Greenwich Foot Tunnel
walk under the thames, for nothing
A Victorian tunnel that takes you under the River Thames on foot, free and open around the clock, with a knockout free view back at Greenwich from the far side.
Free to visit · Greenwich · Cutty Sark (DLR) · SE10 9HT
Opening: Pedestrians daily, around the clock · lifts have set hours
Most people cross the Thames on a bridge or a tube. At Greenwich you can walk under it, for free, through a tiled Victorian tunnel that has carried people beneath the river since 1902. The glazed domed rotundas at each end are landmarks in their own right.
You descend by a wooden-floored lift or the spiral stairs, then walk the gentle curve of the tunnel, around three hundred and seventy metres of white tiles and echoes, under the full weight of the river above you. It is faintly eerie, completely free and open to pedestrians around the clock.
The real prize is the far side. Come up at Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs and turn around for the classic free view back across the water to the Old Royal Naval College and the Queen's House, the picture Canaletto painted, framed by the river.
Getting there: The south entrance is right by the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, the north entrance comes up at Island Gardens on the DLR.
Best time to go: Any time, it never closes to walkers, but daylight gives you the view from Island Gardens. The lifts keep set hours, the stairs are always open.
Insider tip: Walk it north to Island Gardens and turn straight round for the Canaletto view of Greenwich across the river, one of the best free views in London and one almost no tourist bothers to find.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide