Going for a beautiful London canal walk is one of my favourite things to do in the capital. You’re guaranteed an experience of tranquillity feeling closer to nature while being right in the city centre. If you ever wondered which canal walk to choose, which places to stop by and what to look out for, look no further!

It’s no secret London has an impressive canal system with decades of history. It spreads through the city from East to West, from North to South. There is one London canal walk in particular, however, that beats them all – the one along the Regent’s Canal. It takes you for a 15km (9+ miles) stroll all the way from Limehouse Basin to Little Venice, showing how different and beautiful London is. All right near some of the busiest and popular landmarks and areas!

You can undeniably make the most of 15km and go for an enjoyable jog, bike ride or fast-paced walk, like many people you’ll see. Otherwise, why not explore some of the hidden gems, spread along this wonderful London canal walk?

What food to get at the Limehouse Basin?

First of all, let’s start at the lovely Limehouse Basin. I call it “mini-Monaco” for its white yachts mooring in the peaceful bay. If you need to get a boost of energy before the walk kicks off, there is a wonderful restaurant across the basin called The Narrow. It’s a fantastic gastropub, one of Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurants, with great river views and delicious food. Choose from the bar, restaurant and terrace to get yourself comfortable. If there’s only one thing you want to try from the menu, without a doubt go for Ramsay’s sticky toffee pudding – it’s heaven on plate.

Alternatively, grab a quick meal, coffee on-the-go or rest with a book at Husk Coffee & Creative Space. It’s a lovely place to come to with your laptop or studies and also a great space where they organise some events and exhibitions for the local community.

Unexpected fun activities along the Mile End Park

Now that you are (hopefully) energised, go down from the main road to the canal. Follow the path for about a kilometer or so (0.5m) before you see Mile End Park on your right side. Other than chilling in the park, you can also walk to Revolution Karting – a 750-meter outdoor go karting track for real petrolheads. Prices here start from £25 / person and you have many options to pick from, like lunch & go-karting bundle or open racing.

As you go back to our London canal walk, continue walking for just under 1km and look on your right. Here you’ll see Mile End Climbing Wall – one of the greatest climbing walls in the capital. Whether you’ve tried climbing before or not, this is the best place for any level. It offers many lessons and courses, I highly recommend it.

Mandatory stop-over for some greenery

Walk for 10 more minutes and see beautiful Victoria Park, home to many statues and fountains. Two most important things to do in Victoria Park are: 1) see impressive Chinese Pagoda at West Boating Lake and 2) if you come here on Sunday – Victoria Park Market. There are also multiple events and festivals taking place here regularly, so check out Victoria Park website for more information.

Curiosities at the London canal walk

15 mins further along the canal, walk-up to a street at the end of 4 Pound Path to find and explore a very unusual place. Ever heard of The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities? This is a museum-Wunderkabinett, full of weird and often disturbing collections of everything that caught an eye of the creative owner. Think skeletons of two-headed children and animals, a collection of strange sex books, unusual objects of famous people, such as The Rolling Stones used condoms and others… You’d find some great pieces of fine art in here next to scary tribal masks from New Guinea, having a dolphin skeleton hanging above your head.

The venue also has The Last Tuesday Society – a great bar with some delicious cocktails, inspired by the library of the museum and an impressive selection of absinthe. Whether you feel like the museum is something up your street or not quite, I suggest you visit the bar for an unusual experience. You can try armour tail scorpions or chocolate covered superworms in here as a snack to your cocktails in a room full of dimmed lights and candles. Somewhat romantic date for goths perhaps? If you visit the museum, tickets are priced at just £6 / person and include a free cup of tea upon request.

More food!

Continue walking for further 5 mins and you’ll get to Broadway Hackney Market which is open on Saturdays. It’s one of the oldest markets in London, offering the best produce to the community: from farmed goods to hand-made art. Some say it’s the best market in London. It’s not touristy, so gives the proper authentic vibe and feel of East London and its locals.

Walk, my Angel

After the Broadway Hackney Market, I suggest you walk non-stop to Angel, which is roughly 40 mins (3+ km, around 2 miles). You’ll pass few cafes on your way the sell local produce but since I haven’t tried them yet, can’t recommend! Let me know if you know of any nice places along the way.

Once you get to Angel, come up to street and walk straight for about 15 mins. On your way, you’ll pass a lovely small shopping centre Angel Central before you hit the canal again.

Kings’ Cross

After 10 mins of walking along the canal you’ll find yourself in the heart of Kings’ Cross, with some fantastic restaurants around. Try Dishoom for fantastic breakfasts (see more here) as well as simply great Bombay food and drinks. My other favourite is British / European Granary Square Brasserie – a stunning restaurant that’s part of The Ivy Collection. The atmosphere here is elegant and sophisticated, yet relaxes, it feels like a place you go to for a treat.

What’s next, Camden?

Off we go for another 20 mins or so of walking along the canal till we get to the famous Camden Lock with its eclectic market and alternative crowd. You can easily lose yourself in the market and spend a whole day here. There is some great street food on offer, shopping and plenty of unusual venues. Visit Cyberdog – all-neon-glow-in-the-dark shop with live music, selling varied items from clothes for sports and raving to sexy items. Book an evening at The Comedy Loft Comedy Club to laugh your head off on a Saturday night. Otherwise, just chill near the Camden Lock, while preferably sipping a drink, snacking on the food from the market and watching the passer-bys.

As you walk at the canal near Camden, watch out for some of Banksy’s graffitis. There are supposedly four of them!

Regent’s Park and London Zoo

Just 10 mins away from the madness of Camden, you can find calm and (relative) peace as you get to the Regent’s Park. One of the Royal Parks of London, the Regent’s Park is famous for its children’s playgrounds, central London’s largest outdoor sports area and 12,000 roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens, so there’s plenty to explore.

Since you’d be passing very closely by the London Zoo, why not pop in to check it out? Initially intended as a natural collection used for scientific studies, today London Zoo is the oldest scientific zoo in the world. It has a lot of interesting experiences on offer.

Friday Zoo Nights invite visitors to enter the animal kingdom after 6pm to attend some animal-inspired talks and events. Or why not become a Zoo Keeper for a day and make your childhood dreams come true? There’s plenty more to explore and attend here, check The London Zoo site for further information.

Little Venice – destination of our London canal walk

Finally, 3 km / 2 miles or so later, you’d arrive to our destination – the stunning area called Little Venice. Named so after its fantastic views over the canal, this picturesque area is famous for some cool places to enjoy. Go to Sheldon Square amphitheatre to observe the business part of the area. Make the most of summer events they put on! When there are some big sports events on, the amphitheatre puts a massive screen on for everyone to enjoy while chilling on the grass.

If you start your route here, to walk towards the Limehouse Basin, I highly recommend to have breakfast or brunch here. My favourite spot is Darcie & May Green – a floating Australian restaurant with a killed breakfast and brunch menu. The canal restaurant is a floating piece of art, designed by Sir Peter Blake. Also, come here to enjoy the canal views from from the restaurant! Alternatively, try one of cute little floating cafes nearby.

London canal walk is always a fun thing to do. I hope I provided some useful tips for you guys of how to make the most of it. I love hearing back from you, so please get in touch if you have any comments or suggestions of more cool places along the way. Final tip for you: make sure to wear comfortable shoes! 🙂