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Explore London
A few of the corners of London worth a day out, from the obvious icons to the ones you walk straight past. Find something you love, then let us build a day around it.
Plan your own dayPlaces to discover
Approximate locations. Tap a place's "Open in maps" for the exact spot. Save the ones you like with the heart.
Walks & views
The South Bank riverside walk
A wide, traffic-free path along the river, past the London Eye, the National Theatre and the second-hand book stalls under Waterloo Bridge.
Culture
Tate Modern
A vast free gallery in a former power station, with a top-floor viewing level that looks straight across the river to St Paul's.
Food & drink
Borough Market
One of London's oldest food markets, packed with traders and lunch stalls in the railway arches by London Bridge.
Culture
Shakespeare's Globe
A faithful reconstruction of the open-air theatre, right on the river. Tours by day, plays through the warmer months.
Green space
Hampstead Heath
Nearly 800 acres of meadow and wood, with swimming ponds and a real sense of being miles from the city.
Walks & views
Parliament Hill
The Heath's high point, with a protected panorama across the whole London skyline. Worth the climb at sunset.
Culture
Kenwood House
A free stately home on the edge of the Heath, with Rembrandts and Vermeers and a cafe in the old brewhouse.
Food & drink
The Spaniards Inn
A 16th-century pub with a walled garden, a short walk across the top of the Heath.
Walks & views
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Climb the hill to the Meridian line for the classic view back over the river to Canary Wharf.
Markets
Greenwich Market
A covered market of makers and street food in the heart of the old town.
Hidden gem
The Painted Hall
A breathtaking baroque ceiling in the Old Royal Naval College, sometimes called Britain's Sistine Chapel.
Culture
Cutty Sark
The last of the great tea clippers, held in dry dock right by the pier.
Markets
Columbia Road Flower Market
A narrow Victorian street that fills with flowers, plants and song every Sunday morning. Go early before the crowds.
Food & drink
Brick Lane
Curry houses, bagel shops open into the small hours, vintage stalls and street art layered over old brick.
Walks & views
Shoreditch street art
The walls around Redchurch Street and Hanbury Street are an ever-changing open-air gallery.
Markets
Broadway Market
A Saturday food and goods market in Hackney, with London Fields and the canal a few steps away.
Markets
Portobello Road Market
The classic Notting Hill market, best on a Saturday for antiques, with food and music further down the road.
Walks & views
The pastel streets of Notting Hill
The candy-coloured terraces around Lancaster Road and St Luke's Mews are made for a wander.
Hidden gem
The Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
A calm Japanese garden with a koi pond and a waterfall, with peacocks wandering the surrounding park.
Green space
Kensington Gardens
The quieter half of Hyde Park, with the Italian Gardens fountains and the Serpentine galleries.
Markets
Camden Market
A sprawl of food stalls and shops around the lock, where the canal boats still pass through.
Walks & views
Regent's Canal towpath
A flat, pretty walk from Camden west to Little Venice, or east toward the Olympic Park.
Walks & views
Primrose Hill
A short climb to a bench and a famous panorama across the whole skyline. Best at golden hour.
Green space
Regent's Park
Rose gardens, an open-air theatre in summer, and the edge of London Zoo.
Culture
Covent Garden Piazza
Street performers, the old market building and the Royal Opera House around a handsome square.
Hidden gem
Neal's Yard
A tiny courtyard painted in every colour, tucked between Seven Dials and Covent Garden.
Walks & views
Seven Dials
Seven little streets meeting at a sundial pillar, full of independent shops and cafes.
Food & drink
Chinatown & Soho
Lantern-strung streets for dim sum and late bites, with Soho's bars and theatres right next door.
Green space
Richmond Park
London's largest royal park, roamed by herds of red and fallow deer. Climb to King Henry's Mound for a protected view.
Green space
Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens, with vast Victorian glasshouses, a treetop walkway and a pagoda.
Walks & views
The Thames towpath at Richmond
A gentle riverside walk past Petersham Meadows toward Ham House.
Hidden gem
Petersham Nurseries
A romantic garden nursery with a greenhouse cafe, set between Richmond and Ham.
Hidden gem
The Wallace Collection
A free museum of art and armour in a Marylebone townhouse, with a glass-roofed courtyard cafe. Rarely crowded, easy to talk in.
Green space
St James's Park
The prettiest of the royal parks, with a lake, resident pelicans and a postcard view toward Buckingham Palace.
Walks & views
Sky Garden
A free public garden near the top of the Walkie Talkie tower, with sweeping views over the city. Book a slot ahead.
Culture
Daunt Books, Marylebone
An Edwardian bookshop with long oak galleries and a stained-glass window, loved for its travel room.
By area
South Bank & Bankside
A riverside mile of art, food and theatre.
Hampstead
A wild heath, an old village and a view of the whole city.
Greenwich
Maritime history, a hilltop view and a covered market.
Shoreditch & Hackney
Street art, flowers and weekend markets in the East End.
Notting Hill & Kensington
Pastel streets, a famous market and a secret garden.
Camden & Primrose Hill
Canalside markets and the city's best skyline view.
Soho & Covent Garden
Theatre, tiny lanes and a rainbow courtyard.
Richmond & Kew
Deer, riverside and the world's greatest gardens.
Central / West End
Grand parks, free galleries and a famous view or two.
Found a corner you love?
Plan a day around it