Budget Tours in South East London

Budget Tours in South East London

Tower Bridge -> Southwark Cathedral -> Fashion and Textile Museum -> South London Gallery -> Panda Panda (eatery – from £1.99 a course) -> Old Royal Naval College -> Royal Observatory Greenwich -> Brunel Museum and Brunel Engine House -> The Surrey Docks (pub – beer from £1.70)

South Eastern London is the largest and most impressive of the London neighbourhoods. It has a lot to offer to its visitors, so if you are planning to come to this part of the capital, you should reserve yourself at least one day for this kind of journey. And to make it even faster and cheaper, you can choose to travel by private hire service, and I’m talking here about the minicab services, not about the symbolic, yet expensive black cabs.

 

• A Budget Tour in South Eastern London must start from the iconic SE1 postcode. Here, you will see the majestic Tower Bridge – Bankside, SE1 2UP. Visiting the exhibition will cost you almost £8.00, but seeing the bridge from the outside is free and it is an experience you should not miss. Its walkways offer views over the London Eye, Canary Wharf, Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and Tower of London. The Tower Bridge is particularly beautiful at night when it is illuminated.

• The next stop is the Southwark Cathedral in Bankside, near the London Bridge, SE1 9DA. It is opened on weekdays from 8am till 6pm and on weekends between 9am and 6pm. The entry is free, but you will be encouraged to leave a donation. This cathedral represents London’s oldest Gothic church, being constructed in 1220. It houses monuments erected for Philip Massinger and John Fletcher (the dramatists) and for Shakespeare’s brother, Edmund Shakespeare. Listening to the cathedral’s choir is a must for the visitors.

The journey between Tower Bridge, Bankside, and Southwark Cathedral will take around 10 minutes and will cost almost £11 per minicab (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car).

 

• Once you have finished with the Southwark Cathedral, you can stop by the Fashion and Textile Museum, SE1 3XF, 83 Bermondsey Street. Even if you are not a fashion victim, you will still like this place as it features luxurious collections designed by Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen and many other famous designers. The entrance is free and the museum is opened from Tuesday till Saturday between 11am and 6pm.

The transfer from Southwark Cathedral, Bankside to the Fashion and Textile Museum will cost you £11 (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car). The journey will last around 15 minutes.

 

• The South London Gallery is another attraction that you can visit on a Budget Tour in South Eastern London. It is located at SE5 8UH, 65 Peckham Road and it features free entry for both children and adults. This is an exquisite contemporary art exhibition gallery where you will see works signed by Julian Schnabel, Gilbert and George, Mark Quinn and Tracey Emin. It was founded in 1868 and the current location dates from 1891. In 2010, the venue was renovated and enlarged and it is now home to an events studio, several gardens and a café.

A minicab from the Fashion and Textile Museum to the South London Gallery is almost £11 (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car). The journey will last approximately 15 minutes.

 

• Grabbing a bite during your tour is highly indicated. Therefore, you can stop by Panda Panda. Don’t be fooled by the name. It’s not a zoo, it is just a nice restaurant with Vietnamese specialties. The main highlights are the stews, the noodle dishes, the baguettes and the peanut and fiery chilli dipping sauce. This eatery is kid – friendly and it has a welcoming atmosphere. Panda Panda is situated at 8 Deptford Broadway, SE8 4PA and it is opened every day from 10:30am till 4:30pm. A course will cost you between £1.99 and £4.95.

The transfer from the South London Gallery to Panda Panda is going to cost around £12 (£3 / person if there are 4 people in the car). The tour will last 10 minutes.

 

• The Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9LW, King William Walk is yet another great attraction. The entrance is free, but if you request a guided tour, you will have to pay £5 per adult. The entrance for kids under 16 is free even for a tour with a guide. The college is opened every day of the week, between 10am and 5pm. The main features are The Chapel and The Painted Hall. Also, don’t miss the gift shop and The Old Brewery. The permanent exhibition features a large variety of items, some of them being 500 years old.

In order to get from Panda Panda to the Old Royal Naval College, you will have to pay £11 for a minicab (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car). The trip will take almost 10 minutes.

 

• A landmark that must definitely not miss from a Budget Tour in South Eastern London is the Royal Observatory Greenwich, SE10 9NF, Greenwich. It is, without a doubt, one of the most famous attractions in London and it is opened for the public every day, between 10am and 5pm. The entrance is free for kids and adults. The museum was constructed in 1675, by Sir Christopher Wren and it is the place where the Prime Meridian was settled. And since you’re here, you can also take the time to visit the beautiful Greenwich Park, where the Observatory is located.

The transfer from the Old Royal Naval College to Greenwich, the Royal Observatory Greenwich will cost you £11 for a minicab (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car) and it will take around 10 minutes.

 

• The Brunel Museum and the Brunel Engine House should also be included on your list. They are located in Southwark, Rotherhithe, SE16 4LF. The museum celebrates the first subaqueous tunnel in the world. It was constructed by Marc Isambard Brunel. The museum is nowadays a listed building and an ancient monument. The Engine House shows the tunnel, which was constructed in 8 years. It was opened in 1843 by Queen Victoria and it received the nickname The Great Bore. It is still the most watertight rail tunnel in London.

The transfer from the Royal Observatory Greenwich to Brunel Engine House and Brunel Museum costs almost £11 (£2.75 / person if there are 4 people in the car) and it takes around 20 minutes.

 

• After such a long tour, you most definitely deserve a drink. Take it at the Surrey Docks, 185 Lower Road, SE16 2LW, where the price for a beer starts from £1.70. Also, a wine will cost you around £6.90 per bottle. The selection of drinks is varied and the atmosphere is nice and friendly. It is opened from Sunday till Thursday, between 9am and 12am and from Friday until Saturday, between 9am and 1am. If you also want to eat, you should know that the food will cost you less than £10 per client. In the summer, there is also a beer garden where you can relax and run away from the heat.

A minicab from Brunel Engine House and Brunel Museum to Surrey Docks will cost you around £11 (£2.75 / person when the car is full if there are 4 people in the car). The transfer will last 5 minutes.