A byword for culture and entertainment, the South Bank is one of London’s most dynamic areas. Occupying the southern bank of the Thames between Lambeth Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, the South Bank’s most famous resident is the Southbank Centre: a cultural hub that’s home to performance venues (Royal Festival Hall), art galleries (the Hayward Gallery), the National Poetry Library, and more. Other attractions include the London Eye and SEA LIFE London Aquarium. Still, one of the best things to do in the South Bank is simply strolling along the river—and admiring London’s iconic skyline as you go.
There’s no bad time to visit this always-on, plugged-in part of London—its cultural programming and entertainment offerings are available throughout the year. That said, the area’s festive events are worth going out of your way to discover. Highlights include the Southbank Centre’s annual Meltdown festival (a series of concerts curated by a different musical legend every year); the Women of the World Festival, held every March; and the festive Winter Market, hosted in the lead-up to Christmas.
The South Bank is very well-served by public transportation. One of London’s biggest transit hubs, Waterloo Station, is in the area; Waterloo is served by numerous mainline trains, buses, and the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, and Waterloo & City lines of the London Underground. Other stations in the area include Lambeth North (served by the Bakerloo line), Southwark (served by the Jubilee line), and Blackfriars (served by mainline trains). Taxis and rideshare services offer another easy way to get there.
Amidst the South Bank’s many blockbuster attractions, it’s easy to overlook some of its less-heralded highlights. Three to seek out include the Garden Museum (a museum dedicated to British gardens, housed in a historic church), the Florence Nightingale Museum (which commemorates the pioneering figure in nursing), and Lambeth Palace (one of the few existing medieval buildings in all of London).