Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

From Wikitravel

Experiencing the South Bank is a must-do in any London itinerary. Travellers will be visiting the cultural heart of London, an eclectic and creative area that is home to iconic attractions, stylish hotels and boutique shopping.

Within easy walking distance from Covent Garden, Soho, Westminster and the City of London , the South Bank stretches along the Thames from Lambeth Bridge to Blackfriars Bridge. It’s the perfect location for a relaxing stroll and a spot of people watching. You can take in beautiful views across to the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s, especially early morning and at dusk, and the packed programme of theatre, exhibitions, music, film and free events means there is plenty of inspiring things to see and do for all ages.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By tube

South Bank

• Waterloo (Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo lines). In the heart of South Bank, perfect to access riverside walk.
• Westminster ( Jubilee, Circle and District lines). Walk over Westminster Bridge to arrive at London Eye and County Hall.
• Embankment (Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern lines). Walk south over the pedestrianised and recently-renovated Hungerford Bridge to the Royal Festival Hall area. Beautiful views.

Bankside

• London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern lines). Most convenient for the east end of the South Bank Walk.
• Southwark (Jubilee line). Near the heart of the district.

[edit] By rail

• South Bank: London Waterloo, London Waterloo East, Charing Cross
• Bankside: London Bridge

[edit] Get around

The South Bank area is probably best accessed on foot or by bike - parking is difficult at times.

[edit] By bus

The Riverside Bus service (RV1)is an great way to get around. It links over thirty of London’s attractions on its route from South Bank to Bankside, London Bridge, Tower Gateway and Covent Garden. [1]

[edit] By boat

The following piers [2] are in the South Bank area: Westminster, Waterloo Millennium, Embankment, Festival.

Bankside is served by Bankside and London Bridge piers.

The Tate Boat runs every 40 minutes between Tate Modern and Tate Britain (Millbank Pier), also stopping at the London Eye. It takes 20 minutes.[3])

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Landmarks

South Bank

From west to east:

• County Hall, Belvedere Road (tube: Westminster, Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)8716 632501. The former seat of regional London government, now home to the London Aquarium and Dali Universe.  edit

• London Eye, Westminster Bridge Road (tube: Waterloo, Westminster), ☎ +44 (0)870 9908883 (customer.services@ba-londoneye.com, fax: +44 (0)870 9908884), [4]. Daily, June-September 10AM-9PM, October-May 10AM-8PM (except 25 December and 3-8 January). The London Eye is an enormous, 135 metre-high observation wheel with 32 exterior glass-walled capsules. It offers incomparable views over central London and up to 25 miles away on a good day. Tickets are sold for specific times, so if visitors wish to go on the London Eye at a specific time, they are strongly advised to book in advance - particularly in the summer. On a busy day, you can easily spend 1-3 hours queuing just to buy a ticket. However, you can also purchase tickets in advance online. Then you can collect your tickets at the London Eye in a separate queue, which takes a few minutes or less. There is also a 10% discount for tickets purchased online. Adult £15.17, Child £7.59, Senior £11.74, Disabled Person £11.74.  edit

• Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road (tube: Embankment, Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)8716 632501, [5]. The Southbank Centre is a large 1960s development on the South Bank. Built largely of concrete, views on its architectural merits vary considerably. Presents a varied programme of music, literature, dance, performances and exhibitions on contemporary art and culture at its venues the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward. A host of new eateries and shops have now opened along the riverside and terrace. The Royal Festival Hall hosts almost daily classical music concerts throughout the year, tickets often available on the day. The Royal Festival Hall has recently been through a long redevelopment though still holds its classic 1960s design. Free events are held daily, ranging from free music to festivals, interactive art installations to the popular slow food market.  edit

• Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, ☎ +44 (0)20 79210813 (hginfo@hayward.org.uk, fax: +44 (0)20 74012664), [6]. Daily 10AM-6PM except Tu (10AM-8PM), W (10AM-8PM) and F (10AM-9PM) (except 24-27 December and 1-2 January).. Particularly strong on contemporary art exhibitions. Hosts a single temporary exhibition at any time. Adult £7.50, Child (12-16) £4, Senior (60+) £7, Student £6.  edit

• BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road (tube: Embankment, Waterloo), [7]. Tucked under Waterloo Bridge, BFI Southbank, formerly known as the National Film Theatre, pitches itself as the home of film and has three screens showing classic (including silent), foreign language and less mainstream films. Recently redeveloped, it now has a new entrance on Theatre Alley, a shop dedicated to film, an interactive exhibition space and an excellent bar/restaurant at the back. Visitors can also access the Mediatheque - wind your way through the BFI's extensive film and TV archive for free. Cool bar and restaurant. Tickets are generally available on the spur of the moment.  edit

