Move through the captain’s cabin, Operations Room, and other command spaces to see how HMS Belfast was navigated and operated during active service. The preserved rooms offer a closer look at life at the top of the ship’s command structure.
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HMS Belfast tickets at a glance
- Ways to visit: Choose HMS Belfast admission with a multilingual audio guide, or add a separate South Bank audio walking tour.
- Nine decks included: Both options cover HMS Belfast’s nine decks, including crew spaces, machinery areas, command rooms, and gun decks.
- Audio guidance: HMS Belfast commentary is available in nine languages, including English, French, German, Italian, and Mandarin.
- Add South Bank: The combo adds a self-guided Thames-side walking route covering South Bank landmarks and riverside views.
- No guided tour: Both products are self-guided, so you can move through the ship and walking route at your own pace.
- Plan ahead: IWM advises advance booking, with general admission currently offered through dated ticket availability.
- Best upgrade: Choose the HMS Belfast + South Bank option if you want to pair the ship with a second London sightseeing route.
Know your ticket options ↓
Compare your HMS Belfast ticket options
| Ticket type | Includes | Guide | Why pick this | Cancellation policy | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Belfast Admission Tickets | HMS Belfast admission, all nine decks, multilingual audio guide | Audio guide | • Nine decks in one visit • Explore independently | Cannot be cancelled or rescheduled | €22 |
| HMS Belfast Ticket + South Bank Highlights Audio Tour | HMS Belfast admission, multilingual ship audio guide, South Bank audio walking tour | Audio guides | • Adds a second London route • Flexible self-guided format | Cannot be cancelled or rescheduled | €32.74 |
What to expect at HMS Belfast
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Board a historic warship
Your visit begins aboard HMS Belfast, moored on the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The preserved cruiser gives you access to nine decks, with ladders and passageways connecting its working spaces.
Move through crew quarters
Follow the ship’s route through spaces that reveal everyday life at sea, including the sailor’s mess deck, Arctic Messdeck, cabins, and other crew areas. The included audio guide adds stories about the people who lived and worked aboard.
See the working machinery
Head below deck to see the engine and boiler rooms that powered HMS Belfast during its service. Some lower areas involve steep ladders, so the complete nine-deck route is physically demanding.
Stand beside the guns
The ship’s weaponry gives you a closer sense of its combat role. The Gun Turret Experience and preserved gun areas bring the mechanics and atmosphere of naval warfare closer to the visitor.
Follow the audio guide
Listen as you move between decks rather than following a fixed tour schedule. Your HMS Belfast audio guide is available in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, or Spanish.
Add a South Bank visit
With the combo ticket, continue beyond the ship with a separate self-guided South Bank audio walk. Follow riverside commentary covering landmarks, bridges, cultural sights, and Thames views at your own pace.
Things to know before booking your HMS Belfast tickets
- Booking & availability: Advance booking is advised by IWM. Current general admission is sold through dated online availability, with ticket calendars covering different visiting periods.
- What’s included: Both experiences include admission to HMS Belfast and access to all nine decks covered by the visitor route. The experiences also includes the multilingual HMS Belfast audio guide.
- Ways to explore: Both experiences are self-guided. The ship ticket lets you move independently with audio commentary, while the combo adds a separate South Bank walking route. Neither includes a live guide.
- Audio guides: The HMS Belfast audio guide is available in nine languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, and Spanish. The South Bank tour supports English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Chinese.
- South Bank add-on: The South Bank tour addition does not replace or alter HMS Belfast admission. It adds a separate audio-guided walking route, giving you another London sightseeing activity to complete around your ship visit.
- Age & height restrictions: Visitors under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. Children under 120cm cannot access certain levels of the ship. The full route involves ladders and is not suitable for everyone.
- Accessibility: HMS Belfast is partially accessible. The Main Deck, Boat Deck, Quarterdeck, and Café are wheelchair accessible, while some other areas require stairs or ladders. Step-free access can occasionally vary by date.
Explore HMS Belfast
Captain’s cabin & command spaces
Sailor’s mess & Arctic Messdeck
See the compact spaces where sailors ate, rested, and slept, including the Arctic Messdeck with its tightly packed hammocks. These preserved crew areas give you a clear sense of how little personal space sailors had aboard the cruiser.
Engine & boiler rooms
Head below deck to see the machinery that powered HMS Belfast across wartime and post-war service. The engine and boiler rooms involve ladders and steep sections, so access can be challenging for visitors with restricted mobility.
Gun turret & weapons areas
Get close to HMS Belfast’s enormous naval guns and enter the Gun Turret area to understand the scale of its combat equipment. Preserved weapons spaces show where crews worked during firing operations.
Fo’c’sle & upper decks
Continue towards the bow and upper decks for a different perspective on the ship’s size and position on the Thames. The Fo’c’sle also gives you views across the river towards central London.
South Bank highlights
With the combo ticket, continue beyond HMS Belfast with a separate self-guided audio walk along the Thames. Follow commentary covering South Bank landmarks, historic bridges, cultural sights, and riverside views.
