Ultimate Family Guide To Greenwich London: Fun, Food & Fantastic Views

Your Guide to Greenwich, London with Kids

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 with kids. As a mum of two little boys, this is 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. To make it even better, there are lots of free things to do in Greenwich, London, which I will also share more about below.

In this guide, I’ll be sharing the best things to do in Greenwich, London, as a family and also where to eat and what to see! There is plenty to see and do in Greenwich, London, with kids, so read on for more.

How to get to Greenwich from London

Although Greenwich is in London, it’s not central London like many of the more popular tourist areas. 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. The train from London Bridge to Greenwich takes less than 10 minutes. Maze Hill is also a good train station option as it is 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. You have to take the bus (or boat) between the two.

Finally, the nicest way to get to Greenwich is to take a boat to Greenwich from London. You can do this from Westminster, London Bridge and more. See the Uber Boat by Thames Clipper route here. 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 and it’s a fun family activity in itself.

Things to do in Greenwich, London with kids

There are so many things to do in Greenwich, London, with kids. 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.

Visit 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 actually located in or next to 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 as the views from Greenwich Park are some of the best in London. Head to the viewpoint by the General James Wolfe Statue to see the best view from Greenwich Park.

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 pond, flower garden and in spring, the most beautiful row of cherry blossom trees.

There are two fabulous playgrounds in Greenwich Park, which kids will love to play in. The Cove is newer and designed in a fun Maritime theme. This one is best for older kids. You also have the original Greenwich Park playground. This one is more traditional with swings, etc., and suited to children of all ages, and in the summer, they have a cool water feature (so pack spare clothes)

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

Walk Under the River Thames in the 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!

The views of Greenwich from the other side of the river are beautiful, and there’s a large green grass area that my kids love to run around on!

Note: We’ve tried to do this a couple of times, and the lifts (elevators) have always been out of service. There is a sign at the top telling you if the lift on each end is working. If they’re out of service, it is a lot of steps, so this may not be the activity for those of you with a pushchair (stroller).

Enjoy the Many Greenwich Museums with Kids

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 it’s likely to save you some money!

The National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum is one of my favourite places to visit with my kids. It is such a fantastic free thing to do in Greenwich! 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 0per child 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

Visiting the Queen’s House is another great free thing to do in Greenwich. The Queen’s House is fairly small compared to The National Maritime, 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: While my kids would always choose to visit the Maritime Museum over the Queens House. The Queens House does have a funny kids’ activity pack you can borrow for free as you enter. This 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 and Planetarium

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.

I feel 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 £24, kids £12 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 ROYAL OBSERVATORY TICKETS HERE.
I always use Get Your Guide as they offer free cancellation at no extra cost.

The Cutty Sark

This is such a fun activity for both kids and adults. You can climb aboard the last surviving clipper ship, originally used to transport cargoes 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.

Today, it rests in a dry dock and welcomes many visitors aboard. Inside the ship, there are plenty of hands-on activities to keep children entertained. You can also meet historic characters on the weekends, and sometimes they run craft activities. From the top deck of the ship, you’ll see amazing views of Canary Wharf

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

COST: Adults £22, kids £11 and under 4’s are free. Or save up to 25% with the ROYAL MUSEUMS DAY PASS.

BOOK CUTTY SARK TICKETS HERE.

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

The Royal Old Naval College & The Painted Hall

The Royal Old Naval College is the most beautiful building, and it is free to walk around the grounds.

The Painted Hall is absolutely stunning, this is another of London’s hidden gems. While it is not aimed at children, they also have a fun sensory activity pack, which is perfect for keeping younger kids entertained. You can borrow the pack for free, you just pay a deposit to make sure it gets returned.

Adult tickets for the painted hall cost £18 and children go free. They also include entry to the Chapel, Skittle Alley (a secret old-fashioned bowling alley) and The Greenwich Museum.

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

BOOK TICKETS TO THE PAINTED HALL HERE.

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, jewellery, antiques and crafts as well as many food vendors.

Located not far from Greenwich Market is Greenwich Vintage Market. I don’t like this one as much, but if you’re a vintage fan, it might be worth checking out.

Kid Tip: Our kids don’t love shopping, but they can usually be bribed with food and the main Greenwich market has plenty of great treats on offer!

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!

Things to do in North Greenwich, London with Kids

North Greenwich is a bus or boat ride from the centre of Greenwich, but there are also lots of fun things to do there.

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 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: £7 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.

BOOK IFS CABLE CAR TICKETS HERE.

Money Saving Tip: This isn’t shown on the pricelist, but you can buy a book of 10 single tickets for £19. Making it just £1.90 per trip rather than £7. 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!

The Now Gallery

A free gallery showcasing modern art, fashion and photography based on the 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.

The Best Places to Eat in Greenwich, London with Kids

There are so many options for places to eat in Greenwich, and a lot of them are family-friendly. As I mentioned above, there are plenty of choices in the O2 Arena or on Greenwich High Street. The O2 has most of the chain restaurants and they are almost all suited to families.

A London Pub

A very British thing to do is visit a pub, especially on Sunday, for a roast dinner. Greenwich has so many pubs to choose from. The Trafalgar Tavern (pictured below) has been voted one of London’s best pubs, and it’s definitely worth passing by to see all the flag decorations, even if you don’t eat there.

So, if you’re looking for a London pub, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Gypsy Moth (also pictured) and the Greenwich Tavern are also great pub options. If Sunday roast isnt your thing, fish and chips or pie and mash are other classic English dishes you can usually find on Pub menus.

Fish and Chips in Greenwich, London

Fish and chips are my son’s favourite. While most of the pubs will serve fish and chips, there are also two other “chip shops” where you can get fish and chips in Greenwich, London. We usually choose Jack the Chipper. Picking up fish and chips to go and eating on the bench by the river or even in the park is a fun and informal dinner when eating with children.

The Other Best Restaurant in Greenwich, London

In Greenwich town centre (close to the Park and Cutty Sark) you have lots more resteraunt options. GRIND is great especillay for brunch and kids eat free when you purchase an adult meal on tuesdays. We like Franco Manca for Pizza and Pizza Express is also a popular chioce for families. Bill’s is a popular chain with a range of food and they often do kids eat free with an adult purchase during the school hoildays!

Finally, on weekends, there is a street food market outside the Cutty Sark, this is great for grabbing an informal meal with kids!

Food at the Gypsy Moth and Outside the Trafalgar Tavern

Thank you so much for reading our family guide to visiting Greenwich, London with kids. We hope we’ve helped you plan your trip to Greenwich and you have an amazing time!