13 (cool & FREE) things to see in GREENWICH in less than 2 hours (self-guided Greenwich walking tour with a map)
You cannot choose a better place for a relaxing walk than Greenwich.
A combination of a riverfront, great Royal Park, and, what many people will argue, the best (not one, not two, but many!) panoramic views of London.
Distance to cover: 4 miles (6.4 km)
Part 1 (points 1-8)
If you click on the map, a new window will open for live navigation in the field.
Prepare yourself to be amazed!
THINGS TO SEE IN GREENWICH
1. The Point
This Greenwich walk starts with a 10 min climb to the first panoramic view visible from the local hill, called The Point.
To reach this spot, I recommend you to go via Royal Hill, Point Hill, and Maidenstone Hill streets.
The view from this hill (of the London business district, located on the Isle of Dogs) is equally appealing during the day and at night.
You will find there some convenient benches too.
The spot is not that popular with tourists. Most of the time, it is a very peaceful place.
2. Ranger's House and the plaque of Prime Meridian
The next point on this walk is a charming Ranger’s House…
…and (first on our way) marker of Longitude 0º.
Easy to miss, square plaque attached to the wall, near the grand Range’s House.
3. Greenwich Cherry Blossom
I recommend entering Greenwich Royal Park using one of the gates on Charlton Way.
Go through The Rose Garden and head towards The Greenwich Cherry Blossom.
The Greenwich Cherry Blossom will give you a great photo opportunity in the Spring (from April onwards).
Now turn into Blackheath Ave and head towards the statue of General James Wolfe.
You will slowly begin to see the view which attracts millions of tourists (and locals) to this park every year.
4. The Best Panoramic View of London
Number four on this trail is the most recognizable view of Greenwich.
It was designed by the famous Christopher Wren, with the unquestionable input of Queen Mary II.
The Queen demanded that the Queen’s House (now a 400-year-old building in the middle of great view) must retain the visibility of the River Thames. The acclaimed architect originally wanted to block this view. In the end, Wren changed his design, and instead of one building, he created two look-alike buildings with a gap (the size of the Queen’s House!) between them. History remembers this incident as Christopher Wren's designing faux pa.
5. The Royal Observatory of Greenwich
The next point on this trail, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, with a marker of Prime Meridian, is a must-see point for anyone visiting Greenwich.
To see the marker inside this place, you will need to pay an entry ticket.
Outside the gate of the Observatory you can see the first-ever clock, which showed the official time to the general public in London.
A clock with the arrow (confusingly!) facing down when showing the midday, due to its 24-hour numbering (instead of 12-hour display).
Brass equivalents of the length of the yard (and feet) displayed just below the Clock, appear to be tactile objects the tourists like to touch. The lucky charm, I guess.
And the Time Ball (you will need to look up to see this one).
The very red ball at the top of the observatory building has been distributing time since 1833.
The famous red ball rises a few minutes before 1pm and is performing the sudden drop accurately at 1pm (not active on windy days). One of the first ways, the average Londoner, was able to check the time. Once a day(!).
6. One Tree Vista Point
It is time to head towards the River.
The best way to do it will be by following the trail leading to another great spot with a view, a One Tree Vista Point.
This part of the Greenwich walking tour goes up and down through the beautiful park. It is a bit of an effort, but believe me -it is worth it!
7. Queen's House
The Queen's House is a 400-year-old building located in the heart of Greenwich.
It is a home for the first English spiral, TULIP staircase (impressive to this day), and a great collection of art, which you can see both if you show some degree of being organized and you book a FREE entry ticket in advance.
8. “This parrot is no more”- the statue of a Dead Parrot
The next point on the map is a rather unusual addition to historical Maritime Greenwich, the statue of what seems to be a resting or (more likely) a dead parrot!
The statue is a reference to the Monty Python’s sketch Dead Parrot
Probably not the main reason Maritime Greenwich became The UNESCO World Heritage Site, but very entertaining oddity.
9. The Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College, initially designed by Wren to be a Royal Hospital for Seamen (and place to live for the naval pensioners), in the 20th century was used as the backdrop to notable romantic movie scenes.
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich (2022). Photography: Zuzanna/WalkMeBlog
Its chapel (The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, link to the location) became a background to the second wedding in the iconic movie Four Weddings and The Funeral.
Feel free to step inside. You might experience live music performed by local students, usually happening around midday.
10. Trafalgar Tavern and the statue of Lord Nelson
It is time to see the riverfront with the statue of legendary Admiral Nelson* placed next to the pub with a name that can not be any different than a Trafalgar Tavern.
At nearby Painted Hall (now, part of The Old Royal Naval College), Londoners could pay a tribute (and they did!) to the great naval commander before the burial at St Paul's Cathedral. The body lay in state there for a couple of days.
There are plenty of benches with great views outside the pub but don't skip stepping inside.
The design of the Trafalgar Tavern is well worth seeing. A fascinating and cozy place for a break.
11. Cutty Sark
Considering that Greenwich (and nearby Deptford) was the birthplace of the Royal Navy, it would be appropriate to see some ships.
One of the last tea clippers ever built, The Cutty Sark, will be the one hard to miss, just by the entrance to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
12. Peter The Great Statue
Now we will be heading towards the statue of Russian Tsar, Peter The Great (and a dwarf).
The statue (reflecting his unusual body shape) is a gift from the Russian people to Greenwich.
A mark of his unofficial (but very eventful) 3 month-long visit to Greenwich over 300 years ago.
The purpose of his visit - studying shipbuilding - was overshadowed by his unreasonable and drunken behavior.
A very tall Tsar (2.03m) was famous for many things. Being a good tenant wasn't one of them.
For instance, he allegedly created a void in the wall of the property where he was staying for the simple purpose of having a shortcut to do dockyard, which he was often visiting. I guess, when you become a ruler of a big country like Russia at the age of 10, having boundaries in the shape of walls could be annoying.
The damage to the building (caused by the young Tsar's visit) was evaluated by Christoper Wren himself.
He happened to be The King's Surveyor at that time.
13. The Junk Shop
The last stop on our map is THE JUNK SHOP.
A place where you can easily get lost in a search for something you didn’t know that you needed.
Very packed (and when I say packed, I mean PACKED!), with tones of hard-to-find-anywhere-else items.
An absolute delight for any curious mind, loving antiques.
Well, do you still need more convincing that Greenwich is a great place for a walk and an interesting day out?
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