The Ultimate Self-Guided Notting Hill Walking Tour [+ map]

Do you want to take a Notting Hill walking tour? Then you need this complete guide to making your own way through Notting Hill!

This free self-guided walking tour in London allows you to see the very best of this fashionable district. From a local museum and street art gallery via Portobello Road Market, colourful houses, characterful theatres, film locations, and the best places to shop and eat, we’ll take you there.

The tour begins at Ladbroke Grove tube station. You can then work your way south, mainly via Portobello Road, with the odd detour along the way. All stops are of course optional, and you’ll find plenty of lovely places to stop and rest en route if you need a pick-me-up (coffee and a cupcake, anyone?)

You can also add leafy Holland Park and Kensington High Street to this Notting Hill self-guided walking tour, if you want to, before departing the area at Holland Park or High Street Kensington.

If you want to see all the Notting Hill tourist attractions – from the outside at least – without paying a penny, let’s get started!

Notting Hill is one of the prettiest areas of London

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⭐️ Prefer an organised walking tour? We have negotiated a 10% discount using promo code UKTRAVELPLANNING10 off the price of this Notting Hill walking tour with Brit Icon Tours – click here for more information and book a tour!

When to Take a Notting Hill Walking Tour

If you can, the best day to take your walking tour of Notting Hill is Saturday. This is the main market day for Portobello Road Market, and is when organised tours tend to show the area off to its best advantage.

You can take this tour any day of the week, though, depending on when you can. And also, perhaps, the Great British weather! Always set off as early as you can, as the Portobello Road area in particular can be crowded by the afternoon.

Your Free Notting Hill Walking Tour Itinerary

Ladbroke Grove tube station

Ladbroke Grove – Circle and Hammersmith & City lines

Arrive at Ladbroke Grove underground station to begin your walk. Head south down Ladbroke Grove, then turn right into Lancaster Road.

Museum of Brands

Not far along Lancaster Road you’ll spot the Museum of Brands on your left. This Notting Hill museum is centred on consumerism. It covers a 200-year period, from Victorian times to the present day. You can see more than 12,000 products people used to buy, including cars, cosmetics, food, magazines, music, toys, and household items.

Past TV ads are also screened, and you can walk through the Time Tunnel, which is set out in date order. The museum also has a cafe, a gift shop, and a lovely garden. Skip-the-line tickets are available if you want to save time on the day.

Click here to buy tickets for the Museum of Brands

Graffik Gallery

Once you leave the Museum of Brands, head right along Lancaster Road. Cross Ladbroke Grove, and continue until you reach the intersection with Portobello Road. Then take a left, heading north up Portobello Road. Graffik Gallery is up on the right, after Westway, aka the A40.

The gallery is devoted to street art, and even offers graffiti workshops.

Portobello Road Market

After leaving Graffik Gallery, head south down Portobello Road. If it’s a Saturday, the main market day, then you’ll have the most stalls to choose from.

Depending on the day, this famous market sells antiques, collectibles and vintage goods; fresh produce and street food; fashion and accessories; and more.

Lancaster Road’s colourful houses

Before heading too far down Portobello Road, head left along Lancaster Road again, in the opposite direction to where you came from earlier. This eastern section of Lancaster Road is where you’ll see some very colourful townhouses.

These are some of the brightest homes in Notting Hill, an area famous for its painted terraces.

St Luke’s Mews from Love Actually

Next, turn right onto Basing Street, and head a short way south to reach St Luke’s Mews on your left.

This long, cobbled street is one of London’s most photogenic. The pink house that featured in the film Love Actually is always a popular spot for selfies. These houses were originally stables, and the Mews also has pretty ironwork balconies and Victorian street lights.

The Tabernacle

Leave St Luke’s Mews where it joins St Luke’s Road. Turn right to head south, cross Westbourne Park Road, and walk to Powis Square via Powis Terrace. Here you’ll find the Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle is housed in a striking listed building, and is worth taking a look at even if you’re not heading inside. The venue offers a packed exhibitions and events programme, and also has a decent cafe bar.

Notting Hill bookshop from Notting Hill

After the Tabernacle, head back to Portobello Road via Talbot Road. Cross Portobello Road and continue. It becomes Blenheim Crescent after the intersection, and a short way along here you can see the bookshop from the Notting Hill movie.

Blue Door from Notting Hill

If you also want to see the blue door from Notting Hill, take a short detour up Portobello Road. The next left will take you to 280 Westbourne Park Road, where the famous blue door from the movie can be found.

