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Notting Hill to Kensington Walk
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Notting Hill to Kensington Walk

Portobello Road to the Royal Museums via hidden garden squares

4.5 km (2.8 miles) 3-4 hours Easy
Start
Notting Hill Gate Station
End
South Kensington Station
Best Time
Saturday morning (Portobello Market day)
Stops
5 locations

From the colourful antique stalls of Portobello Road to the grand museums of South Kensington, this walk takes you through some of London's most photogenic neighbourhoods. You'll pass pastel-coloured houses that inspired a hundred Instagram accounts, wander through hidden garden squares, explore the grounds of a royal palace, and finish at the world's greatest free museums. This is London at its most charming.

Route Map

The Route — 5 Stops

1Stop 1 of 5

Portobello Road Market

Start at the world's largest antique market. On Saturdays, Portobello Road transforms into a mile-long treasure hunt stretching from Notting Hill Gate to Ladbroke Grove. The southern end sells genuine antiques and vintage jewellery, the middle section has food stalls and fashion, and the northern end under the Westway has emerging designers and vinyl records. The pastel-painted houses along the road are the most Instagrammed in London.

Insider Tip

Come early (before 9:00 AM on Saturday) for the best antiques finds. The food stalls under the Westway canopy are excellent — try the Moroccan tagine and the German bratwurst.

2Stop 2 of 5

The Colourful Houses of Notting Hill

Wander east from Portobello Road into the residential streets of Notting Hill. Lancaster Road, Westbourne Grove, and Elgin Crescent are lined with candy-coloured Georgian townhouses in shades of pink, baby blue, lemon yellow, and mint green. This is the neighbourhood made famous by the Hugh Grant film — the blue door from the movie is on Westbourne Park Road.

Insider Tip

The best street for photos is Lancaster Road (near the junction with Portobello). For the famous blue door, head to 280 Westbourne Park Road — but please be respectful of residents.

3Stop 3 of 5

Kensington Palace & Gardens

Enter Kensington Gardens (the western extension of Hyde Park) and walk to Kensington Palace, the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The palace has been a royal home since 1689 — Queen Victoria was born here in 1819. The formal Sunken Garden is one of London's hidden gems: a geometric pond surrounded by lime trees and flowering beds.

Insider Tip

The Sunken Garden is free to view from the path and is stunning in spring/summer. The palace State Apartments are worth the entry fee for the King's Gallery and the Victoria Revealed exhibition.

4Stop 4 of 5

The Albert Memorial & Royal Albert Hall

Cross Kensington Gardens to the ornate Albert Memorial, a 54-metre Gothic Revival monument commissioned by Queen Victoria for her beloved husband Prince Albert. Across the road stands the Royal Albert Hall, the iconic circular concert venue that hosts the BBC Proms every summer. The red-brick exterior and terracotta frieze are magnificent even from outside.

Insider Tip

Guided tours of the Royal Albert Hall run daily and take you backstage, into the Royal Box, and up to the gallery. Book in advance — they sell out.

5Stop 5 of 5

Natural History Museum & V&A

Finish at Exhibition Road, home to two of the world's greatest museums — both completely free. The Natural History Museum's Romanesque terracotta cathedral houses dinosaur skeletons, the Darwin Centre, and an earthquake simulator. Next door, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is the world's largest museum of decorative arts: fashion, sculpture, photography, and architecture across 7 miles of galleries.

Insider Tip

The Natural History Museum's Hintze Hall with the blue whale skeleton is breathtaking. At the V&A, don't miss the Cast Courts (full-size replica of Trajan's Column) and the jewellery galleries on the first floor.

Premium PDF Guide

Get the Complete Notting Hill to Kensington Walk Guide

Our complete Notting Hill to Kensington PDF guide includes a Portobello Market haggling guide with insider price ranges, a secret garden squares trail (6 hidden gardens), Kensington Palace photography spots, and a curated list of the 10 best cafés along the route with our personal order recommendations.

  • Offline map — no internet needed
  • Best photography positions marked
  • Restaurant & café recommendations
Download PDF Guide
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The Historic City of London Walk
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East London Creative Quarter

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