14 things to do in Greenwich with kids

One of my favourite parts of London, it’s easy to spend a day exploring Greenwich with kids – in fact, with some fantastic family-friendly attractions and its lovely setting on the Thames, you can very easily spend a lot longer.

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Unless you’re based in Greenwich itself or the Greenwich Peninsula, the best way to arrive is by boat – otherwise Cutty Sark DLR station is the closest – and approach from the water, as so many people have done over the centuries.

And along with exploring the museums and other attractions, it’s a lovely place to wander, whether that’s along the riverside or in Greenwich’s green spaces. To start you off, here are my 13 top things to do in Greenwich with kids.

Visit the Cutty Sark

One of the first things you see as you step off the boat at Greenwich pier or out of Cutty Sark DLR, a visit to the historic clipper ship is one of the best things to do in Greenwich for kids.

There are children’s trails to follow but even without these, you can wander through the ship peeking inside cabins, discovering the cargo she carried, plus various interactive displays including a chance to try your own hand at sailing a virtual ship (harder than it looks!)

Best of all, you can explore right from the copper-bottomed hull of the Cutty Sark ship to the deck (watch out for the carved monkey). Keep an eye out and you often can meet colourful characters who would have once spent time aboard, especially at weekends and during school holidays.

There’s a discount on tickets if you book using my link and code MUMMYTRAVELS6 – you can buy combined tickets if you’re visiting the Royal Observatory and Queen’s House as well.

Read what we thought of visiting the Cutty Sark with a preschooler.

Hop over the meridian line

One thing everyone knows about Greenwich is its association with time – it’s here you find the prime meridian line used to calculate GMT.

But there’s far more to it than that: the prime meridian is the starting point to measure every place on earth by its angle east or west from this point.

For older kids, it’s a great way to bring some of the science to life, and however old you are, there’s something fun about standing with one foot either side.

The meridian line runs across the courtyard of the Royal Observatory but you can also see part of it outside the main building for free.

Head to the big Shepherd clock with signs about measures and the time ball (all worth reading in themselves), then through the black gate around the corner, the line stretches across a small alleyway.

The Royal Observatory

Set on top of the hill, the Royal Observatory contains London’s only planetarium as well as the Astronomy Centre, Flamsteed House (named after the first Astronomer Royal) and the Meridian Courtyard.

It’s also home to the time ball: the red ball on the eastern turret drops every day at 1pm as a signal to boats on the Thames of the precise time.

This is somewhere for older kids, who’ll be more interested in the stories of the clocks that changed the world – John Harrison’s clocks, which enabled sailors to determine longitude – as well as the telescopes and tales of the calculating the meridian.

The Planetarium has some great shows aimed at different ages too (along with virtual shows online and Q&As with the astronomers during lockdown). Tickets for the Peter Harrison Planetarium shows are limited need to be prebooked, or you can book entry to the Observatory separately, as well as combined Royal Museums Greenwich tickets for the Cutty Sark and Queen’s House as well.

Greenwich park

Greenwich Park stretches for 183 acres so there’s plenty of room to run around and let off steam, plus it’s easy to combine with a visit to a museum – it’s only around five minutes walk from the Cutty Sark along King William Walk, right next to the National Maritime Museum and houses the Royal Observatory.

The oldest enclosed royal park is also home to one of the best views in London. Head to the hill where the Royal Observatory is set and you can gaze down across the Royal Naval college and the Thames, and out to the London Docklands.

Or you can simply wander round and enjoy the flowers: London’s longest herbaceous border, a rose garden, herb garden and the Queen’s orchard are all within the park.

Head to the south-east of the park and you can even spot deer in the Wilderness as well, or from Easter to October, there’s boating on the lake near the Queen’s House.

If you’re looking for playgrounds in Greenwich, there’s one in the north-east corner too, with sandpits, swings, slides and climbing frames – or read on for more information about The Cove play area.

The Cove

This new play area by the National Maritime Museum puts other playgrounds in the shade. The Cove is designed to bring children’s imaginations to life as well as letting them climb, clamber and play to their heart’s content.

At the centre is a ship, the Shanty, where you can take the wheel, fire the cannon, explore the barrels as well as climbing up to the crow’s nest before heading back down the giant tentacle slide.

