This 10.3km walk route can be started at any point. As the walk is very central in London, there is much more to see than what is written about here. So, feel free to get a little lost on purpose and explore whatever catches your eye along the way.
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Route overview
Millennium Bridge was once nicknamed the Wobbly Bridge because of the apparent swaying felt by pedestrians the day it was opened. Thankfully, it was closed the same day for two years to be repaired and restored to its stable state today.
Millennium Bridge. Credit: TimeOut
Facing Millennium Bridge, turn left to walk along the Thames Path.
Part 1 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do and See With Map
Once under Waterloo Bridge, turn left and walk up the larger stairs to walk along the bridge and cross the river to the other side. Turn left onto Strand, then right onto Southampton Street. Follow the curve to the left onto Henrietta Street, then right toward King Street, all while passing Covent Garden. Turn left onto King Street, right onto Garrick Street, then right onto Rose Street. Turn right onto Floral Street, then left onto Conduit Court through the Infinity Chamber. Exiting the chamber, turn left onto Long Acre and, at the intersection, over onto Cranbourn Street to reach Leicester Square. Leaving Leicester Square, turn right onto Wardour Street, right onto Shaftesbury Street, and then left onto Dean Street.
Part 2 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do and See With Map
Although Covent Garden is a place where money is spent, therefore not free, it can be. If you have self-control, that is. And you left your wallet at home. Nevertheless, you can have a fun time appreciating the architecture and market. Here’s an interactive map to find a particular store you’d like to see.
Covent Garden Market Building. Credit: Covent Garden Website
Conduit Court holds the highly Instagrammable #Infinity Chamber. The chamber bulbs change colours throughout the year, keeping it fresh. It is also open 24 hours a day!
Conduit Court, Infinity Chamber. Credit: Sarah Wade
Leicester Square is quite a treat for all the movie lovers. Find bronze statues of Paddington, Mr Bean, Bugs Bunny, Gene Kelly, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many more. Listen to the podcast “Scenes in the Square”, where each podcast details information about each statue. If you listen to all episodes of the podcast, it should take about 30 minutes.
Indiana Jones Statue, Scenes in the Square. Credit: Secret London
Turn right onto Carlisle Street through Soho Square Gardens onto Sutton Row. Cross Charing Cross Road, and turn right to find Outernet on your left. Leaving Outernet, turn left on Charing Cross Road, then left onto Denmark Street. Follow the curve of the road to the right onto St. Giles High Street, which becomes High Holborn. At the intersection with New Oxford Street, continue slightly right to stay on High Holborn.
Part 3 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do and See With Map
Soho Square dates back to the 1680s, with the half-timbered black and white building built in 1895 and restored in 2009. The gardens were originally populated with almond, peach, cherry, lilac, roses, laburnum, and honeysuckle trees. The King Charles II statue has stood here since 1661. But not really, because it was moved in the 1800s, restored, placed elsewhere, and returned half a century later in 1938. The statue is over 300 years old, though.
Tudor House in Soho Square. Credit: Nigel Turner
Outernet runs an immersive and mixed-reality experience called the Butterfly Trail. It is truly magical and, best of all – free. Make sure you check the opening times here to avoid disappointment. Use your phone to project AR butterflies, “hold” them, and animate other objects on display.
Outernet. Credit: Travel with Style
Continue straight along Holborn, then onto Holborn Viaduct. Continue straight at the four-way intersection just after crossing over the viaduct. Turn the corner left onto King Edward Street, then right through Postman’s Park and past the Memorial of Heroic Self-Sacrifice. Leaving the park, turn right onto St. Martin’s Le Grand, then left onto Gresham Street and straight onto Lothbury. Turn right onto Bartholomew Lane, then left onto Threadneedle Street, and right onto Finch Lane. Walk through Ball Court (its name is engraved into the stone above the entryway) into Castle Court. Retrace your steps to the Ball Court entryway and turn right onto Cornhill.
Part 4 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do
Postman’s Park is a little peaceful oasis on the city’s outskirts. It’s a seemingly ordinary park, but it carries a bittersweet story. Along the wall beneath the awning are numerous tiles with the names of self-sacrificed heroes. Created by George Frederic Watts, it is a memorial to ordinary people who risked their lives to save others. This memorial is now Grade II listed.
Postman’s Park. Credit: The New Yorker
Castle Court is a quaint alleyway that dates back to roughly 1795, perhaps earlier. The George and Vulture pub has a long list of very famous visitors, including Charles Dickins, who referenced the pub numerous times in The Pickwick Papers.
Castle Court. Credit: Ian Visits
Retrace your steps to Cornhill and turn right, then left onto Bishopsgate. You will pass Horizon 22 on your right to reach St. Helen’s Place. You can choose which you’d like to visit first. Leaving St. Helen’s Place, turn left onto Bishopsgate and pass Horizon 22. Pass the Walkie Talkie (the second very large, rectangular glass building) on your left in Fenchurch Street and curve with the road to the right. Take the pedestrian tunnel, to exit onto King William Street towards London Bridge.
Part 5 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do
St. Helen’s Place provides a brilliant juxtaposition of the historic church and the modern Lloyds Building, or the Gherkin. The history of this church dates as far back as 1210, with restorations and repairs occurring in the following years. If you’d like to see the inside of the church, ring the doorbell at reception as they don’t have set visiting hours but are open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
St. Helen’s Place. Credit: Lorenz Consultancy
Horizon 22 has the highest and one of the best viewpoints of London for free! You do need to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment, and it is advised to book a few weeks in advance as it sells out quickly. If you’d like to make a fancy date out of it, they host Summer Sunset sessions which you can purchase tickets for here.
Horizon 22. Credit: Secret London
After crossing London Bridge, cross over the road to stay on the right. Cross under the bridge, turning right to go through Green Dragon Court. Exiting Dragon Court, walk directly along and underneath the bridge to turn left onto Middle Road at Cathedral Street. Continue onto Park Street, following its curve to the right. At Bank End, turn left to stay on Park Street. Turn right onto New Globe Walk towards Bankside, to find Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the left.
Part 6 of the London Walk- Free Things To Do
London Bridge is known to have fallen down. However, it is very often mistaken for Tower Bridge. You can imagine some of the widespread disappointment. Nevertheless, you are walking along a piece of history. The bridge has been rebuilt numerous times, with the first bridge dating back to Roman times in AD 40-50, which was built from timber. The bridge was rebuilt, fell down, and rebuilt again. Houses and stores were built along it, which were eventually demolished. The bridge you are walking on today was built in 1973 and has not since fallen down.
London Bridge. Credit: Britannica
Shakespeare’s Globe, or The Globe Theatre, was built in 1997 and has an open-air capacity of 1 570 people. It is based on the original Globe, which was built in 1566. Shows will always be performed here regardless of the weather. This is the only thatch-roofed building in London (you can imagine the struggle to allow this since the Great Fire of London in 1666), and has the twelve zodiac signs painted on the roof over the stage and is referred to as The Heavens. Tour walk around the interior, one would need to buy a ticket. However, you can take a virtual tour here and admire the building from the outside.
Globe Theatre. Credit: Travel+Leisure
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Resources:
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Information gathered from various sources including Wikipedia.