Savoy Pier (Woods Quay)
About Savoy Pier
Savoy Pier is located on the North shore of the River Thames next to Waterloo Road Bridge.
The pier sits in-front of the famous Savoy Hotel and is a short walk from a number of London landmarks including Cleopatra’s Needle & Somerset House.
Savoy Pier Location
Daytime / Evening Cruises from Savoy Pier
We do not offer public daytime or evening cruises from Savoy Pier. We do operate a range of private charters, click the link below to view our public cruises or private charters.
Private Charters from Savoy Pier
We provide a wide range of catering & dining options, perfectly paired with our extensive wine menu. Our entertainment options & decorations can also make your event truly unique.
Near Savoy Pier
Cleopatra's Needle
About Cleopatra’s Needle
Savoy Hotel
About the Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel was built by Richard D’Oyly Carte & opened in 1889. The Savoy proved popular with tourists & was the first hotel in Britain to utilise electric lifts & be lit entirely by electric lighting. The Savoy boasts numerous bars & restaurants & is adjacent to the Savoy Theatre.
Somerset House
About Somerset House
Somerset House was designed by William Chambers & completed 1801. The house has been home to the Royal Academy of Arts, the Royal Society, the General Register Office & the Inland Revenue. Today Somerset House is open to the public and regularly hosts concerts & other public events.
HQS Wellington
About HQS Wellington
HQS Wellington is a Grimsby Class Sloop launched in 1934. She escorted convoys in the North Atlantic throughout the Second World War. She is now permanently moored on Victoria Embankment and is the livery hall of the Honorable Company of Master Mariners.
Benjamin Franklin House
About Benjamin Franklin House
36 Craven Street is the only remaining home of the Benjamin Franklin, a famous scientist, diplomat & Founding Father of the United States. The house itself dates from around 1730 & is an authentic representation Benjamin Franklin’s time in London. Tours of Benjamin Franklin House are available for the public & there is also a small shop & toilet facilities onsite.
Highlights
- Tour the only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin & the first de facto United States Embassy.
- Purchase souvenirs & gifts at the Benjamin Franklin House Shop.
Royal Festival Hall
About Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall is the last remaining building from the 1951 Festival of Great Britain. The hall can seat 2,500 guests & is situated in the Southbank Centre, the largest arts centre in the United Kingdom. Over 5,000 events are held at the Southbank Centre each year including exhibitions, festivals & performances by some of the worlds most famous artists.
10 Min / 0.5 Miles (Via Golden Jubilee Footbridges)
The Banqueting House
About the Banqueting House
The Banqueting House is the last remaining building from Whitehall Palace, home to a magnificent ceiling painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens & the execution site of King Charles I. The building was designed by Inigo Jones in the Palladian style for King James I & was completed in 1622.
Highlights
- One of the last remaining buildings from Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace.
- The execution site of King Charles I.
- Peter Paul Rubens magnificent ceiling murals.
The National Gallery
The National Gallery was founded in 1824 & opened to the public on the 10th May of the same year. As the collection grew the gallery moved from a small building at 100 Pall Mall to the present building, a purpose built structure designed by William Wilkins. Both The National Gallery’s building & collection has grown over the years, Sir James Pennethorne, Sir Charles Barry & Sir John Taylor have all extended the building & over 2,600 paintings are now housed within the collection. Today the National Gallery is free to visit & they organise a range of exhibitions & events showcases works from the collection. The gallery also has a number of giftshops, a dining room & cafés.
London Eye
About the London Eye
At 135 metres tall the London Eye is the worlds largest cantilevered observation wheel. The London Eye was designed by Marks Barfield Architects & launched in 2000 as a temporary attraction. The London Eye has quickly become one of the most popular paid attractions in the world carrying over 3.5 million visitors each year. On a clear day visibility is up to 40km allowing views of Windsor Castle & the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford.
Highlights
- See London from a unique perspective.