• National Theatre, Belvedere Road (tube: Embankment, Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)20 7452 3000 M-Sa 10AM-8PM or +44 (0)20 7452 3400. (info@nationaltheatre.org.uk, fax: +44 (0)20 7452 3030), [8]. The National Theatre has three large auditoriums - the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Cottesloe. The Olivier theatre is the largest with an open stage and a fan shaped auditorium around it. This ensures that all seats provide a good view. Most of the more 'popular' productions are put on here as the space provided is much larger than most theatres. The Lyttelton theatre is more traditional with a procenium arc with good views from most seats. The Cottesloe is a small studio theatre, seating around 400. Some tickets will be available on the day, either day seats (arrive before 9:30AM and queue) or standby (arrive before 6PM and queue), or you can buy online. Popular shows, especially those around Christmas in the Olivier sell out months in advance. Tickets to The National Theatre are generally better value than most other theatres. There is also the '£10 Travelex' season in the Summer that provides a large number (over 100,000 seats a year) at £10. Booking in advance is required for these. There is also an exhibition space in the Lyttelton theatre foyer that frequently holds popular photographic exhibitions. Free jazz is often played in the evening in the ground floor foyer. During summer there is a free daily outdoor festival of performance, music, comedy and cabaret known as Watch This Space. Deckchairs (and artificial grass) are provided to watch on. Free exhibitions. Backstage tours £5. Listings for all the events at the National Theatre are provided on the National Theatre website [9], including ticket booking.  edit

• BFI IMAX Cinema, 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk (tube: Waterloo), ☎ 08707 872525, [10]. Set back from the riverside is the BFI IMAX, the largest cinema screen in the UK at 26m wide, 20m high. Shows family-friendly 3D IMAX films as well as action films which work well on the huge screen. Also hosts special all-nighters such as the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  edit

• Gabriel's Wharf, [11]. An eclectic mix of Shops and resturants, the design shops at Gabriel's Wharf are exclusively run by small businesses who design and manufacture their own products, the majority of work available will have been made by the person selling it to you. If you can't find exactly what you are looking for it is possible to commission many of the designers directly. Shops to look out foor include Bicha, Game of Graces and Anne Kyyro Quinn.  edit

• OXO Tower, [12]. Home to designer-marker boutiques, selling everything from hats and homeware to wedding dresses and jewellery. Modern gallery on the ground floor which is free and open every day, various cafes, a florists and hairdressers here to. Upstairs there's the Tamesa Brasserie and Bincho Yakitori (Japanese tapas). Also contains a restaurant and bar on the top floor, giving you a great view over the Thames. You pay for the privilege through the food bill, though.  edit

Bankside

• HMS Belfast, Morgan's Lane (tube: London Bridge), [13]. Daily March-October 10AM-5:15PM November-February 10AM-4:15PM. A historic boat, part of the Imperial War Museum. £7.20-£10.30, child under 16 free. (latitude,) edit

• Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge (tube: London Bridge), [14]. Off the traditional tourist path, Southwark Cathedral has been the site of worship since the year 852. Literally in the shadow of London Bridge, the Cathedral is a shelter from the noise of the city. Next to the Cathedral is the Borough Market open Th-Sa with a wide range of speciality food to buy - a good area for lunch. (latitude,) edit

• City Hall, The Queen's Walk (tube: London Bridge), [15]. M-F 8AM-8PM. Greater London Authority offices. The brand new headquarters for London's Mayor and Assembly, a radically-designed glass fronted and rounded building. (latitude,) edit

[edit] Museums and galleries

From west to east:

• Imperial War Museum, [16]. An afternoon's worth of British military history. The same institution owns the Central London HMS Belfast (South Bank, a WWII cruiser, now a floating museum extensive enough to satisfy the most warlike husband or son), Cabinet War Rooms and Duxford Air Museum (Cambridgeshire) (an airbase a day trip from London with five hangars of historic aircraft). Free except some temporary exhibitions.  edit

• Sea Life London Aquarium, County Hall, Belvedere Road (tube: Waterloo, Westminster), ☎ +44 (0)207 9678000 (info@londonaquarium.co.uk), [17]. Daily 10AM-5PM. One of the largest aquariums in Europe, it boasts a collection of 350 species of fish, from sharks to stingrays. £9.75-13.25.  edit

