A LONDON WITH KIDS CITY GUIDE

We’ve spent a lot of time in Greenwich and know the area very well which is why I wanted to put together this complete guide to exploring Greenwich London. It’s a family-friendly guide but most of Greenwich is enjoyable with or without children!

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is situated in South East London on the bank of the River Thames. It’s a beautiful place to visit with so much to do and to make it better, it’s perfect for families. It’s home to a beautiful park, many museums and so much history. There is plenty to see and do here so read on for more.

OUR OTHER GUIDES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
THE BEST ONE DAY IN LONDON ITINERARY
A PERFECT DAY IN NOTTING HILL, LONDON
HUGE MUSEUM BUCKET LIST
GUIDES & TIPS ON ALL THE MUSEUMS WE’VE BEEN TO
FULL FAMILY GUIDE TO THE CUTTY SARK

Guide / things to do in Greenwich London for families

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GETTING TO GREENWICH LONDON

There are multiple ways to get to Greenwich. It’s located in zone 2/3 of the Transport for London System.

Greenwich has its own train station, Maze Hill is also a good option as it is so close to Greenwich Park.

You can also get there on the DLR (part of the tube system). The DLR stops at Greenwich train station however the stop ‘Cutty Sark’ is more central.

To get to North Greenwich take the Jubilee Line. However, do note, that North Greenwich is quite far away from Central Greenwich.

Finally, both Greenwich and North Greenwich are stops for the Uber Boat. Meaning you can cruise down the river to get there. This isn’t the cheapest option but the views are great.

THINGS TO DO IN GREENWICH LONDON

There are so many things to do in Greenwich London. You won’t be able to do everything in a day but I guarantee there’ll be something on this list for everyone! I’m going to tell you about them all, plus some great kid tips.

GREENWICH PARK

Greenwich Park is one of London’s eight Royal Parks. It’s incredibly beautiful and there’s plenty to do in the park alone. Some of the other attractions I’m going to talk about are located in the park.

The park is located on the side of a hill. You’ll most likely enter at the bottom of the park, while you can stay at the bottom, the hike to the top is worth it for the incredible views over Greenwich and the city.

The Rangers House and The Royal Observatory (I’ll talk more about that later) are also located at the top of the hill along with a flower garden and in spring, the most beautiful row of cherry blossom trees.

Kid Tip: there are two great playgrounds in Greenwich Park which kids will be so happy to play in. The Cove is newer and in a fun Maritime theme and the original playground has more traditional swings etc.

You can also hire pedalos boats on the lake by the original playground, it’s pretty small but fun for kids.

GREENWICH FOOT TUNNEL

Did you know you can walk underneath the River Thames? The Greenwich Foot Tunnel will take you from Greenwich to Island Gardens on the other side of the river. This is a pretty cool and unique thing to do in Greenwich!

Note: We’ve tried to do this a couple of times and the lifts (elevators) have always been out of service. So this may not be the activity for those of you with a pushchair (stroller).

MUSEUMS IN GREENWICH LONDON

Greenwich is home to some of London’s greatest museums. Some are free and some require an entrance fee (I’ll specify below) but it may be worth considering the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS or if you’re coming to London for a few days, have a look at THE LONDON PASS as its likely to save you some money!

THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM

This is a fantastic option as it is completely free! This museum is perfect for history lovers and also has lots of kid-friendly things (such as dress-up items) to keep them entertained as you look around.

Kid Tips: Look at booking Ahoy, it’s a great 45-minute role-play session for under 8’s. You need to book tickets but they are free during the week or £3 at the weekend/ school holidays.

The Great Map and the All Hands Children’s Gallery are also great places for kids to play.

*Unfortunately, some parts of The Maritime Museum, including Ahoy and the Great Map are currently closed until summer 2025 for renovations*

THE QUEENS HOUSE

A second free option in Greenwich! The Queen’s house is fairly small compared to other museums but it is beautiful. The Tulip Stairs are a real hidden gem in London and are well worth seeing!

The Tulip Staircase is a real work of art and so is this beautifully painted ceiling shown below. if, like me, you love beautiful places, then you’ll want to visit here.

Kid Tip: The Queen’s House isn’t as interesting for kids as the Maritime Museum however, you can pick up a kid’s activity pack as you enter which helped keep my eldest busy for a while.

My husband will sometimes take the boys to the playground while I look in here!

Kids Activity pack at The Queens House Greenwich London

THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY

The Observatory, located at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park offers beautiful views over London. Here you’ll find the Prime Meridian Line (dividing the Eastern and Western hemispheres), London’s only planetarium and a small museum on the history of time/ clocks.

