Private Foreshore Tours

Please read your booking confirmation or consult the person organising your group. Private exploration can take place at either the Millennium Bridge, Southwark, Greenwich, Rotherhithe, Limehouse and Wapping.

Advice will be given at the time of booking. As a guide private tours are limited to 25 people. Children must be over 8 years and must be accompanied by an adult (for small family groups we may be able to take children over 5 years please speak to us to discuss). No more than 3 children to one adult. 

The experience of finding artefacts on the foreshore is both memorable and unique. In order to preserve this as long as possible for as many people as possible Thames Explorer requests you take only memories and photographs away and not artefacts. Please bring your camera or smartphone to take photographs, a ruler and notebook is also handy. Thames Explorer Trust does not recommend accessing the foreshore without an experienced guide. Access to the foreshore requires a permit from the Port of London Authority (PLA) – Thames Explorer takes groups by agreement with the PLA. Any form of digging or scraping is forbidden, there are however, a great many surface artefacts to discover.

Occasionally our events have to be cancelled – problems with the foreshore, weather etc. If we know an event is going to be cancelled we will email you at your booking email address as soon as possible, however if our staff think it is unsafe to continue at the time of the event – you will be issued a full refund. Please respect their experience.

Except in emergencies our staff will be at the meeting point to greet you, however in the unlikely event that they are not only unable to be there and also unable to communicate their absence to us (and therefore us to you) we ask that you call our office – 020 8742 0057. If a member of the office team is not available, please wait at the meeting point for 40 minutes but no longer. If you are sure you are in the right location and that no member of our staff has turned up, you should contact Thames Explorer by email (info@thames-explorer.org.uk) and you will be issued with a full refund.

In the extremely unlikely event that a member of staff is unable to attend a session and unable to communicate this to us please wait at the venue for 35 minutes. A full refund will be issued in this case.

We go out in all weathers with the exception of: snow and severe ice, lightning, very high winds and dense fog. Please keep any eye on your booking email address in the rare case of cancellation. If our staff think it is unsafe to continue at the time of the event – you will be issued a full refund. Please respect their experience. In the event of sudden, high rainfall making the foreshore inaccessible we will notify you with as much time as possible, full refunds will be offered.

Please bring wellies, walking boots, old trainers or shoes which you don’t mind getting muddy (no crocs or open toed sandals!) Be prepared for rain or shine and possible mud. Waterborne diseases can be a risk therefore it is important that those with open cuts or eczema have them covered and that all participants keep their hands away from their faces and refrain from eating or drinking on the foreshore – children should be closely supervised.  You should wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and especially before eating and drinking! If you prefer to wear rubber gloves then please bring these with you.

The Thames Explorer Trust is a huge fan of dogs (and cats) however as some people are not, we ask that you not to bring your dog with you.

We have several sites for foreshore exploration. Please check the location for your event before setting off. Please also check the time of your event particularly if you have attended one before. Low water times vary as much as one hour per day and by ten hours per week.

Please note the foreshore steps can be quite steep and people with mobility problems should call us first for more information. Please read any guidance notes about your site carefully.

Please dress appropriately for the season. Be aware that the foreshore is very exposed and can be subject to much colder or hotter conditions than the rest of the city.

Activities take place on riverside paths and the foreshore. Access to the foreshore (draw docks or steps) may be slippery and steep, the foreshore can also be muddy and uneven. Please listen to the advice and follow instructions given by our staff.

You are responsible for your own safety and those of your children at all times.

We do everything we can to keep our visitors safe and we have a very low accident record over many years.  The Trust has public liability insurance, a child protection policy and we comply with Health and Safety Executive regulations. We follow ‘good practice’ for operating procedures and staff training.  All staff have enhanced DBS checks. Our staff are not allowed to administer first aid.

This is a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with animal urine and contaminated water.  There is a small possibility of contracting this disease when in contact with river water. In most cases the disease is only mild but in serious cases it can be life-threatening and symptoms should not be ignored.  Early symptoms are flu-like and include headaches, chills, high temperature, vomiting and muscle pains.  If you experience any flu-like symptoms within 3 weeks of visiting the river foreshore inform your doctor, referencing river water and Weil’s Disease. Tests are available and early treatment can limit the severity of the infection.