Canary Wharf, a soaring metropolis sculpted from the once-gritty docklands, thrums with financial might, cultural allure, and… the age-old quest for elusive parking. Fear not, weary traveler, for this blog unveils the secrets of finding your chariot’s haven, free or for a noble’s ransom, amidst the gleaming canyons of steel and glass.
Important Note:
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Free and Paid Parking in Canary Wharf
Free, unrestricted residential street parking
Because Canary Wharf is such a newly developed area of London, we couldn’t find any free residential street parking. All parking is strictly enforced, and any illegal parking is dealt with almost immediately by parking police. Continue reading for paid options, including free overnight and weekend parking.
Free after 5:30pm / Overnight / Weekend Parking
The following lists include the Isle of Dogs to the south and Poplar to the north. After 5:30 p.m., before 8:30 a.m., and on weekends, you can park for free at these locations. Outside of these hours, pay-and-display parking on the Isle of Dogs and in Poplar is £9.40, with a 4-hour maximum stay in many (but not all) of the bays.
Naturally, you’ll want to double-check any parking signs to ensure you’re not breaking any rules. If you intend to park for free after 5:30 p.m. or before 8:30 a.m., be mindful of the time to avoid traffic wardens.
The distances listed below are measured from the Canary Wharf Shopping Centre, which is located in the heart of Canary Wharf.
Isle of Dogs to the south:
If you park to the south of Canary Wharf, you’ll be able to see more of the city’s sights, such as the Madison Amory Tower and the quayside with its many bars, cafes, and restaurants. After a 15- to 20-minute walk, you’ll cross a beautiful pedestrianized suspension bridge and arrive in the center.
- Mastmaker Road E14 9UB – 0.6 miles
- Millharbour E14 9JS – 0.6 miles
- Strafford Street E14 8LT – 0.9 miles
- Manchester Road E14 3NU – 0.9 miles
- East Ferry Road E14 3LB – 0.9 miles
- Chipka Street E14 3LD – 0.9 miles
Poplar to the north:
Parking north of Canary Wharf will save you time because you’ll be coming directly off the A1261. It’s not a particularly scenic route, but there are a few road bridges to cross that provide good views of the docks. There are so many impressively large skyscrapers to see that your neck will be aching by the time you get to the shopping center. You’re almost in New York!
- Dolphin Lane E14 0BY – 0.6 miles
- Poplar High Street E14 0AE – 0.6 miles
- Newby Place E14 0AX – 0.8 miles
- Bazely Street E14 0BA – 0.8 miles
- Woodstock Terrace E14 0AE – 0.6 miles
- Hale Street E14 0BF – 0.6 miles
Cheapest Paid Car Parks in Canary Wharf
Car parks on the Isle of Dogs and Poplar are either more than a 40-minute walk away or significantly more expensive than those in Canary Wharf (£15-£25 for 2 hours). Some of these parking lots provide a free three-hour parking space if you spend £10 or more in certain stores. You can also reserve parking spaces ahead of time using their Canary Wharf app, which is a nice touch.
- Cabot Square Car Park E14 4PA – £4.80 for 2 hours
- Canada Square Car Park E14 5EW – £4.80 for 2 hours
- Westferry Circus Car Park E14 4HD – £4.80 for 2 hours
- Jubilee Place Car Park E14 5NY – £4.80 for 2 hours
- West India Quay Car Park – £5.00 for 2 hours
3 Hours Free Parking
On weekends and holidays, you can get three hours of free parking in any of our public parking lots if you spend £10 at one of our participating stores, restaurants, or bars. To take advantage of the 3-hour free parking offer, simply ask if the shop is a member of the discount program, get your parking ticket validated at the time of purchase, and use it at the payment kiosks before returning to your vehicle.
Except on public holidays, weekdays from Monday to Friday, you can also get 2 hours of free parking when you spend £10 at Waitrose Food & Home. Simply have your parking ticket validated when you make your purchase and use it at the payment stations before returning to your car to secure this 2-hour free parking deal.
JustPark Options
While JustPark has a limited number of parking spaces within Canary Wharf itself, their hourly rates are significantly higher than those of the car parks (£9+ per hour). If you’re willing to walk for no more than 20 minutes, you can find private driveways or parking bays for rent on the Isle of Dogs and in Poplar. While prices vary greatly, we discovered six parking spaces charging £6 or less for two hours of parking with a one-hour lead time. Extending the lead time to 24 hours more than doubled the number of reasonably priced (£6 for 2 hours) parking spaces within a 20-minute walk of Canary Wharf.
Visiting Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf, located on the Isle of Dogs, is right in the heart of London’s financial district. It is what most people consider to be the ‘city’ part of London, with all of its iconic high-rise buildings. One Canada Square, the UK’s third largest building, stands 235 meters tall. This tiny section of central London has an incredible 1,500,000m2 of retail and office space, as well as cutting-edge architecture and the fantastic Canary Wharf Quayside. There are also 18,000 residents who have easy access to the Jubilee line’s Canary Wharf tube station.
Canary Wharf’s name derives from its history as one of the most important, if not the busiest, docks in the British Empire. It ascended to this mighty position at the beginning of the 1800s until WWII, when it finally succumbed in the 1960s. It got the name Canary because of its strong trade ties with the Spanish colony of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Conservative politician Michael Heseltine led a massive redevelopment project in the early 1980s, paving the way for the city’s current ultramodern success.
Visitors will find all kinds of entertainment, including an ice rink with several bars and restaurants along the pristine quayside. Another major tourist attraction is the Museum of London Docklands. A great place for a family trip and very educational for everyone. Housed in a Grade II listed Victorian warehouse, the museum helps visitors understand the importance and historical significance of the docks. As you’ve probably guessed, this museum also has a dark side, where you can learn about the vicious transatlantic slave trade that ultimately ended in the mid-19th century. What’s fascinating is the Victorian Sailor Town, a highly detailed reproduction of the streets of the time. You get a taste of what the days of Oliver Twist were really like, but without the stench of sewage.
If you want to take a cheap trip down the Thames, consider using the river boat service. It accepts your bank card or Oyster card and runs at regular intervals from the Canary Wharf Pier. It will provide you with a fantastic new perspective on the heart of London.
Naturally, free weekday parking is impossible to come by in this part of central London. We’ve found the best paid options as well as free options after 5:30 p.m. and before 8:30 a.m., including free weekend parking! Scroll down to see all of the best parking options in Canary Wharf.