13 Min / 0.6 Miles (Via Golden Jubilee Footbridges)
St. James Park
About St. James Park
St. James Park is London’s oldest royal park & is surrounded by three royal palaces, the Palace of Westminster, St. James Palace & Buckingham Palace. In 1536 the royal court was based at the Palace of Westminster & King Henry VIII purchased land at St. James to build St. James Palace & a new deer park. After his accession to the throne in 1603 James I had the park drained, landscaped & filled with exotic animals including camels, crocodiles, birds & an elephant.
St. James Park underwent further alterations when Charles II opened it to the public & had it re-landscaped in a more formal style with a large canal. St. James Park saw another makeover in the 1820’s when the Prince Regent (later to become George IV) commissioned the architect & landscaper John Nash to give the park a more natural look. The canal was shaped into a lake & an iron bridge was built offering excellent views across the lake. The current bridge (The Blue Bridge) was built in 1957 & is the third bridge to span St. James Park Lake.
Highlights
- Take in the view of Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade & the London Eye from the Blue Bridge.
- Learn more about the park on a walking tour (available on select dates).
- See the parks resident pelicans at feeding time.
- Refreshments available at St. James Café.
County Hall
About County Hall
Highlights
- Sea Life London Aquarium
- The London Dungeon
- Shrek’s Adventure!
- Namco Funscape Arcade
- Agatha Christie’s Witness For The Prosecution (performed in the County Hall Court Room)
OXO Tower Wharf
About OXO Tower Wharf
15 Min / 0.7 Miles (Via Waterloo Bridge)
Sir John Soane's Museum
Sir John Soane’s Museum is situated in the Grade I listed home of the Regency architect Sir John Soane. Soane commissioned numerous buildings throughout his career including country homes, the Bank of England & Dulwich Picture Gallery. During his lifetime Soane amassed a vast collection of items including books, manuscripts, paintings, models, sculptures & the alabaster sarcophagus of Seti I. Soane obtained an Act of Parliament bequeathing his home to the British Public. Today Sir John Soane’s Museum is free to visit & remains mostly unchanged since his death in 1837. Tours & trails are are available at the museum to guide visitors through the rooms & collections that have been curated by Sir John Soane himself.
New Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)
About the New Palace of Westminster
Known as the ‘Houses of Parliament’, the new palace was built between 1840-1870 after the original palace was damaged during a fire. The palace is the home of UK Parliament & the iconic Elizabeth Tower (known as Big Ben).
Highlights
- Guided tours available in multiple languages.
- Self-guided tours with a multimedia guide.
- Tours with afternoon tea overlooking the River Thames.
- Special exhibitions in Westminster Hall.
- Special talks & guided tours.
- Refreshments available in the Jubilee cafe.
St. Margaret's Church
About St. Margaret’s Church
St. Margaret’s Church is dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch & is the third church to stand on the site. The original St. Margaret’s Church was built by the Benedictine Monks of Westminster Abbey in the 11th Century. The Rule of St. Benedict required the monks to sing the Divine Office at set times each day. The creation of a smaller church next to the Abbey allowed the people of Westminster to worship without disturbing the monks.
The current St. Margaret’s Church was designed by Robert Stowell & work started in 1482. The church was finally consecrated on the 9th April 1523 & remains almost unchanged today. St. Margaret’s Church is now governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster & can be visited free of charge.
Highlights
- Refreshments are available at Westminster Abbey’s Cellarium Café.
- Purchase souvenirs & gifts at the Westminster Abbey Shop.
The Supreme Court
About The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court was formally established on the 1st October 2009 & is the highest court in the United Kingdom. The court hears appeals for civil cases in the United Kingdom & criminal cases in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. The Supreme Court sits in the Middlesex Guildhall, an art nouveau gothic style building designed by J. S Gibson & completed in 1913.
Highlights
- Guided tours led by a member of the court staff.
- Permanent & temporary exhibitions on the lower ground floor.
