Royal Observatory Greenwich
Royal Observatory Greenwich
4
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Observatories & Planetariums
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The prime meridian, zero degrees longitude, runs through the courtyard of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, which was founded in 1675 by King Charles II.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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from S$31.53
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Greenwich
Greenwich Mean Time starts here, so to speak, as the very concept of global time was established at Royal Observatory, just one of several buildings of architectural interest in Greenwich. Indeed, the whole of Greenwich's historic town center, its Royal Park and a number of related buildings (and one world famous ship, the Cutty Sark) make up the UNESCO World Heritage site known as Maritime Greenwich. Today a laser beam is shot out across the night sky from the Observatory to mark the location of the Prime Meridian. Other bold (some say brash) 21st century additions to the area include landmarks such as The O2 entertainment complex (previously known as the Millennium Dome) and the Air Line cable cars, which offer scenic transport across the Thames between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks.
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1,499 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,327 within 10 kms
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
3,586 reviews
Excellent
1,567
Very good
1,310
Average
495
Poor
144
Terrible
70
Sue W
Ilkeston, UK916 contributions
It seemed like a long walk up the hill to the Observatory but at least it was worth it. Although small, the observatory contains many interesting museum pieces which appealed to young and old.
Written 24 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannelore H
United Kingdom245 contributions
Sep 2022
If for no other reason, still worth a visit to step on the Greenwhich meridian and get that weird feeling of standing atop of the world at that zero starting point.
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dylan M
2 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
My girlfriend and I visited the Planetarium today and had the most amazing time. The exhibitions and show were fantastic; we saw the moon base show and enjoyed it immensely, and the staff were incredibly accommodating for me being on crutches and did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable!
Written 21 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deb W
Reno, NV2,478 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
It was fun to stand on the Meridian Line for a photo. The museum was too hot and crowded for me. The ball dropping at 1 pm was less than thrilling.
Written 19 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jackie D
Halewood, UK171 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Me and my partner had a walk around and needed a drink so stopped at off the pop ups. I got a small water and was charged £5.40!!!! Absolute disgrace!!!
Written 13 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnaPiussi
London, UK949 contributions
Jan 2023 • Friends
I’ve been around the Observatory many times as I am always walking around there at the Park. I think it is a MUST go see place in London. From there you have a beautiful view of a vast area of London until The Shard. The museum it is interesting and being able to take a photo with one foot at the East sode of the world and one at the West side it is the main purpose. Thinking thar the GMT line was discovered in this specific spot it is amazing. You can see the main telescope that was used. And the imaginary line it is is market at the house walls and at the floor. If you don’t feel like paying you are still able to see from the gates where the line is crossing.
Written 5 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PousoAlegre
San Francisco, CA137 contributions
A must visit for the amazing history this observatory holds. There is so much to see and I highly recommend taking the free tour. I took the tour with John, who was an amazing tour guide. John clearly explained about the Longitude Act and showed us Harrison’s clocks in the Flamsteed House. We then moved to the Meridian house where he explained the contribution of 3 important Astronomer Royals. We ended the tour at the telescope room. There is so much information, and thanks to John, I learned so much as I found difficult to understand all on my own. I would highly recommend visiting this amazing site and learn how the longitude problem was solved.
Written 3 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lukáš Navara
28 contributions
Apr 2023
While the entrance is quite pricey, if you buy Greenwich Museums Pass or London Pass, it is a great place to visit! We've learned a lot about the history of clocks and observing plus a great view!
Written 3 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Waddler
York, UK9,788 contributions
Apr 2023
This review is from the perspective of a family visit. The kids enjoyed the park and tolerated the walk up from where there is an iconic view, but you don't need a ticket to do that.
We did buy tickets and entered, and whilst we got a photo at the meridian line it wasn't easy to get our 9 or 6 year old to engage with it as I don't think they truly understood what it was despite our attempts at explanation!
They may have liked the Camera Obscura, but the queue on a Sunday afternoon for this attraction was too long so we gave it a miss.
We did wander through the rest of the exhibits but our kids prefer more interactive displays of which there are none.
I think some adults would find it very interesting, but think about whether it suits your kids.
We did buy tickets and entered, and whilst we got a photo at the meridian line it wasn't easy to get our 9 or 6 year old to engage with it as I don't think they truly understood what it was despite our attempts at explanation!
They may have liked the Camera Obscura, but the queue on a Sunday afternoon for this attraction was too long so we gave it a miss.
We did wander through the rest of the exhibits but our kids prefer more interactive displays of which there are none.