• Tate Modern, Bankside (tube: Southwark, Blackfriars), ☎ +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (every day, 10AM-6PM) (visiting.modern@tate.org.uk), [18]. Daily 10AM-6PM (last admission 5:15PM) except Friday and Saturday 10AM-10PM (last admission 9:15PM). An enormous art gallery converted from the former Bankside Power Station, a visit to Tate Modern could easily take half a day. The gallery collects together contemporary and modern art from around the world, arranged thematically. The most stunning aspect of the building, is the enormous Turbine Hall, which plays host to a single piece of work commissioned for the space each year. See also: Tate Britain. Permanent collection free but all donations welcome.  edit

• The Hayward Located at the Southbank Centre The Hayward is the largest public art space in the UK and the exhibitions showcase masters and young British and international artists, usually accompanied by outdoor installations that bring the area to life. The gallery often holds free exhibitions which can be enjoyed by all.

• London Dungeon, (tube: London Bridge), [19]. Brings to life the gorier elements of London's past, with faithful recreations of disaster, disease, and torture. Younger children may be scared.  edit

• Britain at War Experience, 64-66 Tooley Street, ☎ +44 (0)20 74033171, [20]. Daily except 24-26 December, April-September 10AM-6PM, October-March 10AM-5PM. Attempts to recreate the experience of the Blitz. Adult £8.50, child 5-15 £4.50, family (2 adults and 2 children) £20, student or senior £5.50, under 5s free.  edit

• The Old Operating Theatre, (tube: London Bridge), [21]. Daily, 10:30AM-5PM. Britain's oldest operating theatre is an unusual tourist attraction, located in the roof space of St. Thomas's Church along with the herb store originally used by St. Thomas's Hospital's apothecary.  edit

• Fashion & Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, [22]. Founded by veteran designer Zandra Rhodes.  edit

• Design Museum, Shad Thames (tube: Tower Hill, London Bridge), (info@designmuseum.org), [23]. Daily 10AM-5:45PM (last admission 5:15PM) (except 25-26 December). A must for anyone with an interest in modern and contemporary design. The permanent exhibition follows the change in British homes from the early 20th century until present day, which is constantly updated to include new design classics. There are temporary exhibits which run for 3 to 4 months. Recent exhibits have included Saul Bass, Peter Saville and Archigram. The museum also runs 'Designer of the Year' which awards a prize to a person or organisation that has produced an impressive piece of design (past winner was Jonathan Ive, who designed the iMac and iPod). There is a small shop that has plenty of art and design books as well as designer goods to take home with you. Adult £7, student or concession £4.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• South Bank Walk. The walk along the South Bank of the Thames is a relaxing walk through central London, away (albeit only a short distance) from the traffic. Pedestrians can walk alongside the river almost the whole way from Tower Bridge to Lambeth Bridge, following the route of the Jubilee Walkway [24] - a route through central London that takes in most of London's key attractions, which was developed for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. A full guide to the riverside walk along the south bank of the Thames can be found on the Wikitravel South Bank Walk page.  edit

• Florence Nightingale Museum, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road (tube: Waterloo, Westminster), [25]. Tells the story of the Lady with the Lamp. Various family events, including art workshops. Located in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital.  edit

• Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk (Tube: Blackfriars, Southwark), ☎ +44 (0)20 7401 9919 (info@shakespearesglobe.com, fax: +44 (0)20 7902 1475), [26]. Daily May-September 9AM-5PM, October-April 10AM-5PM. Sam Wanamaker's largely authentic reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, built using traditional techniques, stages plays in the Summer months. Around the year, there is an exhibition ending with either a tour of the theatre itself (in winter, and mornings in the summer), or a virtual tour (summer afternoons). Tickets for plays are often available on the day, particularly if you are prepared to stand in the yard.  edit

• Dali Universe, County Hall, Belvedere Road (tube: Waterloo, Westminster), [27]. Extensive private collection of Dali's work.  edit

• Young Vic, The Cut, Waterloo (tube: Waterloo, Southwark), [28]. Fab theatre on The Cut which is home to younger theatre artists, especially directors. Presents plays for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Lively bar and restaurant too.  edit

• Old Vic, The Cut, Waterloo (tube: Waterloo), [29]. One of the oldest theatres in London which is now under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey.  edit

