Shared paths – care and courtesy. The whole route is family friendly with very little unsegregated road riding.
This spectacular urban waterfront ride starts with a mile through Victoria Park, then 1.3 cut through to the Regent’s Canal for Limehouse Basin (Limehouse 200m E), the NCN1 cycle route alternate that sweeps in broad arcs through Mile End Park after many miles of towpath cycling.
Cycle Orbital keeps to the towpath after NCN1 turns off 3 and joins Jubilee Greenway for a tour of 3.2 Limehouse Basin; then for spectacular views up the Thames rejoin NCN1 3.8 onto the riverside path past Canary Wharf and down the Isle of Dogs. Once at Sir John McDougall Gardens 4.7 turn inland on Tiller Road and rejoin NCN1 for an intriguing ride through the heart of Millwall docklands. Enjoy a stark urban/rural juxtaposition by taking a detour 5.5 through Mudchute Farm and Park, saying hello to the llamas! The route otherwise is through Millwall Park to the south. The section culminates in the panorama of Greenwich from Island Gardens 6.3.
Take the foot tunnel and emerge into the heart of World Heritage Site Greenwich 6.6 (Greenwich 500m SE) then north along with the Jubilee Greenway for more grand riverside vistas of Canary Wharf. Take the sweep round the O2 peninsula; all shortcuts across the peninsular involve tangling with traffic at the expense of great views of the N bank and river traffic as you round the O2 dome. At 9.2 N Greenwich Pier you embark on a broad sweep to the Thames Barrier 10.8 new cycleway improvements keep you close to the Thames for Woolwich 11.8 old dockyard and Ferry.
