Notting Hill & Portobello streets
the prettiest streets in london, for free
The pastel houses and film-famous streets of Notting Hill, free to roam, all candy-coloured terraces and secret garden squares.
Free to visit · Notting Hill · Notting Hill Gate · W11 1LU
Opening: Always open
Notting Hill is one of those neighbourhoods people travel across the world to photograph, and walking it costs nothing. The streets off Portobello Road are lined with terraces painted in sherbet pinks, blues and yellows, and the whole area has a relaxed, slightly bohemian feel that the films only half capture.
Half the fun is just getting lost. Wander up Portobello Road, cut along Lancaster Road and Elgin Crescent, peer through the railings at the private communal gardens, and you will keep finding prettier and prettier corners. On Saturdays the famous market fills the road with antiques, food and vintage stalls.
It is a neighbourhood made for aimless strolling, camera in hand, with a cafe stop whenever you fancy. Come on a quiet weekday and you will have those candy-coloured streets almost to yourself.
Getting there: From Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove stations, then wander north and west into the pastel streets.
Best time to go: A bright weekday morning for empty pavements, or Saturday if you want Portobello Market in full swing.
Insider tip: For the pastel houses without the crowds, skip Saturday and come on a weekday morning. Lancaster Road and the streets around St Luke's Mews have the most photogenic runs of colour.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide