Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors

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All information in this post is accurate as of the publishing date, however it is always best to check timetables, pricing, or opening hours before visiting a destination or venue.

London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with over 20 million visitors annually. There is good reason for this, because there truly is so much to do in this amazing city that you’ll be busy for weeks. Of course everyone knows the touristy things to do like visit Big Ben, the London Eye and Leicester Square. While they’re worth a visit once, there are so many less touristy places in London to visit that are also absolutely worth your time. In this post we’ve written down lots of our favourites so that you can have an amazing time in London whether its your second, third or 10th time here.

For a lot of these places, you’ll likely need to utilise the amazing public transport system in London. We’ve got a post all about how to use the public transport across London to make the most of your time and money!

In this post:

North London
1. Little Venice
2. Hampstead Heath
3. Highgate and nearby parks
East London
4. Hackney and surrounds
5. Greenwich
South-West London
6. Barnes
7. Chiswick
8. Richmond
9. Richmond Park
10. Hampton Court Palace
West London
11. Windsor Castle

Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors. In the foreground is green bushes, with a green grassy hill behind it going down to the river Thames on Richmond Hill, London. There's a path going up the hill and lots of trees down the bottom. — The beautiful view from Richmond Hill, worth the hike we promise!

North London

Little Venice

Little Venice is a small residential district in north west London and is centred around three waterways meeting. The triangular basin where they meet is named for the famous Italian city. It has space for long boats to turn around, so has quite a bit of water traffic. There are walking paths alongside the canals which makes for a lovely couple of hours.

To make the most of a visit to Little Venice, we recommend starting at Paddington Station. Here you can walk down the Paddington Basin and see the cute little duck refuge island on the water. On the way back up the basin, you’ll pass the cheese barge which is a restaurant on a long boat. Soon you’ll hit the basin where you’ll find another boat turned food venue called the Waterside Café. From here you can walk up the Grand Union Canal until you want to cross the water. On the way back to the basin, you’ll pass by the beautiful Clifton Nurseries. This is a great place to stop for a little baked good or garden centre shop browse.

After all the walking, back at the basin there’s Rembrandt Gardens which is a great place to relax and admire the boats sailing by. From here you can walk the Canal to Regent’s park which is a lovely 30 minute stroll along the water. Or you could head to Warwick Avenue tube station which is on the Paddington line.

If you want less walking or a unique experience, you can also take a guided tour on a long boat. This Get Your Guide tour is a beautiful 1.5 hour ride starting and ending in Camden. You sail past Camden Market, London Zoo, Regents Park and Little Venice all while having commentary from your guide. It would be a super relaxing and interesting way to experience one of our favourite less touristy places in London.

Clifton Nurseries in London. There's a paved path going under a roof with hundreds of yellow, purple, pink, orange and red flowers in pots. There's vines on the roof and people walking around too. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Inside the beautiful Clifton Nurseries

A canal running down the middle of the photo with canal boats moored on either side and a boat sailing down the middle. There's a little building on one side and lots of trees in Little Venice in London. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Little Venice is so picturesque

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead is a suburb in Northwest London and is one of our favourite places in London. It has a number of listed buildings and has had some notable past residents including Agatha Christie, Stephen Fry and Harry Styles.

You can start your visit at Hampstead station on the Northern line or Hampstead Heath station on the Mildmay line. There’s some lovely shops around both stations, our favourite being Daunt Books near Hampstead Heath station. Once you’re in Hampstead, make sure to walk down Flask Walk which is a very cute street. Wander around the adorable suburbs, making sure you go past the Old White Bear pub which is a gorgeous building. Then when you’re ready, head across to Hampstead Heath for a lovely park break.

Hampstead Heath is a large green space, spanning 320 hectares on a hill above London. It is a mix of dense foresty areas and large open spaces, with lots of walking trails winding through it all. Some things in the park worth looking out for are the Viaduct Bridge, Kenwood House, and Parliament Hill Viewpoint for amazing views over the city. There’s also a series of bathing ponds which open up in the warmer months if you’d like a swim. There is so much to do in Hampstead Heath and it’s such a gorgeous escape from the city. We really recommend you get there on your visit to London!

