Accessible Tours

There are many different ways to see London, from both land and water. Here are a few options.

Accessible London Tours by Bus

Bus tours are a popular and easy way to see London and visit the sights. The Original London Sightseeing Tour runs several bus routes and you can hop on and off at your own pace. A third of its buses are wheelchair-accessible and the operator is continuing to make improvements.

Accessible London Tours by Taxi

London Taxi Tour provides personalised tours of London by black cab with your own City of London Tour Guide. As with all black cabs, London Taxi Tour's fleet are adapted for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility. To contact London Taxi Tour for more information or to make a booking, visit the London Taxi Tour website.

Accessible Walking Tours

Enjoy a walking tour with Original London Walks and one of the company's highly qualified guides. They cover a variety of routes and topics to meet a wide range of interests. Private walks, group bookings, and armchair "walks" are available. Check directly for details about the level of accessibility of specific walks and to discuss your requirements.

Tour the Capital with an Expert

William Forrester is a museum lecturer and a trained prize-winning London Blue Badge Guide (a member of the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides). He is a wheelchair user and leads tours in London, both for groups and individuals. He offers tailor-made tours of London for wheelchair users using accessible taxis and arranges special visits to Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. He operates a telephone advice service for anyone planning to visit the UK in a wheelchair and can be reached on +44 (0)1483 575401.

Explore the South Bank

The south side of the Thames (including Gabriel's Wharf, Bankside and the South Bank) is accessible from Shad Thames in the east to St Thomas' Hospital in the west. This stretch of the river includes sights such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. With its leafy trees, green spaces, street performers and colourful summer festivals, the south side of the Thames is a popular place to visit. On a rainy day, there are many theatres, cinemas, galleries, cafés and restaurants to take refuge in.

See our Access Maps for more information about this area.

Discover Richmond

For hundreds of years Richmond has been a favourite retreat of Royalty, the rich and the famous. The Thames runs through the heart of the borough for 21 miles, linking Hampton Court Palace, Richmond town centre and Kew Gardens with Central London. Richmond Tourist Office publishes Accessible Thames, a guide that includes four easy, accessible walks along and around the Thames in the Richmond area. For a copy of the guide, telephone the tourist office on +44 (0)20 8940 9125.

Sail the Thames

Various companies provide numerous entertainment and sightseeing cruises on the Thames throughout the year. All major piers are wheelchair-accessible and most riverboats are accessible with dedicated wheelchair spaces and staff to assist boarding and disembarking from river boats. For details about the level of accessibility of riverboats, check with individual service operators. Groups should provide advance notice to the operator concerned to ensure a smooth journey. We list a selection of river tour companies below.

City Cruises has a fleet of luxury sightseeing vessels operating between Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and Greenwich. Many are wheelchair-accessible. Five of the company's new boats have disabled loos.

Bateaux London operate lunch and dinner cruises from Embankment Pier in state-of-the-art glass-topped boats, as well as sightseeing trips from Embankment to Greenwich. Telephone +44 (0)20 7839 3572 to check the accessibility of individual services.

For a comprehensive list of operators see our Riverboat page.