Electric Cinema

Once you’ve seen the iconic bookshop, head back to Portobello Road and turn right. Your next stop is the Electric Cinema, on the left. This is among the UK’s oldest cinemas, and also offers friendly staff and comfortable sofas.

Arthouse and mainstream movies are screened here, and you can also find the Electric Diner on site. Check what’s on if you want to experience this historic cinema in Notting Hill.

Coffee or lunch

By now, it must be time for a break! Pick up something yummy from a street food stall at the market, or stop at one of the eateries on Portobello Road.

The options include French-American fare at the Electric Diner, baked goodies from Gail’s Bakery or the Hummingbird Bakery, both of which aren’t too far down from the Electric Cinema. Alternatively, the popular Farm Girl cafe is further south, past the interaction with Chepstow Villas.

Westbourne Grove

Also a great spot for another photo! Courtesy of Scalens Studio

You can also shop and eat on Westbourne Grove. Turn right when you reach the point where Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove intersect. You’ll find all manner of shops, cafes, and restaurants lining this popular street.

Coronet Theatre

After Westbourne Grove, head back to Portobello Road, and continue walking south. When Portobello Road ends, join Pembridge Road, which will take you towards Notting Hill Gate tube station. Cross Notting Hill Gate and head right to reach the next stop on your left.

The next – and possibly last – stop on your Notting Hill walk is at the Coronet Theatre. The historic building looks like a wedding cake, and has been home to a theatre since 1898. A varied programme including plays, dance, poetry, and more is offered at this attractive venue. Discover what’s on here.

Notting Hill Gate tube station

Notting Hill Gate – Central, Circle, and District Lines

Close to the Coronet Theatre is Notting Hill Gate tube station. You can choose to end your walk here, if you wish. Or if you feel like stretching your legs and walking further, add on

Holland Park.

Holland Park

This optional extra is well worth your time – especially if the weather is fine. The leafy park is southwest of Notting Hill Gate underground station. It’s home to all sorts of attractions, including sports courts, adventure and toddler playgrounds, woodland, and an ecology centre.

The Kyoto Garden here is a must, and all the manicured shrubs and water features make it a very relaxing place to be. Wherever you go, Holland Park is less crowded than other London parks, and you can normally find a pleasant, tranquil spot to take a break.

Holland Park or High Street Kensington tube station

Holland Park – Central line
High Street Kensington – Circle and District lines

If you do decide to continue the walk into Holland Park, you can either head back up towards Holland Park tube station once you’re done, or head down to Kensington High Street. Holland Park underground station is on Holland Park Avenue, north of the park.

Leaving via High Street Kensington will take longer, but it means you also get to see the southern end of Holland Park. Once you reach the end, turn left on Kensington High Street, and continue until you see the tube station on your right. Kensington High Street is a busy and popular hub, and there are plenty of shops and places to eat along here.

Paid Notting Hill Walking Tour

If you don’t want the do-it-yourself option, you can book an organised walking tour of Notting Hill. The walks are run by Brit Icon Tours, and through Get Your Guide you can book in advance and pay later. They take place on Saturdays, as that’s the main day for Portobello Road Market.

Lasting for two hours, your walk will be led by a local expert. After meeting by Notting Hill Gate station, you’ll head off exploring on foot, taking in everything from the iconic colourful houses in Notting Hill to movie locations, celebrity homes, the best local places to eat and drink, and Portobello Road Market.

Click here to book this walking tour of Notting Hill

Notting Hill Walking Tour Route Map [available soon!]

Getting to Notting Hill

The quickest and easiest way to reach Notting Hill is by tube. Notting Hill Gate is the main London Underground station. It’s on the Central, Circle, and District lines.

You can also reach the area by travelling to Ladbroke Grove, to the north of Notting Hill, or Westbourne Park station, to the northeast. Both of these are on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines.

This Notting Hill walking itinerary begins at Ladbroke Grove. Depending on where you decide to stop, it ends at Notting Hill Gate, Holland Park, or High Street Kensington tube station.

Will You Take a Notting Hill Walking Tour?

Enjoy a stroll through beautiful Notting Hill – also the perfect destination for a photoshoot

There is so much to see and do in Notting Hill. This is one of those London neighbourhoods that does make it seem like the city is a collection of individual villages, and it’s best discovered at walking pace.

Whether to make all the stops, or not, is entirely down to you. The route could easily fill an entire day if you dip into museums, theatres, galleries, shops, and cafes along the way. Heading into Holland Park also takes extra time, but it’s very much worth it if you can.

Allow at least two to three hours if you want to see most of the places outlined above. Photo stops are, of course, a must. Also, Notting Hill is a lovely area that’s best enjoyed without rushing around too much.

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