I think some adults would find it very interesting, but think about whether it suits your kids.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jens A
Copenhagen, Denmark150 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
Interesting exhibition about navigation and the importance of watches. If you're into that sort of thing - not everyone in our company was. Afterwards you can go for a walk in the large park and take the train back to London from Blackheath. We took the City Experiences boat from Tower Hill to Greenwich, which we can recommend in nice weather.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are Taxis available at the Royal Observatory
Taxi's can drop you off or pick you up from the General Wolfe Statue just outside the Observatory. Numbers are also available onsite for close by taxi services.
Eskimogirl25
Tunbridge Wells, Kent47 contributions
How long would you say you could do this in? We’re thinking of visiting the painted hall first and then coming here. Any advice? Any places to park a car? Thanks in advance.
AleksAE
London, UK24 contributions
Hello,
I think hour to hour and a half is more than enough for a quality visit at the observatory. I would recommend to first see the observatory (the Greenwich meridian), and then carry onto something else. As for the parking, not too sure as I don’t drive and we used the public transport. Best wishes and lots of fun
Anne B
london8 contributions
Hi , is the laser along the meridian operating?
If so at what times?
Thank you
Anne
455Douglas1948
Uckfield, UK353 contributions
It's best to check with Observatory, as you will appreciate this is only seen in twilight dark, not during a daylight visit
Lorena Moreno
Vila Velha, ES2 contributions
Is it necessary to enter/pay in the Observatory to see the "Greenwich line" ? (é preciso entrar/pagara o observatório para ver a linha de Greenwich?
Anneke S
Sommelsdijk, The Netherlands2,174 contributions
the Greenwich line is free to see
AntoR_07
Bari, Italy378 contributions
Ciao, è possibile visionare meridiano e l'orologio senza prendere i ticket del Royal Observatory? Oppure sono attrazioni a pagamento? Grazie!
Massimo C
Rome, Italy49 contributions
Salve, da fuori è possibile vederli entrambi ovviamente non vedi la linea a terra con tutti i riferimenti e comunque tutto l'osservatorio merita la visita ed il prezzo del biglietto .
Io ho fatto un biglietto cumulativo che prevedeva visita al Cutty Sark e l'Osservatorio , fatto tutto on line ricevuti a casa i biglietti risparmiato il 10% .
saluti
Can anyone tell me the least busy times?
Anschwae
Zurich, Switzerland565 contributions
Esp Weekends before or after lunch. Opening hours 10.00-17.00. I recommend to be there at 10 am or during lunch or at 4pm. Best time might be 10am
Isabel M
Nacka, Sweden385 contributions
Hi! I wonder if we can se the Royal observatory Greenwich Clock without buying any tickets. Is the clock on the outside? I have the same question about the meridian. Is the meridian marked also outside the ticketed area? We can only stop there for a short moment, so it's not worth for us to buy tickets.
Thanks in advance!
Erik N
151 contributions
Yes, is outside.
Larry K
Nebraska397 contributions
Can any one tell me how long the audio tours are at the Royal Observatory?
ellenkay
Saint Louis, MO1,009 contributions
I would say allow an hour or two at least; maybe more if you wanted to spend some time at the planetarium part; we got there rather late in the day and had to rush through , but the good part of that is it was not crowded that time of day..... it is quite a hike to the top of the hill where the observatory is located ... in a pretty park; lovely views of London from up there... but it did take a bit of time getting up there and we were trying to rush to get there in time so I was quite out of breath!!!
ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH (London) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Royal Observatory Greenwich
- Royal Observatory Greenwich is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Royal Observatory Greenwich admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost S$31.53, while a popular guided tour starts around S$9.41 per person. See all 29 Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- Royal Observatory Greenwich can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 29 Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Royal Observatory Greenwich:
- Royal Observatory Greenwich Entrance Ticket (From S$31.53)
- Westminster to Greenwich Sightseeing Thames Cruise in London (From S$25.39)
- Greenwich: Explore Where Time Begins on a Self-Guided Audio Tour (From S$9.41)
- The London Pass®: Unlimited access to 85+ top attractions (From S$143.15)
- Go City: London Explorer Pass - Choose 2 to 7 Attractions (From S$83.51)
- Hotels near Royal Observatory Greenwich:
- (0.55 km) Number 37
- (0.57 km) ibis London Greenwich
- (0.96 km) Travelodge London Greenwich High Road
- (1.22 km) Staycity Aparthotels London - Greenwich High Road
- (0.62 km) The Mitre by Innkeeper's Collection
- Restaurants near Royal Observatory Greenwich:
- (0.18 km) The Pavilion Cafe
- (0.44 km) The Plume of Feathers
- (0.62 km) The Prince of Greenwich Pub
- (0.50 km) Heap's Sausages
- (0.63 km) Goddards at Greenwich