London on foot

• Do not feel that you have to follow or complete the walks given on this page exactly as written. If there's something interesting down a side street, or something has an 'off the route' feel, you can adapt the route as per the diversion you take (E.g. walking along a canal/river rather than a road). If you want to avoid a busy road by diverting through of London's many green spaces or parks, feel free to do this as well.
• You can also break up the longer walks into multiple sections, as most Londoners won't be walking the length of a Marathon on a regular basis! For more information, look at the last bullet point of this section.
• Weather in the UK can be unpredictable, as a sudden downpour can dampen your plans and enthusiasm quickly, so make sure to bring an umbrella and/or raincoat. By contrast, make sure to take enough water, sun cream, and a hat on a warm and sunny day. Given the British climate, the best times to complete these walks is from the second half of April to the first half of September.
• Sturdy and sensible footwear is strongly recommended. Whilst trainers and sandals are OK for walks in the city centre or West End, where you are on paved/canal tow paths and pavements (U.S. sidewalks, Aus/NZ footpaths), walks in London's green spaces (or the country beyond the fringes of suburban Metroland) may take you onto unpaved paths. Because of this, a decent pair of walking boots and walking socks are strongly recommended.
• Not all streets and paths in London and the surrounding region are public, so some may be closed at short notice. Obvious security measures (E.g. gates, barriers, legally worded signs) are indicators, and evidence of 'services' in back-alleys (E.g. parking, waste bins), are another indication that a path may not be public.
• As a major metropolis, London changes constantly, older maps may show streets that have vanished or closed. Transport links may also have changed.
• For shorter distances within a residential area/community (E.g. In commuter/suburban towns or the West End), there will be plenty of people who will be willing to help you.
• Due to the size of London, you're bound to meet a wide range of people. Because of this, it's highly recommended that you try and finish a walk by sunset, especially

if you're doing a walk in multiple chunks.

• Rush hour/peak travelling time is usually between 7AM and 10AM in the morning and 4PM and 7PM in the evening. Because of this, it's strongly recommended that you try and travel to your start point and from your end point out of these times, as trains are significantly busier at these times and train tickets are more expensive, including travelling on TfL's network. If you get an all-day travelcard specifically for London, this will also allow you to use the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and various bus routes (including those at night) between travel zones 1 to 6, which will be extremely useful for the walks that end in the suburbs.
• You can also use one of the iconic Black Cabs by booking one in advance, hailing one on the street, or going to a designated taxi rank, which are located at many of the major railway termini. If you want a cheaper alternative to these, you can use Uber to request a taxi to your exact location. Uber also run the Thames Clippers in conjunction with TfL, which can be used as a fast way to travel along the Thames from Central London to parts of the inner suburbs.
• For more information about TfL train, bus, taxi and boat services, including the Woolwich Ferry and the Tube's night service, look on the Transport for London website. For information about mainline tickets and times, look on theTrainline and National Rail websites, the former of which includes coach routes across the UK and international rail travel across Europe.
• If a walk requires you to travel into travel zones 7 to 9, you will need to buy a separate ticket at one of London's termini stations, including London Bridge station, as stations on the Tube network are unable to sell these tickets. You will also need to buy a separate ticket for Tramlink and the London Cable Car, should you need to use them.
• Train tickets on both the Trainline and the National Rail websites are usually released 12 weeks in advance before your dates of travel, so keep watching for their release to make sure that you get them at the cheapest price. If you're planning on buying coach tickets to come into London from elsewhere within the UK, these are usually released on Trainline around 6 months before your dates of travel. If you have a railcard, use that to reduce the price of your tickets, especially if you're buying them in peak travelling times.
• Be aware that major urban roads in Greater London can have issues with traffic congestion, which comes with the associated fumes. If you're coming into Central London by car, it's strongly recommended that you park outside of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and come in by public transport in order to avoid the congestion charge, particularly if you've got an older vehicle. By comparison, some streets in the outer suburbs and beyond can be highly residential in nature, and so appropriate politeness and respect of privacy is always appreciated.
• If you want to find a cheap place to park in London, look at the website JustPark, where you can park on someone else's driveway for a significantly cheaper price than many of London's car parks.