A small lake with lots of algae on it and big green trees around it. There's a small stone bridge with archways hiding in the trees and the sky is cloudy overhead. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The viaduct bridge in Hampstead Heath

A bigger clear lake with trees at the back and 4 big stone houses behind the trees looking out onto the lake. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — There’s so many beautiful parts of the Heath

Highgate and Nearby Parks

Right near Hampstead are some gorgeous suburbs with equally gorgeous parks. There’s Highgate, one of the most expensive places to live in the city, Archway and Muswell Hill. While a wander through the streets is nice, we’re going to recommend a couple of lovely parks in the area that we think are worth visiting. Firstly, start at Archway station and head to one of our favourite parks, Waterlow Park. This is a beautiful green space with ponds, tennis courts, a rose garden and Lauderdale House where you can get a bite to eat. After you’re done, head up Highgate High Street which is the loveliest street with some great shops.

A pink shop front that says "The Highgate Pantry" with lots of cakes in the window on Highgate High Street in London. There's also little gingerbread men hanging up with some lights and a sign out the front. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — One of the cute shops on Highgate high street

A wooded path in Highgate Wood in London. There's orange leaves on the ground, lots of trees overhead, a little brown chair on the right and a path going through the trees. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The woody Highgate Wood

From there, head north toward Highgate Wood and just across the road, Queenswood. Both of these parks have the usual ponds, sports fields and cafes, but feel different to other parks in London. They’re super leafy and honestly feel more like you’re walking through a forest than a park. Walking around through the trees is very peaceful, and you’ll soon forget you’re in a big city. While there, you can’t miss the Queen’s Wood Café, which is a beautiful place hidden amongst the trees. They have lovely hot drinks and baked goods and is the perfect place to stop on your day of walking.

Another great park to visit in the area is a 25 -30 minute walk from Highgate Wood. It’s called Alexandra Park which is also where you’ll find Alexandra Palace, a large events venue. This is a large park up on a hill with a nice view back to London as well as having lots of green open space to walk and relax in. This park is so different from the more foresty vibe of Highgate wood and the beautiful manicured vibe of Waterlow Park.

As far as less touristy places in London go, we really do recommend you give some of these parks a visit. They tend to be quieter than parks in central, and are all so beautiful in their own way!

Queen's Wood Café in Queenswood, London. It's a cute little wooden and stone café with pointed rooves and fairy lights. There's people sitting out the front and green trees all around. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The adorable Queen’s Wood Café

A hill in Alexandra Park with a view back to London. The grass is green with paths going across it and there's green trees on the hill as well as some black lamp posts. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The view from Alexandra Park

East London

Hackney and Surrounds

When the sun comes out, you must head to east London for a lovely full day out. There are so many great parts of east London, and for this day we recommend starting at Hoxton overground station. The place to head is Columbia Road, which is an amazing street with 60 independent shops. Here you can find delicious food, vintage clothing stores, old books, gifts, housewares and souvenirs. Every Sunday from 8am to 3pm there is also a famous flower market that runs along the street with amazing plants and flowers for sale.

At the end of Columbia Road you’ll be across the road from Hackney City Farm which is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4:30pm. For 35 years, this amazing free farm has helped visitors learn about farming without having to leave the city. They have pigs, goats, donkeys, sheep and chickens and in spring you can go and visit the babies! Also at the farm is an Italian restaurant, a farm shop, a pottery workshop and a garden. It is such a nice place to wander around, and the adjoining Haggerston Park is a great place to sit and have some food.

Some crates and shelves with colourful flowers on them and signs showing you how much they are at the Columbia Road flower market in London. There's some white tents overhead and a brick building behind. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The Columbia Road flower market

A green field with 5 sheep grazing in it and a brown fence behind at Hackney City Farm in London. There's some more fields, green trees and buildings in the background and the sky is clear and blue. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The Hackney City Farm sheep

From there, head up Goldsmiths Row, cross Regents Canal and you’ll be on Broadway Market. While this is the name of the street, there is also a fabulous market here every Saturday from 9am to 5pm. It is also on every Sunday 10am to 5pm, however there’s less stalls but you can still find lots of delicious food, drinks and gifts. Nearby is London Fields park which is a great place to sit and enjoy your food and drink.

