Cutty Sark

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Legendary and wonderfully tangible, Cutty Sark is the world's sole surviving tea clipper, suspended above her dry berth beside the Thames in Greenwich. Walk under the copper-clad hull, climb through the holds and main deck, and feel how a Victorian cargo ship became one of London's most atmospheric maritime icons.

For a first visit, book timed entry; choose the Greenwich Day Pass only if you also want Royal Observatory, so your route stays simple and good value.

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Entry tickets and Greenwich Day Pass

Best for most visitors: book timed entry for the decks, holds, dry berth, and audio guide, or choose the Greenwich Day Pass if Royal Observatory is already part of your day.

London: Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass

4.6(525)

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London: Entrance Ticket to the Cutty Sark

4.6(961)

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Cutty Sark Entrance Tickets

4.3(859)

headout.com

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London: Cutty Sark Entrance Ticket & Afternoon Tea

4.5(38)

getyourguide.com

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Guided Greenwich tours

Choose this format if you want Cutty Sark, the riverfront, royal architecture, and maritime history tied together by a guide.

Greenwich Highlights Private Half Day Tour

4.7(18)

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Best of Greenwich Private Day Tour

4.9(31)

viator.com

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Greenwich Highlights Private Half Day Tour

4.8(23)

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Royal Greenwich Private Day Tour

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6 tips for visiting the Cutty Sark

Book a timed entry

If you want the decks and dry berth before the main Greenwich flow thickens, choose the earliest slot you can manage. Timed booking also protects you from sold-out moments on busy weekends and school holidays. You arrive ready to board, not to negotiate.

Start under the hull

If you want the strongest first impression, head below the ship early and look up at the copper hull from the dry berth. Most visitors rush toward the decks first, so this lower space can feel more dramatic before the route gets busy. It gives the visit its proper wow moment.

Bring headphones

If you like moving at your own pace, download Smartify before you arrive and bring headphones. The free Cutty Sark audio guide and soundscape make the lower holds, captains, and crew stories easier to follow on your first route through the ship. You spend less time reading panels and more time looking around.

Use the Day Pass deliberately

If your plan already includes Royal Observatory, the Greenwich Day Pass is the cleanest two-site ticket. Do the hilltop observatory first, then come downhill through Greenwich Park toward the river and Cutty Sark. That way you avoid a second climb and keep the day flowing.

Reserve tea early

If the idea of tea beneath the hull is part of the treat, book it at least 72 hours ahead. The 3 pm sitting works best if you visit the ship first, because Cutty Sark closes at 5 pm on standard days. You get the slow finish without losing ship time.

Plan step-free access

If step-free access matters, approach from King William Walk or Greenwich Pier and check access needs before you book. Lifts reach all levels, but wheelchair spaces are limited and parts of the Main Deck are shown virtually. A little planning makes the ship feel much easier.

How to plan a Cutty Sark visit

This stop works best when you treat it as the riverfront anchor of a Greenwich day. A timed entry, a clear route, and one nearby pairing can make the ship feel vivid instead of rushed.

Choose a slot before the waterfront fills

An earlier timed entry gives you the calmest shot at the dry berth, the lower holds, and the main deck before Greenwich Pier and the DLR bring in more day visitors. It also keeps same-day availability from becoming your first problem. Start with the ticket, and the rest of the route relaxes.

Arrive by DLR or by river

Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich is the simplest rail-style arrival, but the river approach has more theatre: Greenwich Pier drops you almost beside the hull. If you are coming from central London, a Thames boat turns the journey into part of the mood. The ship looks better when the river has already set the scene.

Follow the ship from hull to deck

The visit is strongest when you move from the suspended copper hull to the lower holds and then up to the main deck. That route turns the ship from an object into a working place: cargo below, crew life around you, skyline above. By the time you reach the wheel, the scale finally clicks.

Build a Greenwich loop around the ship

For the smoothest half-day, start high at Royal Observatory, come down through National Maritime Museum, and end at Cutty Sark by the river. If interiors matter more than museum time, swap in Old Royal Naval College. One deliberate order keeps Greenwich from becoming a zigzag.

Ticket types at Cutty Sark

The mapped offers split into simple ship entry, a two-site Greenwich Day Pass, guided Greenwich routes, and afternoon-tea experiences beneath the hull. The right choice depends on whether you want time, context, or a memorable pause.

Best for most visitors: timed entry

Choose this if your priority is the ship itself: the dry berth, the holds, the main deck, and the included audio guide. It is the cleanest option for first-timers, families, and anyone adding a free stop nearby at National Maritime Museum. Book now.

Best for two paid icons: Greenwich Day Pass

Choose this when Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory are both definite, not maybe. The pass works well as a hill-to-river route and saves you a second booking later. It is strongest when your day already has a clear Greenwich shape. Book now.

Best for context: guided Greenwich tours

Choose a guided route if you want the ship placed inside the wider story of Maritime Greenwich, from royal architecture to navigation and river trade. These tours suit history-focused visitors who prefer one clear narrative instead of several separate stops. Book now.

Best for a slow treat: afternoon tea

Choose afternoon tea if the under-hull cafe is part of the memory you want to take home. It includes ship admission, needs at least 72 hours' notice, and works best when you tour first before a 3 pm sitting. Book now.