See relevant London district articles for listings.

(via Little Venice)

Walk length: 2.7 mi (4.3 km)

1. From Paddington’s concourse, follow the signs to platforms 15 and 16. Just before you get to the ticket barriers, turn right up some steps, which should take you to the canal, and turn left under the road bridge. This should take you to Little Venice after about 100 m.
2. At Little Venice, cross over the footbridge, and then turn right after this, which should take you along the Regents Canal Towpath. Just after joining it, follow the footpath onto Blomfield Road, and this should take you to the A5/Edgware Road. Here, cross over onto Aberdeen Place, and follow it until you get to a footpath taking you back to the canal.
3. After about 100 m (330 ft), you should arrive at the B507/Lisson Grove. Cross over it, and then turn left onto the towpath that takes you pass Lisson Grove Moorings, which should be on the other side of the towpath to where you’re walking. Just before the railway bridges, cross over the footpath over the river, and then follow the path under the railway bridges.
4. After passing under the railway bridges, follow the canal along the edge of Regents Park until you get to the Cumberland Turn Basin. When you get here, follow the canal to the left, which should take you into Camden Market.

For a disability/wheelchair friendly version of this walk, you can catch a boat run by the London Waterbus Company (Little Venice), which runs a service from Little Venice to Camden Market along most of the walking route.

Walk length: 2.15 mi (3.46 km)

1. When leaving Cutty Sark station, turn left onto Crescent Arcade, and then turn left at the road junction towards the Cutty Sark and the entrance to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. From here, turn right through the cafés/restaurants and pass the Old Naval College/Greenwich University.
   1. Alternatively, you can alight one stop earlier at Island Gardens DLR station and walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel to the Cutty Sark. To do this, cross over the A1206/Manchester Road and go straight onto Douglas Walk, which should take you to the north entrance of the tunnel. Go into the tunnel to walk under the Thames, and at the other side, turn left towards the Old Naval College.
2. When you turn right onto Park Row, turn left onto Crane Street, and follow the road into Highbridge Street and back towards the Thames. This should take you towards Ballast Quay, and where it turns left, keep going straight onto the footpath. Follow this through to Morden Wharf. Just after passing this, the path should turn right, which you should follow, and this should take you to the A102/Blackwall Tunnel Approach.
3. At the main road, turn right towards the footbridge, which you should cross. After this, follow Boord Street before crossing Millennium Street, West Parkside, and Central Park. At this point, turn left so you’re walking parallel to East Parkside, and then turn right onto Edmund Halley Way, which should take you to the southern terminal for the London Cable Car.

(via Russell Square, Bloomsbury Square, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, and Marble Arch)

Walk length: 4.7 mi (7.6 km)

1. From King’s Cross, cross over the A501/Euston Road, and turn right so that you’re walking Parallel to St Pancras International. Just after you pass it, turn left onto Judd Street, which should take you to the Brunswick Shopping Centre.
2. After passing the Brunswick, turn right onto the B502/Bernard Street, which should take you to Russell Square. Walk through it towards Bedford Place, which you should walk along to get to Bloomsbury Square. Like with Russell Square, walk through it to Vernon Place, where you should turn left and then right through the Sicilian Avenue to join the A4200/Southampton Row.
3. Just after joining the main road, you should get to Holborn station, where you turn right onto the A40/High Holborn, and follow it until you get to the A401/Shaftesbury Avenue, turn left onto it, and follow it until you get to Piccadilly Circus.
   1. Alternatively, you can take a detour through Chinatown by turning left into Gerrard Place and then turn right onto Gerrard Street. To re-join Shaftsbury Avenue, turn right onto Wardour Street, and then turn left back onto Shaftsbury Avenue. Another way back to the main road is to turn right down Macclesfield Street, which is about halfway along Gerrard Street, before turning left back onto Shaftsbury Avenue.
4. At Piccadilly Circus, cross over the junction onto the A4201/Regents Street, and follow it to Oxford Circus. Here, cross over the A40/Oxford Street and turn left along it. After some time, you should come to the Marble Arch, which should be on the opposite side of the road. Just after this, cross over the A5/Edgware Road and turn right onto it. Follow it until you reach the Marylebone Flyover/The Westway, and just before you walk under it, turn left onto the A4205/Praed Street, and Paddington station should be on your right. To enter the station concourse, follow the downwards sloping road parallel to London Street.