• Menier Chocolate Factory, 51/53 Southwark Street (tube: London Bridge), ☎ Theatre +44 (0)20 7907 7060, gallery +44 (0)20 7407 3222 (office@menierchocolatefactory.com), [30]. Restaurant, theatre, gallery and bar.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Borough Market, (tube: London Bridge). F noon-6PM Sa 8AM-6PM. A great (if expensive) food market, offering fruit, veg, cheese, bread, meat, fish, and so on, much of it organic. Pick up some food and enjoy it under Southwark Cathedral. Free.  edit

• Hay's Galleria, (tube: London Bridge), [31]. Specialise in the sale of fine art including paintings, prints and sculptures.  edit

• Oxo Tower Wharf, (tube: Waterloo), [32]. Huge galleria located in Barges House St.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

There’s a great selection of cafes, bars and restaurants for all budgets, so make sure you take time to watch the world go by. Have a light lunch at the cool Concrete day/night bar in The Hayward, a try crepe in Gabriel’s Wharf, or treat yourself to cocktails-with-a-view at the upmarket Skylon or Oxo Tower Restaurant. There’s also ‘Japanese tapas’ at Bincho and Japanese favourite Wagamama, dim sum at Ping Pong, contemporary English at Canteen, modern oriental at Ozu and Chino Latino, and a brasserie-style menu at Tamesa.

[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid-range

• Cantina Vinapolis, 1 Bank End, London Bridge, ☎ 7940 8333. This high vaulted brasserie was converted from Victorian railway arches. With an affordable listing offers fresh produce, the dishes are full of flavour and tasty.  edit

[edit] Splurge

• OXO Tower Restaurant Bar & Brasserie, OXO Tower Wharf, Barge House Street (tube: Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)20 78033888 (oxo.reservations@harveynichols.com), [33]. M-Sa noon-2:30PM and 6:30PM-11PM, Su noon-3PM and 6:30PM-10PM. On the eighth floor of the Art Deco Oxo Tower Wharf, the Oxo offers spectacular views and the complete dining experience with mouthwatering dishes and indulgent wines to match.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Pubs

• The Hole In The Wall, 5 Mepham Street (tube: Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)20 7928 6196. With a homey and comfortable decor, the appeal of the Hole in the Wall lies in its close proximity to the station and the excellent range of beers on the hand.  edit

• Windmill Tavern, 86 The Cut, ☎ +44 (0)20 7207 3984 (fax: +44 (0)207 928 5300). Friendly bar staff pouring chilled beers from a wide selection. Great pub food.  edit

[edit] Clubs

• Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street (tube: Elephant & Castle (last trains about midnight)), [34]. Consistently good with a reputation for strong DJs and breaking-through music.  edit

• Concrete at The Hayward gallery, with free nightly music events, Concrete is the best place to sample undergroud electro, indie, dub-step and more. open until 3am.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid-range

• Express by Holiday Inn London Southwark, 103-109 Southwark Street (tube: Southwark), ☎ +44 (0)207 4012525 (info@exhisouthwark.co.uk), [35]. Situated on the River Thames, this clean and charming hotel offers good rates for its location.  edit

• Novotel London City South, 53-61 Southwark Bridge Road (tube: London Bridge), ☎ +44 (207) 0890400 (H3269@accor.com, fax: +44 (207) 0890410), [36]. Ideal for the weekend or holiday traveler, the Novetel offers great views along with a fitness gym and spa.  edit

• Southwark Rose Hotel, 47 Southwark Bridge Road (tube: London Bridge), ☎ +44 (0)207 0151480 (info@southwarkrosehotel.co.uk), [37]. A boutique hotel located in the bustling and popular South Bank area less than 200 metres from the Thames. Offering air conditioned rooms with en suites, this hotel also has meeting room facilities.  edit

[edit] Splurge

• London Bridge Hotel ****, 8-18 London Bridge Street (tube: London Bridge), ☎ +44 (0)20 7855 2200 (reservations@londonbridgehotel.com, fax: +44 (0)20 7855 2233), [38]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: noon. This 4 star boutique hotel is popular with business travelers with its sleek and contemporary design and furnishings.  edit

• Marriott London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road (tube: Waterloo), ☎ +44 (0)207 9285200, [39]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: noon. With Big Ben checking on you across the st, the Mariott has an enviable reputation and is home to the largest pool in any London hotel. Providing first class service, enjoy a luxurious spa treatment on site or sip on a cocktail in the trendy bar downstairs.  edit

• Park Plaza Riverbank and Park Plaza County Hall, both stylish and reputable bases from which to explore South Bank and its cultural offerings.

[edit] Contact

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!