HMS Belfast Private Tours
Talks & Tours, HMS Belfast
Sailors and Royal Marines take a break from clearing ice from HMS Belfast’s upper decks. HMS Belfast spent most of 1943 in the waters of the Arctic, providing close-range heavy cover for the convoys taking supplies to the USSR.
Children of British and Commonwealth civilian internees are entertained at a party held on board HMS Belfast in Shanghai, October 1945. HMS Belfast helped evacuate survivors of Japanese prisoner of war and civilian internment camps in Shanghai.
HMS Belfast fires a salvo from her 6-inch guns at shore targets in North Korea, November 1951. HMS Belfast was amongst the first British ships to go into action off Korea, and patrolling and shore bombardments were her main duties.
HMS Belfast leaves Singapore in April 1962 at the end of her last foreign service commission. Following the Korean War, the need for a large peacetime navy dwindled, and in 1963 HMS Belfast was paid off into reserve for the last time.
HMS Belfast sails under Tower Bridge to take up her permanent mooring in the Pool of London, 15 October 1971. She became part of IWM in 1978.
Dry-docked in Tilbury, HMS Belfast undergoes preservation work on her hull, September 1982. IWM continues to preserve and restore the ship through its dedicated team of staff and volunteers, most recently replacing her masts in 2010.
HMS Belfast is currently closed and will reopen on 18 May. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee Line) is a 5-minute walk.
Tower Hill (District and Circle Line) is a 10-minute walk.
Plan your journey with Transport for London's online service.
London Bridge is a 5-minute walk.
See National Rail's website for further details.
You can take any bus that goes to London Bridge.
Plan your journey with Transport for London's online service.
There aren't any designated parking spaces for visitors to HMS Belfast, but metered parking is available in the local area. Charges apply from 8.30am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Parking in the local area is controlled by the London Borough of Southwark. There are two charging car parks nearby:
Union Car Parks
70-78 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 (6-minute walk from HMS Belfast)
Snowfields NCP
Kipling Street, Bankside, London SE1 (8-minute walk from HMS Belfast)
HMS Belfast is within the London Congestion Charge zone. The daily Congestion Charge rate is £10.00. Please visit the Transport for London Congestion Charge website for further details on how to pay the charge.
There aren't any designated coach parking spaces for coaches visiting HMS Belfast, but there are drop-off points just off Tooley Street. Maximum stay is 20 minutes. Visit the Transport for London coach parking map for more information.
You can get to Tower Bridge Pier by the regular boat tours operating throughout the day on the River Thames:
There are three Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme docking stations near HMS Belfast on Tooley Street, Tower Bridge (north bank) and Southwark Street. See the Transport for London cycling website for details. Visit the Sustrans website for further information on London Cycle Routes.
HMS Belfast is situated on the Thames Path, one of London's key routes connecting more than a hundred attractions including more than 30 museums, a dozen parks and gardens, 21 historic monuments and 7 art galleries. See the Thames Path London website for more details.
We recommend you leave at least 90 minutes in your day to look around HMS Belfast. However, with our on-site cafe and the amount of information to be found on board, lots of people come for half-a day or more.
HMS Belfast is only a 20-minute bus ride from IWM London or a sightseeing 30-minute walk along the river bank to Churchill War Rooms. It's also close to a wide-range of famous tourist sites including Tower of London, Tate Modern and all the varied attractions along London's famous Southbank.
For further information about places to visit and where to stay, visit Visit London.
IWM is a charity, and we depend on supporters like you to help us care for and display our exceptional Collections. Please consider making a donation today.
The Walrus Café, open daily from 10.30am until 5pm, serves a variety of cooked meals, hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches.