Table of Contents
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Welcome to my Camden guide! This is one of my favourite areas of London, England, along with Shoreditch and Notting Hill. It’s often very busy but there’s always a friendly, open-minded atmosphere not to mention some of the best food in the city. In this Camden travel guide, I’ll help you plan the perfect visit.
CAMDEN ESSENTIALS
Copy of Lonely Planet London
Getting to London: Trainline / Busbud
Getting around: Tube / Bus
Where to stay: Booking.com / Hostelworld
Activities: GetYourGuide
Camden travel guide
Whether you’re backpacking the UK or a local on a minibreak, you won’t want to miss vibrant Camden.
While walking Camden High Street, you’ll see colourful features like this enormous Converse shoe and splashes of vibrant street art. Camden High Street is undoubtedly one of the most iconic streets in London but you should also get off the main road to find colourful houses and hidden gems.
Colourful places are always the ones I like the most so it’s hardly surprising I’m a fan… But saying that, who doesn’t like Camden? You could easily spend a whole day there – and with my guide, I hope you do!
Where is Camden & how do I get there?
Camden Town is in the borough of Camden in North London. It’s on the Northern Line and all the northbound Tube trains from central London stop there. Tap in and out with your Oyster or contactless bank card and it’ll cost you a few pounds to arrive in this bright, beautiful part of town.
Where to stay in Camden
Camden is a great part of London to base in. Check out:
St Christopher’s Camden: the best hostel chain in London is a great option with colourful social areas and comfy beds in large rooms with lots of space. Book from £15 a night.
London Backpackers: for 18-35s, this is the best spot in Camden to meet other travellers, have a few drinks and explore the area with. Book from £15 a night.
Hotel – Selina Camden is a lovely bright & colourful venue near the Roundhouse. There are funky, stylish bedrooms and an onsite restaurant. Book from £100 a night.
Camden guide – things to do
Next in my Camden travel guide, I’ll sum up the best things to do & places to explore.
Get lost in Camden Market
This indoor market is full of trinkets, clothes, food and bars. I spent all morning inside and didn’t see everything – it’s probably the biggest and coolest market I’ve ever been to.
It gets very busy so if you want a calmer visit, aim for as close to the 10am opening time as possible. If it’s the weekend and you want to eat at lunchtime, just embrace the madness!
Explore the street art
One of my favourite things to do in Camden
You can see some incredible pieces less than 5 minutes from the station… and yes, they make great backdrops for photo shoots!
Read next: Camden street art guide
Begin your day at the Coffee Jar
Next in my Camden guide, food!
This cafe is a good place to escape the market madness or start your day over breakfast. It’s tiny inside so be prepared to squeeze in with strangers and drink some of the best coffee around.
See Hartland Road’s colourful homes
I spend so much time promoting colourful houses all over the world I should at least get to live in one, don’t you think?
However small the Hartland Road homes, I’m sure they’re worth millions. But it will cost you nothing to stroll the this Instagrammable location in London and take some photos.
You’ll find Hartland Road a two-minute walk from Camden Market. It’s also less than a 15-minute walk to Kelly Street, Bonny Street and Chalcot Square which have yet more colourful houses.
Read next: The 5 colourful streets in London you need to visit
Catch live music at the Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a great gig venue and I’ve seen plenty of bands there over the years. If you visit in the summer, consider heading up to the fake beach on the roof where there’s tons of imported sand and a cocktail bar. When I paid London rent I couldn’t afford a beach holiday so this filled a void for me!
Walk the bridges + admire the lock
Thanks to the canal, Camden looks different to most other parts of London. Wander the bridges and look down on the boats or sit outside with a drink when the weather is nice. I don’t know what kind of blogger I am to promote Wetherspoons but it has great views of the water and it’s damn cheap!
Camden Market guide
Camden Market is a maze of alleyways and food markets with mini markets in between. Here’s how to experience the best of Camden Market:
Fill up on Chinese samples
Like free food? Of course you do!
Find the Chinese alleyway in Camden Market where the vendors hand out samples of their dishes. They all have the same deal – £5 for an enormous mixed tub of all the food you can pack in. I sometimes find Chinese food so oily that a couple of samples is all I need!