- Refreshments available at the Supreme Court Café.
- Purchase souvenirs & gifts from the Supreme Court Shop.
The Jewel Tower
About the Jewel Tower
The Jewel Tower is one of the last remaining structures from the Medieval Palace of Westminster. The Tower was built by Henry Yevele between 1365-1366 for King Edward III & originally served as a store for precious items including silver plate. After much of the medieval palace was destroyed by a fire in 1834 the Jewel Tower became a records office for the House of Lords. In 1869 it became a testing office for the Board of Trade Standards Department (More commonly known as Weights and Measures).
Highlights
- One of the last remaining buildings from the Medieval Palace of Westminster.
- Light refreshments available at the Jewel Tower Cafe.
Westminster Abbey
About Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey was built by King Edward (later to become St. Edward the Confessor) on the site of a Benedictine Monastery on Thorn Ey (Thorn Island) in Westminster. King Edward’s Abbey was consecrated on the 28th December 1065 however Edward was unable to attend the consecration due to illness, he died just days later sparking a succession crisis which intimately led to the Norman Conquest of England. William the Conqueror was coronated King William I on Christmas Day in 1066 & every coronation has taken place at Westminster Abbey since.
King Edward’s abbey stood for over two centuries until King Henry III started to rebuild the abbey in a Gothic style. Henry’s abbey was consecrated on the 13th October 1269 & still stands today. Westminster Abbey is the resting place of 17 monarchs & a number of poets, musicians, scientists and politicians.
Highlights
- Explore King Henry VII’s Lady Chapel.
- Visit the Queens Diamond Jubilee Galleries.
- Visit the college garden (open on select days each week).
- Refreshments are available at the Cellarium Café.
- Purchase souvenirs & gifts at the Westminster Abbey Shop.
Florence Nightingale Museum
About the Florence Nightingale Museum
Florence Nightingale was a pioneer of modern nursing & a social reformer, she became known as the Lady with the Lamp after her night rounds tending to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. The Florence Nightingale Museum is situated at St. Thomas Hospital on the site of Florence Nightingale’s Training School & celebrates the life & work of Florence Nightingale through collections of over 3000 objects.
Highlights
- Learn about Florence Nightingale’s life & achievements.
- Highlight Tours of the museums collections.
- Walking tours following in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale.
- Souvenirs available in the museum shop.
18 Min / 0.9 Miles (Via Waterloo Bridge)
The British Museum
About The British Museum
The British Museum was created by an act of Parliament in 1753 & opened to the public in 1759. The museum combined the collections of Sir Hans Sloane with the Cotton, Harley & Royal Libraries creating a vast collection of historic & scientific objects. The museum is housed in a collection of buildings entered through a magnificent Greek revival building designed by Sir Robert Smirke. Today The British Museum is free to visit & is home to more than 60 free galleries where you can enjoy tours, talks & family activities. You’ll also find a range of shops & five restaurants at the museum.
Highlights
- The British Museum is free to visit although some special exhibitions may charge an entrance fee.
- More than 60 free galleries to explore.
- A range of tours, talks & family activities.
- Special out of hours & member events.
- A number of shops & five restaurants.
Millennium Bridge
About the Millennium Bridge
The Millennium Bridge links Bankside on the South Shore to the City of London on the North. The bridge opened in June 2000 & gained its nickname the “Wobbly Bridge” after an unexpected swaying motion caused it to close. After almost two years of modification the bridge re-opened.
Savoy Pier Gallery
**Transportation links are based on data from Transport for London, always check their website (tfl.gov.uk) when planning your journey.
Walking times & distances are average times based on data from Google Maps.
We operate daytime cruises from 6 piers on the River Thames & private charters from over 20 piers. Click the link below to view all piers.
**Transportation links are based on data from Transport for London, always check their website (tfl.gov.uk) when planning your journey.
Walking times & distances are average times based on data from Google Maps.