Access note: HMS Belfast’s nine-deck route is included with admission. Some areas require ladders and are not wheelchair accessible. The South Bank audio walk is included only with the combo ticket.
Plan your visit to HMS Belfast
- Opening hours: 10am to 6pm, everyday
- Last entry: 5pm
- Closed: 24 to 26 December
- Best time to visit: Visit HMS Belfast on weekday mornings, ideally around opening time, for a quieter start. Arrive early to tackle the lower decks before visitor numbers build later.
Address: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH.
HMS Belfast is moored on the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, making it convenient to combine with a South Bank itinerary.
- By train: From Farringdon, take a Thameslink train towards Brighton to London Bridge. The journey takes around 10 minutes, followed by a 5-minute walk to HMS Belfast.
- By Tube: From Farringdon, take the Circle line towards Liverpool Street to Monument. From there, walk around 13 minutes to HMS Belfast.
- By bus: Take bus 133 towards Streatham from Holborn Circus (Stop K) to London Bridge (Stop Y). It’s then around a 6-minute walk to HMS Belfast.
- By car: From central London, drive via A201 and A3 towards Tower Bridge Road and Tooley Street. Allow around 30 minutes, though traffic and tolls can affect journey times.
- Parking: Several private car parks and metered parking bays are available nearby. HMS Belfast is within London’s Congestion Charge Zone, so check applicable charges before driving.
- Café: Grab drinks, snacks, and light food at the onboard café, giving you a convenient break during your visit.
- Toilets: Toilets are available onboard, so you won’t need to leave the ship when nature calls.
- Shop: Browse the IWM shop for HMS Belfast books, clothing, gifts, souvenirs, and ship-themed merchandise.
- Payments: The café and shop accept card payments only, so carry a suitable card or contactless payment method.
- Wheelchair access: Main Deck, Boat Deck, Quarterdeck, and Café areas are accessible, while several other sections require stairs or ladders.
- Mobility needs: Steep stairways and ladders connect many areas, making some parts unsuitable for visitors with restricted mobility.
- Step-free access: Step-free routes can vary by date, so check current accessibility arrangements before visiting.
- Pushchairs: Parents can use pushchairs on the main passageway and Deck 2, although other ship areas remain inaccessible.
- Age restriction: Visitors under 16 must remain accompanied by an adult or responsible guardian throughout their HMS Belfast visit.
- Height restrictions: Children under 120cm may be unable to access certain ship levels due to safety requirements.
- Large luggage: Suitcases, large bags, and pull-along luggage are not permitted onboard, so pack light.
- Sound effects: Some audio content includes loud gunfire and alarm sounds, which may be startling for sensitive visitors.
- Accessibility: Several decks involve ladders or steep stairs, so visitors with restricted mobility may not complete the entire route.
- Cashless payments: The onboard café and shop accept card or contactless payments only; cash is not accepted.
Visitor tips
- Allow enough time: Set aside at least 90 minutes for HMS Belfast, especially if you want to see the ship without rushing.
- Wear comfortable shoes: HMS Belfast involves plenty of walking, uneven surfaces, steep stairs, and ladders, so supportive footwear makes the visit much easier.
- Save the upper decks for later: Finish with the open decks and river views, giving you a natural break after the tighter interior sections.
- Plan around the weather: Much of the ship is indoors, but exposed decks can be cold, windy, or wet, especially outside summer.
- Combine nearby sights: HMS Belfast sits beside London Bridge and Tower Bridge, making it easy to build a riverside sightseeing route around your visit.
- Don’t rush the machinery sections: The engine and boiler rooms are among the most atmospheric areas, so allow extra time rather than treating them as quick stops.
- Use the audio guide strategically: Listen while moving between sections, but pause occasionally to look closely at the ship’s equipment and cramped working spaces.
Frequently asked questions about HMS Belfast tickets
HMS Belfast Admission Tickets include entry to all nine decks and a multilingual audio guide. The combo also includes a separate South Bank audio walking tour.
No. Both tickets are self-guided. You explore HMS Belfast independently using the included audio guide rather than following a live guide.
Your admission covers all nine decks of HMS Belfast, although some areas require ladders and may be inaccessible to visitors with restricted mobility.
The ship’s audio guide is available in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.
Yes. The HMS Belfast Ticket + South Bank Highlights Audio Tour includes a separate self-guided South Bank walking tour with multilingual commentary.
No. Neither experiences includes transportation or hotel transfers. You make your own way to HMS Belfast on The Queen’s Walk.
For the South Bank combo, yes. Bring a charged smartphone and your own headphones. After booking, you receive a VoxCity link for app access.
Yes, but visitors under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. Children below 120cm cannot access certain levels of the ship.
Partially. The Main Deck, Boat Deck, Quarterdeck, and Café are accessible, but several other areas require stairs or ladders.
Allow at least 90 minutes for the ship, with additional time if you want to cover all nine decks at a slower pace.
