Where to stay
London areas compared
Who each neighbourhood suits, what hotels cost and the nearest stations. Tap Hotels for live prices on the map.
| Area | Best for | Hotels | Stations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestminsterUpper-mid price, quiet after the office crowds leave, with the Jubilee, District and Circle lines on the doorstep. | First-timers, History lovers, Families | ££ | Westminster, St. James's Park | Hotels |
| St James'sExpensive and refined, very quiet at night, with Green Park station linking three lines. | Couples, Luxury travellers, Royal sightseers | £££ | Green Park, Piccadilly Circus | Hotels |
| MayfairAmong London's priciest hotels, calm residential streets, and an easy walk to Oxford Street, Soho and Hyde Park. | Luxury travellers, Shoppers, Food lovers | £££ | Bond Street, Green Park | Hotels |
| SohoExpensive and lively until late, so pick a room away from the street; walkable to almost every West End sight. | Nightlife fans, Food lovers, Theatre lovers | £££ | Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus | Hotels |
| Covent GardenExpensive but supremely central; busy by day and evening, and you can walk to most sights. | First-timers, Theatre lovers, Shoppers | £££ | Covent Garden, Leicester Square | Hotels |
| FitzroviaMid-to-upper price, calmer than Soho yet five minutes from it, with the Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road. | Food lovers, Business travellers, Couples | ££ | Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road, Warren Street | Hotels |
| MarylebonePricey but peaceful and residential, with Baker Street and Bond Street stations giving fast links everywhere. | Couples, Repeat visitors, Families | £££ | Baker Street, Bond Street, Marylebone | Hotels |
| BloomsburyGood mid-range value for so central a spot, calm at night, and close to King's Cross for Eurostar. | Culture lovers, First-timers, Families | ££ | Russell Square, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road | Hotels |
| HolbornMid-range and weekday-focused, so weekend rates can be good; quiet at night, between the West End and the City. | Business travellers, History lovers, Repeat visitors | ££ | Holborn, Chancery Lane | Hotels |
| King's CrossMid-range with new hotels, unbeatable for Eurostar and six Tube lines, though the station streets feel busy and gritty. | Eurostar travellers, Harry Potter fans, Food lovers | ££ | King's Cross St. Pancras | Hotels |
| Camden TownMid-range and lively, noisy at weekends; the Northern line gets you to the West End in about ten minutes. | Music fans, Young travellers, Market lovers | ££ | Camden Town, Chalk Farm | Hotels |
| IslingtonMid-range, lively on Upper Street but calm off it, with the Northern line from Angel into the City and West End. | Food lovers, Repeat visitors, Couples | ££ | Angel, Highbury & Islington | Hotels |
| ClerkenwellMid-range and quiet at weekends; Farringdon's Elizabeth line reaches Heathrow, the West End and Canary Wharf fast. | Food lovers, Business travellers, Design fans | ££ | Farringdon, Barbican | Hotels |
| ShoreditchMid-range design hotels, very lively and noisy at weekends, served by the Overground and Northern line. | Nightlife fans, Young travellers, Street art fans | ££ | Shoreditch High Street, Old Street, Liverpool Street | Hotels |
| Spitalfields & Brick LaneMid-range, busy at weekends and lively at night, with Liverpool Street's Elizabeth line a short walk away. | Market lovers, Food lovers, Young travellers | ££ | Liverpool Street, Aldgate East | Hotels |
| City of LondonMid-range, with cheaper weekend rates; very quiet after work hours, but superb Tube and Elizabeth line links. | Business travellers, History lovers, Weekend bargain hunters | ££ | Bank, St. Paul's, Liverpool Street | Hotels |
| Tower HillMid-range with many chain hotels, quiet at night, on the District and Circle lines plus the DLR. | First-timers, Families, History lovers | ££ | Tower Hill, Tower Gateway | Hotels |
| South Bank & WaterlooMid-range with great river views; lively by day, calmer at night, and Waterloo connects to four Tube lines. | First-timers, Families, Theatre lovers | ££ | Waterloo, Southwark, Lambeth North | Hotels |
| Bankside & BoroughMid-range and well placed, busy by day around the market, with London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines. | Food lovers, Culture lovers, First-timers | ££ | London Bridge, Borough, Southwark | Hotels |
| BermondseyMid-range and fairly quiet, a short walk to Tower Bridge and London Bridge, plus the Jubilee line. | Food lovers, Repeat visitors, Couples | ££ | Bermondsey, London Bridge | Hotels |
| Canary WharfMid-range with low weekend rates, very quiet at night; the Elizabeth and Jubilee lines reach central London quickly. | Business travellers, Weekend bargain hunters | ££ | Canary Wharf | Hotels |
| GreenwichGood value and peaceful, with a village feel; the DLR, trains and riverboats take 20-30 minutes to the centre. | Families, History lovers, Repeat visitors | £ | Cutty Sark, Greenwich | Hotels |
| South KensingtonExpensive, elegant and quiet, with the Piccadilly, District and Circle lines at South Kensington. | Families, Culture lovers, First-timers | £££ | South Kensington, Gloucester Road | Hotels |
| KensingtonMid-to-upper price, calm and safe-feeling, with plenty of hotels near the District and Circle lines. | Families, Royal sightseers, Couples | ££ | High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road | Hotels |
| KnightsbridgeVery expensive and polished, busy by the stores but quiet behind them, on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow. | Luxury travellers, Shoppers, Families | £££ | Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner | Hotels |
| BelgraviaExpensive, discreet and very quiet, with Victoria, Sloane Square and Hyde Park Corner stations around its edges. | Luxury travellers, Couples | £££ | Sloane Square, Hyde Park Corner | Hotels |
| ChelseaExpensive and residential, quiet at night; Sloane Square is the only Tube, so expect buses or walks. | Shoppers, Couples, Repeat visitors | £££ | Sloane Square | Hotels |
| Victoria & PimlicoMid-range with cheaper Pimlico guesthouses, calm side streets, and the Gatwick Express from Victoria. | Budget-conscious travellers, Gatwick travellers, First-timers | ££ | Victoria, Pimlico | Hotels |
| Notting HillMid-to-upper price, charming and residential, with the Central, Circle and District lines at Notting Hill Gate. | Couples, Market lovers, Repeat visitors | ££ | Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove | Hotels |
| Paddington & BayswaterOne of central London's cheaper hotel areas, quiet streets, the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line at Paddington. | Budget-conscious travellers, Heathrow travellers, Families | £ | Paddington, Bayswater, Queensway | Hotels |
| HampsteadFew hotels and mid-to-upper prices, very peaceful; the Northern line takes about 20 minutes to the West End. | Walkers, Repeat visitors, Couples | ££ | Hampstead, Hampstead Heath | Hotels |
| BatterseaMid-range, mostly quiet, with the Northern line extension and Thames Clippers boats into the centre. | Families, Shoppers, Repeat visitors | ££ | Battersea Power Station | Hotels |
| BrixtonCheaper and lively into the night, with few hotels; the Victoria line reaches Oxford Circus in about 15 minutes. | Music fans, Food lovers, Budget-conscious travellers | £ | Brixton | Hotels |
Across the areas
Top 10 sights in London's neighbourhoods
The best places to see, ranked by our score.