Lastly in the east, we couldn’t forget Victoria Park which is over 180 years old and has over 9 million visitors every year. It’s quite large and it’s a really lovely area to wander around and have a little picnic. As well as lots of greenery, it has two playgrounds, sports fields, a skatepark, ponds including two with islands, and two cafes. There is also a market in the south of the park every weekend from 11am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. On Saturday you’ll find delicious food and drink as well as live music, and on Sunday it’s all of that plus local produce as well.

Some food on a pink and white picnic blanket in London Fields in London. There's some paper containers and bags with food and a tray with a wrap and some chips in it. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Some delicious food from Broadway Market at our picnic in London Fields

Greenwich

Greenwich is a suburb in the south east of London and is famous for naming the Greenwich Mean Time and the Greenwich Meridian. It’s easy to get to from central London as Greenwich station is on both the Thameslink and Southeastern lines, and the DLR light rail. There’s also a great river cruise from Westminster to Greenwich that goes past lots of famous London landmarks on the way which would be cool if you’re short on time.

Once in Greenwich, the first place you should head is Greenwich market. A market in this location has been running since 1737 and now there’s over 1200 square metres of space. There’s so many stalls selling food, drinks, art, crafts, clothing and much more. This is one of our favourite markets in London and is open every day from 10am to 5pm.

Under the glass panelled roof of Greenwich Market in London. There's coloured bunting and decorations hanging from the roof and lots of stalls under it with people walking around. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Inside Greenwich Market

A pebble path going down the middle of the photo with green bushes with pink, white and purple flowers on them on either side. There's big green trees behind the path and people walking down it in Greenwich Park in London. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — In a garden in Greenwich Park

If you’re visiting between March and November, there is also a street food market at the nearby Cutty Sark ship and Maritime Museum. If you’re a maritime fan, this would also be a good museum to visit, but if not, just go to check out the market! It is open every Friday to Sunday from mid March to the end of November. There is lots of delicious food and drink available and would be a great place to check out on a nicer day.

After perusing the markets, head up to the amazing Greenwich Park. This is a large park that is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. It has lots of wide open spaces, ponds, flower gardens, a playground, sport fields, and a spot called the Wilderness where you can see deer. You could easily spend hours wandering around the park and we highly recommend you put some time aside to do this. There is also a large hill in the middle of the park that as an amazing view over London.

As well as a great view, the hill in the middle of the park is home to the Royal Observatory, which is the biggest draw of Greenwich Park. It is open from 10m to 5pm every day and adult tickets are £24. As well as science and astronomy, you can also learn about Greenwich Mean Time and stand on the Prime Meridian Line. If you don’t want to go into the observatory but still want to stand on the line, don’t worry! Just outside the gates to the observatory there is a bit you can go to for free called “Bradley’s Meridian Line” on Google Maps.

The photo is taken of our feet from above. Katherine's orange pants and black shoes with Krissie's white, yellow and green pants and white shoes standing on a path with a metal line running between their feet in Greenwich, London. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Standing on the Prime Meridian Line

The view from Greenwich Park back to London. There's a big green hill with lots of people picnicking at the bottom. There's green trees on either side of the hill and a big white palace at the bottom with a view of London behind it all. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The view from Greenwich Park

South West London

Barnes

Barnes is a gorgeous little district in London, south west of the city on the river Thames. There is a lot of natural woodland in Barnes as well as two National Rail train stations and a city centre. This is also where you’ll find the WWT London Wetland Centre which you can visit for £16.29 per person. It is truly such a beautiful little area that feels completely different to central London even though it’s not very far away.

For a visit to Barnes, we recommend starting at Barnes train station then walking through some of the nature reserve. Head to Barnes Green which is a gorgeous little park with a pond you can sit by. From there, walk up Church Road past some little food shops to Barnes Bookshop which is the cutest little store. There’s also a Tesco Express here if you want to stop and get some food. Walk back down Church road onto Barnes High street that has some great independent shops and pubs. By this time you’ll be by the water where you can walk along to Barnes bridge and cross to the other side for a visit to Chiswick.

A small pond in Barnes, London. There's green trees and tall grass around it with a small house in the background. The sky overhead is bright blue and there's a tree with branches falling into the frame. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — A beautiful pond in Barnes

A cute set of shops in Barnes, London. There's coloured awnings over shops on the bottom and above are orange brick housing. There's a road between the shops and a grassy patch and lots of green trees overhead. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Barnes high street with some cute shops

Chiswick

Once on the north of the river from Barnes, head right along the Thames. There is a stunning walk along the water under tree cover where you’ll pass the Dukes Meadows Bandstand. From the water it’s a short walk up to Chiswick House and Gardens which is absolutely worth a visit. The 300+ year old garden is open from 7am to 9pm every day (although it closes earlier in winter) and is completely free to visit. This gorgeous garden has lots of open space, a little lake with two bridges and manicured sections to explore.

