- Where?
- IFS Cloud Cable Car, Edmund Halley Way, North Greenwich
- When?
- Every day
- 7 AM to 9 PM (Mon-Thu); 7 AM to 11 PM (Fri); 8 AM to 11 PM (Sat); 9 AM to 9 PM (Sun and Bank Holidays)
- Price?
- Adult: £6 one-way, £12 return; Child (aged 5-15): £3 one-way, £6 return; Infant (under-5, with a fare-paying adult) free; Family (max 2 ad+3 ch): £30 return · See tfl.gov.uk for more information
- Parking:
- Nearby car parks
- Buses:
- 108, 129, 132, 161, 188, 422, 472, 486 (south bank); 241, 541 (north bank)
- Bus fares
- Trains:
- The closest station is North Greenwich Jubilee
- Train fares
When you come out of North Greenwich station you'll find the O2 Arena next-door and I definitely recommend having a quick look inside before riding the cable car (there doesn't have to be an event on, you can still go inside without a ticket). There are plenty of pubs and restaurants underneath the inner rim if you want to have a drink.
View of the Cable Car & Thames Barrier
After that I recommend having a little walk along the riverfront because you get a very nice view of industrial London from out here. Just follow the signs towards the cable car and keep going until you're staring at the big factories across the water. If you walk far enough to the right then you can even see the Thames Barrier up past London City Airport.
Photo: Craig CrossBut check out the height of that cable car! That's the real reason I suggested going for a walk beforehand because I want you to appreciate how high it is before you ride it. (On second thoughts maybe that's not such a great idea, you might chicken out.)
Photo: Craig CrossI'm not going to lie to you... I absolutely hate the cable car (I hate heights). Why anyone would pay five quid to trap themselves inside a delicate glass bubble suspended from a skipping rope in the sky, I do not know. And to make matters worse the newspapers have recently been full of stories about planes plummeting out of the sky and smashing into the freezing sea in a big ball of flames. But unlike a real plane this one hasn't got any wings or wheels or even an engine. At least with a real plane there's a chance of gliding into the airport if the engine cuts out, but if this rope snaps then you're dead.
Let's not beat around the bush here... five minutes after climbing aboard this thing you could be disembarking at the Pearly Gates. (Are you looking forward to this?) I don't mean to put you off, but I like to be honest in my reviews. I'm building up the tension to make it more exciting to ride.
Photo: Craig CrossPaying with your Oyster card
Despite my fears let me assure you that it is 100% safe. I can honestly say that I have never died on it (and I would tell you if I had). And it's extremely easy to ride as well. You can either buy a ticket from the ticket window or board it in the same way you take a train, by tapping down your Oyster card on the gate.
Photo: Craig CrossAfter you climb up the stairs you'll see the cabins coming round on a carousel, and with a bit of luck you'll have an entire cabin to yourself. But during the busy season they try and cram in as many people as possible to try and whizz a bit quicker through the queue.
Photo: Craig CrossWhenever this happens I always find myself making small talk with a family of hyperactive hoodlums who spend the next five minutes doing their best impression of a Jack-in-the-Box on a busted spring, excitedly boinging and bouncing around and banging on the windows like they're trying to smash their way out.
Photo: Craig CrossOnce the cabin starts climbing up the cable it wobbles around alarmingly. It judders and shakes and makes a terrible grinding noise as the machinery engages. This is the part that I hate because it always seems to me as if the whole thing is about to shake itself to pieces. And today it's even worse because I've just noticed something new: the pod doesn't appear to be watertight. (I'm being serious!) So if the cabin does plummet into the water then I won't go floating over to the beach -- I will sink. I don't mean to worry you, but things like this are very important to me.
Photo: Craig CrossThis is what I recommend you do for maximum safety: pick a seat in the middle of the cabin (exactly in the middle) and don't move a muscle for five minutes. And keep your eyes focused forwards in case swivelling them left and right affects the weight distribution. Hold your breath. Say some prayers. Cry if you want to. Clutch a photograph of your loved ones for comfort, and then try and enjoy it.
View from the top of the Cable Car
Photo: Craig CrossAs much as I hate the height, I must admit that the view is very impressive once you're up there. The O2 looks fantastic with the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf towering up behind it and you get a great view of the runways at London City Airport. But it's too far away from central London to get a good look at the landmarks. You can easily see some distant buildings like the Gherkin, but you're not going to be able to see the Houses of Parliament or anything like that. Big Ben is small Ben from out here.
Photo: Craig CrossThe trip only lasts for five minutes and when you get to the other side the only thing over there is the ExCel Centre -- but that's only worth visiting if you've got some tickets for an event. All you can really do is ride the cable car back to the O2 or get the Docklands Light Railway into town. But I still definitely recommend giving it a go because it's something nice and exciting (and cheap) you can do with your kids.
If you enjoy IFS Cloud Cable Car then you might like to visit Uber Boat by Thames Clippers (catch a tube from North Greenwich to Waterloo). The best views in the city are from the top of the London Eye, The Shard, the Sky Garden and the Stone Gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral
The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon
Your comments and questions
ElaineH Would I be able to take a small overnight case on the cable car?
Craig You can take bags on, sure. But they do have security staff standing in front of the pods so you'll probably have to open it and let them look inside
Min If I have purchased a travelcard (train and tube ticket) would this be able to be used to get on the cable car for free?
Craig Not for free, but if you show them a valid travelcard when you buy a ticket at the window then you can get a discounted fare (you just get a quid knocked off the price)
melanie Do we have to book a ticket and time before we arrive?
Craig Hi Melanie. No, you can just turn up and buy a ticket at the window, or touch your Oyster card down on the gate. You might have to queue for five minutes as the carousels come round, but I've always just walked straight on
warren Do you have to tap in and out as well when you use oyster card, or just when you get on
Craig Hi Warren, you have to tap down at both ends. The gates are identical to the ones you use on the London underground
Bea Do I have to be over 18 to book?
Craig Hi Bea, according to their rules children up to the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. A group of children 15 and under also need to be accompanied by an adult. And if you’re trying and book a child ticket online then you it won’t let you do it unless you book an adult ticket as well.
kim Can you use your contactless card as payment, like you can on trains?
Craig Hi Kim. You can do. They've even got the same ticket barriers and yellow Oyster card readers that you get in the tube stations, so you just touch down like normal
Susan Plumb Can you get off the cable car at the O2 arena
Craig Hi Susan. Its just a few minutes walk from the O2
Julie Can I go by myself if I am 15? Or do I need an adult with me
Craig Hi Julie. I emailed them and they said “Children up to the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. A group of children aged 15 and under need to be accompanied by an adult” — but if you're 15 then it will be fine (but you might want to take some ID with you)