Camden Town is a unique part of London, this walk along Regent’s Canal to Camden offers a picturesque and leisurely journey through the heart of London. Starting from the tranquil waters near Little Venice, the canal path winds eastward, revealing charming houseboats, lush greenery, and the occasional swan gliding by.
As you approach Camden, the atmosphere becomes more vibrant and eclectic. The path passes under historic bridges and alongside London Zoo and converted warehouses now bustling with cafes, markets, and street art. The walk culminates in Camden Lock, where the lively market offers an array of food stalls, vintage shops, and live music, encapsulating the unique, bohemian spirit of Camden Town.
Welcome to the Little Venice to Camden canal walk. We’ll start at ‘Paddington‘ tube station.
Getting There: Directions, GPX and App Link
The Hiking App I use is ‘OutdoorActive‘ which has a free and Pro version, the Pro version will allow you to download the routes to your phone and use them without using up your data. The reason I mention it is that if you were to download it, below is the link to this route in my hike list on that app, you can follow the arrows and voice on that. I think it is best that you do get the app, as most of these walks are a bit tricky to explain.
Navigation Aids:
- Follow this route on the Outdooractive App, it is free, and it will guide you around safely.
- Download my hand crafted *GPX file, and use it on your own guidance devices.
- * If you’re not sure what a GPX file is, I have put this post together that will hopefully explain it in plain words. It’s worth considering as well as mobile app navigation, as they will make your hikes better & safer.
Trek Profile
- Distance: 4m / 6km
- Duration: 3-4 hours (loads to do and see in Camden after a gentle stroll along the canal)
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Trek Description & Pics
You’ll start off at ‘Paddington Station’, following the signs to ‘Little Venice’ onto Regents Canal
As you step out of ‘Paddington Tube Station’, you should see Regents Canal straight away, if not you have left by another exit.
It was early, we fancied a coffee and great news the first thing that hits you are ‘Darcie & May Green‘ boats, covered in artwork by the ‘godfather’ of British pop art; Sir Peter Blake.
Moving on – after our delicious coffee we carried on walking under the bridges heading towards ‘Little Venice‘. There are lots of restaurants and bars alongside the canal, and you can really take your time and enjoy the calm.
Little Venice, beautiful canals and waterways, quirky waterside cafes, cosy pubs and restaurants.
Little Venice is just north of Paddington, it’s right at the junction where the Grand Union and Regent’s canals meet, it is a beautiful neighbourhood full of cafes, pubs, restaurants if you go and explore.
To follow the canal to Camden, you’ll have to walk over the blue bridge onto the opposite side, and along this new path you will see advertisements for 45 minute canal boat rides to Camden, and also the ‘Puppet Theatre Barge‘, which is the UK’s only floating puppet theatre, and has been going for 40 years!
From here we started our journey along the atmospheric Regent’s Canal, which goes all the way to the Docklands, passing the likes of London Zoo and Camden Town.
This is a beautiful walk, perfect for a relaxing few hours away from the London bustle.
Moving on – Keep following the canal, and you will see the very famous ‘Puppet Theatre Barge‘, but at certain points you will need to move onto the road before joining the canal again.
The Puppet Theatre Barge is one of the UK’s most unique theatre’s, a 50 seat theatre inside a converted barge.
The ‘Puppet Theatre Barge‘ started as a touring company called Movingstage in 1978 specialising in marionette theatre. After several years of touring the UK and the world, the company acquired a 72ft-long Thames lighter and converted it into a permanent puppet theatre.
I am definetly going to a puppet show in the future, and whilst there we saw families and couples coming off the barge after a show, we stayed a short while and then carried on along the canal.
Just opposite the barge is a lush green area called ‘Rembrandt Gardens Little Venice‘, which is a small public park, next to the famous Victoria and Albert Museum and features beautiful flower beds, sculptures, and a pond.
A little further along you will need to move onto the road, but if you carry on over the bridge and along the street, you can get back on the canal.
Moving on – There is a stunning cafe called ‘Cafe Laville‘ perched on the bridge, we crossed the road and carried on straight along Aberdeen Place, and at the road bend, there are steps to return to the canal, at the end of the alleyway.
Gothic Villa’s in Regents Park overlooking the canal, and London Zoo’s landmark Monkey Valley is now open and soaring 80ft above the canal path!
Quinlan Terry’s Regent’s Park villas are six large detached villas on the north-western edge of London’s Regent’s Park, and are an incredible sight from the canal, the houses were built by the Crown Estate between 1988 and 2004.
Monkey Valley transports visitors to the lush mountainous forest of Central Africa, against the backdrop of a 30ft waterfall and peaceful lagoon, high-flying colobus monkeys leaping, lounging, swinging, and snoozing, in their new tree-top inspired habitat, sounds ace to me, and all accessible once you go into London Zoo itself.
Moving on – Further on the canal makes a sharp left on the final leg to the entrance to ‘Camden Market‘, heading towards Camden Lock, just keep going. Look out for ‘St Mark’s Church‘ on the corner, it’s beautiful and worth a look around.
Camden Food & Drink Market, where to start! They’ve got cult cafes, terrace bars, top-notch street food and fresh-baked sweet stuff 😋
The entrance to the Food Market appears on your left just before the bridge over the canal, you walk in and straight away you are hit with the amazing smells of all different types of food. The stalls are all set out in rows, so take a wonder around and see if there is anything you fancy.
In the end we decided on beef ragu cheese pasta from ‘The Cheese Wheel’ and chicken from ‘Bang Bang Chicken’, we had half each, and it was delicious, I loved the pasta, and very filling.
www.camdenmarket.com/food-drink
Moving on – Don’t forget Camden indoor market, an eclectic mix of stores and stalls selling vintage, original fashion, hand-crafted accessories, unique gifts and everything in between – www.camdenmarket.com/shops
Finished at Camden Market? Let’s get you back by making your way to Camden Town Tube Station, you may need to change lines somewhere, but this station is very close.
Once you are looking to head back, look for the entrance onto the main road, the road is called ‘Camden High Street’, and out of the gate turn right and walk down the road under the famous ‘Camden Lock’ bridge, and keep walking for a few hundred yards.
Camden High Street is a day out in itself, so if you have time make sure you have a look around, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, cafe’s, shops, it’s all going on.
The entrance to the tube station is around the other side, on Kentish Town Road, but it’s right on the corner so you will have no problem finding it. I loved this walk and little adventure, it was a great experience, and I will be going back to Camden 100%, got to try some of the other food!
www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/london-areas/camden-town/things-to-do-camden-town
Congratulations, you’ve completed the ‘Paddington, Little Venice and Regents Canal Walk to Camden!’ Hopefully, the weather has been on your side, and you’ve had an incredible experience. To make your journey even smoother, I recommend downloading this route from the Outdooractive app. It will provide you with reassurance about timing and ensure you stay on the right track. With so much space and various paths in the area, it’s easy to unintentionally veer off course.
I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this walk, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this post using the social media buttons on your left or in the footer below. Your comments are also more than welcome—I love connecting with new people and discussing our shared experiences. Who knows, we might even meet up on one of our future walks. Thank you for joining me on this memorable adventure, and here’s to many more to come!
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