Walk length: 3.6 mi (5.8 km)

1. Looking onto Southwark Cathedral, turn right onto the A3/Borough High Street before crossing London Bridge, which merges into King William Street. When you get to Monument station, turn left onto Cannon Street, and after about 500 metres, St. Paul’s Cathedral to your right as you get to St. Paul Churchyard. After this, follow the road as it becomes Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street, and the A4/Strand.
2. After some time, you should get to Trafalgar Square. Here, turn right onto Whitehall, which becomes Parliament Street as you get to Parliament Square, with Westminster Abbey directly opposite you. At this point, head towards it before turning right onto Broad Sanctuary, which merges into Victoria Street just after passing Westminster Abbey. Walk down this road until just before you get to Victoria station, and Westminster Cathedral should be to your left set back in a courtyard.

(via the Royal Victoria Docks Footbridge)

Walk length: 1.2 mi (1.9 km)

1. From the cable car terminal, turn right to follow the waterline towards Royal Victoria Square, making sure to go to the right of the buildings, and after passing through it, turn right towards the front of the boat and pair of cranes, which is where the entrance of the bridge should be. Walk along the platform to the bridge stairs, which you should climb up, before crossing the dock to the other side.
2. After crossing the bridge, turn right along the path so that the dock’s to your right and houses to your left, and follow it until you get to the block of flats. Here, keep following the path around so that it takes you pass Dock Beach and The Crystal, which should take you under the London Cable Car. After this, cross over Western Gateway onto Seagull Lane, and Royal Victoria station should be on your left.
   

Walk length: 3.4 mi (5.5 km)

1. Looking away from Hammersmith Tube station, turn left onto the A315/Hammersmith Road, which should take you over a railway bridge, merge into Kensington High Street and take you to the corner of Hyde Park.
2. Once at Hyde Park, take a diagonal left into it, and when you get to Broad Walk, cross over onto the footpath towards the Round Pond. Follow this round to the pathway at the first curve, which you should walk down until you get to the A402/Bayswater Road. Here, turn right onto it, and then take the first left onto Leinster Terrace.
3. After some time, turn right onto the B410/Craven Hill Arms, which should pass Paddington station and merge into Craven Road and the A4205/Praed Street. Then when you get to the A5/Edgware Road, cross over onto the A501/Chapel Street, and Edgware Road Tube station should be on your left.

Walk length: 1.5 mi (2.4 km)

1. Looking away from Waterloo station, turn right onto the A301/Waterloo Road before turning  left onto The Cut. Then at Southwark Tube station, cross over the A201/Blackfriars Road onto Union Street, which should take you under a railway bridge.
2. At the end of the road, turn left onto Southwark Bridge Road, and follow it to Southwark Bridge where you cross the River Thames. From there, cross over the A3211/Upper Thames Street onto Queen Street, and then at the six-way junction, turn right onto Queen Victoria Street, and Bank Tube station should be straight ahead of you.

(Via Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Parliament Square, Victoria station, Wellington Arch/Hyde Park Corner, the Royal Albert Hall (RAH), and Hyde Park)

Walk length: 8.4 mi (13.5 km)

