Travel bucket list idea:

Shakespeare plays at The Globe

London, United Kingdom (UK)

external view of the theatre, a round white building

Last updated: 28 May, 2023

Anyone who has ever found Shakespeare dry should make the pilgrimage to The Globe. This is Shakespeare as Shakespeare was meant to be experienced: bawdy, funny and heartbreaking.

In a project driven by actor and director Sam Wanamaker, this exact replica of the Elizabethan Globe theatre was built on the banks of the Thames, about 230m from the spot where the original stood in 1599. Rain or shine, the performance goes on, with theatregoers crammed into the open-air yard or huddled on benches in the sheltered, tiered seating. The atmosphere is electric.

While you’re there

As well as the annual programme of Shakespeare and other historic plays, there’s a museum element to the Globe. The exhibition is self-guided, with audio guides included in the price. Tours of the theatre are also possible with the Globe’s storytellers – an alternative way to see the interior if you’re not watching a performance.

Logistics

Price from: £10

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 13+

Frequency: daily

When: April-October

Duration: 1-3 hours

Getting there & doing it

The nearest Underground station is London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee Lines) or Blackfriars (District and Circle Lines) via the Millennium Footbridge.

There are three tiers of seating and 700 x £5 standing tickets in the Yard for every performance. When watching a performance, either opt for the added extras and rent a cushion and blanket, or better still, save the money (and queues) and bring your own. It sounds daft, but the Elizabethan-style benches are hard and uncomfortable without.

Tours are self-guided, with audio guides included in the price. Guided tours of the theatre with the Globe’s storytellers are an alternative way to see the interior if you’re not watching a performance.

When to do it

The theatre season runs from the end of April until mid-October, with matinee and evening performances available daily. It’s an open-air theatre, so avoid rainy days (though more expensive seating is covered). The exhibition is open year-round, daily, with guided tours running every half hour.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Shakespeare's Globe Guided Tour

London

Viator

The iconic Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse in which Shakespeare worked, and for which he wrote many of his most famous plays! Their expert guide-storytellers provide a fascinating tour of the Globe Theatre auditorium, vividly recreating colourful stories of the 1599 Playhouse, the London Shakespeare would have known and the Globe reconstruction process in the 1990s. Their guides will also bring the theatre to life exploring how the ‘wooden ‘O’ works today as an imaginative and experimental space for performance.

Price £27

Min age 0

Rating 4.41 / 5 [472 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Shakespeare in the City Walk - In Shakespeare's footsteps North of the Thames

London

Viator

Your Guide, Declan McHugh, has spent 40 years studying and researching William Shakespeare, and is especially knowledgeable about Shakespeare's London life. He will take you to hidden, beautiful places In London connected to Shakespeare. His passionate and knowledgeable words will summon up for you Shakespeare's life in his London: his friends, the places he knew, his work, his language, even his intriguing love-life! You walk in William Shakespeare's footsteps NORTH of the river Thames. You will be shown many memorials to Shakespeare including statues, plaques, busts, and even a 20 foot (7 metre) aluminium totem pole incorporating one of his greatest speeches! Plus - the icing on the cake - Declan, is a former professional actor and delivers some of Shakespeare's most famous speeches - just for you...

Price £18

Min age 10

Rating 4.95 / 5 [92 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Shakespeare in London Private Tour

London

Viator

Private tour – just you with your fun and informative guide. Learn more about how Shakespeare lived, worked and spent his time in London. Your fun and informative guide will take you to the places where the great bard drank, prayed and acted. Visit Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market as well as Sam Wanamaker's wonderful Globe Theatre for their interesting in-house tour. Tour includes admission to the official Globe Theatre tour. Each tour guest receives a copy of some of the Bard's famous expressions/sayings.

Price £245

Min age 0

Rating 4.23 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Shakespeare Walks

London

Viator

Come along for a Guided walk on William Shakespeare and the London he lived in! We will visit Southwark Cathedral to see the resting place of his brother, an ancient Coaching Inn, see the remains of the Globe and the Rose Theatres. Starting at London Bridge, we will walk along the southbank to the Globe theatre and then across the bridge to explore his life on the north of the River Thames. It will take about 2 hours and finish near St Paul's.

Price £20

Min age 0

Rating 4.88 / 5 [9 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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