Or head inside the Cutty Shark, climbing its fin and exploring through a maze of nets to discover a secret den – then slide out through its fearsome jaws.

Watch out for the Kraken too, as you slide, jump and climb through the creatures seaweed tangles, nets and bridges – one of the fun parts of the playground for younger visitors. There’s no need to book and it’s completely free: there’s also a cafe and toilets inside the National Maritime Museum next door.

National Maritime Museum

The free National Maritime museum traces Britain’s maritime history, with a fascinating collection that ranges from artworks and maps to model ships and even the coat Nelson was wearing when he died.

While toddlers are likely to be less enthralled, there are family trails including ones for mini mariners and the giant map right at the heart of the museum is perfect for any age, as well as plenty of family fun activities aimed at younger visitors.

EDIT: Until summer 2025, ongoing works mean that the Great Map and Ahoy are temporarily closed. Other galleries remain open and exhibitions are currently free as a result.

And the Ahoy Gallery, is ideal for under sevens; the immersive play space lets you do everything from stoking the boiler of a steamship to selling fish in the marketplace, as well as discovering more about pirates, polar stories and adventures galore – this does have a small charge at weekends and school holidays and needs to be prebooked (while it’s free on weekdays, it’s unsurprisingly popular so still worth prebooking).

There’s plenty more to keep primary age children (and up) entertained too, from stories of adventure and piracy in Tudor times, the challenges of the Polar adventures, and tales of exploring the Pacific.

As there’s free entry, there’s no need to prebook (although you can book free tickets online to get updates before your visit).

Even if you don’t go in, it’s worth heading down to spot the huge ship in a bottle outside – Yinka Shonibare’s recreation of Nelson’s Victory – another of the fun free things to do in Greenwich with kids.

Follow a Treasure Trail

I’m a big fan of these self-guided Treasure Trails to explore with kids, and the Greenwich trail is no exception. With American friends visiting, we decided to follow the route through Greenwich as a way to see all the area’s highlights while still entertaining our kids.

You don’t need to go inside any of the Greenwich museums to find the clues (although it’s easy to add visits in along the way), and the trail helps you spot some of the little details on buildings as you wander, walking from the Cutty Sark down some of Greenwich’s little alleyways, through the park and past the Royal Observatory, and down to the river.

One of the longer trails, it lasts around two and a half hours.

Greenwich market

There’s always something fun to discover at Greenwich market – including some great food, which makes it a fun and easy place to stop for lunch in Greenwich with kids.

You’ll also find quirky souvenirs, along with collectables, jewellery and vintage clothes, not to mention some good coffee and ice cream to help fuel a walk around Greenwich.

In December, it also transforms into a Christmas market once a week, as well as other family friendly festive events starting in November.

Painted Hall

Reopened in 2019 after extensive restoration, the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College has been called Britain’s answer to the Sistine Chapel – one of the jewels in Greenwich’s crown, helping make the borough a Unesco World Heritage site.

For adults, you can discover how the paintings tell stories of politics, as well as scientific, cultural and commercial achievements – but for any age, it’s a magnificent artwork to sit and stare at.

Or rather, to lie and stare at. There are mirrors dotted strategically around but also cushioned benches so you can lie back and absorb the details.

Otherwise you can wander through the buildings of the Old Royal Naval College, which stands on the site of the old Greenwich Palace where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born, spotting cannon along the way.

The Painted Hall is free for children to enter, although they still need a ticket, which must be prebooked.

For more royal places in London to visit with kids, check out my pick of the best, from palaces to castles and more

Boat trip to Greenwich

My favourite way to arrive in Greenwich, you can cruise on the Thames from central London or choose a sightseeing boat for a bit more background.

Uber Boat (formerly Thames Clippers) sails along the river from Battersea, with stops at Westminster, Waterloo, Embankment, the South Bank and Tower Hill along the way, before heading out via the Docklands to Greenwich.

You can use Oyster cards/contactless or buy tickets using the Uber boat app, and the main RB1 service travels around every half hour to Greenwich.

Or check out the sightseeing cruises from City Cruises, which have a commentary (live or recorded) about what you’re seeing along the way.