1. From Tower Hill station, cross over the A3211/Tower Hill, and follow the edge of the Tower of London onto the A10/Tower Bridge Approach onto Tower Bridge, where you should cross.
   1. If you’re coming from Tower Gateway station, follow the signs to the exit of the station and follow the steps down before crossing over Minories. After this, turn left and cross over Tower Hill, where you should then walk around the Tower of London towards Tower Bridge.
   2. At various points during the day, Tower Bridge’s bascules will open for certain boats. Before crossing, listen out for a siren that indicates that they're about to open.
2. After crossing the bridge, turn right along the Thames path, which should become The Queen’s Walk just before you get to London Bridge. Here, turn right onto the bridge, and after crossing it, walk down the steps, and follow the Thames path under it, Cannon Street Station, and Southwark Bridge.
   1. At certain times during the day, the crane at Walbrook Wharf will be in operation depending on the tide. If this is the case, turn back and follow Cousin Lane towards the A3211/Upper Thames street, where you turn left. Sometime after this, turn left onto the A30/Queen Street Place, and just before you cross Southwark Bridge, follow the steps back down onto the Thames path, where you turn right.
3. After passing Southwark Bridge, the path should turn away from the Thames as Queenhithe. This should take you to High Timber Street, where you turn left onto. Just before it goes under some buildings, turn left onto Broken Wharf, which should take you back to the Thames path and towards the Millennium Bridge. Follow the steps parallel to the bridge, and then cross over it towards the Tate Modern.
4. After crossing the Millennium Bridge, follow the slope down before heading towards Blackfriars station, where there should be an underpass. After passing through it, walk up a set of steps, and then turn right onto Blackfriars Road Bridge. After crossing it, cross the road onto the Victoria Embankment, and follow it until you get to Charing Cross station.
5. At Charing Cross, walk under the bridges, and then turn right onto the A400/Northumberland Avenue, where you should be able to cross one of the Golden Jubilee Bridges. After doing this, turn right onto the South bank towards the London Eye, and then turn right again onto the A302/Westminster Bridge, which you should cross before merging into Bridge Street and should take you over the Thames onto Parliament Square.
6. At Parliament Square, walk to the far corner where Westminster Abbey is, and walk onto the A302/Broad Sanctuary, which merges into Victoria Street as you head towards Victoria station. Here, walk pass the bus/taxi stands before crossing over onto the A202/Grosvenor Gardens, which merges into the A302/Grosvenor Place. From here, follow the road until you get to Hyde Park Corner.
   1. If you want to avoid the bus/taxi queues, you can shortcut through Victoria station, which should take you to the other side of the stands when you leave the station.
7. At Hyde Park Corner, turn left onto the A4/Knightsbridge, and after the first group of buildings on your right, cross over the road and walk through the Albert Gate. After doing this, cross the South Carriage Drive, and then turn left onto the parallel footpath, which should take you to the Albert Memorial.
8. At the Albert Memorial, turn right through Hyde Park towards the Italian Gardens and the Marlborough Gate. From here, cross over the A402/Bayswater Road onto Lancaster Terrace before turning left onto Gloucester Terrace. Then turn right onto the B410/Craven Road, which merges into the A4205/Praed Street, and Paddington station should be on your left. To enter the station concourse, follow the downwards sloping road parallel to London Street.

Walk length: 8.7 mi (14.0 km)

1. Starting at the Woolwich ferry’s north terminal, aboard the ferry and cross the Thames, which should take 5 to 10 minutes. At the south terminal, follow the road to the roundabout, and then turn right onto the A206/Woolwich Approach. Make sure to keep going straight ahead when you get to the overpass.
   1. Alternatively, you can also walk under the Thames on the Woolwich Foot Tunnel.
2. When you get to the Old Naval College/Greenwich University, turn right just before the student union building, and follow the path until it meets the Thames path. From here, turn left towards to Cutty Sark, where you walk around the bow and towards Greenwich Church Street. Just as it meets the main road, turn right onto Crescent Arcade, and then turn right onto the A200/Evelyn Street, which merges into Lower Road.
3. When you reach the roundabout next to Southwark Park, turn left onto the A200/Jamaica Road, which merges into Tooley Street. This should take you to Potters Fields Park where you should turn right, and when you reach the city council building, turn left around it so you’re following the Thames, with HMS Belfast on your right.
4. Just before you reach London Bridge, turn left onto St Olaf Stairs, and then turn right back onto Tooley Street, which should take you under London Bridge and onto Montague Close. As it meets with Cathedral Street, turn around on yourself onto it, and the Golden Hinde should be on your right.

