Discover the rich maritime heritage of the UK at the Royal Museums Greenwich, a collection of world-class attractions offering a fascinating glimpse into our seafaring past and future.
Greenwich group transport at a glance
- The sites Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Old Royal Naval College are in Greenwich town centre, by the river. The Royal Observatory is at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park, about a 20-minute walk uphill from the National Maritime Museum.
- Coach drop-off (town centre) Stockwell Street, opposite St Alfege Church, with a 20-minute waiting limit. It's a 5 to 10-minute walk to Cutty Sark, the museums and the Old Royal Naval College.
- Coach drop-off (Royal Observatory) Charlton Way, near Blackheath Gate (SE10 8QY), a short walk across Greenwich Park. Coaches can't drive into the park.
- Coach parking Free coach parking on Charlton Way and Norman Road, and paid coach parking on Park Row and Romney Road.
- Opening hours Most sites open from 10:00. The Old Royal Naval College's Painted Hall, Chapel and Visitor Centre are open daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
- Group sizes Minibuses for 9–16 passengers, midi coaches for 17–37, full-size coaches for 38–70. Larger groups travel in multiple vehicles.
- Busiest periods Weekends and school holidays, and spring, when the cherry blossom is out near the Royal Observatory.
- Prices See our pricing page for current coach and minibus prices. You get a fixed written quote for every booking.
Why take a coach to Greenwich?
Greenwich is spread out, and the Royal Observatory sits at the top of a steep hill. With a coach, your group starts at the top and finishes at the bottom. We set you down at Blackheath Gate, a short walk from the Royal Observatory, then you walk downhill through Greenwich Park to the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College. The coach meets you on Stockwell Street at the end of the day.
That means no climb up the hill for younger children or senior groups, no DLR changes and no long walk back to the station.
How group coach hire to Greenwich works
The London Coach Company is a licensed London coach operator. Our drivers run your trip from pickup to return, and we plan every Greenwich booking around your group's entry times at each site.
You get one point of contact, one fixed quote and one booking. We move the coach between Blackheath Gate and the town centre while you explore, so it's waiting where you finish.
Typical Greenwich bookings:
- School day trip. History, science and astronomy trips, with pickup from school, drop-off at Blackheath Gate or Stockwell Street and a return before the end of the school day.
- Maritime Greenwich day. The Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark on a Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass, the free National Maritime Museum and the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, all on foot from one drop-off to one pickup.
- Senior and society day out. U3A, WI, history societies and clubs, with a private guided tour and afternoon tea beneath Cutty Sark's hull.
- International tour groups. Hotel or airport pickup, Greenwich as a half-day or full-day stop, and onward travel to central London.
Typical journey times to Greenwich
Times are for a full-size coach on a weekday morning, door to set-down.
We build London traffic into every quote, so your group arrives in time for its slot.
| From | Approx. journey time |
|---|---|
| Guildford | 60–75 mins |
| Reading | 60–80 mins |
| St Albans | 60–75 mins |
| Luton | 60–80 mins |
| Chelmsford | 75–90 mins |
| Maidstone | 75–90 mins |
| Milton Keynes | 80–100 mins |
| Brighton | 90–110 mins |
Royal Museums Greenwich group and school visit rules
The museums' rules decide what you book, when you arrive and where you eat, so check them before you book transport.
- Group discounts for 15 or more. Groups of 15 or more get a 15% discount, one free ticket for every 15 paying visitors and a free interactive audio guide in 10 languages. The Day Pass covers both Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory.
- Free and ticketed sites. The National Maritime Museum is free and doesn't need to be booked. Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory are ticketed.
- Schools must pre-book Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory. Self-guided school visits to the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House don't need to be booked, but visits to Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory do.
- Astronomy sessions are at the National Maritime Museum for now. While the Royal Observatory goes through a regeneration project, its schools astronomy programme runs at the National Maritime Museum. Classes booking a session there can also visit the Royal Observatory's historic site.
- Lunch space is limited. Indoor lunch space for self-guided school groups can't be guaranteed, although some booked school sessions include a lunch space. Greenwich Park is a good spot for packed lunches in fine weather.
