Scenic London Walks – LondonLifeTravelGirl

While countryside rambles are fab, you don’t need to leave London to enjoy a scenic stroll. I’ve listed seven of my fave walks of a modest distance that can be done in about an hour, but each can be extended for longer scenic rambles. I tend to opt for waterside and/or parkland strolls on my walks for a bit of nature in the midst of this great city so you’ll find plenty of that below. And of course, it’s not a true British walk without a pub stop, so I’ve suggested some for each route near the starting and ending points for fun in either direction. Happy rambling!!

The Queen’s Walk

I mean if it’s good enough for the Queen, it’s good enough for us, right? This walk is definitely the busiest walk on my list, but that’s because it passes sooo many of London’s most iconic landmarks! Named the Queen’s Walk in honour of one Elizabeth’s many jubilees, this Thames-side promenade through Southwark from Tower Bridge to Big Ben can be done in either direction. I typically head towards Tower Bridge because I never tire of that view, but at sunset, the other direction is magical and also allows you to continue on to Battersea Park if you want to end away from the crowds. Either way, this is a lovely walk with so many reminders of why London is an incredible city. And here’s a fun fact: Did you know Southwark is the oldest borough of London? In fact it’s actually older than London itself! No wonder there are so many historic sites along the way.

Extensions: There are walkways on both sides of the river so you can nearly double the distance simply by crossing the bridges as you walk the path to take in the views from all sides. One of my fave extensions though is to continue along the river to Battersea Park for a lovely green space to end your journey.
Pub stops: A unique pub at the Tower Bridge end of this route is the Vault 1894 which is actually under the bridge itself with fab waterside views. At the Parliament end of the route, my personal fave is the Tattershall Castle which is a boat that’s permanently moored on the Embankment side of the river overlooking Southbank.

Little Venice to Coal Drops Yard

For a waterside walk that isn’t the Thames, try Regent’s Canal. It’s gorgeous year round and particularly colourful in Autumn as the leaves change. Starting at Little Venice you’ll follow the towpath lined with lovely narrowboats and grand Regency homes, pass through leafy Regents Park and hear the animals of London Zoo, then pass colourful Camden Lock where you can either pop up into the buzz of eclectic Camden Market or continue along the peaceful canal towpath and onto Coal Drops Yard which was once full of coal warehouses and is now full of trendy shops and restaurants. Just past Coal Drops Yard is the Word on the Water bookshop in a narrowboat which is def worth a stop. It’s a lovely London walk!

Extensions: Regents Canal extends all the way from Paddington to Limehouse so you can certainly do a longer canal walk. Easy extensions to this particular part of the route can be done by exploring more of Regents Park or heading up Primrose Hill for spectacular views back over London.
Pub stops: My fave eateries on this walk aren’t actually pubs, but they’re great! Café Laville spans Regents Canal with lovely views of Little Venice; the Camden Lock area is full of fun food trucks and market stalls; and Coal Drops Yard is the place for trendy eateries.

Limehouse Basin to St Katherine’s Docks

This is a scenic walk between two iconic London spots along a waterway path that’s often quiet. I usually see more swans than people here! From the colourful narrowboats of Limehouse Basin, head to the Thames and walk along the river towards Shadwell with a short stroll through King Edward’s Park to Shadwell Basin. The Basin itself is lovely to circle, or even hop in a paddle boat if you fancy a bit of water time. From there you can pick up a quiet canal path to Hermitage Basin and then stroll along St Katherine’s Way (with a pop down the Alderman’s Stairs where at low tide you can walk out for a lovely riverside view of Tower Bridge). St Katherin’s Way will take you to St Katherine’s Docks with its posh boats and fun eateries – a seriously scenic end to the walk!

Extensions: This is an easy walk to extend along the Thames in either direction, the easiest of which is to simply continue to Tower Bridge and along the iconic Queens Walk noted above.
Pub stops: The walk has two of my fave Dickens-inspired pubs. On the Limehouse end is The Grapes which has stood on this spot for nearly 500 years with lovely Thameside views and ties to Dickens himself. In St Katherine’s Docks is the Dickens Inn which was opened by Dickens’ grandson with its timbered balconies overlooking the docks.

