Neighbourhood · London

South Bank / Waterloo

South Bank / Waterloo here means the south side of the Thames from the London Eye to Tower Bridge, with Waterloo station as the transport hub. It's a riverside walk and a theatre district: the National Theatre on the South Bank, The Old Vic on The Cut, and the Bridge Theatre between City Hall and Tower Bridge.

Best for theatre-led trips · Borough Market obsessives · second-trip visitors who've done the standard tourist arc and want a different perspective on the city

Wrong for first-timers who'll burn time crossing the river; nightlife-heavy itineraries.

From Where to Stay in London 2026: A Neighbourhood-by-Neighbourhood Guide.

Find a stay in South Bank / Waterloo

Search stays on Booking.com

Affiliate link: if you book through it, Citorah may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the guides recommend. How Citorah is paid

Where to stay in South Bank / Waterloo

All of London

  • Citorah PickHotel · South Bank / Waterloo

    Sea Containers London

    Citorah says A five-star on the South Bank riverfront, with Lyaness bar and the 12th Knot rooftop bar.

  • Citorah PickHotel · South Bank / Waterloo

    Shangri-La The Shard

    Citorah says 18 Floors of the Shard, from level 34 up.

  • Citorah PickHotel · South Bank / Waterloo

    The Hoxton Southwark

    Citorah says The Hoxton's South Bank hotel, at 40 Blackfriars Road.

Where to eat in South Bank / Waterloo

All of London

  • Citorah PickMarket · South Bank / Waterloo

    Borough Market

    Citorah says The famous one, by London Bridge. Touristy now, but still a real produce market with excellent stalls. Go mid-morning on a weekday to beat the crush.

Things to do in South Bank / Waterloo

All of London

  • Citorah PickSight · South Bank / Waterloo

    London Eye

    Citorah says Cross to the South Bank and walk the river east — the London Eye, the Tate Modern (free), the Globe, toward Tower Bridge. One of the best free afternoons in the city.

  • Citorah PickMuseum · South Bank / Waterloo

    Tate Modern

    Citorah says Cross to the South Bank and walk the river east — the London Eye, the Tate Modern (free), the Globe, toward Tower Bridge. One of the best free afternoons in the city.

  • Citorah PickVenue · South Bank / Waterloo

    National Theatre

    Citorah says It's a riverside walk and a theatre district: the National Theatre on the South Bank, The Old Vic on The Cut, and the Bridge Theatre between City Hall and Tower Bridge.

  • Citorah PickVenue · South Bank / Waterloo

    The Old Vic

    Citorah says It's a riverside walk and a theatre district: the National Theatre on the South Bank, The Old Vic on The Cut, and the Bridge Theatre between City Hall and Tower Bridge.

  • Citorah PickVenue · South Bank / Waterloo

    Bridge Theatre

    Citorah says It's a riverside walk and a theatre district: the National Theatre on the South Bank, The Old Vic on The Cut, and the Bridge Theatre between City Hall and Tower Bridge.

Other neighbourhoods

All neighbourhoods

  • Neighbourhood · 8 places

    Soho / Covent Garden

    For most first trips, the right answer is somewhere between Oxford Circus and the river. Soho gives you the theatres, the late-night restaurants and Chinatown; Covent Garden gives you the piazza and the shops; Fitzrovia, just north, is a quieter base within the same walking distance.

    Best for first-timers · theatre-goers · late-night eaters

  • Neighbourhood · 5 places

    Mayfair

    Mayfair is the postcode of the Bond Street boutiques, the Berkeley Square gardens and the private members' clubs. The streets are quiet at 10 PM, and the hotels are the ones non-Londoners imagine when they imagine London hotels.

    Best for anniversary trips · luxury travel · anyone whose London is theatre + Mayfair restaurant + Hyde Park morning walks

  • Neighbourhood · 6 places

    Shoreditch

    Shoreditch is in east London: street art, vintage shops, bars and restaurants. Brick Lane is its eastern edge, Old Street is its Tube station and Hoxton Square is its centre.

    Best for design-conscious travellers · foodies · longer stays

  • Neighbourhood · 8 places

    Kensington / South Kensington

    South Kensington has the Natural History Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, and Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens all within ten minutes' walk. The streets are wide and white-stuccoed.

    Best for families · museum-led trips · couples on a quieter, smarter London weekend

  • Neighbourhood · 4 places

    Marylebone

    Marylebone is immediately south of Regent's Park. It's a short Tube ride from Mayfair (Bond Street to Baker Street is three minutes on the Jubilee line), and Marylebone High Street is a 16-minute walk from Oxford Circus.

    Best for returning visitors · couples · anyone who'd rather sleep in a real neighbourhood than next to a landmark

  • Neighbourhood · 7 places

    King's Cross

    King's Cross has been regenerated around Granary Square: Coal Drops Yard for shopping and food, Central Saint Martins, the art school, on the square itself, and restaurants including Dishoom, Caravan and Granary Square Brasserie.

    Best for short trips with a hard travel anchor · Eurostar passengers · first-timers willing to base in a less famous neighbourhood

Plan the trip

Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them, Citorah may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the guides recommend. How Citorah is paid