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Ninety seconds on Royal Observatory
Yes. The First Light renovation shuts the entire site from 2 November 2026 and is being carried out in phases. While the work runs, the meridian line, the Octagon Room and the telescope dome are all out of reach to visitors.
Up to 1 November 2026, the Observatory opens daily from 10am to 5pm, with last entry shortly before closing. From 2 November 2026 it is closed for refurbishment, so these hours apply again only once it reopens.
Inside the Royal Observatory, set into the cobbled Meridian Courtyard at the top of Greenwich Park. During the refurbishment closure from 2 November 2026 the courtyard is shut along with the rest of the site.
When the site is open, booking online in advance with a chosen date and entry time guarantees entry, and tickets on the day depend on availability. Members of Royal Museums Greenwich go in free without booking.
About 90 minutes covers the courtyard, Flamsteed House, Wren's eight-sided room and the dome at an easy pace. The audio guide or a weekend demonstration stretches that, and the climb through Greenwich Park adds more.
Greenwich is a short journey from central London by train, DLR or bus, followed by an uphill walk through the park. The nearest car park is inside Greenwich Park, and a secure one at the National Maritime Museum is 20 minutes downhill on foot.
The Prime Meridian is the line you stand across here, with Wren's Octagon Room and the Great Equatorial Telescope on the same visit. Note that, as of October 2026, it closes to visitors from 2 November 2026 for refurbishment.
The Royal Observatory stands on the hill in Greenwich Park. A metal line set into its courtyard marks the Prime Meridian, so you can stand with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one in the western. At night a laser beam marks the same line.
The meridian became the world's reference in 1884, when delegates from many nations voted for Greenwich at a conference in Washington.
Wren's Octagon Room is the oldest interior, with high windows built to give astronomers an open view of the night sky. Under the onion dome stands the Great Equatorial Telescope, the original instrument and the largest of its kind in the UK, with a 71cm lens.
From the Meridian Courtyard the view runs out over the trees of Greenwich Park.
When the site is open, entry is through the bottom of the Great Equatorial Building, up a ramp to the ticket office.
Start in the Meridian Courtyard for the line and the view. Then go into Flamsteed House for the Octagon Room, and step into the Camera Obscura, which is kept dark so the projected image shows. There is a small step down to its balcony and a step up into the room.
Pair it with Greenwich Park, which surrounds the site and makes an easy walk back down.
Download the free Smartify audio tour before you go and bring your own headphones. It has 17 chapters, covering the courtyard, Flamsteed House and Harrison's clocks, and a BSL-interpreted version is on the same app.
At weekends, explainers run live science and astronomy demonstrations for all ages. Buggies cannot go into Flamsteed House because its galleries are narrow, so leave them in the buggy park outside.
The courtyard cobbles are uneven and hard going in a wheelchair, and you only need to cross them for the view at the fence. Ear defenders are available from the ticket office.
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