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The River Thames is without a doubt the most well-known landmark in London. It flows through the heart of London, passing many other famous landmarks. Discover city life around the Thames at night when it comes alive because London is a city that never sleeps!
You might wonder how the capital would cope if it didn’t have a river flowing through it. Can we imagine London without the Thames?
A number of world-famous landmarks can be found along the riverbank, like the London Eye – (A huge Ferris wheel with glass pods allowing you to experience a panoramic view of London), the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower of London and most recently The Shard.
It is also an essential part of London’s ecosystem and forms part of Thames transport system and leisure travel.
Here are some of the ways to discover the Thames at night:
Evening strolls across the bridges
“The U.K is known for its many bridges, some are beautiful and ornate and some are simple and practical. But at their root, they all serve just one purpose: To make a path to the other side” – Will Graham
Did you know that once you’ve crossed one of the bridges, you are likely to find yourself in a different part of London? Walking over Waterloo Bridge for instance, from South London, will lead you to the Strand in Central London, close to Covent Garden.
Take an evening stroll across one of the bridges, like Tower, Waterloo, Lambeth, Westminster, Vauxhall, The Millennium, Blackfriars and London Bridge are among the 33 bridges across the Thames.
Landmarks
View some of the landmarks along the Thames and watch the day turn to night-time.
Enjoy the view of Tower Bridge and The Shard which dominates London’s skyline. Book a tour to this sky scrapper and take advantage of the stunning view! (The last entry time slot is around 4.30pm).
Dinner cruises
Journey on a dinner cruise and whilst partying, view some of London’s iconic landmarks, but make sure you’ve got those dancing shoes on!
Eat out
There are many restaurants and bars along the Victoria and Albert Embankments as well as the Southbank Centre, where you will also discover an outdoor entertainment arena.
Experience the picturesque view!
Passing by it most days and weekends can often make you stop yourself from gazing at the riverboats traveling to various destinations.
London Walks
Take a glimpse of London after dark with the help of a tour guide and discover some of London’s hidden secrets. Freelondonwalkingtours.com offers free tours, like Royal London Walk, City and Southwark Walk and London’s Ghostly Haunts Walk.
Friends and family are unlikely to get bored in London at night-time because the city life never seems to end. Plan your journey in advance and be prepared for the weather just in case.
I love London. It looks so pretty at night!! Iv never been on the London eye. I might just do that for my birthday this year. Thank you for this post. Very inspiring, with Pretty images.
London is pretty at night and has so much to offer for free and at affordable prices. I’ve not been on the London Eye either, but would love to visit it pretty soon!
Hi Bola! Beautiful shots of London at night. I’m sure around the holidays it’s spectacular. The river boat cruise sounds like it would be a lot of fun. 🙂
London at night-time looks spectacular all year round, and especially during the holiday season. The river boat cruises are great fun too!:)
These shots bring back some beautiful memories Bola! It really IS quite spectacular at night…no matter what time of year!
London is spectacular and now at this time of the year with the Christmas lights on display!
Love life around the Thames in London. When we lived on Cheney Walk we discovered huge parts of London on both sides of the river. Interesting and great fun. The majority of people who live in Central London never venture even across the bridge. Pity because they lose out on a lot of interesting places. Tate Modern just to mention one.
Life around the Thames is great fun and I wish more Londoners would discover the river a bit more.
Hi Bola – your description of life around the Thames is wonderful. I enjoyed reading and seeing the beautiful pictures of it all. The picture I liked best was the last one – riverboat. It kind of wrapped up your complete post nicely, the lights, the cruises, the ferris wheel, all wonderful.
Thanks Lenie. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading this post. The Thames has many riverboats passing by day and night and you can spend hours just gazing at them.
You make me miss London really bad – even though I know that this time of the year it’s not at it’s best (LOL). Thanks for the tour Bola!
You’re welcome Eve. Although the weather in London is not at it’s best this time of the year, city life around the Thames is great fun. 🙂