turns. Museum London and the London Museum of Archaeology cover regional art, history and prehistory respectively, and both are small enough to see in an afternoon. Springbank Park, west of downtown along the river, is the big outdoor space, with trails and a family attraction inside it.

Outside the core, London spreads out. The university campus and the surrounding neighbourhoods have their own cafés and a quieter feel, and the city's older residential streets are pleasant to walk without being a formal sight. If you have a car, the surrounding farmland and small towns — St Marys, Stratford, Zurich — are easy half-day additions.

London is a cheap city to visit by Canadian standards. The riverfront, parks and downtown streets cost nothing. A market lunch runs about $10–15, a museum ticket about $10–15, and a Stratford theatre ticket starts around $50 and climbs for weekend performances (2026 estimates).

Transport is the variable. London Transit fares are a few dollars per ride, and a day pass costs less than several singles. If you are basing yourself here without a car, stay downtown and use buses for the outer sights. A taxi or rideshare across town is roughly $15–25.

Walk the core first, then decide what else is worth a bus ride. The downtown-to-riverfront loop gives you the shape of the city in two hours.

Summer is patio and festival season; winter is cold and snowy, so plan indoor stops and check whether attractions keep shorter hours. Spring and autumn are the best balance of weather and crowds.

If Stratford is the reason for your trip, book the theatre first and build the rest of the day around it. The drive is short but the evening performances end late, so decide in advance whether you are staying over or driving back.