There are other Thames boat tours to choose from, including this sightseeing tour from Westminster to Greenwich as well as a hop-on hop-off sightseeing cruise.

Get 20% off all City Cruises sightseeing tours using code CC20 until the end of 2024 – click here to get the discount – as well as 50% off adult and child 24-hour river pass tickets if you book before May 24 using the code welcome50

IFS Cloud cable car

If you fancy another, rather different view of London, head over to North Greenwich – you can hop on a boat or bus, as well as taking a walk along the riverfront (admittedly not the most scenic walk along the Thames).

The cable car links to the Docklands so it’s best to think of it as an experience rather than a means of getting from A to B as chances are you won’t be exploring the area around Excel!

But there are some great views along the river, as it rises 90m up to travel the kilometre across to the other side.

If you time your trip for sunset, it’s even more memorable – plus as it’s part of the Tfl network, fares won’t cost a fortune. Children aged 5-15 also have to pay, but you can use contactless or your Oyster card as well as booking family tickets.

The journey lasts around five minutes at peak times, around double that at other times including evening trips and cabins arrive around every 30 seconds.

If you book a round trip, you don’t have to get off and walk round to queue for the trip back, although it’ll cost slightly more.

Visit the O2

Home to a string of restaurants, there are also regular exhibitions at the 02, along with live performances – not to mention Disney on Ice – at the 02 arena.

But one of the most unusual things to try in this part of Greenwich with kids, is climbing onto the top of the building at Up at the O2.

Kids need to be at least eight and over 1.2 metres tall (with one adult to every two kids, if they’re aged between eight and 11).

After a safety briefing, you get a suit, boots and harness, and set off to climb up the walkway which leads you 52m above ground – it takes around an hour, and once you start, there’s no turning back.

With amazing views out across London – as much as 15 miles on a clear day – it’s fantastic for more adventurous kids.

For younger kids, there are some easier thrills at Oxygen freejumping trampolines, including toddler sessions, as well as soft play, plus TOCA Social immersive football experience and a cinema all within the O2.

Museum of London Docklands

I’m cheating slightly by including this in a list of things to do in Greenwich with kids but while you’re over in south-east London, it’s so easy to visit that it’s worth keeping in mind.

In fact, if you hop on the DLR from Cutty Sark to West India Quay, it takes around the same time to get to the Museum of London Docklands as it does to get to North Greenwich.

And a visit here is a fun one to combine with a visit to the National Maritime Museum – while that follows Britain’s history on the water worldwide, the Museum of London Docklands traces the story of London’s river and the trade which built up around it.

Starting in Tudor times right through to the post-war period and the building of the city’s financial district, the galleries cover everything from slavery and strikes to interactive displays, such as a chance to wander through sailortown.

It’s free to enter and there’s no need to prebook tickets, unless you’re planning to visit one of the regular temporary exhibitions as well. There’s also the great Mudlarks children’s gallery for kids aged up to 8, with 45-minute sessions introducing younger kids to some of the museum’s stories through play and hands-on fun – this does have a £3 cost and needs prebooking though.

Check out our visit to the Museum of London Docklands with kids, including the Havering Hoard exhibition

Ice rink at the Queen’s House

If you’re visiting Greenwich in the run-up to Christmas, this London festive ice rink has been a great addition outside the Queen’s House since 2019.

The only outdoor ice rink in south London, you can look out to the Thames as you skate, with hot chocolate and mulled wine to warm up again afterwards.

For more details of London’s Christmas ice rinks, including the nearby Canary Wharf rink, check out this post.

Places to stay in Greenwich with kids

If you want to make Greenwich your base for a family holiday in London, there are plenty of family-friendly places to stay including hotels and self-catering properties.

Check out some of the family-friendly hotels in Greenwich on booking.com, or for self-catering accommodation, I’m a big fan of the apartments from PlumGuide. Each has been individually vetted, you can filter for baby-friendly and family-friendly properties, plus the pros and cons are laid out clearly.

*First published 2020, last updated 2024*

PIN FOR LATER: THINGS TO DO IN GREENWICH WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images: Painted Hall image courtesy VisitBritain, National Maritime Museum facade/Emirates cable car/hot chocolate courtesy Depositphotos, all others copyright MummyTravels

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