There’s also a kitchen garden open from 10:30am to 3:30pm Thursday to Sunday from March and a café open every day. As for the house itself, it is open from May onwards Thursday to Sunday from 10:30am to 3:30pm. You can tour the beautiful 18th-century house and browse the shop for lots of cool gifts. There is also a market that runs every first Sunday of the month from 10am to 4pm that also has lots of amazing local and sustainable gifts.

A big pond in Chiswick Garden, London. There's green bushes and a big grassy patch on the right where people are sitting beside the water. There's also lots of big green trees and a blue sky above it all. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — In the gorgeous Chiswick Garden

A pebbly path leading up to a stone house in Chiswick Gardens, London. Around the path are stone vases, trees and green grass. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Leading up to Chiswick House

Richmond

Richmond is an amazing suburb in south west London that is one of our all time favourite less touristy places in London. It is very well connected with the Mildmay line, the Southwestern line, the District line and buses all going to central London.

Once you’ve arrive at the station, head towards the water walking down the main road. There’s lots of nice shops and places to get food so grab yourself something while you wander. While you do, make sure you go up Church Court which is a cute little street with an adorable bookstore called The Alligator’s Mouth. Across from it there’s another cute street called Brewers Lane that we also recommend you go down. At the end of this lane, you’ll be at Richmond Green which is a lovely spot to stop and have a picnic.

A laneway in Richmond, London. The ground is paved and the shops on either side are cute, with apartments on top of them and fairy lights above the path. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — If you’re a fan of Ted Lasso you’ll recognise this cute laneway!

A green patch of grass in Richmond, London. There's bare trees on the outskirts, people on the grass and small buildings behind it all. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — People picnicking on Richmond Green

From here, head down Paved Court, especially if you’re a fan of the tv show Ted Lasso as they regularly filmed here. There’s even a Ted Lasso Guided Walking Tour that is highly rated if you’re a big fan of the show (like we are)!

From Paved Court you can walk down either Friars or Water Lanes to get to the river Thames. You can sit on the Richmond Riverside and when you’re ready, walk south along the water and enjoy the view. Walk for as long as you like, but somewhere nice to stop is the Terrace Gardens. It’s a cute garden and right next to it (up a decent hill), is the Richmond Hill viewing point. There’s a lovely view over the hill and the river from here and it’s just a nice place to sit and recover from the walk up. If you’re there at the right time, this is a spectacular place to see the sun set!

If you keep walking along the water instead of heading up the hill, eventually you’ll get to River Lane where you can walk up to Petersham Nurseries. This is a great little nursery open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and from 11am on Sunday. Here there’s a nursery shop, a fancy restaurant, an afternoon tea room and a separate tea house. The garden afternoon tea shop is a reservations only place to get a fancy afternoon tea. The Teahouse is a cute little indoor no-reservations-required café where you can get delicious scones, cakes and tea. We really recommend a little walk round the nursery whether you’re stopping for a little treat or not!

Along the river Thames in Richmond, London. There's bunting flags lining the water, little red boats on the edge, and a path with people walking down it on the left. There's also lots of trees along the water and the sky above is blue. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Walking along the Thames

Krissie wearing a black fluffy coat and looking down at a plate of scones on the table at Petersham Nurseries in London. There's two scones on the plate with a little bowl of jam and another one of cream. Behind her is glass panels with green vines all over them. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The delicious scones at Petersham Nurseries

Richmond Park

While in Richmond, after looking around the town it is definitely worth a visit to Richmond Park. This is the largest of London’s Royal Parks and was created in the 17th century as a deer hunting park. It is now a protected space under many different UK conservation designations and has been in many films and tv shows. It is also huge at 856 hectares and is London’s second largest park so there’s lots of space to enjoy!

Because this park is so large there is a free volunteer run minibus service. This bus has disabled access and runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from March to November. It goes between all the Richmond Park car parks, two of the gates, Pembroke Lodge and the Isabella Plantation. You can find the 2026 map and timetable on their website and we highly recommend it if you’d like to see more of the park!

