Shakespeare's Globe stands on the South Bank, a short walk from Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge, and it is a modern reconstruction of the open-air playhouse where Shakespeare's company performed. The theatre opened in 1997 after decades of campaigning by the American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, and it was built with timber framing, lime plaster and a thatched roof, the first permitted in central London since the Great Fire of 1666, to evoke the original as closely as research allowed. The guided tour takes about an hour. According to it moves inside the wooden O and covers the Globe's history from its first construction in 1599 through to the 1990s rebuild, how the building was designed, how plays were staged in Shakespeare's time and the theatre's place in London life. A live English-speaking guide leads groups of up to forty-five. It is an easy, enjoyable hour for anyone with even a passing interest in Shakespeare or Elizabethan London.
The tour gives context that makes a later performance richer, and it works equally well as a standalone visit. Standing in the yard, where audience members known as groundlings once stood, and looking up at the galleries and the stage, you see how close the audience was to the actors and why the plays were written to be heard across a crowded, open space.
The guides are practiced storytellers and the tour is aimed at general visitors, so no prior knowledge is needed. Accessibility is listed as wheelchair accessible, and the ticket is non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled.
Tour timing is the main thing to check. The booking page does not show a schedule, and the theatre's open-air season is in the warmer months, so look at the available slots for your date and note that tours on a performance day may differ. Meet at 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT, and show your phone ticket to the guide. The theatre's indoor candlelit playhouse, built on the same site, is a separate space, and a performance there or in the main theatre is the natural way to follow a tour.
The Globe is a natural part of a South Bank day. Walk west past Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's, or east along the river to Borough Market, which is a few minutes on foot and an obvious lunch stop. For theatre lovers it pairs with a West End show later in the week.
The honest limitation is that the tour is brief and the reconstruction is a modern building, so those who want authentic Tudor fabric should look elsewhere, but as an introduction to how Shakespeare's plays were staged, it is hard to beat.
What to expect
The experience
A one-hour guided tour with a live English-speaking guide, inside the reconstructed Globe, in groups of up to forty-five.
Best time
Check the slots for your date; the open-air playing season is in the warmer months and performance days may affect tours.
How long
One hour.
Tips
Meet at 21 New Globe Walk and show your phone ticket. The ticket cannot be refunded or rescheduled, so confirm your date first.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Theatre fans, literature lovers and anyone curious how Shakespeare's plays were staged.
- Families
- Good for school-age children, especially those studying Shakespeare.
- Couples
- A short, atmospheric stop on a South Bank walk.
- Pair with
- Tate Modern, Borough Market and a stroll across the Millennium Bridge.
- Time needed
- One hour plus travel.
Good questions
Where does the tour start?+
At 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT, on Bankside. Show your phone ticket to the guide.
How long is the tour?+
About one hour with a live English-speaking guide.
Is the Globe the original theatre?+
No, it is a modern reconstruction opened in 1997 on the South Bank, near the site of the original playhouse of 1599.
Is it accessible?+
Yes, the tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.
Can I change the date?+
The ticket is non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled.
