15 Free Self Guided London Walks (including a walking map of London)
What better way to get a glimpse into true London than by walking its streets! Perhaps you have a love of the outdoors and want to pair this with a spot of sightseeing, or you’re travelling on a budget and want to see as much of the city as possible while avoid public transport costs. These 15 free self guided London walks provided in this post can help you to experience London on foot.
These walking tours offer an immersive and budget-friendly way to get around London, soaking in the rich history, iconic landmarks, and vibrant neighborhoods. From royal palaces, to bustling markets, and boutique shopping, each self guided walk comes with an interactive walking map of London to help you navigate the city.
The best thing about these walks is the flexibility, take something from one and pair it with something else from another one. There are shorter walks that can be done in one day if you only have 24 hours in London, or there are longer walks that by the nature of the stops along the way are designed to be done over several days.
What’s in this post?
If there is a self guided walk in this post that you’re particularly interested in you can skip straight there by clicking on the name of that walk in the contents section below. If not, then continue reading to learn all about the free self guided London walks.
Is London a walkable city?
Realistically, London is too large to walk around the entire city but you can easily explore central London or individual neighbourhoods on foot. You can easily walk around London with wide footpaths, several large parks and maps dotted throughout the city. It’s a great way to experience the architecture and inane personality of London while also visiting the main tourist sites which are mostly confined to central London
Self guided London walks under 2 hours
London Shopping
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 45 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Piccadilly Circus
- Saville Row
- Bond Street
- Oxford Street
- Covent Garden
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Piccadilly Circus underground station which runs the Piccadilly and Bakerloo line. At the end of this walk is the Covent Garden underground station which runs the Piccadilly line.
Camden
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Madame Tussauds
- Sherlock Holmes Museum
- Regents Park
- Primrose Hill
- Camden Market
- Camden Stables Market
- Camden High Street
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Baker Street underground station which runs the Metropolitan, Circle, and Hammersmith and City lines. At the end of this walk is the Camden Town underground station which runs the Northern line.
Notting Hill
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Notting Hill Bookshop
- The Blue Door, Notting Hill Film Location
- Portobello Road Market
- Museum of Brands
- Holland Park
- Holland House
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Notting Hill Gate underground station which runs the central, circle and district lines. At the end of this walk is the Holland Park underground station which runs the central line.
Buckingham Palace, Westminster and Big Ben
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Buckingham Palace
- The Mall
- Trafalgar Square
- Horse Guards Parade
- Downing Street
- Churchill War Rooms
- Westminster Abbey
- Houses of Parliament
- Big Ben
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Green Park underground station which runs the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. At the end of this walk is the Westminster underground station which runs the Circle, District and Jubilee lines.
Kings Cross
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 1 hour and 25 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- The British Library
- The British Museum
- Charles Dickens Museum
- Regent’s Canal Towpath
- Granary Square
- The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4
What are the tube stations on this route?
This walk starts and ends at the Kings Cross underground station which runs the Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith and City, and Thames Link lines.
South Bank
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Tower Hill Memorial
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- HMS Belfast
- Borough Market
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Tate Modern
- London Eye
- London Dungeon
- The Graffiti Tunnel
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Tower Hill underground station which runs the Circle, and District lines. At the end of this walk is the Waterloo underground station which runs the Jubilee, Bakerloo, Northern, and Waterloo and City lines.
Self Guided London Walks – over 2 hours
Kensington Palace to Leicester Square
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 10 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Kensington Palace
- Hyde Park
- Harrods
- Wellington Arch
- Buckingham Palace
- St James’s Park
- Westminster Abbey
- Big Ben
- Horse Guards Parade
- Trafalgar Square
- Piccadilly Circus
- Hamley’s Toy Store
- Leicester Square
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Queensway underground station which runs the Central line. At the end of this walk is the Leicester Square underground station which runs the Piccadilly and Northern lines.
Chelsea
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- BBC Earth Experience
- Chelsea FC Football Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Chelsea Embankment
- Battersea Park
- Battersea Power Station
- Chelsea Flower Show
- Saatchi Gallery
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Earls Court underground station which runs the District line. At the end of this walk is the Sloane Square underground station which runs the Circle and District line.