- Private tours and extras. Private guided tours are available at all four Royal Museums Greenwich sites, and groups visiting Cutty Sark can book afternoon tea beneath the ship. Tours and afternoon tea are in addition to the entry ticket.
What this means for your coach booking: we plan the day around your entry times at the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, drop you at the right end of Greenwich for your first visit, and collect you from the other end. Tell us your booked times and any lunch or afternoon tea slots.
Rules are set by Royal Museums Greenwich and can change. Always confirm your booking details on the Royal Museums Greenwich groups page.
Adding the Old Royal Naval College to your visit
The Old Royal Naval College, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, sits on the riverfront next to Cutty Sark. Its Painted Hall, often called “Britain's Sistine Chapel”, celebrates the 300th anniversary of its completion in 2026. Groups can also visit the Chapel and the Visitor Centre, and the grounds have been used as a film location for productions such as The Crown.
Arrangements are set by the Old Royal Naval College and can change. Always confirm your booking details on the Old Royal Naval College group visits page.
- Groups of all sizes are welcome. The Painted Hall audio guide is available in seven languages, including British Sign Language, and groups can join the daily public tours.
- Private tours: private guided tours can be booked at a time of your choosing. Larger groups are split into groups of 10 to 25 per guide.
- Pre-book coach parking: the Old Royal Naval College asks groups to pre-book coach parking through its online coach booking form when booking tickets. Tell us your booking and we'll use it.
- For schools and community groups: the Old Royal Naval College runs free workshops for schools, young people and community groups, including SEND and ESOL groups.
Coach access, drop-off and waiting
- Town centre set-down: Stockwell Street, opposite St Alfege Church, with a 20-minute waiting limit. It's a 5 to 10-minute walk to Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Old Royal Naval College.
- Royal Observatory set-down: the coach parking on Charlton Way, near Blackheath Gate (SE10 8QY). Coaches must not drive into the Greenwich Park car park, and all drop-offs take place outside the park.
- Where the coach waits: free coach parking on Charlton Way and Norman Road, or paid coach parking on Park Row and Romney Road. The Old Royal Naval College also offers pre-booked coach parking. Any parking charges are included in your quote.
- No engine idling. Leaving an engine running while stationary can be fined by the local council. Our drivers switch off at every stop.
- Congestion Charge: Greenwich is outside the central London Congestion Charge zone.
- Emissions: coaches and buses over 5 tonnes are subject to the London-wide Low Emission Zone (Euro VI standard), not the ULEZ. Minibuses under 5 tonnes are subject to the ULEZ. All vehicles we supply are LEZ and ULEZ compliant.
Public transport, for anyone meeting the group there: Cutty Sark DLR station is next to Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College, and Greenwich station is about a 10-minute walk away.
Accessibility
The Royal Observatory is at the top of a steep hill, which is why we drop groups with limited mobility at Blackheath Gate rather than the town centre. All the spaces used for school sessions at the National Maritime Museum are wheelchair accessible. At the Old Royal Naval College, the Painted Hall is reached by several flights of steps, so check access with the College before your visit.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available by special request. Please tell us about any wheelchair users or mobility requirements when you request a quote, so we can confirm a suitable vehicle and the best drop-off point for your group.
Combining Greenwich with other London visits
| Combined with | How the coach helps |
|---|---|
| Greenwich Park and Greenwich Market | Right on the doorstep. Good for lunch, shopping and the views over London from the top of the park. |
| Tower of London | A coach moves west along the river. Journey times vary with traffic, so we build the transfer into your itinerary. See our Tower of London page. |
| British Museum | A coach moves into central London for a two-museum day. See our British Museum page. |
| Natural History Museum | A coach moves across London to South Kensington. See our Natural History Museum page. |
Vehicle options
| Vehicle | Passengers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Minibus (standard or executive) | 9–16 | Small classes, societies, private tours and SEND groups |
| Midi coach (standard or executive) | 17–37 | A single class with adult helpers, senior groups |
| Full-size coach (standard or executive) | 38–70 | Two classes, large tour parties and society outings |
| Multiple vehicles | Any size | Whole-school trips and very large tour groups |
See our full fleet options. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available by special request. Availability depends on the date, and term-time weekdays book up first.
