A Greenwich Tour: Where Time Begins

(74 reviews)

London audio tour: A Greenwich Tour: Where Time Begins

This is a 1.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

London

The United Kingdom

$11.99

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About the Tour

See where time begins on this walking tour around Greenwich.

Starting on the north bank of the River Thames, I'll guide you through this iconic London neighbourhood to the top of Greenwich Park where you'll find the former Royal Observatory, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and see the actual Meridian Line. En route, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Discover Greenwich Museum with displays covering the history from the original medieval palace to modern times. I'll point out the iconic buildings of the former Royal Naval Hospital and the Queen's House. And the river steps where Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake, and Queen Elizabeth II knighted Francis Chichester. Along the way, I'll tell you how time was first measured as well as a few seafaring tales. You'll walk under the river, using the century-old foot tunnel once used by dockworkers.

By the end of the tour, you'll discover:

Why the Tea Clipper is called the Cutty Sark
Where Sir Walter Raleigh laid his cloak so Queen Elizabeth I could avoid getting wet feet
How Christopher Wren came under budget when constructing the Royal Observatory
Where Lord Nelson lay in State, while the sailors who carried his tomb drank the brandy in which his body had been preserved on its way from Trafalgar

Give yourself at least 90-minutes to get the most out of this walk. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars in Greenwich town centre including the famous Trafalgar Tavern where you can stop for a drink or have a fresh seafood lunch about halfway through the tour.

Tour Producer

Brian Cookson

20 tours

After qualifying as a Russian Interpreter during National Service, I obtained a BA in Russian and German at Oxford University. I spent most of my working life as a computer consultant, mainly working for IBM.
When I retired, I qualified as a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. I lead guided walking tours all over London and have written two books - 'London Waterside Walks' and 'Crossing the River', published by Random House.
I have also given several presentations to members of the London Guild of Registered Guides for their continual development programme.
As can be seen by my two books, I am especially interested in London areas near the River Thames and the amazing collection of bridges from Tower Bridge to Richmond.
I have also been a volunteer guide at the Wallace Collection for 25 years and I also do guided tours ofWriter all of London's major museums and art galleries, including the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert.

Preview Location

Location 3

Island Gardens View

Stop here, at the railings looking over the river. You are looking at the famous view of the Royal Naval Hospital, the large white structure with twin domes. This view was painted by Canaletto in 1750. The painting itself is in the National Maritime Museum collection.

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Major Landmarks

Cutty Sark
Old Royal Naval College
Queen's House
National Maritime Museum
Royal Observatory Greenwich

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
London E14 3DN, UK
Total distance

2km
Final location
Unnamed Road, London SE10 8XJ, UK
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

Catch the Docklands Light Railway to Island Gardens Station and ascend to the road.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Cutty Sark, Discover Greenwich Museum, Painted Hall, Chapel, Queen's House, Royal Observatory

Best time of day

Any time during the day.

Precautions

Keep an eye on your possessions at all times.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”