Greenwich to the Gun

I couldn’t make a list of London walks without including Greenwich, and this is one of my faves to escape the crowds — A little Lord Nelson pub stroll, with many nautical ties along the way. From the maritime scene at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich you’ll enjoy a walk under the Thames through the historic Greenwich foot tunnel to Island Gardens for some lovely views back over Greenwich, and then a scenic stroll along the Thames (with the Thames on your right). Unlike in Central London, this part of the river is usually quiet. It even has a little beach along the way if you’d like to dip your toes into the water. The views along the way are of the re-purposed warehouses of the docklands, now mostly pretty residences and the iconic O2. The best part is that the walk ends at one of my fave pubs in all of London – the Gun! And here’s a fun fact: it was here at the Gun that Nelson used to meet his love Emma Hamilton.

Extensions: If you’re up for a longer walk you can extend with a stroll through the lovely (and hilly!) Greenwich Park on the Greenwich end of the walk, or by continuing past the Gun along the docklands of Canary Wharf to colourful Limehouse Basin.
Pub stops: Since this is nautical country I’ve suggested two pubs with Nelson ties. First, the Gun, of course. It’s gorgeous yearround but especially in summer when the roof terrace overlooking the O2 is open. Second, on the Greenwich end is the Trafalgar Tavern with its statue of Lor Nelson and nautical flags flying above a lovely riverside view.

Royal Parks Half

I love that London is packed with green spaces. One of the iconic races in London is the annual Royal Parks Half Marathon, and the route through four lovely royal parks is easy to find online. Luckily, you don’t have to cover a half marathon distance to enjoy these gorgeous parks (unless you want to of course!). My personal fave route is to start with flower-filled St James’ Park, then pass by Buckingham Palace into Green Park for a circle around the tree-lined paths. From there you can cross into spacious Hyde Park and promenade along the Serpentine like a scene from a period drama before heading into lovely Kensington Gardens with Kensington Palace to add to the view.

Extensions: This route is easy to extend by exploring more of the parks, and as an example the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial walk which starts in Kensington Gardens has 90 plaques marked throughout the four royal parks with a total distance of about 12 kilometres. Alternatively, for a shorter extension from Kensington Gardens you can head a short way down Kensington High Street to one of my fave London parks – the lovely Holland Park.
Pub stops: I enjoy stopping for a drink/bite at the café in Hyde Park overlooking the Serpentine, but for a fab pub experience head to the Churchill Arms just down the road from Kensington Gardens. The flower baskets outside the pub and the atmosphere inside are brilliant!

Limehouse Basin to Olympic Park

I love walking in Queen Victoria Olympic Park, and I found this route during Covid when I needed to walk to the park instead of taking public transport to get there. This route combines quiet waterside and parkland strolls in not-so-quiet East London. Start at Limehouse Basin and head north along this peaceful part of Regent’s Canal then cross through Mile End Park with its sweeping views of Canary Wharf and then onto lovely Victoria Park with its tree-lined avenues. Head east through Victoria Park and from there you can pick up another colourful canal (the Hertford Union Canal) which will take you to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which is packed full of outdoor activities to enjoy.

Extensions: For a longer walk you can extend by exploring Victoria Park along the way or Queen Elizabeth Park at the end. Both are beautiful!
Pub stops: If you’re extending your time in Victoria Park, the People’s Park Tavern is a lovely parkside pub with a huge beer garden. Further on the route as you get to Olympic Park is Barge East, a fun floating barge with riverside seating and a festive atmosphere. Alternatively, the Westfield centre in Stratford is packed full of eateries with indoor and outdoor seating.

Richmond Circular

Okay some might point out that Richmond doesn’t actually have a London postcode, but it is still officially one of the London Boroughs and reachable on the tube – plus it’s beautiful! One great Richmond walk I love is a circular route from the station into Richmond Park and following the edge of the park around to Petersham and then along the tree-lined promenade to Ham House and Gardens. From there you can follow the Thames along the river back towards Richmond. There’s a riverside swimming spot at Petersham Meadows if you fancy a dip or a little further along you can hire a rowboat for a little water time, and you can end your circle with a stroll along Richmond Green for Ted Lasso vibes.

Extensions – It’s easy to extend this walk by extending the route through lovely (and massive!) Richmond Park. The 40-acre Isabella Plantation in the park is worth a visit all on its own, especially in late Spring when the azaleas are bursting with colour.
Pub stops — Richmond is packed with lovely riverside pubs, or for a bit of Ted Lasso fun you can stop at the Prince’s Head on Richmond Green. Alternatively, along your walk in Petersham is the gorgeous Petersham Nurseries with a tea house and a fab restaurant (though you’ll need to book)

Conclusion

I hope this list of scenic London walks has inspired you to get out and explore this beautiful city!