Wander the Stables Market
Once a horse stables and hospital, you’ll see features in this market relating back to its history. But you’ll probably barely notice with all the colour, noise and alternative style going on!
The Stables is part of Camden Market and is a series of winding streets where the horse stables once sat, plus an outside courtyard.
Find the Amy Winehouse statue
No guide to Camden would be complete without mentioning Amy Winehouse. A young Amy once lived in Camden and even worked at the market so it makes sense that there’s an ode to her today. You’ll find her statue in the open courtyard of the Stables.
Learn about Amy and other artists during an alternative Camden music tour with a local guide.
Indulge at KERB (behind Camden Market)
Foodies will never run out of things to do in Camden. Even though you’ll find amazing food throughout the main market and the Stables, I’d recommend visiting KERB beside the canal. You’ll find Vietnamese to Venezualan food, coffee, vegan tacos, ribs, desserts… the list goes on!
For me, the best thing to eat in Camden is halloumi fries from Oli Baba’s. I’ll never forget their salty goodness!
Find the lantern shop
The Turkish De-light shop in the Stables is indeed a delight! I’d love one of these lamps in my house but I’ll settle for coming to Camden and oggling these once in a while.
Other things to do in Camden….
Walk the towpath to Little Venice
If you complete the activities in this Camden guide, consider a 50-minute walk from Camden to Little Venice. You’ll pass London Zoo, a collection of absolutely amazing houses and lots of colourful canal boats. A few even double up as cafes – try the Waterside Cafe or Darcie & May Green which will be at end of the walk.
If you don’t fancy the exercise, catch a Regent’s Canal Waterbus cruise instead. This departs from Little Venice so you could either arrive into Camden this way, or walk to Little Venice to see the towpath then catch the boat back. Book a water bus for £11 on GetYourGuide.
Get a skyline view at Primrose Hill
A couple of years ago I saw in New Year’s Eve watching fireworks from Primrose Hill and I’ve had many a summer session admiring the view of the city. It’s just a 15-minute walk from Camden so why not head there with a picnic or a couple of beers?
Camden guide – where to eat
I’m finishing my Camden travel guide with food because what else could be as important? As well as the Coffee Jar mentioned above, there are lots of highly-rated places to eat in Camden. For all the best food in Camden, check out this guide. I’d recommend…
- Cheese Bar (the Stables) – expect cheese boards, fondue, grilled cheese sandwiches and loads of other glorious golden dishes. There’s a massive wine list to pair them with – heaven!
- Mildreds – I’ve heard great things about this veggie restaurant and its huge colourful portions.
- Porky’s, Camden High Street – NOT one for veggies, I love Porky’s generous-sized burgers.
- Arancini Brothers – these cheesy risotto balls from Sicily are well worth the 10-minute walk to Kentish Town Road!
Anything else you want to know about Camden? Drop me a message in the comments.
Thanks for reading my guide to Camden!
Visiting the UK?
Guidebooks – LP always get my seal of approval. Use the latest copy of Lonely Planet London / Lonely Planet England.
Flights (international and domestic) – I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going.
Car hire – use Rentalcars.com to compare car rentals in the UK (and all around the world).
For UK trains, I use Trainline. The search feature allows you to compare prices, and they show live departure times on the website.
For buses, I use Busbud. It’s the only site that compares UK coaches and buses. Find London to Manchester journeys for £1!
For hotels and self-catering apartments, I use Booking.com. You can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.com.
To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters, a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets.
I use GetYourGuide for tours & activities when I don’t want to travel solo. The guides are knowledgeable and you can’t beat the prices. I also check Viator as they often have fun and unique offerings.
For food tours pairing travellers with passionate local chefs and foodies, check out EatWith.
Need travel insurance? I use True Traveller (for Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote.
For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing.
Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and budget tips from my 10+ years on the road!
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Like London? Check out my other posts:
- 23 famous London roads worth visiting
- Free things to do in Greenwich
- The best London street food markets
- The 5 colourful streets in London you NEED to visit
- How to spend a Sunday in East London
- Most Instagrammable spots in London
- How to spend a day in Notting Hill
See you next time for more adventures,
Rose
Ps. Liked my Camden Town guide? Pin it for later!