About Maritime Greenwich
Maritime Greenwich has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Royal Museums Greenwich brings together four attractions: the Royal Observatory, home of the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time, with the Peter Harrison Planetarium next door; Cutty Sark, the world's only surviving tea clipper and the fastest ship of her day; the National Maritime Museum; and the Queen's House.
Next to them, the Old Royal Naval College is one of Britain's finest groups of baroque buildings, designed by Sir Christopher Wren on the site of the Tudor Greenwich Palace. For full visitor information and bookings, see the Royal Museums Greenwich website and the Old Royal Naval College website.
Who books Greenwich transport with us
- Primary and secondary schools: history, science, astronomy and geography trips from across London and the Home Counties. See our education transport.
- Senior and adult groups: U3A, WI, history societies and clubs, with drop-off at the top of the hill and afternoon tea at Cutty Sark.
- Tour operators and international groups: hotel and airport transfers plus London sightseeing days. See our tourism and leisure coach hire.
- Overseas and residential school groups: airport transfers and multi-stop London days. See our airport transfers.
- Corporate and event groups: transport for private tours, out-of-hours openings and evening events. See our corporate transport.
Get a quote for Greenwich group transport
Send us your date, pickup address, group size and which sites you're visiting, with any booked entry times, and we'll come back with a fixed written quote.
- Call +44 20 3457 2071
- Email [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a coach drop off for Cutty Sark
and the National Maritime Museum?
Coaches can set down on Stockwell Street, opposite St Alfege Church in Greenwich town centre, with a 20-minute waiting limit. Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Old Royal Naval College are all a 5 to 10-minute walk from there.
Where can a coach drop off for the Royal
Observatory Greenwich?
Coaches use the coach parking on Charlton Way, near Blackheath Gate (SE10 8QY), a short walk across Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory. Coaches must not drive into the Greenwich Park car park, so all drop-offs take place outside the park.
Is there coach parking in
Greenwich?
Yes. There is free coach parking on Charlton Way by Blackheath Gate and on Norman Road, and paid coach parking on Park Row and Romney Road. The Old Royal Naval College also offers coach drop-off and parking that can be pre-booked. Any parking charges are included in your quote.
Can we visit Cutty Sark, the Royal
Observatory and the Old Royal Naval College in one day?
Yes. All the sites are within walking distance of each other in Maritime Greenwich. A good plan is to drop off at Blackheath Gate for the Royal Observatory, walk downhill through Greenwich Park to the museums and the Old Royal Naval College, and be collected from Stockwell Street at the end of the day.
Do groups get a discount at Royal Museums
Greenwich?
Yes. Groups of 15 or more get a 15% discount, one free ticket for every 15 paying visitors and a free audio guide in 10 languages. The Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass covers both Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory.
Is the National Maritime Museum
free?
Yes. The National Maritime Museum is free and does not need to be booked, although some special exhibitions are charged. Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory are ticketed, and school groups visiting them must book in advance.
Do coaches pay the Congestion Charge or
ULEZ in Greenwich?
Greenwich is outside the central London Congestion Charge zone. Coaches over 5 tonnes are subject to the London-wide Low Emission Zone rather than the ULEZ, and minibuses under 5 tonnes are subject to the ULEZ. Vehicles we supply are LEZ and ULEZ compliant, and any applicable charges are included in your quote.
How much does coach hire to Greenwich
cost?
See our pricing page for current coach and minibus prices. The final price depends on group size, pickup location, waiting time and any extra stops. You get a fixed written quote before booking.
Who operates the coaches?
The London Coach Company is a licensed London coach operator. Your trip is run by our own professional drivers, with the vehicle matched to your group size and itinerary.
Do you have wheelchair-accessible coaches
for Greenwich visits?
Yes, wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available by special request. Tell us about any wheelchair users or mobility requirements when you request a quote, so we can confirm a suitable vehicle and the best drop-off point for your group.