The story behind Cutty Sark

Cutty Sark is not just a beautiful ship in a glass-edged dry dock. Her story moves from tea races and wool records to fire, rescue, and a wonderfully odd Scottish name.

Built for the tea race

Built in Dumbarton in 1869, Cutty Sark was designed for speed on the China tea route. Her first voyage left London for Shanghai in 1870, then raced home with a vast cargo of tea. On board, the holds make that commercial urgency feel physical rather than abstract.

From tea clipper to wool record breaker

Steamships soon changed the tea trade, so Cutty Sark found a second life in the Australian wool route from 1883. In 1886, Captain Richard Woodget brought her from Sydney to London in 73 days. That is why the ship feels less like a relic and more like an athlete caught mid-stride.

A survivor raised above the dry dock

After arriving in Greenwich in 1954 and opening to the public in 1957, Cutty Sark had to be rescued again during the 2007 fire. The restoration raised the hull above the dry berth and the ship reopened in 2012, still holding around 90% original hull fabric. Standing underneath now feels like seeing both engineering and survival at once.

Nannie and the odd name

The name Cutty Sark comes from Robert Burns's Tam O'Shanter and means a short nightdress in old Scots. The figurehead Nannie holds a horse's tail, a mischievous detail from the poem that gives the ship a flash of personality at the prow. It is maritime history with a wink, and it rewards anyone who looks closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time should you plan for Cutty Sark?

Plan 1-1.5 hours for a self-guided visit with the audio guide. If you book afternoon tea beneath the hull, allow about three hours total so you can eat and still explore the ship properly.

Should you choose standard entry or the Greenwich Day Pass?

Choose standard entry if Cutty Sark is your main stop. Pick the Greenwich Day Pass only if you also want Royal Observatory on the same day, because that is where the combined ticket makes the clearest sense.

Is the audio guide included?

Yes. The Cutty Sark audio guide is included with entry and runs through Smartify on your own phone. Download the app and bring headphones so the ship's holds and deck stories feel easier to follow.

Is Cutty Sark good with children?

Yes, especially if your children like touching history rather than only reading about it. The main deck, ship wheel, crew-life displays, characters, play boxes, and family activities make it one of the easier Greenwich history stops for kids.

Is Cutty Sark wheelchair accessible?

Mostly, with planning. Lifts serve all levels, accessible toilets are available, and the cafe and shop are wheelchair accessible, but wheelchair spaces are limited to three visitors at a time and parts of the Main Deck are covered virtually.

Can you book afternoon tea without visiting the ship?

No. Afternoon tea includes admission to Cutty Sark, and the cafe beneath the hull is for ticket holders only. Book at least 72 hours ahead; sittings are usually Friday-Sunday at 12 noon and 3 pm.

What should you pair with Cutty Sark nearby?

For the clearest paid pairing, add Royal Observatory with the Greenwich Day Pass. For a free maritime add-on, walk to National Maritime Museum; for architecture and grand interiors, add Old Royal Naval College on the riverfront.

What does the name Cutty Sark mean?

It is an old Scottish phrase for a short nightdress. The name comes from Robert Burns's poem Tam O'Shanter, where the witch Nannie wears a cutty sark and grabs a horse's tail, just like the ship's figurehead.

Was Cutty Sark badly damaged by fire?

A major fire broke out in May 2007 while conservation work was already underway. Many original parts were safely in storage, and the ship reopened in 2012; around 90% of the hull fabric you see in Greenwich is original.

General information

opening hours

Standard hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, with last entry at 4:15 pm; the ship is closed December 24, 25, and 26. Through August 31, 2026, summer hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, with last entry at 5:15 pm. The whole ship is closed on September 6; it closes at 4:00 pm on October 8 and 13, November 13, and December 10. Check the official schedule for further date-specific closures.

tickets

Standard Summer Savings tickets through September 1, 2026, start at £18 for adults, £14 for students with valid ID, and £9 for children ages 4-15; under-4s and one carer accompanying a disabled visitor enter free. From September 2, prices for those categories start at £22, £16.50, and £11. The Greenwich Day Pass for Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory is £30 adult, £22.50 student, and £15 child through September 1, rising to £38, £28.50, and £19 from September 2. UK residents receiving qualifying benefits can reserve £3 standard tickets. Select a visit date and entry time; advance online booking is recommended.

address

Cutty Sark
King William Walk
Greenwich, London SE10 9HT
United Kingdom

website

Official site: https://www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark

how to get there

The easiest arrival is Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich on the DLR, followed by a short walk through the town center. Greenwich Pier is right beside the ship if you arrive by river, and buses 129, 177, 180, 188, 199, and 386 stop nearby. Limited paid parking is available at National Maritime Museum, but public transport is usually smoother.

accessibility

Cutty Sark has lifts to all levels, accessible toilets, and wheelchair-accessible cafe and shop areas. For safety reasons, wheelchair access spaces are limited to three visitors at one time; some Main Deck areas are not wheelchair accessible, but virtual access is provided. The easiest step-free approach is from King William Walk or Greenwich Pier.

cloakroom

There is no cloakroom at Cutty Sark, so arrive with only what you are comfortable carrying through the ship. This matters most if you are coming from Greenwich Market, a river cruise, or a longer London day with shopping bags.

lockers

Lockers are available at Cutty Sark for £1. Buggy parking is in the dry dock, which is useful if you are visiting with small children and want the decks and holds to feel less crowded.

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