Old Royal Naval College: Painted Hall
4.6
173 Ratings
London

Embark on a captivating journey through 600 years of history at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Explore stunning architecture, discover fascinating stories, and visit the breathtaking Painted Hall. Don’t miss the chance to uncover the secrets of this iconic filming location!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old Royal Naval College - Don’t miss a visit to the breath-taking Painted Hall (known as the UK’s Sistine Chapel), which took 19 years to Paint, located in the heart of the Old Royal Naval College Grounds in Greenwich. Included is an optional tour of this magnificent 17 acre riverside estate, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn…
see more
What's Included
  • Helios on display in the Painted Hall until 25th March 2025
  • Visitor Centre entry included
  • Skittle Alley open 12-3pm
  • Optional guided tours depart the visitor centre on the hour (11am - 3pm)
  • Multi-lingual Audio guide of Painted Hall included (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, German, Japanese)
  • Guided Painted Hall talks every 30 minutes from 11am - 4pm
Additional Information

The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is renowned as one of Europe’s most exquisite interiors, situated in the heart of Greenwich’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Luke Jerram’s remarkable installation, Helios, will be on display in the Painted Hall until March 25, 2025.
Visitors can enjoy a Painted Hall audio guide available in English, French,…

see more
Location
Old Royal Naval College
King William Walk
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(173 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
B5571frmatthewc
May 22, 2026
Enjoyable Experience of the Royal Naval College Dome - Had a lovely afternoon visiting the Old Royal Naval College, an extraordinary cultural destination in the heart of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climbed to the top of the hidden Wren’s Dome and experience a behind the scenes tour. Ascend our way up the stunning hidden Wren’s dome in the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, and behind the scenes and enjoyed panoramic views of Greenwich. Our volunteer guide Bob and his assistant Finlay were very friendly. Bob was very knowledgable and shared a lot of historic information on the buildings and the dome.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R9699nerk
May 20, 2026
A memorable afternoon in Greenwich! - The magnificent architecture and breathtaking Painted Hall are spectacular, offering a captivating look at history and art. After the tour, we enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea served in the atmospheric Undercroft Café. The selection of finger sandwiches, delicious cakes and warm, fresh scones with clotted cream was delightful. Wonderful service, majestic surroundings, and great value. A quintessential London experience that is highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shelli_w
May 19, 2026
This is an amazing not to... - This is an amazing not to be missed experience. Allow enough time to listen to the full audio media guide. I learned a great deal about William and Mary and this entire time period.
Review provided by Viator
Isobelb660
May 17, 2026
Wonderful experience and guided tour - wonderful experience at the old naval college and painted hall. We turned up and bought our tickets on the door and arrived just in time for a guided tour with Jim. He gave great historical detail and really bought it to life. The painted hall is especially worth a visit. We’ll be back
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frederick
May 10, 2026
An Outstanding Visit with Brilliant Guides - 5/5. This was a totally outstanding visit. On both occasions, we had an excellent guide. Firstly visiting the beautiful Painted Hall, where we had Vincent as the guide. Vincent was French, but spoke English amazingly well & truly brought the visit to life, with his knowledge of the paintings, describing in great detail. You get the wow factor when you walk into the Hall. Equally as good was Jim, who gave the tour around the museum & some of the buildings around the college. Going inside the Chapel was amazing. A truly amazing visit all round.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Weefi4
Apr 17, 2026
Very enjoyable afternoon - We went in to the Old Royal Naval College meaning to have a look at the painted hall. We joined an in- person tour with Jim our guide (no extra cost) and had a thoroughly interesting and informative visit. Jim then offered to guide us around the rest of the Old Naval College and gave us historical context as well as regaling us with stories of all the movies that have been made in the grounds. The visitor centre has lots of interactive bits for children and has been very well curated. The whole family enjoyed the afternoon out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M4909ljdavidw
Mar 29, 2026
Excellent experience and tours! - Amazing experience of witnessing the painted halls of the Old Royal Navy College. I highly recommend joining one of the many tours led by the lovely volunteers. My girlfriend and I managed to join one led by a lovely gentleman named Jim. He was extremely knowledgeable and a lovely character. I highly recommend this experience as its all in easy walking distance with the maritime museum and Queen’s House.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anne_h
Feb 18, 2026
We paid for the tour and... - We paid for the tour and so pleased we did because the information gained was so helpful and made the whole experience so much more meaningful
Review provided by Viator
Philipesantalla
Jan 13, 2026
A masterpiece - One of the most iconic sites in the history of the UK for preserving a beautiful painting in a building full of history. To make everything even better, in the surroundings is very close there are other interesting attractions. From the tour there is the record of being able to arrive at any time (I had an unforeseen and arrived 1 hour after the scheduled). Although I was late I had no problem to follow my walk. The building itself is small and is a quick visit, but is a must. The staff is very polite and with some regularity leave guided visits. I had an audio guide that was very helpful to see details and understand the magnitude of the work. It is also worth knowing the other local buildings that are part of the entrance, as is the case of the beautiful chapel that is in the building.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karenb8290
Jan 13, 2026
Volunteer Jim - We got rather confused when we turned up because we did not really understand that each section was chargeable at differing prices. I was aware of a modern art exhibition at the Painted Hall but could not remember the name; it was called Connection and Identity. Anyway we bought tickets for the Painted Hall, not really knowing what we were visiting and received some confusing directions. We found it in the end only because we asked for directions as the entrance is not signed and it has an A frame advertising a café – not the hall! So, we found it and was amazed at the wonderful painting of the ceilings and baroque interiors, just stunning. However, we did not know what we were really looking at until a volunteer called Jim turned up. What a treasure, he gave us a tour of the paintings and talked about the propaganda and politics behind them, what a great orator he was. At the end of the tour, of which there was no charge, Jim said he had more time and offered a further tour of 600 years of the buildings, which we attended. Jim took us on a walk outside and pointed out the various buildings, talked about their history, going into great detail. Jim also talked about the various films that had taken place on site and the various famous actors. Jim made our whole visit worthwhile and gave us great value for money – thank you Jim.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $24
From $24
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Select a date
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).