Lady’s Guide to a Holland Park Walk

It’s time for another self-guided London walking tour. I’ve gotten great feedback on my walks in west London, so I want to add another to the mix. Holland Park is one of my favorite places in the city to soak up colorful houses, pretty mews, and gorgeous gardens. If you want to explore the area’s highlights and hidden corners, here’s A Lady in London’s self-guided Holland Park walk. There’s a map, too.

Holland Park

Right next to Notting Hill and Kensington, London’s Holland Park rivals its neighbors in beauty. Its pretty park, world-class museums, and quiet mews make it worth a wander.

The area’s high street packs lots of good shops and restaurants into a compact space, and its rows of colorful houses are some of the most picturesque in the city.

Holland Park Walk

My self-guided Holland Park walk will take you through this London neighborhood’s best streets and green spaces.

From the mews to the Kyoto Garden, it will give you a broad overview of everything there is to love about this part of the UK capital.

Self-Guided London Walking Tour

This London walk starts at the Holland Park tube station. When you get there, turn left out of the station and cross the street.

Walk down Holland Park Avenue until you reach the street called Holland Park. Turn right onto it and make your way along the crescent until you reach the entrance to the park called Holland Park (lots of similar names here!).

Spend as much time as you like exploring the park. Don’t miss the woodland paths, the Kyoto Garden, or the manicured gardens near the Orangery. If you want to, you can even pop into the Design Museum to see what’s on.

When you’re done exploring the park, exit at the southern gate onto Kensington High Street. Turn right, then take another right on Melbury Road.

If you’d like, you can take your next left onto Holland Park Road and visit the Leighton House Museum. It has stunning interiors and art to discover.

If not, continue on Melbury Road as it curves around, taking in the beautiful houses and manicured hedges as you go.

Turn right on Abbotsbury Road, then right again on Ilchester Place, following it down until you reach the entrance to Holland Park at the end.

Go back into the park and make your way north to the gate you first entered the park through.

When you get there, turn left out of the gate and walk down the street called Holland Park. The houses are beautiful here, so make sure to have your camera ready.

When you reach the end of the street, turn right. The street you’ll turn onto is also called Holland Park. Follow it north one street, then turn right on Holland Park Mews.

As you enter through the arch, you’ll see why this street is one of the prettiest in the area. Its external staircases make it unique, not to mention photogenic.

Walk all the way down the mews, then turn left on Holland Park to return to Holland Park Avenue.

Once there, cross the street and take a left. The avenue is full of shops and cafes, so it’s a good place to take a break or have a browse.

Continue down the avenue to Royal Crescent, turning right and following the arc around. At the top, take a right on St Ann’s Villas and walk up to Queensdale Road.

Turn left on Queensdale Road, taking in the row of pastel houses on the left as you go.

When you reach Royal Crescent Mews, turn left and spend some time exploring the street. When you’re done, retrace your steps along Queensdale Road and turn left on St Ann’s Villas. The brick buildings here are beautiful.

Take a right on St James’s Gardens and follow it along the leafy square and church, continuing as it becomes Penzance Street.

At the end, take a left on Princedale Road then a right on Penzance Place. There are more colorful buildings to be found here, so make sure to keep an eye out for them.

Where Penzance Place meets Portland Road, you’ll find yourself in a little cluster of shops and restaurants. Explore this area for as long as you want, then head south on Portland Road to go back to Holland Park Avenue.

Once on Holland Park Avenue, turn left and make your way back to the tube station. Your self-guided Holland Park walk ends here.

Holland Park Walk Details and Map

I’ve published other London walks and compiled them in my London walking tours blog post.

There are more great walks outlined in London’s Hidden Walks, too. You can get it here. There are further ideas in my London walking books post as well.

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