Walk length: 6.7 mi (10.8 km)

1. From Kenwood House, walk down the driveway towards the B519/Hampstead Lane, where you turn right. Then immediately after the zebra crossing, turn right into Hampstead Heath Park, and head towards Parliament Hill Farmer’s Market.
2. At the market, turn left, and then take the first right, which should take you to Highgate Road, where you turn right onto and should take you pass Kentish Town station and merge into Kentish Town Road.
3. Just after passing The Abbey Tavern pub, turn left onto Royal College Street, which should take you under Camden Road station and eventually to Goldington Crescent Gardens. Here, walk onto Goldington Crescent before turning right onto Chalton Street before turning left onto Charrington Street, and this should merge into Ossulston Street and take you to the A501/Euston Road.
4. When you get to the Euston Road, turn right, and then turn left onto Mabledon Place, which should merge into Marchmont Street and take you to the Brunswick Shopping Centre. Here, turn right onto the B502/Bernard Street before turning left onto the A4200/Russell Square, which merges into Southampton Row after passing the park. When you’re opposite the Double Tree Hotel, turn right onto Bloomsbury Place, and then left onto Bloomsbury Square.
5. After walking Bloomsbury Square, walk down the Sicilian Avenue to get back to Southampton Row, which should take you down to the A4/Aldwych. Here, turn right whilst following the curve, and when you get to the Strand, cross over onto the A301/Waterloo Bridge and cross the Thames.
6. After crossing the Thames, turn right towards the Southbank Centre and continue underneath Hungerford Bridge. When you get to Westminster Bridge, climb the steps onto it and walk across the Thames towards Parliament Square, and Westminster Abbey should be on your left.

Walk length: 7.4 mi (11.9 km)

1. From London Bridge station, make your way towards the A200/Tooley Street where you turn left, and at the road junction, turn right onto London Bridge and cross the Thames, where it becomes King William Street.
2. When you get to Monument Tube station, turn left onto Cannon Street, and just after passing the station, turn right through the Bloomberg Arcade before crossing Queen Victoria Street onto Watling Street. At the end of this road, turn right onto New Change Street, which merges into the A40/Cheapside, Holborn, and High Holborn.
3. When you get to Holborn station, turn left onto the A4200/Southampton Row before turning right onto Great Queen Street, which should merge into Long Acre. This should take you to Covent Garden station, where you turn right towards Covent Garden Market.
4. Once at the market, turn right towards King Street and New Row, and then turn left onto St Martin’s Lane. Continue straight ahead when you get to the A400/Charing Cross Road, which should take you pass Trafalgar Square, onto the A3212/Whitehall and towards Parliament Square.
5. At Parliament Square, turn right onto St George’s Walk, which then merges into Birdcage Walk and takes you along the edge of St James’ Park. Then turn right onto Spur Road, pass Buckingham Palace, and then turn left onto Constitution Hill, which takes you to the Wellington Arch/Apsley Way. Here, walk pass it before crossing over onto the A4/Knightsbridge.
6. When you’re opposite the Albert Gate, cross over the road and walk through it before crossing the South Carriage Drive and walk into Hyde Park. At the next crossroads, turn right, and then take the next left towards the A4202/Park Lane via the Hyde Park Bandstand.
7. When you get to Park Lane, cross over onto Aldford Street, and then turn left onto Park Street. After passing a couple of crossroads, turn right onto Upper Grosvenor Street towards Grosvenor Square Park. Here, pass through the park towards Duke Street and follow it until you get to the A40/Oxford Street, where you turn right. This should take you to Oxford Circus, where you turn left, and Langham Place should be straight ahead of you where the BBC HQ is.

(via Tower Bridge)

Walk length: 9.1 mi (14.6 km)