There are multiple gates into the park, and many many paths and roads to walk along. In the park there are four lodges, one of which is a wedding venue called Pembroke Lodge. It also has a café serving hot food, cakes and drinks every day from 9am-5pm (or 30 minutes before the park closes). There are other places to eat in the park as well including Pen Ponds Kiosk, Roehampton Gate Café and the Isabella Plantation Café. Speaking of the Isabella Plantation, this is a 40 acre woodland garden famous for its azaleas and rhododendrons that bloom late April to mid May which is incredible to visit.

There are so many things to see in the park including lots of ponds and gorgeous open spaces, but the most famous thing about the park is the deer. There are over 630 red and fallow deer living in Richmond Park. They travel around in large herds so you can often see them when you’re in the park. However please be careful if you’re visiting from Autumn to the end of July, as this is deer mating and birthing season and they can get aggressive, especially towards dogs. No matter what season you’re visiting in, they are very cool to see from a distance and it’s another perk of this very cool park!

A brown and green field in Richmond Park, London with bare trees behind it. In the brown bushes there are lots of brown deer that are camouflaged well into the shrubs. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Can you see all the deer hidden in this picture? They camouflage so well!

Hampton Court Palace

As well as all the beautiful suburbs and parks we’ve recommended, we had to recommend a palace and a castle too! The first is Hampton Court Palace, which is only 20km from central London and on the South Western Railway line. Hampton Court Palace began being built in 1514 for the Archbishop of York. However only 15 years later it was given to Henry VIII and soon became one of his favourite residences.

Krissie in a white jumper walking through a garden in Hampton Court Palace in London. There's little paths going around lots of small garden beds with green plants in them. Behind is a big green tree and the red palace in the background. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — In the kitchen garden at Hampton Court

It is now a major tourist attraction where you can tour the palace and it’s large collection of art. It is open every day from 10am to 4pm, you can buy tickets online and it costs £29 for adults. As well as the palace, there is also a beautiful garden around it that you can visit on the same admission ticket. A few times a year, they also host garden open days, where you can visit the garden for free. There are 5 weekends a year where the whole garden is free so we definitely recommend checking out their website for the dates!

Some of the parts of the park are the privy garden, the great fountain garden, the wilderness and the rose garden. There is also a café called the Tiltyard Cafe which has a great Sunday roast, and a lovely kitchen garden across from it. It really is worth a visit to Hampton Court, especially if you happen to be visiting on a garden open day!

West London

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle can be found in the town of Windsor, about 40km from central London. It’s easy to access, with the South Western Railway line going to both Windsor & Eton riverside and central stations. The castle was built in the 11th century and is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. If you’d like to go inside, it is open from 10am to 4:15pm over winter, and is open an hour later in summer. You can buy tickets online and tickets are £32 if you buy them in advance. There’s also a young person ticket if you’re between 18 – 24 that is only £21.

Once you’re done in the castle or if you don’t want to go in, a walk around the town is definitely worth your time. There’s some main streets with lots of shops and restaurants and some really cute old English streets with cobblestones (check out Church Street). We also recommend a walk down to and along the river Thames. Also make sure to check out the Long Walk which is a park with a long path down the middle leading to Windsor Castle. It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours, even if you don’t want to go inside the castle!

An adorable street in Windsor, London. There's cobbled paths with shops on the left. There's a green umbrella over some pink chairs on the street out the front of a shop and behind is more buildings and the spire of a church. There's also union jack flag bunting over the street and trees around too. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — The adorable Church Street in Windsor

Windsor Castle in London. There's a big green patch of grass with part of the stone castle wall and turret behind. There's little windows in the castle turret and on the right of it is some little blue and beige coloured shops. Less Touristy Places in London for Return Visitors — Windsor Castle

Final Thoughts

There really are SO many less touristy places in London. Whether this is your first, second or 10th time here, there is something for everyone. There are some beautiful quiet areas, lots of amazing parks, markets with delicious food, a palace and a castle. There’s so many things to do that it can fill another full trip. Whatever you do with your time in London, you are going to see why this is such a popular city and we hope you enjoy your time in our second home!

If you want to see all of the less-touristy things we get up to, you can check out our London playlist on our YouTube channel: