Cleopatra's Needle, London Area

Address: Victoria Embankment, near Embankment Tube, London WC2N, United Kingdom

Hours: Open 24 hours (public monument)

Admission: Free

An ancient Egyptian granite obelisk sited on the Victoria Embankment in central London, notable as a relocated monumental stone and a 19th-century public display. It is commonly called Cleopatra’s Needle and stands beside the River Thames near Embankment Underground station.

The monument is about 21 metres tall and is covered in hieroglyphic inscriptions carved in antiquity. It is flanked by later 19th-century sphinxes and sits on a plinth close to the river, making riverside and embankment-level views the main visitor experience.

Carved in ancient Egypt, the obelisk was transported to London and re-erected on the Victoria Embankment in the late 19th century, with the current installation in place by 1878. The piece has served as a public monument since its arrival and has been part of the riverside historic landscape since Victorian times.

Located on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, the obelisk stands between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge on the Victoria Embankment. It is within a short walk of central London landmarks and public transport hubs, including Embankment and Charing Cross stations.

• Size and inscriptions: The obelisk stands about 21 metres tall and is carved from red granite, with Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions on its faces.
• Related monuments: It is one of three 19th-century relocations known as “Cleopatra’s Needle”; the other two are in New York and Paris.

Embankment Underground station (Bakerloo, Northern, Circle, District lines) is a two-minute walk; the site is on Victoria Embankment between Westminster and Temple. The obelisk is easily combined with riverside walks toward Westminster or the South Bank.

• Visit at dawn or dusk for the best photographic light along the Thames embankment.
• Combine the obelisk with a walk to Cleopatra's Needle on the Victoria Embankment Gardens and a short visit to the nearby Thames riverside.
• Beware of pigeons; the base receives frequent tourists who feed birds despite signage.