Self-guided school visits

National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House

You do not need to book self-guided school visits to the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House in advance, but please read the important information below to prepare for your visit.

A visitor assistant will log the details of your group on arrival.

The AHOY! Children's Gallery is open to schools.  There are limited, single class sessions available to book using the Bookings Enquiry Form.

There are restricted lunch spaces available, so it is no longer possible to book lunch space in advance for self-guided groups. We cannot guarantee indoor lunch spaces will be available for self-directed groups on the day.

Please read our code of conduct so everyone has an enjoyable visit.

Cutty Sark 

Self-guided school visits to Cutty Sark cost £90 for up to 30 children and £45 for up to 15 children and must be booked in advance. 

We are able to offer a limited number of free self-guided visits for state-funded Greenwich schools. These must be booked in advance using our online booking form. 

Trails are available to download here.

Royal Observatory – closed until spring 2028

The Royal Observatory is temporarily closed for an exciting refurbishment project. You can still meet our Royal Observatory Astronomers, enjoy planetarium shows and learn all about time and space at the National Maritime Museum. Visit The Place for Space to find out more.

Want to find out when the Royal Observatory will reopen? Sign up to our schools mailing list to be the first to receive updates.

1. When inside, please follow any one-way systems for visitor circulation, as directed by Visitor Assistants and signage.  
2. Please ensure you bring enough accompanying adults for your group (as per the ratios specified for your key stage below). Please split into the smallest groups possible to explore the galleries and be mindful of other museum visitors.
3. If you use one of our lunch spaces, please tidy up afterwards using the cleaning materials provided.
4. You can find guidance for your risk assessment here.

Ratios:

• Post-16 groups: 1 adult per 16 students
• KS3 and KS4: 1 adult per 10 students
• KS2: 1 adult per 8 students
• EYFS/KS1: 1 adult per 5 students

Adults exceeding these ratios will need to pay group prices for Cutty Sark.