1
Tower of London
Trace two rings of walls and a moat around a fortress begun in 1066, then stand beneath the White Tower that gives it its name. Then see the Crown…
Castlesabout 3 hTower Hill
Tickets from £38See on map
2Westminster Abbey
Walk the same stone floors where 40 monarchs were crowned and trace royal tombs and poets' memorials under soaring Gothic vaults. Step inside for…
Churches & cathedralsabout 2 hWestminster
Tickets from £31See on map →
3St Paul's Cathedral
Stand beneath Wren's great dome, finished in 1710, and feel the hush of a working cathedral on Ludgate Hill. Trace centuries of London history,…
Churches & cathedralsabout 2 hSt Paul's
Tickets from £27See on map →
4Royal Albert Hall
Find a seat among 5,272 others in a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington. Catch a live performance, or take the one-hour tour to…
Theatresabout 2 h 30South Kensington
See on map →
5National Gallery
Step off Trafalgar Square into rooms of paintings spanning the mid-13th century to 1900, and let the canvases hold your attention for as long as…
Art galleriesabout 2 hLeicester Square
Free entrySee on map →
6Natural History Museum
Come face to face with a vast range of natural history specimens, from towering skeletons to tiny preserved creatures. Lose yourself for hours in…
Museumsabout 2 h 30South Kensington
Free entrySee on map →
7Royal Observatory Greenwich
Straddle the Prime Meridian with one foot in each hemisphere, then take in Thames views from the hill. Inside, historic timekeeping and astronomy…
Museumsabout 2 hMaze Hill
Tickets from £9See on map →
8British Museum
Step into eight million artefacts that trace human history from its earliest beginnings to today. Lose track of the hours in galleries of art and…
Museumsabout 3 hRussell Square
Free entrySee on map →
9Buckingham Palace
Step into the working headquarters of the British monarchy, where state occasions and royal hospitality unfold. Then watch scarlet-coated guards…
Palaces & royal sitesabout 2 h 15St. James's Park
Tickets from £37See on map →
10Sky Garden
Rise to three floors of planted terraces and glass walls, with London's rooftops spread out far below. Linger among the greenery and watch the…
Architectureabout 1 hMonument
Free entrySee on map →
No ticket needed
Free things to do
Free sights spread across the neighbourhoods.
Borough Market
Wander the 1850s market halls of Borough Market, where cheese wheels, fresh bread and spiced oils crowd the stalls. Taste your way along the…
Markets & food hallsabout 1 hLondon Bridge
Free entrySee on map →
Victoria and Albert Museum
Wander through a sprawling trove of fashion, furniture, jewellery and ceramics gathered from cultures around the world. With over 2.8 million…
Museumsabout 2 h 30South Kensington
Free entrySee on map →
Tate Britain
Wander through centuries of British art, then step into the rooms of J. M. W. Turner's paintings. Easy to lose a whole afternoon here while the…
Art galleriesabout 1 h 30Vauxhall
Free entrySee on map →
Tate Modern
Step inside a former power station on the Thames and wander through the UK's national collection of modern and contemporary art. Give yourself a…
Art galleriesabout 1 h 30London Blackfriars
Free entrySee on map →
Battersea Power Station
Walk the Thames path toward a huge brick power station that still dominates the riverside skyline. Then wander its shops and restaurants beneath…
Shoppingabout 1 h 30Battersea Power Station
Free entrySee on map →
Science Museum
Press buttons, test hands-on experiments and watch vast steam engines loom over you in galleries packed with working machines. Step inside on a…
Museumsabout 2 hSouth Kensington
Free entrySee on map →
Sir John Soane's Museum
Wander John Soane's former Holborn home, crammed with antiquities, paintings and his own architectural models. With only 90 visitors inside at a…
Museumsabout 1 hHolborn
Free entrySee on map →
Hampstead Heath
Rolling meadows, tangled woods and swimming ponds sprawl so far that on the high ground you only remember London when the skyline appears below.
Nature reserves & national parksabout 1 hHampstead Heath
Free entrySee on map →
Hotels across London's neighbourhoods
See hotels on a map with live prices.
All 446 things to do in London
Museums, landmarks and hidden gems on one map, plus 17 day trips.