3h30

Half Day

By walk

Instant confirmation

About this activity

This tour is ideal for those who just don't have the time for our full day tour. The tour starts at 13:30 pm daily and we meet at the Sir Walter Raleigh. The first venue on the tour is the Greenwich Royal Observatory dating back to 1675 and designed/built by Sir Christopher Wren.

Stand at the centre of world time and space, on the prime meridian of the globe. We take you right into Flamsteed House where the apartments have been very well conserved and cared for. It is here that you will see the clocks of the genius John Harrison - the man who solved the longitudinal problem after a life-long saga.

Then head down the hill to the National Maritime Museum, largest of its type in the world. Highlights include Turner's monumental painting " Battle of Trafalgar ", Prince Frederick's royal barge, etc. There is a smart cafe located in the Museum, where we break for tea/coffee (own expense).

Onwards to the only teaclipper to have survived: Cutty Sark. After a seven year long, £52 million pound restoration she looks very fine. We take you right on board, into the cargo hold that held most of the 10,000 tea chests enroute from Shanghai to London during her hay day.

The next port of call is the Old Royal Naval College which is now the campus of the University of Greenwich. Your guide takes you to the famous Queen's Gate where Queen Elizabeth would greet her favourites such as Sir Francis Drake returning to England with Spanish gold and silver. Visit the magnificent Painted Hall where movies such as 'Thor 2' were filmed.

The tour normally ends by 4 pm at the Greenwich Market which has been onsite since the 1830's and has been transformed into a great London market complete with art shops, boutiques and fantastic street food!

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Included

Guide
All Fees and Taxes
Entry/Admission - National Maritime Museum
Entry/Admission - Royal Observatory Greenwich
Entry/Admission - Old Royal Naval College
Entry/Admission - Cutty Sark

Not included

Food and drinks

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 2 travelers

Features

Tourism

90%

Cultural

70%

Sport

20%

Reviews

5.0

5

C

Carol W

5 | 2017-04-21

We really enjoyed our tour of Greenwich highlights! Graham our guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all of the places we visited. He has a unique gift for sharing historical information in a way that makes it vivid and real. He is also really good at responding to questions. He gives clear answers and then adds additional relevant information to deepen our understanding and appreciation. That is one of his real strengths -- adapting the tour to our questions and interests. We also appreciated how he put Greenwich in context - showing us the old and new developments on both sides of the River and providing historical background that deepened our appreciation. For example, he made a point of drawing our attention to a large red ball on a rooftop, and then, after the ball dropped, he described the falling ball's historical role as a signal to ships on the river that it was noon. The dropping ball was not entertainment, but an important part of coordinating daily activities on the river. We were especially interested in the royal observatory because of the historical and scientific significance of longitude and how that helped determine a ship's location at sea. Graham did a great job of explaining that and showing us the museum exhibits for a really vivid experience of the development and verification of longitude. We also really appreciated his knowledge of architecture and his explanations of different architects, their unique building designs, and how social forces can influence design e.g., making sure views are maintained and not obscured by new buildings. The tour of the Cutty Sark was also wonderful - we learned so much about clipper ships, their role in commerce, and how the sailors lived on board. It was absolutely fascinating. Graham makes learning vivid and fun! In sum, it was a wonderful tour. Graham is knowledgeable and a great teacher who kept us interested the whole time. I would recommend his tours to anyone.

C

Carol W

5 | 2017-04-21

We really enjoyed our tour of Greenwich highlights! Graham our guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all of the places we visited. He has a unique gift for sharing historical information in a way that makes it vivid and real. He is also really good at responding to questions. He gives clear answers and then adds additional relevant information to deepen our understanding and appreciation. That is one of his real strengths -- adapting the tour to our questions and interests. We also appreciated how he put Greenwich in context - showing us the old and new developments on both sides of the River and providing historical background that deepened our appreciation. For example, he made a point of drawing our attention to a large red ball on a rooftop, and then, after the ball dropped, he described the falling ball's historical role as a signal to ships on the river that it was noon. The dropping ball was not entertainment, but an important part of coordinating daily activities on the river. We were especially interested in the royal observatory because of the historical and scientific significance of longitude and how that helped determine a ship's location at sea. Graham did a great job of explaining that and showing us the museum exhibits for a really vivid experience of the development and verification of longitude. We also really appreciated his knowledge of architecture and his explanations of different architects, their unique building designs, and how social forces can influence design e.g., making sure views are maintained and not obscured by new buildings. The tour of the Cutty Sark was also wonderful - we learned so much about clipper ships, their role in commerce, and how the sailors lived on board. It was absolutely fascinating. Graham makes learning vivid and fun! In sum, it was a wonderful tour. Graham is knowledgeable and a great teacher who kept us interested the whole time. I would recommend his tours to anyone.

L

Leah F

5 | 2016-04-06

Great afternoon. Greenwich had so many interesting aspects. Our guide, Graham, was very well informed and shared so much interesting information. Really enjoyed it. Learned a lot about different things in Greenwich. Definetely recommend!

d

dr_ehab

5 | 2015-08-31

Amazing tour, well-organized Mr. Graham was very friendly, knowledgeable and made the tour very interactive. I will definitely this tour to a friend

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