1. Facing towards the Royal Albert Hall from the south side, turn right onto Kensington Gore before turning left onto Prince Consort Road and then left onto Exhibition Road. At the end of this road, turn right onto the A315/Knightsbridge, which should merge into Piccadilly and take you to Piccadilly Circus. After this, cross over onto Coventry Street, and then after some time, turn right onto Garrick Street before turning left onto King Street, which should take you to Covent Garden Market.
2. At Covent Garden, walk through it to Southampton Street, where you walk down, and then turn left onto the A4/Strand, which should merge into Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill before taking you pass St Paul’s Cathedral. From here, the road should merge into Cannon Street and Eastcheap, which should take you to All Hallows by the Tower church. Here, walk pass it before turning right onto Petty Wales, which should take on a footpath round the Tower of London. At the end of this path, climb the steps onto Tower Bridge and turn right over the Thames.
   1. At various points during the day, Tower Bridge’s bascules will open for certain boats. Before crossing, listen out for a siren that indicates that they’re about to open.
3. After crossing the Thames, continue walking along Tower Bridge Road before turning right onto the A200/Tooley Street, and then turn left onto Druid Street. This should take you under the railway and onto Crucifix Way, which merges into St Thomas’ Street and take you pass The Shard. After passing it, turn left onto the A3 before immediately turning right onto the A3200/Southwark Street, which should take you under a couple of railway bridge and merge into Stamford Street. Shortly after this, you should reach the Bernie Spain Gardens on your right, where turn right into it before turning left onto Upper Ground when you get there. This should take you pass the Southbank Centre, under a railway bridge and merge into Belvedere Road.
4. After some time, you should pass the Jubilee Gardens, which you should walk through towards the London Eye, and then continue to walk along The Queen’s Walk. Then at Westminster Bridge, climb the steps onto it and turn right towards Parliament Square, with Big Ben on your left. After walking pass it, keep walking straight ahead onto Great George Street, which then merges into Birdcage Walk and takes you parallel to St James’s Park. Eventually, turn right onto Spur Road, and Buckingham Palace should be on your left.

(Via Little Venice and Camden Market)

Walk length: 9.6 mi (15.4 km)

1. From Paddington’s concourse, follow the signs to platforms 15 and 16. Just before you get to the ticket barriers, turn right up some steps, which should take you to the canal, and turn left under the road bridge. This should take you to Little Venice after about 100 metres.
2. At Little Venice, cross over the footbridge, and then turn right after this, which should take you along the Regents Canal Towpath. Just after joining it, follow the towpath onto Blomfield Road, and this should take you to the A5/Edgware Road. Here, cross over onto Aberdeen Place, and follow it until you get to a footpath taking you back to the canal.
3. After about 100 metres, you should arrive at the B507/Lisson Grove. Cross over it, and then turn left onto the footpath that takes you pass Lisson Grove Moorings, which should be on the other side of the towpath to where you’re walking. Just before the railway bridges, cross over the footpath over the river, and then follow the path under the railway bridges.
4. From here, follow the canal along the edge of Regents Park until you get to the Cumberland Turn Basin. When you get here, follow the canal to the left, which should take you pass an entrance into Camden Market, which you pass and cross over the bridge ahead of you towards Camden High Street. Once you reach it, turn left onto the A502/Camden High Street, and cross over the bridge, and just after crossing it, turn right back onto the Regents Canal towpath to the left of the canal, where you should pass a couple of locks and several bridges.
5. After some time, you should reach a railway bridge that leads into St Pancras International station. Walk under this and pass the St Pancras station, before making a sharp left hand turn about 100 metres after this to pass the Gasworks rail tunnels (Into King’s Cross station) and another basin. About 100 metres after this, there should be some steps taking you away from the canal where it goes into the Islington Canal Tunnel. Walk up these, and then cross over Muriel Street onto a footpath that takes you past a basketball court. This should take you to Maygood street, and at the end of this, turn right onto Penton Street before immediately turning left onto Tolpuddle Street.
6. After walking along here, turn right onto the A515/Liverpool Road before turning left onto the A1/Upper Street and then right onto Duncan Street. At the end of the road, cross over Colebrooke Row onto a footpath that takes you back to the Regents Canal towpath to the left of the canal, which you should keep following. Then when you reach Danbury Street, cross over it back onto the towpath and continue straight ahead when you pass the basin and under several bridges, including several railway bridges. This should eventually become the Kingsland Towpath, Dunston Road, Denne Terrace, Regents Row, Andrews Road, Pound Path and eventually the Towpath.
7. Just after you pass under a couple of railway bridge carrying the mainline and Docklands Light Railway (DLR), you should eventually reach the Limehouse Basin. To get to Limehouse station, turn back and walk across to the footbridge you just walk pass, turn left to cross over it, and follow the footpath parallel to the DLR viaduct, and the station should be on your right.

For a disability/wheelchair friendly version of this walk from Little Venice to Camden Market, see short walks for details about the London Waterbus Company (Little Venice).