Things to do in Notting Hill, London

Only Europe’s biggest street festival, the Notting Hill Carnival welcomes around two million revelers to its huuuuuge celebration of Caribbean and Black culture every August Bank Holiday weekend. Expect colorful floats, flamboyant costumes, Caribbean-inspired street food, and the ever-present sound of steel drums, samba and singing. Even the famously dour British weather can’t put a dampener on this kind of party!

Vacation dates don’t tally up with the carnival? No need to despair! The party continues year-round at the mighty Shepherd’s Bush Empire, a straight roll downhill from Notting Hill on the other side of Shepherd’s Bush Green. Despite its relatively modest capacity (around 2,000 lucky ticket holders), the Empire has attracted some absolutely massive names down the years, from Charlie Chaplin way back when, through Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Prince and Amy Winehouse. Just around the corner, Edwardian dancehall-turned-performance-space Bush Hall hosts even more intimate shows, including comedy, club nights and up-and-coming musicians.

But perhaps you’re looking for a more sedate intro to the various charms of Notting Hill. We’ve got you covered, with a couple of quite excellent guided tours. Pro-tip: both are available with the Go City London pass, which can save you a fat stack on entry to more than 100 top-tier London tours, activities and attractions.

First up, Brit Movie Tours runs – as you may have guessed from the name – a movie-themed stomp around the neighborhood, taking in filming locations from Love Actually, Paddington 2, The Italian Job and – yep, you guessed it – Notting Hill. And, as well as that famous ‘blue door’ (behind which, for all we know, Hugh Grant may well still be bumbling), you’ll also get a sneaky peek at the homes of the local celebs who live here.

Alternatively, join this stroll which takes in several of the same spots on and around Portobello Road, as well as a wander through the bucolic environs of Kensington Gardens, including a tour of the palace grounds and a chance to chill in Princess Diana’s beloved Sunken Garden. You’ll also take in Queen Victoria’s towering gilded monument to her dear departed prince, and ogle the iconic dome of the Royal Albert Hall. The tour wraps with a takeaway cream tea – just about enough to fortify you for the short trek back up to Notting Hill.

Pssst! Your Go City London pass also gets you entry to several of the attractions you’ll spot on these tours, including the Royal Albert Hall and the opulent interiors of Kensington Palace.

The candy-coloured houses on and around Portobello Road are like catnip to Insta influencers. But it’s along Portobello Road proper where the real magic happens. Follow the crowds past those swoonsome townhouses to buzzy market stalls that hawk everything from cheap plastic trinkets to eye-wateringly expensive antique silverware. Looking for a London bus keychain? An elusive original Kinks vinyl record? A Fonz-style leather jacket? An antiquarian map of East Anglia? You’ll find it all down here in London’s most popular – and picturesque – bric-a-brac market. Saturdays sees the antiques stalls joined by a traditional fruit and vegetable market. Afterwards, amble northwards to Little Venice for (seasonal) boat rides along the Regent’s Canal. You may even hear the telltale roars, hoots and screeches of London Zoo as you bob gently along.

Prefer your shopping experiences a little more spenny? The closest Notting Hill has to a shopping mall is Westfield, back down the hill in Shepherd’s Bush. It’s one of Europe’s largest covered shopping centers, spanning the buying experience from the cheap and cheerful fashion of Primark to the high-end couture of Versace and Gucci. Bars and restaurants galore, and an entertainment complex that includes a cinema, bowling alley, VR games and more, complete the line-up.

So you’ve ticked off Hugh Grant’s (fictional) front door and been inside Princess Diana’s former home, but if you want a real insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, take a stroll along Kensington Palace Gardens. Not to be confused with Kensington Gardens (the royal park next door) or indeed the gardens of Kensington Palace, KPG runs north to south between Notting Hill Gate and Kensington High Street and is known locally as ‘Billionaire’s Row’. And not without good reason.

For the palatial mansions and ambassadorial residences that line this most prestigious of thoroughfares are home to diplomats, entrepreneurs, oligarchs and even sultans. We’re talking Lakshmi Mittal (aka ‘the Carnegie of Calcutta’), Tamara Ecclestone (daughter of Formula One mogul Bernie), and the actual Sultan of Brunei, to name just a few. Ogle their opulent facades and super-high fences as you pap your way along, keeping an eye on the dozens of wall-mounted security cameras as they carefully track your every plebeian move.

Although many of Notting Hill’s homes face out onto small communal gardens – sometimes reserved for residents alone – the neighborhood also includes two substantial public green spaces. The first is Holland Park. Once the grounds of a Jacobean castle, its magical mixture of landscapes includes dappled woodland, formal gardens that look towards the remnants of Holland House, and a Japanese garden complete with koi carp. Don’t forget to say hey to the resident ostentation of strutting peacocks, their showboating matched only by the fire of the maples in autumn and the blush of spring’s pretty-in-pink cherry blossoms.

We’ve already encountered Kensington Gardens, but it’s worth lingering a little longer. This fairly substantial park lies largely to the west of the Serpentine, directly adjacent to its larger sibling of Hyde Park. Snap a selfie on the Serpentine Bridge, and drop by the Serpentine Galleries for eye-popping contemporary art. Seek out the century-old bronze statue of Peter Pan. Commissioned by JM Barrie himself, it stands just outside the Diana Memorial Playground, one of the finest kids’ outdoor play areas in town. Elsewhere, pause by the fairytale Round Pond with its dabbling ducks and swans-a-swimming, and look out for the impossibly photogenic Queen Caroline’s Temple, a neoclassical gem. 

If you’ve got a bit of an eye for sleek and stylish design, you’re bound to get a kick from the Design Museum. Founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1989, it has been in its current location at the southern end of Holland Park since 2016. The hyperbolic paraboloid roof acts is a design statement in itself and hints at what’s inside: a permanent collection of ‘everyday’ items and lower floors that host temporary exhibitions on a broad range of design themes.

Taking an alternative view of design through the ages, the Museum of Brands boasts more than half a million items, running the gamut from children’s toys to vintage postcards, wartime ephemera and royal souvenirs. This vast social history tracks the evolution of consumerism and examines how technology has enabled change and progress – check out the retro ads screening in the TV Room. If you’ve ever wondered how Corn Flakes packaging has evolved over the ages, or how Cadbury’s signature purple palette came into being, this is the place to head!

A short hop from Portobello Road, Graffik Gallery is individual, contemporary and just a little bit edgy. Specializing in high-end street art, its walls display some of the best graffiti artists of the moment – including Banksy. Should the world of the spray-can grab you, they regularly host graffiti workshops and masterclasses.

Nearby, Westbourne Grove’s Maddox Gallery has been successful enough that it’s expanded internationally, though it all started right here in Notting Hill. They too have their finger in the Banksy pie, alongside works by Damien Hirst and Jean-Michel Basquiat – not a bad pedigree, considering the gallery was only founded in 2015.

And if all that sounds a little highbrow for your tastes, well, you could always take yourself off ice-skating at the legendary QUEENS rink just north of Kensington Gardens instead. That’s Notting Hill for ya: there’s something for everyone.