This attraction is better suited to families with older children. There are many steep spiral steps that weren’t ideal for a toddler who wants to walk everywhere himself!

Unfortunately, this one is not free. But it is included in the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS. You can book a planetarium show for an additional fee. The one for kids under 7 is currently shown at 11:30 am on weekends and school holidays.

COST: Adults £20, kids £10 and under 4’s are free. Or save up to 25% with the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS. Planetarium shows are an extra £12 for adults and £6 for kids.

BOOK TICKETS HERE. – I always use Get Your Guide / Viator as they offer free cancellation at no extra cost.

THE CUTTY SARK

Again, this one is not free. But it is included in the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS.

This is such a fun activity for both kids and adults. You can come aboard the last surviving clipper ship, originally used to transport cargos of tea crates at top speed from China back to London. The Cutty Sark was one of the fastest of its kind, powered only by its huge masts and giant sail.

It’s perfect for history lovers but also for families as there are so many activities to keep kids entertained.

COST: Adults £20, kids £10 and under 4’s are free. Or save up to 25% with the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS.

BOOK TICKETS HERE. – I always use Get Your Guide / Viator as they offer free cancellation at no extra cost.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL FAMILY GUIDE TO THE CUTTY SARK HERE.

THE OLD NAVY COLLEGE / PAINTED HALL

The Ols Navy College is the most beautiful building and it is free to walk around the grounds.

The Painted Hall requires an entrance fee, this is still on our bucket list but I’ve seen photos and it looks stunning! Adults tickets cost £16.50 and children go free.

Money Saving Tip: On the first Sunday of the month, adult tickets are just £5 – bargain!

SHOPPING IN GREENWICH LONDON

All the museums have a gift shop if you’re looking for a souvenir to take home. There are also a few other places to shop in Greenwich.

GREENWICH HIGH STREET

The High Street doesn’t have many shops but you will find some upper-high street stores such as Oliver Bonas as well as independent boutiques. You’ll also find lots of cafes and restaurants here.

GREENWICH MARKETS

Greenwich Market is a lovely, historic market filled with independent sellers. You can expect to see books, antiques and crafts as well as many food vendors.

Located not far from Greenwich Market, is Greenwich Vintage Market. We’ve been here a couple of times and have found it a bit disappointing. I wouldn’t describe it as a vintage market, more realistically, bric-a-brac. I’d recommend sticking to the main Greenwich Market.

Kid Tip: our kids don’t love shopping, but they can usually be bribed with food!

THE O2 ARENA OUTLET

If you’re a serious shopper, you’ll love the O2 Arena outlet, located in North Greenwich. They have a range of brands such as Reiss, Ted Baker and NEXT at discounted prices. There are plenty of other things to do here which I will talk more about below.

Kid Tip: Take turns to entertain the kids while the other one shops!

MORE THINGS TO DO IN NORTH GREENWICH LONDON

MORE AT THE O2 ARENA

The O2 has everything from concerts, cinema, bowling, restaurants and cafes. There is also a trampoline park and indoor skydiving. You could probably easily spend a full day in here.

THE IFS CLOUD CABLE CAR

Who knew there was a cable car in London?! This is a really fun, unique activity for all the family, and we all enjoyed it. ‘Flying’ 90 meters above the River Thames, you’ll get amazing views.

Cost: £6 each way for adults, £3 for kids and under 5’s are free. You can pay with a contactless or oyster card or buy a ticket at the ticket office.

Money Saving Tip: This isn’t shown on the pricelist but you can buy a book of 10 single tickets for £17. Making it just £1.70 per trip rather than £6. Unfortunately, tickets are not transferable, so my husband and I had to buy 10 each. We’re likely to use them as we don’t live far away. Honesty, our boys would have probably gone around 10 times in a row!

NOW GALLERY

A free gallery showcasing modern art, fashion and photography based on Greenwich Peninsula. We visited here for the first time recently and the current exhibition ‘Up in Smoke’ was perfect for kids to craft, explore and have fun.

CENTRAL PARK

While it’s nothing compared to NYC’s Central Park, North Greenwich is home to a small nice park called Central Park, there’s a playground here if kids need to burn some energy.

WHERE TO EAT IN GREENWICH LONDON

There are plenty of places to eat in Greenwich. As I mentioned, there are plenty of choices in the o2 arena or on Greenwich High Street.

A very British thing to do is visit a pub, especially on Sunday for a roast dinner. Fish and chips or pie and mash are other classic English dishes. If you’re looking for a pub you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Trafalgar Tavern (pictured) has been voted one of London’s best pubs and it’s definitely worth passing by even if you don’t eat there.

The Gypsy Moth (also pictured) and the Greenwich Tavern are also great options.