London's South Bank is a lively stretch along the southern edge of the River Thames, famed for its theatres, galleries, architecture, and ever-evolving creative spirit. It is one of London’s most beloved gathering places, where locals, visitors, performers, and artists mingle against the backdrop of some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Anchored by institutions such as the Southbank Centre, National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe, the area offers an extraordinary concentration of arts and performance spaces. Our private half-day walking tour is a great way to explore this major hub of creativity, with a guided visit to the world-famous Tate Modern museum followed by a stroll through the rest of the South Bank to take in stunning views, spectacular Brutalist architecture and London’s best street art.
On this private walking tour, you will:
- Visit the Tate Modern, and enjoy an expertly guided 1.5-hour tour of this famous treasure trove of contemporary art;
- Admire the museum building, a converted power station famous for its 99m tall brick tower, and enter the vast and dramatic turbine hall;
- See world-famous art by a wide range of artists in the museum's Permanent Collection, including works by Picasso, Rothko, Warhol, Dali, Beuys, Fontana, Hirst, Barlow, Gallagher and more;
- Enjoy a stroll along the River Thames, with lovely views of London along the way;
- Pass by Southbank Centre, Europe’s largest centre for the arts, a vast and lively complex of art and performance venues, famous for its Brutalist architecture;
- Visit the colourful Undercroft of Southbank, the birthplace of British skateboarding and political street art, and see the street art on Hungerford Bridge;
- Walk towards Waterloo to see the Covid pandemic tribute to the NHS superheroes by famous muralist Lionel Stanhope;
- Head beneath the streets and rumbling platforms of Waterloo Station to discover the Leake Street Arches and Street Art tunnels, started by none other than Banksy in 2008.
Experience London’s South Bank through the lens of modern art and daring architecture on this private, half-day walking tour, a richly layered journey designed for culturally curious travellers eager to immerse themselves in one of the city’s most compelling creative districts. Your exploration begins outside the imposing brick façade of the Tate Modern, where your expert guide introduces you to the story of this former power station and the bold architectural vision that transformed it into the world’s most visited modern art museum. Inside, you’ll delve into the highlights of the permanent collection, encountering masterpieces by Picasso, Rothko, Warhol, Dalí, Beuys, Fontana, Hirst, Barlow, Gallagher, and other trailblazers who helped shape the course of contemporary art. From the awe-inspiring Turbine Hall to groundbreaking installations and iconic canvases, the Tate offers a powerful introduction to the creative forces that defined the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Stepping back out onto the Thames, your guide leads you along the riverfront past independent institutions such as Marcus Campbell Art Books and the Bankside Gallery, before continuing toward the striking art deco silhouette of the OXO Tower. As you make your way east to west, the South Bank reveals itself as an open-air gallery: from the evolving street art tucked beneath Hungerford and the Golden Jubilee Bridges to the colourful Undercroft, the legendary birthplace of British skateboarding and a space that has championed political expression for decades.
Your route brings you next to the Southbank Centre, Europe’s largest arts complex, where Brutalist architecture creates a dramatic concrete landscape that has become integral to the area’s cultural identity. Continuing toward Waterloo, you’ll pause to see Lionel Stanhope’s moving NHS tribute mural, created during the Covid pandemic, before descending beneath the station into the atmospheric Leake Street Arches. This legal graffiti tunnel, first ignited by Banksy’s 2008 Cans Festival, is now an ever-changing canvas where emerging and established street artists reinterpret the city in colour and texture.
This thoughtfully curated tour offers an engaging, in-depth encounter with the artistic energy that defines the South Bank, from world-class museum collections to grassroots creativity flourishing in unexpected corners, making it an ideal experience for visitors eager to connect with London’s contemporary cultural pulse.
Please note: The visit to the Tate Modern covers the permanent collection and does not include the temporary exhibits. In the event any of the major works are on loan or unavailable on the day of your visit, your guide will show you other important pieces.
