Start at Westminster Station
Finish at Westminster Station on Parliament Street
THE EXPERIENCE
A full riverside experience that passes many of London’s major historic and iconic sights with spectacular riverside and cityscape views, as well as places to relax and find nourishment for the mind and body.
Great for history, iconic sights, fantastic river views, entertainment venues, hotels, gardens and open spaces, crowds, bridges, markets, galleries, music, and places to eat and drink along the way on the South Bank.
MUST SEE PLACES
What to See List
PLACES TO EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
Areas to Eat, Drink and Be Merry List
Overview of the Area
Links to nearby Eat, Drink and Be Merry Routes.
BEST TIME
Morning - The best time to do this route is on weekends in the early morning when it is quiet and free from crowds and heavy traffic.
Day - Trafalgar Square, the South Bank, Westminster Bridge, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament are the busiest places during the day.
Evenings - The South Bank is busy, but most other areas are quiet.
ROUTE OVERVIEW
This 6.4 Km visual riverside route takes you along London’s famous river Thames between Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge, crossing the Golden Jubilee Bridge in the middle. The route starts on Westminster Bridge, looking at Big Ben, and then follows the Victoria Embankment, past the Ministry of Defence, Whitehall Gardens and White Hall Court before crossing the Golden Jubilee Bridge with its great views of the London Eye. It continues past the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre before crossing Waterloo Bridge. It then heads back towards Westminster via Victoria Embankment Gardens and Cleopatra’s Needle before crossing over the Golden Jubilee Bridge again with its views of the City of London. The next section takes you past the London Eye, County Hall and Westminster Bridge towards Westminster Station to start its final leg around the Houses of Parliament. This takes you along the side of the Houses of Parliament, into Victoria Tower Gardens, and then over Lambeth Bridge to Lambeth Palace. The route then follows the Albert Embankment, with its iconic view of the Houses of Parliament to St Thomas’s Hospital by Westminster Bridge. It then heads towards Big Ben before finishing at Westminster Station by Parliament Square.
Route at a Glance Video.
.
These links open in a new tab
DESCRIPTIVE PHOTO GALLERY
This gallery provides a descriptive and visual reference to many sights along this route. Use the Google Map above to find their location. Double-click to see its full size.
INTERESTING FACTS
Westminster Facts
Films made in Westminster
The Houses of Parliament
VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE AREA
Click on the pictures below to go on a virtual tour of the sightseeing area.
London Eye and the South Bank - Virtual Tour
Around the Houses of Parliament - Virtual Tour
Use the routes to explore these locations by looking around in 360, taking in the sights and sounds, listening to an audio recording about the location and going on a virtual tour.
HISTORY VIDEO LIBRARY
This video gives you a short introduction to how the Central London Sightseeing area grew during the Tudors (1560) and the Victorians (1860)
Please note - These date from before 2018 and have been done in a variety of styles to determine which one works best. They all provide very useful information and we would welcome feedback to help create the new version
6:30 mins
Comments