Millenium Bridge, London - all you need to know

The Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian bridge across the Thames, linking the area around St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern and the South Bank.

It takes just a few minutes to cross the bridge, but we recommend taking your time. It offers beautiful views of the Thames, the boats, St Paul’s Cathedral and the modern buildings of the City of London.

You won’t be able to see Big Ben or Tower Bridge from the Millennium Bridge. Nevertheless, for us it’s one of the loveliest spots for a short stroll along the Thames.

The best views and photo opportunities

The most famous view is towards St Paul’s Cathedral. The best place to photograph it is from the southern half of the bridge or from the entrance in front of the Tate Modern. From here, the cathedral lies almost exactly in the centre of the bridge.

The atmosphere here is particularly pleasant:

in the morning, when there are fewer people on the bridge,
before sunset,
after dark, when the bridge and the surrounding buildings are lit up.

It tends to be quite windy in the middle of the bridge, even on warm days.

The Millennium Bridge and Harry Potter

The Millennium Bridge featured in the opening sequence of the film *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*.

In it, the Death Eaters fly over London and destroy the bridge. The structure then collapses into the Thames.

In the original book, it was the fictional Brockdale Bridge that was destroyed, but for the film adaptation, the filmmakers chose to use the Millennium Bridge instead.

Why is it called the Wobbly Bridge?

The Millennium Bridge opened in June 2000. However, due to unexpected lateral sway, it had to be closed after just a few days, and Londoners began to nickname it the ‘Wobbly Bridge’.

After dampers were fitted, it reopened in February 2002. Today, the structure is stable and you won’t feel the bridge moving during a normal visit.

How to get to the Millennium Bridge

The bridge runs between Peter’s Hill on the north bank and the Tate Modern on the south bank.

Nearest Underground stations:

St Paul’s – Central line, best for those arriving from the north,
Blackfriars – Circle and District lines and the railway station,
Southwark – Jubilee line, convenient for those arriving from the south of London.

Bus route 4 also stops right at the northern end of the bridge at the Millennium Bridge stop. London

You can find details on paying fares in the section on Transport in London.

What to visit nearby

We recommend including a walk across the Millennium Bridge in your walking route between these places:

St Paul’s Cathedral – at the northern end
Tate Modern – right by the southern end
Shakespeare’s Globe – a few minutes’ walk along the Thames
The Shard – continue eastwards along the South Bank

Hotel right by Millennium Bridge

We stayed at the Club Quarters Hotel St Paul’s and, thanks to its location, we walked across Millennium Bridge time and time again.

The hotel is situated next to St Paul’s Cathedral, just a few minutes’ walk from the northern end of the bridge. It is therefore ideal for exploring the City and for evening strolls along the South Bank.

We compare other hotels in various price ranges in the section ‘Where to stay in London’.

View prices for the Club Quarters hotel