The South Bank After Dark

London's best evening walk starts ten minutes from our front door. Leave around blue hour, when the sky over the river turns ink-coloured and the lights come on along both banks.

Across Waterloo Bridge

Walk down Wellington Street and onto Waterloo Bridge. Stop halfway. To the west you have Westminster, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament; to the east, St Paul's dome and the towers of the City. Many Londoners will tell you it is the finest view in the capital, and they are right.

Under the bridge: books and concerts

On the south side, the second-hand book market under the bridge runs every day until dusk. Prints, Penguin paperbacks, old maps of London: it is the ideal place to buy something you did not know you wanted.

Next door, the Southbank Centre usually has something free in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall, from jazz trios to choirs. Check the evening listings at the concierge desk before you set off.

Follow the river east and the city gets quieter with every bridge.

East towards Tate Modern

Stay on the riverside path past the National Theatre and Gabriel's Wharf. Small bars spill onto the walkway in summer. By the time you reach Tate Modern the crowds have thinned; on Friday and Saturday nights the galleries stay open late, and the viewing level on the tenth floor of the Blavatnik Building is free.

From there, cross the Millennium Bridge with St Paul's lit up straight ahead.

Where to stop for a drink

• A rooftop bar on the South Bank for the skyline at sunset
• The Anchor in Bankside, a riverside pub that has been pouring for centuries
• The Brass Bar back at the hotel, for a nightcap without the crowds

Getting back

The walk from Waterloo Bridge to Millennium Bridge is about 2.5km and takes 40 minutes without stopping, which you will. To return, take a black cab from St Paul's or walk back along Fleet Street and the Strand; we will have the bar open until 1am.