East London Creative Quarter

Shoreditch to Brick Lane — street art, markets, and London's coolest neighbourhood

3.8 km (2.4 miles) 3-4 hours Easy

Start

Shoreditch High Street Overground

End

Whitechapel Station

Best Time

Sunday morning (all markets open, Brick Lane buzzing)

Stops

5 locations

Forget the tourist London of postcards. East London is where the city's creative pulse beats loudest. This walk takes you through the street art capital of Europe, past the curry houses of Brick Lane, through vintage markets bursting with one-of-a-kind finds, and into the craft beer bars and independent coffee shops that have made Shoreditch the coolest neighbourhood in Britain. This is the London that Londoners love most.

Route Map

The Route — 5 Stops

1Stop 1 of 5

Shoreditch Street Art Trail

Start at Shoreditch High Street and immediately plunge into the world's greatest open-air gallery. Every surface — walls, shutters, phone boxes, bins — is covered in street art by international artists. Rivington Street, Great Eastern Street, and the alleys off Curtain Road are dense with murals that change weekly. Look for works by Banksy, Stik, Ben Eine, and ROA.

Insider Tip

The best street art concentrates around Rivington Street, Fashion Street, and the Nomadic Community Garden on Shoreditch High Street. Works change constantly — that's the point.

2Stop 2 of 5

Boxpark Shoreditch & Old Spitalfields Market

Boxpark Shoreditch is a shipping container mall with independent food vendors — grab a specialty coffee or a Korean bao bun. Continue south to Old Spitalfields Market, a covered market under a Victorian glass roof that has traded since 1638. Depending on the day: vintage clothes (Thursday), antiques (Wednesday), or independent designers (weekends).

Insider Tip

Thursday is the best day for Spitalfields — the vintage and antiques stalls are excellent and far less crowded than the weekend. The Ottolenghi stall in the market is superb.

3Stop 3 of 5

Brick Lane

London's most famous multicultural street. The northern end is the curry capital of Britain — dozens of Bangladeshi restaurants compete for your attention with touts and special offers. The southern end has transformed into a hipster paradise of vintage shops, independent galleries, bagel shops (the Beigel Bake has been open 24/7 since 1974), and the Sunday UpMarket with 140+ food and craft stalls.

Insider Tip

The Beigel Bake at 159 Brick Lane is a London institution — open 24 hours, a salt beef bagel costs under £5 and is enormous. The queue moves fast.

4Stop 4 of 5

Columbia Road Flower Market (Sunday only)

If walking on a Sunday, detour to Columbia Road — a narrow Victorian street that transforms into London's most beautiful market. From 8:00 AM, the entire street fills with flower sellers, their stalls overflowing with orchids, sunflowers, roses, and rare plants. The atmosphere is intoxicating: cockney traders shouting prices, the scent of fresh flowers, and independent shops lining both sides.

Insider Tip

Arrive by 8:30 AM for the full experience and the best selection. By noon, sellers slash prices to clear stock — you can pick up extraordinary bouquets for £5. Sunday only.

5Stop 5 of 5

Whitechapel Gallery & The Blind Beggar

End at the Whitechapel Gallery, one of London's most important contemporary art spaces (free entry), which first exhibited Picasso's Guernica to the British public in 1939. Nearby, the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road is where Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell in 1966 — one of the most infamous moments in London's gangland history. Today it's a perfectly pleasant pub.

Insider Tip

The Whitechapel Gallery's ground floor shows and café are free. Check their website for current exhibitions — they consistently show some of London's most exciting contemporary art.

Premium PDF Guide

Get the Complete East London Creative Quarter Guide

Our complete East London PDF guide includes a self-guided street art map with 30+ must-see murals and their exact locations, a Brick Lane food guide with our top 8 curry houses ranked, a vintage shopping price guide, and a Sunday market schedule covering all 5 East London markets with timings and specialties.

Offline map — no internet needed
Best photography positions marked
Restaurant & café recommendations

Download PDF Guide

Previous Walk

Notting Hill to Kensington Walk

Explore More

All Walking Guides Our Recommendations Luxury Hotels London Experiences London Stories