Tower Bridge to Buckingham Palace
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Borough Market
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- London Eye
- Big Ben
- Palace of Westminster
- Westminster Abbey
- Horse Guards Parade
- Trafalgar Square
- St James’s Park
- Buckingham Palace
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Tower Hill underground station which runs the Circle, District lines. At the end of this walk is the Green Park underground station which runs the Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines.
Kensington
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Hyde Park (Peter Pan Statue)
- Kensington Palace
- Natural History Museum
- Hyde Park (Princess Diana Memorial Fountain)
- Harrods
- Wellington Arch
- Marble Arch
- Frameless Immersive Art Experience
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Lancaster Gate underground station which runs the central line. At the end of this walk is the Marble Arch underground station which also runs the central line.
Greenwich
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- The O2 (The Millennium Dome)
- Greenwich Park
- The Royal Observatory
- Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum
- Mudchute Farm and Park
- Isle of Dogs
- Canary Wharf
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the North Greenwich underground station which runs the Jubilee line. At the end of this walk is the Canary Wharf underground station which runs the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines.
London Parks
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 2 hours and 50 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how long you explore the parks for.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- St James’ Park
- Green Park
- Hyde Park
- Kensington Gardens
- Regent’s Park
- Primrose Hill
- Hampstead Heath
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the St James’s Park underground station which runs the circle and district lines. At the end of this walk is Hampstead Heath which runs the overground line.
London Tourist Sites
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 3 hours and 10 minutes but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Kensington Palace
- Harrods
- Buckingham Palace
- Big Ben
- London Eye
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Tower of London
- Jack the Ripper Museum
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Queensway underground station which runs the central line. At the end of this walk is the Tower Hill underground station which runs the circle and district lines.
London Markets
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 3 hours and 45 minutes but will take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how long you spend at each market.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Portobello Road Market
- Camden Market
- Camden Stables Market
- The Apple Market
- Borough Market
- Mercato Metropolitano
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Notting Hill Gate underground station which runs the Central, Circle and District lines. At the end of this walk is the Borough underground station which runs the Northern line
Culture of London
How long does this walk take?
This walk takes around 4 hours but can take longer depending on how fast you walk it and how many additional stops you make.
What can you see on this self-guided walk?
- Frameless Immersive Art Experience
- The Sherlock Holmes Museum
- The British Library
- The British Museum
- Tate Modern
- Leake Street
- The Imperial War Museum
- London Transport Museum
- The National Gallery
- The National Portrait Gallery
- Churchill War Rooms
- Saatchi Gallery (Museum of Contemporary Art)
- V&A Museum
- Natural History Museum
What are the tube stations on this route?
At the start of this walk is the Marble Arch underground station which runs the Central line. At the end of this walk is the South Kensington underground station which runs the Circle, District and Piccadilly lines.
FAQ’s about the self guided London walks
Is it safe to walk around London at night?
In general London is a safe city, even if you’re out at night. Most of the city is well lit, it’s normally busy well into the early hours, and public transport runs for 24 hours in London so you’ll always be able to get where you need to be.
However, like any big city London has its share of crime so it’s best to practice safe travelling as you should wherever you go. Don’t leave your drinks unattended, be vigilant of your bag and pockets on the underground and in busier crowds, and keep valuables like passports or expensive jewellery out of sight or locked up in your hotel room.
What are the free walking apps for London?
There are tons of free walking apps that you can use to show your route around London. Some of the most popular ones include Go Jauntly, Map My Walk and Strava.
Can you walk along the Thames in London?
You can walk along both side of the Thames, in fact there’s a trail you can do called the Thames Path that takes you 180 miles along the side of the river. The most popular walk is along the South Bank which is known for it’s performers, parks, bars, cafe’s, and the famous landmark – the London Eye.
Summary of the Self Guided London Walking Tours
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Are you planning a trip to London?
Planning a trip to London takes more effort than just deciding when to travel, and what hotel to stay in. There is so much to plan from how to get around London to how easy and safe is it to walk around London and even which international airport in London to fly into.
Whether you’re spending one day in London or planning a trip of the UK, we have loads of information to help you plan your vacation down to the smallest detail, from creating a travel itinerary to which airport to fly into, and things to do in each region from Legoland in Windsor to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland.
