London South Bank Walking Tour: A Self-Guided Route Along the Thames
A self-guided London walking tour along the South Bank of the Thames, from the London Eye and Tate Modern to Borough Market and Tower Bridge.
- 8 stops and 11 minutes of stories, told as you reach each place
- The intro and stop 1 are free in the app: try before you buy
- Download before you go; the audio plays without signal (the street map needs a connection)
- Walking with friends? Pick 1 to 10 seats; everyone hears each stop on their own phone, at the same moment
30 seconds of the real narration
Plays in the free Walk With Me app on iPhone and Android.
What you'll see
About this tour
The South Bank is one continuous riverside promenade, and walking is the only way to take it in properly. On about five flat kilometers you pass from the London Eye opposite Parliament to the terraces and book stalls of the Southbank Centre, the craft studios of Gabriel's Wharf, Tate Modern in its old power station, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market, ending at Tower Bridge. Every few steps bring a new view across the water to the north bank, and on foot you notice what a bus would miss: skaters in the undercroft, a busker beneath a bridge, the skyline doubling in the river at dusk. If you would like company, open the Walk With Me live map to see who else is out walking London.
The route
5.9 km in walking order from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge. Stop 1 is free in the app.
- 1Westminster BridgeThe green-painted bridge beside Parliament, with the clock tower close enough to hear, and a poet's view of the city at dawn.Free in the app
- 2London EyeThe giant observation wheel opposite Parliament, its glass capsules turning slowly overhead, with street performers working the crowds below.£29 to go in, optional
- 3Southbank CentreA cluster of mid-century concrete concert halls and galleries, with skaters in a graffiti-covered undercroft and book stalls under the bridge.
- 4Gabriel's WharfA small courtyard of brightly painted low buildings set back from the river, full of makers' studios, and how this bank was remade.
- 5Tate ModernA former power station of dark brick with one tall chimney, now a free gallery, and the view from its terrace to the dome.
- 6Shakespeare's GlobeA round, thatched, timber-framed playhouse rebuilt near the site of the original, and the groundlings who still stand in its open yard.£27 to go in, optional
- 7Borough MarketA warren of food stalls under Victorian iron roofs and railway arches, one of London's oldest markets, with tastes offered at many counters.
- 8Tower BridgeThe Victorian bridge with twin Gothic towers and high walkways, a roadway that still lifts, and the plainer neighbor visitors confuse it with.£18 to go in, optional
What costs extra
3 stops have a ticket to go inside. The story plays outside, so going in is your choice.
| Stop | Inside | Ticket from |
|---|---|---|
| 2. London Eye | Optional | £29 |
| 6. Shakespeare's Globe | Optional | £27 |
| 8. Tower Bridge | Optional | £18 |
Toilets and water
14 toilets near the route, 7 free7 drinking fountains
Cheaper in a bundle
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|---|---|---|
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| London Harry Potter Film Locations Walk | 6 km · 1 h 24 | $17.99 |
| London Henry VIII Six Wives Walking Tour | 5.5 km · 1 h 18 | $17.99 |